Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-04-03
NV School Girl Friends

ny School Girl Friends
How time and absence will blunt the men,
ory and estrAnge the affections of things and
times once SO bOdly loved. IT'S only a few
brief years since We parted from the old
school house. bid each other farewell, and
promised 10 love andremomber each other for
ever, and ayel And yet, till something re-
calls the bright scenes Of girIish days, and re-
minds us Of that promise made ere yet we
parted, to LET US hear from each other-other
scenes and other loves wcrefast driving them
from my memory.
Obi how each loved face now looms up
before my mental vision, and | recognize the
heaIthful cheek and happy couRtenance Of
my girlish companions. But we are not girls
merely, now we have assumed the airs and
place Of wOmcw-souoe have passed, perhaps,
into that bourne, whence no traveller singly
returns, viz the marriage state; and others
stand trembling. but d~rcading not to enter
there. 'Tis q responsible, serious change
net simply made up of winged cupids, jassa-
mines, orange leaves, and love in a cottage
these were giriish dreams-paeasant, tbs true,
but lacking that sOlidity that must come at
last, to those who find Hymen's bower chan
ged to the rude ~realities Of wood and granite.
To be a woman, in tae nebiEty of that term,
is no easy task A wax figure may challenge
the admiration Of the bebotder; a parrot
may amuse by ker garrulty, and the beau
tiful fawn delight by fs grac edulKess and
agility-sO may the beautiful the Prataing,
the symmetrical, the SNOWY Cemale-but If
these be her OUly qualifications, she is less
whose form she 6ears. But to be a Wife, is
even a more exalted, as well as responsible
position. Te hG beauty, must be added
grace and dignity her gentleness, pa
thence and fortEu&e-to her suavity of man
0er, frmuess AID high neral Sntegrty-1n a
word, she should combine Snteliect to make
her an agreeable companion, ease and grace
90 preside, kindness 10 s~Snisto= aHouad the
couch, and true piety to train and direct thc
young tendIT.s that cling for seaport arounc
Ahe family ihesrthside.
But a shade GENES over the recolection Q
our girlish group, wheA L reEneEabcr swee
Carrie Gwyn-6he OF the hughmg eye aa'
joyous heart, hhat always came like a sur
spot to our circle, 20 chase away the clouds {
care and .so1a1re forebeding. Carrie was
sweet spirit, 80 gay, so vela5le ana wEhal 6
gentle but she wos a forward ch;d-&
neverileHrued 10 bend he- viii to Superior
she could not learn chat to bc happte.
was TO seek council Of Older and grave
Cd NM aNarr.o oa~.o-- ETH l;oh,
hearted, Carrie, IL marEcd-bEt she receive
not the blessings of her father strsRg
hand gave her away, not in the spados
balls Of her PatGrn&l MANSION, 40 aotber
hand or SISTERS taste anged the ozan.
wreath to enciycle her fam brow-bQt 81
wedded one unwerthy If her, enc whose Vi
its her best of fathers had Scrbid her recei
ing, and his curse vests upon her. De MO
may she seek shelter and protection un&
that roof meath whichshe had been shelf,
~d and n~u-tnred by the tsrSersst pareni
carc-no'mOre may she recfne beneath {
outrageous. oaks under whose shady Law
she had gamboRe5 in the halcyon days
childish Innocence and puity-she is
outcast from the fanilyclroe-she is a str
ger there-tAe curse Of disoAs9ieace rests
on her! Poor Carrie, we can but pity a
syrnpathize VITA hor-but we must say
tGs TO blase9 Heweyg Wenhy, aad er,
lent, and good, he may be Cor wLen she s
TiHced home, and mother, and father, I
sister, and brother, ant all that was dea
loved m~emory-yet It were better that
should have been left to gather sweetr
from some mare cngarial Sewer, than
the parent stem Should be broken and
many budding blossoms OF hope Sad pr
Use lie wtthered at his feet. Our fest d
next TO that G reverence for God, is to
dear good Parents. They are S~r dea
best Of friends-tAeir change, SIS care
and undertaking love have hN lsht us
through the Aelplessness of infancy
forwardness of girlhood, the dangerous
cd OF boydenism-te thSir watchful @
.dianship IRE We indebted that We have
fallen like a crushed flower pluekcd by
hcartless one passing hecdlessly by Z
less than yield the most Implicit comic
and bcdienc to their judgment and W
10 convict ourselves Of that basest
sins-Easn~c&Gdc. As the great Shaks
hath said
@Fillial ingnatitude
Is il not as this mouth should tear this
For i1finghood toty'
But may net Carries future be made
darker stil il not hopeless, If al sym
and regard be withdrawn from her, Of
rart Of those hY whom it Is now most