The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-03-13

that all was not well with him. She marked
his altered looks and stihed sighs;; and was not
to be deceived by his sickly vapid attempts at
chcerfulness. She tasked all her sprightly pow
ers and tender Establishments to win him back
to happiress; but she onl ly drove the arrow
deeper into the soul. The more he saw cal,se
to love her, the more tortur:ng was the thought
that was soon to make her wrctched. little
while. thought he, and the smile will vanish
from that chcck-the song will die away from
those lips--the ustre Of those eyes will be
qucnchcd with sorrow; and the happy heart
which now beats lightly in that bosom, will be
weighed down like mine, by the cares and
miscries of the world:
At length he came TO Inc one day, and re-:
lated his whole situation in tone of the deep
est despair When heard him through l i'll
ourcd, docs Your wife know all this?' At
the question he burst into an agony of tears.
"For Gods sake!" said he, "if you have any
pity formc. don't mention my wife; it is thought
of her that drives me almost to madness"
"And why not?" said l. "She must know
it sooner or later: You cannot keep it long
from her, and the intelligence may break upon
her in ,norc startling manner than if irnpart-
ed by Yourself; for the accents OF those we
love is often the harshest tidings. Besides, you
are dcpriving yourself Of the comforts of her
sympathy; and not merely that, but also. en-.
dangering the only bond that can keep hearts
togcthrr--an unreservcd community Of thought
and feeling. She will soon perceive that some
=. thing is secretly prcyirg upon your mind; and
true love will not brook reserve, it feels under.
valued and outraged, when even the sorrows oi
those it loves are concealed from IT,
Sub; but my friend! to think what blow !
am to give to all her future prosprcts-how
am to strike her very soul to the earth lay tell
ing her that her husbayd is IL bcgggar that she
is to forrgo all the clegaIcies Of life Aal the
pleasures of society-to shrink with ne into
indigcucc and oLscurity! TO tell her that
have dragged her down from the sphere in
which she might have continued to move III
constant brghtncss-the admiration OF every
heart! How can she bear poverty she has
been brought up in all the rrtincments of opu-
lence. How can she bear neglect she has
been the idol of society! Oh! it will break
her leart-t will break her heart!"
saw his grief was eloquent, and let ii
have its flow; for sorrow rcl:eycs itself by words
When his paroxysm had snlsided, and lie had
reapsed into moody silence, resumed the sub
ject gently, and urged him to break his sit'a.
ton ut once to his wife. lie shook his head
moMrl,!ulIv, but positively.
"But how are you to keep it from herr II
is necessary she shonld know it, that you may
take the steps proper TO the alteration of youi
circumstances. You must change your style
OF ving-nav," observing a pang to pass across
his coultellallcr, "don't let that atliict vou /
am sure you have never placed yonr iiappiness
lin outward sl,ow-you have yet friends, who
will rot think the worse Of YOU for being less
spenddly lodged; and surely il docs not re.
I.quirc, a palace to.be, happy witt! May -
: :, sSsId y 1,aDsS VII! ss., e. : =
' Sci5it Der into poverty and the -cuurua-l
eoald God Llcss hrr.-God bless her" cried
lie, bursting into a transport Of grief and tell
dcrrcSS.
"And believe me, my friend" said /, step
ping up, and grasping him warmly by the
hand, "btlievc nc, she can he the same will
vou. Aye, more: it will be a source Of prid,
and triumph to hcr-it will call for! all til!
latent energies and lcrvent svmpalhcs Of hel
nature for she will rejoice to prove that sht
loves You for yourself. There is in every true
womalr's heart spark of heavenly fire, which
lies dormant in the brYad daylight OF proSpcr
tv; but which kindlcs up, and beams and blaze:
in the dark hour Of adversely. No man knows
what the wife of his bosom s-no man knows
what n,inistcring angel she is-umt he ha'
gone with her through the fiery trials Of ,hi:
world"
There was something in the earncstness o
my manner, and the f-uraire style of my lan
rnage, that caught the excited imagination o
Leslie ! knew the auditor | had to dca
with; and following up the impression hac
made, | finished by pcrSualing him 10 &C
home and unbnrden his sid heart TO Iii
wife
must co:ifrss, notwithstanding all had
said, | felt SOME little solictudc for the result
WHO can calculate on the fortitnde Of ono
whose life las been round of pleasures? llcl
gay spirits might revolt at the dark, downward
path of low humility suddenly pointed ont be-
fore, and might cling TO the sunny rrgions in
Which they had hitherto rcvcllcd Besides
ruin iii fashionable life is accompanied by SC
many Calling notifications, to which in Other
ranks it is a stranger. In short. | could moi
meet Leslie the next morning without trcpida
ton. lie had made the disclosure
sand how did she bear IT,
"Likc an angel 1t seemed rather to he q
relief to her mind, for she threw her arms
around my neck. and asked if this was all that
had lately made me unhappy. Int poor girl.
added he "shc cannot realize the change We
must undergo. She has no ca of poverty but
in the abstract; she has onI y read OF it i'll poe
try, where it is allied TO love. She feels as vel
10 privat:on, she snf'srs 10 loss of accustomed
conveniences nor elcganccis. When we come
practically to experience its sordid cares, IFS
petty hunliiiators-thcn will be the rca
trial"
"Bur," said I, snow that yon lave got over
the scvcrest task, that of breaking it to her,Hlc
sooner YOU let the world into the secret tho
better The disclosure may hc mortiIying; bnt
then it is a sing r misery, and soon over: where.
as You otherwise suffer il, in anticipation, every
hour of the day. 1t is not poverty so much as
prctemcc, that harnesses Il ruined man-tIC
struggle between Il proud mind and an empty
pnrsc-tlrc keeping up a hollow show that
must soon come to an end. Have tle courage
to appear poor and you disarm poverty Of its
sharpest sting" On this point found Leslie
perfectly prepared. lie had 10 false pride
himself, ami rs to his wife, she was only anX.
ious to conform TO their altered fortune.
Some days aftcrward he called upon me in
the evening. lie had disposed Of his dwelling
house. and taken Il small cottage inthe country
a few miles from town. lie had been husied