Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-26
Dreams of Girlhood.

Ii was the honT OF twilight-beautltHl, '
aaa shadowy. | sat upon the little :
vine. wrssthsd porch, watching the creeping |
- they waved and mingled among
the elms. !
No arrovy-moonbeam, fraught with silye-
nv light, disturbed the brief reign Of pensive
twilight; no starjewel rested its quivering
radiance upon her dark yet beautiful brow.
All, nonel Softly. silently, calmly, with her
glow.tinted shades, and sweet musings, held
she gentle sway over her mortal habitations.
Unthinkingly, my soul went out through
the dresm-loving twilight, and opened a
pathway IL the wellbeloved plains of the
Past, that beautiful shadow-land of the heart,
pcopled with early loves and dreams, dim,
distant, yet cherished for ever-the lost Par
adise OF life. In those sunny, silver days, |
attended the beautiful and rural seminary of
l., with many young and lovely COM
panions. There are among schoolgirls, gen.
orally three particular Graces, without which
presiding deities the temple Of instruction
must certainly be at a loss, and our seminary
could boast Of all three, namely a Beauty, a
Wit, and a Blue, all equally indispensable at
their respective affairs.
Mabel LorimSr, a stately, graceful Venus,
vas our Beauty and we'll she GosoIved hat
favored appelatiOn. She was a dark,
flashing, manificent creature, endowed with
q rich, glowing complexion, jetty hair and
eyes, and a certain half.plcasing, halfproud
air, very winning to us.
FANNIE Travers was our Blue a quiet.
gentle girl, who studied her lessons sufficient
ly to recitc for a halfdozen delinqucnts, and
who always pursued the even tenor of her
-Ux
merry, laughter. loving hoyden, was the most
blithesome, witty, little creature that ever.
was enclosed within the walls ola seminary
She was our Wit the pleasure-builder and
favorte of all Ole school; no teacher could
withstand her merry sallies or mock-coax-
ings no head or heart was proof against her
~well-pointod shafts of wit and sarcasm.
We loved them all three, each so different
in her own sphcre-Nell, with her wilful,
cApricious mirth; Fannie so apt to win a GER
tain reserved corner in tho heart; and Ma
bel, so stately, proud, yet incomparably beau
tiful.
One lovely afternoon in summer, just be-
fore the vacation was to commence, Nell -,
Fannie, Mabel, and ], sat chatting together,
idly beneath the trees in the park, our books
lying unopened besides us. For once we had
succeeded i'll drawing Fannie from her books
and now We sat oonyersing together whilst
awaiting our hour for recitation. We spoke
Of our parting, and n shadow seemed to
droop into Nells flashing eyes and steal their
smiles away. A thought seemed 20 strike
her suddenly, and picking up one of her
books, SAC asked me for my pencil.
Nov, young ladies' said she solmenly,
with sonsthEg of her usual mock-gravity,
i am going to mark down in this book the
time OF the month and year, and | propose
that each one of us shall write underneath il
their dearest wish-provided they have any.
We al applauded this singular freak, ant
each one appeared to obey.
Mabel Lorimer took the pencil first, and
thought for a moment, biting her coral lip
Then she wrote, in II firm, smooth hand, tn,
NOlNS, y queen 10 COlllinanO, WGlLlDE Dc
name in full beneath it.
Nell laughed u low, musical laugh as sh,
glanced at it. so, she cried, thou woulds
he a Zenobia among thousandsp
Mabel answered the glance and the laug
with her proud smile, and bowed her hea
gracefully. So beautiful she looked, ther
that we could not blame her in our heart
for wisAinFra
Nell took the book with a grave air, vet
slight blush sufiused her face aS she wrot,
There she cried, throwing back her hea
and tossing her bright ringlets, that's
wish worth ~penning' "a heart were tn
words traced upon the page, and the bewitcl
ing little authoress laughed as heartily as
her spirit were free from the malice Of sue
a wish-a schoolgirl wish truly!
/ wrote mine beneath il, and would ha'
avoided the scrutiny Of Nel's dark eyes,
it were possible but her quick glance caug
the words, A name and, with a comic
expression, she bent towards me, whisp,
ing:
All thou shouldst not deceive thy nu
like department and deyout face, my dcmu
maiden
The gentle Fannie took the book next
softened shadow suffused her sweet face, a
apensive expression rested in her blue ey,
then she wrote beneath ours, a home
each one read this wish, q certain sorrow
feeling disturbed our gaiety. 1t seemed
like a gentle reproof to our idle wishes;
Fannie was an orphan, homeless and 10
less-alone in the world.
Two bright crystal tears trcmbled VI
Nelrs silken lashcs and rolled down her CT
son cheeks then dashing them away halls
prised with herself, half ashamed, she str
To regain her former brilliancv.