The semi-weekly mountain Democrat. (Placerville, El Dorado Co. [Calif.]) 1860-1860, 1860-10-06

IUkS Va l8tNUIV WAb4 tA90 NNEWtIW4H4Ll1z8 u
affection. Had she not tested them, and
knew she not their worth Had ah0 not
eaten Of the fruit Of the orchard and a..
certained it to be, like Dead Sea Apples,
ashes upon her lips? And this made i'm.
perial the manner in which she put back
the chahce Gerald would have held TO her
lips, saying Thou art unworthy Of my
esteem. trusted, and you betrayed
You showed me On idol, and I wOEshiped
it; but its feet are Of clay, and, loi it
has fallen, and no hand can ever raise It ="
So she dismissed him, and went back to
her work. 1t was selEimposed task for
the benefit Of the rAee, aad her words
went forth ike angels Of @erey, o. fell
like dew uPoR the Parched grass and the
withering flowers. The poor heard the
echo, and It was as though mama had
been sent down to them in the wilderness
Of their want. The weary heard it, and
were glad, for It was like soothing strains
of music, lulling them to q repOse in
which their weary lead fell from eG theiF
shoulders into the sepalchre Of fOrgeA6uL
ness. And they who knew it not 6eIeV-
cd it not, believed through her that the
sunshine fell alike Npon the rich and the
poor, the good and the bad. There grew
up hope in hearts where despair had kth-
erto grown, and happiness re-unfurled her
white wings over many household where
hearts had sunk beneath much care and
many sOrrowS.
But still, in an her writings the Visioa
of the fallen idol, which "no hand coGA
ever raise" was prominent. And only
they who had experienced like lesson,
wondered not at the mournful graceful
ness in which it was draped. Here and
there the ivy vine Of forgCtfulness hid the
uncouth and ragged outlines Of the de-
caying trunk, but still it was There, and
often no trailing vine could shut it out
from sight
The new Gre burned brightly shove the
embers Of the old! Fame was triumph
ant over love in woman'S heart, where
the last NEST supremcst rules.
For q season the woman's heart bends
to the woman's head. Bat by-and-by
there came strange yearnings to the heaTk
Of Florence Wilde, and she felt the laurd
crown was somewhat thorny for . w0-
mans brow. Unrest was craven on her
forehead and gimmered In her Worda.-
Round by round she had reached the en-
inence on which she stood; and then un.
satisfied and i'll at ease, she asked herseE
"What is the mystery Of the failure ~
She was not happy, though endeaVoring
to mako others happy. Could she Su0-
coed? Not Gwas the startling Answer1
while the poisoned fountain gives not out
sweet water. How could It be, when
grapes grow not upon thorn busiest
And still the vision Of the fallen Idol
swept across her path. When she VEN
tured to disturb the dust that had gather
ed upon the record Of the past, how
quickly spoke she, and how GlteR, thetal-
ismanic werds that kept back the sWi&
throng Of thoHghts, taking courage Is she
said them, in her pride Of win ana IgOr
Of purpose.
But the pro0d Of heart are brought low,
even as the monarch Of the forest treesis
brought to the level Of the earth By the
strength Of tbs. passing wind
Aud once again Florence Wilde loved,
Stoutly she resisted and "wOuld none -
it" but a. master minds mAgastie intu.
enco was upon her, and she was compelled
to obey.
The battle changes now. Ct ezep seems
as though Ias light cut Of darkness OF
beauty from deformityO there stan4tlA
where stood the olden ideL NeW Oue.
with solid footing, and . sure eKPvass-
ion, decisive of the fate Of the low bend
ing one at the shrine.
Fame bows to lOved
Florence Wilde lays aside the pen, with
much the same feelings as the Dame,Of
the Lay Of the Last Minstrel:
Looked to river, looked 10 hill,
Thought Of the spirits prophecy,
Then brdke her silence, stern and still,
Not you but Fdtc has vanONished-"
When she made her second prsmiseto
one who was a second Gerald MontaigNs
in everything but his duplicity, (end heFe
we erect high standard Of moral wOrths
she felt the force of the kfe.lessOn shehad
learned, in tho truth that, though the
laurel may dazzcl tho eye, it is brOkea
reed for wOman's heart to trust 70, IN Q
Journey so perilOus rs life. ~.
There we're ~whste fav0rs and bUidal,"
and Florence Wilde, ct the altar, aud atter-
ward in tho home circle. regretted not
that THE FALLEN IDOL had been raised.