Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-03-31
TURNING TO THE TRUE
LIFE.
BY r. H. S-ACFFER.

was thorough ly woman Of the world
] dressed in the highest of it's fashions
pstronzed It's follies; practiced its deceits;
lived in its conventionalities. There was
little of solid learning in my head, and less
of genuine philanthropy in my heart. |
was supremeIy se.fss; made no sacrifices
myself, We: was continue lily demanding
them of others.
was fond of fattery; loved 10 produce
,fTe.t. Often lid the flush of pride deepen
the color on ny cheeks, as sailed through
the crowded rooms, and hearl the half
whispered exclamations, "How grand!"-
How beautiful" ''Isn't she beautiful!"-
True; they were not the only expressions |
heard was standing, one evening. in the
conservatory. The cool air famed my fever
ed brow, and the SOUND of music and dan
cling came floating out from the wide walls
heard voices among the shrubbery.
".There is little about Corinne My 10 al
mire. She is simply coquet;e"
"She is cold, heartless coquette.
speak from bitter experience.
Nv heart beat fast, aud the veins a, my
temples swelled with anger. The one was
Mr.. Pemberton, the author: the other, one
who had been al my feet the night before.
The latter / could forgive, but the man O!
talent-never There was bitterness in
thse words, coming as they did from him
lie wss the only man whom | hid ever
raised, in my estimation, above the common
level of men. NV heart throbbed for re-
venge; he should repent those words in Bit
terness, and at my feet.
But as that never happened. / am still
uuavenged-and it is better so. All the
charms of ar, and nature tailed. 1t was not
mine to conquer. At the close Of the season
be was gone; had awakened no interest in
him; in his estimstion l still renained-a
butterfly! am now humble enough to say
that he thoroughly did me justice During
the remainder of that night of folly and
pleasure, 4 was miserable. discon,ented
with myself, and everybody else. A pale,
intellectua! girl be came The belle of the
hour, and left in disgust.
Among the visitors at my fathers house.
was a clergyman. He was tall, handsome
man, rather taciturn, and with retired air
about him, that fitted him little for society.
Indeed, he rarely went into society; and
when he did, there was d constrained, ill-at-
ease atmosphere about him. that impaired
some of its chilliness TO others. He was
naturally gifted man; and to this he had
added thorough, systematic course of ed
ucation, coupled with much personal obser-
walton. He conversed freely-that is. ith
those with whom he is intimate. What ne
said enchained his hearers as well as profit
ed them.
He was not a gloomy man; a guide-post.
with The way to the shadowy tomb written
upon his face. He believed that God was
good; he felt that we were created To BE-
happy; he knew that the wo rid was beaul-
ful. He seemed to look at everything with
such clear, true eyes. He could read your
character at glance; he knew your foIlies,
your weak points, your Inconsistencies
Ye, he seemed to use this power lenicntly
and very much so with me. In our in
tercOurse he did not lessen nv friendship
for him, by abruptly attacking my foibles,
nor make me think him less man Of God.
by leaving them entirely alone He showed
me whe einl erred, in quiet, unassuming
way-perhaps more by his manner than HE
words.
He would take me Gut of myself, as it
were, and place me where his own inner
perceptions had placed me. Then | could
see how fruitless had been my life, and how
deformed was in the eyes Of simple iiy
AMI truth. Yet was a williul one, there
was pride ia my heart; was welded TO the
folles of the world. The revelation did not
make me better; and as we-nrver stand
still in our spiritual relationship to God, !
must say that it made me worse hall
hated myself, and, as a Consequence, the
things around me. Mr.. Athol was panied
q, this; there was reproor in his eyes, and
il seemed to ME that he smiled more sadly
every day.
| was conscious that he loved me. This
consciousness came to me through many
months-slowIy, gradually, certainly. He
did not say SO in SO mary words. or BY so
mary acts. He WIS not the man to Go that.
OWNED it in his glance, in his anxious
soliciuude, in little things that were nothing
to the world, yet much 10 me. Companion
ship increased the affinity between us more
and more. We are always exerting an in.
fuence upon ,he characters of those around
Ms, and he was influencing mine very much.
II did not love him in return am sure
that did not hate him. don't know how
it was, but at last began to learn that he
was very dear to me. He would often come
into the library to converse with my father.
The latter Was Christian, and an elder in
Mr.. Athol's church. He was warm friend,
an Indifferent enemy, loving husband, aud
an indulgent father. ] was the only chiM.
and upon me he lavshed all his affection.
Every whim was gratihed, every folly pas