Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-06-08
II q A. JUNE 8, 1859.

as ever. One sweet little soye sailed her
mother, and she gazed on beI Dor with ali
the fondness of q mothers Enuene
Sclden's boyish dreams had hekonae living
realities. The honoFs Of lhe world had
been bestowed on hi1a BE f!sceived tho
adnlations Of d world devoted t. wealth
| and honor, and then he kn ~ d that BE
| had one real friend among tha b, friend
for dark hours, for sorrow tiq i. Count
less thousands glittered il BIZ coIfers and
he felt and knew that tin II - fulfilling
| his every desire, save thai II f.appiness
How had be, from his earllt n ~, looked
forward to those days IS y Hyhtezt. Bis
bess. Tor IBIS ssavssz 8 = .sugele
cheerfully with poverty, to scarcK BY lne
midnight lamp for intellectual treasures, to
contend nanfully with every difficulty, that
he might be rich and great. Now, this
far off future to him then, was the present,
and where was his reward, where the hap
piness he promised should be his? Where
the solid home comfort Was he happy9
Let the wrinkled brow, the silver hairs in
terwoven with his jet black locks, the sad
thoughtfulness of his heart, answer the ques-
ton, even to the young and gay, who look
] for pleasure pure and lasting in the honor
and riches of this feeting world, but alas
!, In vain. Premature old age will sadly but
truly answer the question when it reveals
. the bitter heart pangs, the earnest desires
of the immortal mind for orsomething higher,
f nobler than the phantom of pleasure, which
is always pursued, but like the wil-o'-the-
wisp, leads only to disappointment.
: For this Eugene Selden sacrificed the
pure unselfish love of the sweet Christine
, Clair, crushed in his young heart his love
for her, the pure and beautiful-crushed
but never destroyed it-for there in his
| heart, in its hours of gloom, her lovely face
was to him the sweet memento of the past,
, aud his heart never knew as happy hours
] as those were when he took her little trem-
bling hand in his, and looking into her deep
t blue eyes he told her of his love, free, pure,
hers only, and forever. And the trembling
sensitive, like young dew drop, believed
r those words, and from that time until he
n left, her life seemed as only shadow of
Il his existence. Those were happy days,
when his distant hopes had not even began
3, to be realized, his hopes of wealth and great
d ness. All all now would he give for one
of those golden hours of his youth.
5 Again, he seemed to live them ever.-
3 In imagination he felt that he must go
from his home-his mothers home, to seek
n at the University greater mental treasures
r, and bidding bis ford mother farewell has
j. tened to Christine's humble home, sur
ID rounded by flowers of her own planting
f. with the woodbine and honey suckle clam
O. bering around its rude walls, to bid her
". long farewell. He dreams on. The gen
e. tie girl speaks fond loving words to him Q
be hope, bright as star gems, of love pure an
o. fervent, and he feels he is strengthened
. blessed by the strong love of the lionel,
TO- Swiss girl, and he is happy-he is bette
7 man! Oil beautiful dreams of youth an
,r- happiness, why come ye to haunt the grea
,st man in his lordly mansion, surrounded b
. luxuries unheard of in those days of happi
mt ness?
np He goes forth. For months the memo
res ry of Christine is as beacon light guidin
his heart to home and duty, also animatin
,ut him to work for the future SO he migf
les make her happy who was all to his hear
yp. Ambition had not then like demon er
mo- tered his heart, and creased there its hid
vas Gus shrine, on which he sacrificed trut
honor, and love bat in bitter tears in a
ne, ter life was the memory Of that sacri6'
- embalmed. The proud man awoke fro
ING bis day dream only to bitter regret.
ac6 At ball, he met Ella Aire, the beau
ful hoIracc off bo 1o1 fhorrhf
Ted. seeking honor and wealth seriously. T
cad was attracted by her beauty. A thong
re- came to his heart almost unbidden, COZ
to parison also between Ella and Cnristi
hen which he almost thought wrong to Chr
hat tine, even to compare her high toned pri
ris- ciples, her vigorous intellect, cultivated
nee a degree which few attain, with the supt
be- fetal knowledge of Ella Aire, the thoug
no. was presented to his mind, with Christi
r of Clair he knew he should be happy, thou
un- perhaps always poor. With Ella Aire
vii, his beautiful bride, wealth untold would
est his, the eyrie to which his eagle eye look
might be obtained easily, and his road
,uld fame easy and sure The pure pale face
ions Christine, none the lessls=4atiful than
tine las, seemed to reproach him for th
owd thoughts. No, no, he murmured to hi
nted self, she is good and lovely, she will be t
as | pride ofmy life, the JOY of my-heart, AM
sent will be faithful to her and nay own love, |
iaht still why should he not enjoy the soci'
nora of Miss Aire and still be true to Christi
Time passed away, his letters to Oh
tho tine became still colder and shorter, and
his power of Ella Aires beauty and gold str
trac- ger and stronger, until at last the strug
anti. was over. In an infatuated moment he
;van fered his hand to Miss Aire. 1t was
from cepted ana announcer slc'in 70 Tue goa
pside wealth was laid on bis impure altar-a
leas- tim noble in mind, intellectual by natl
wers and worthy of far better and nobler
their lcoScLosloN NEXT "ksk.I
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