Spirit of the age., 1861-06-05

so flcn, so SWeiilnS, mat IL HlIed my neaTt
with transport, and my heart 18th tears
A silence of moment followed, and then
thunder of applause flow ed in on every side;
and tue o sds, Divine La Mercia! burst |
from every voice around.
/ stood amazed and thundefstruck The
quick transition uf my feelings had complete-
ly overpowered me, and | was only aroused |
10y hearing voice so near me as TO stalt |!
me. 1t Was the Count who spoke; Ge stood |
drectl above, leaning against pillar of the |
pOrtico, and supported upon his arm a LADY, |
but from her position, | could noAzatrll her !
fea ureS From his soft, low and ernest tone
Of voice it was plain the nature of his suit
Vas ne of heartfelt interest vhie the few
words she saoke in ans y er, from their soff
tone, and foreign accent, left me to doubt
they came iom La Mercia | crept near the
ralcony, and concealed behind balustrades,
waited anxiously to catch glance at her as
she passed The ligh. fell strongly from an
open window upon this part of the ter, ace
cou perceive as she came forward. that,
disengaglng herself from the Courts arm,
she assumed more gay and lovely manner
She was now within few feet of here I
stood, eagerly waiting Tor the moment she
wo Id i'm TO enter the saloon. S ne curt
ised deeply to some persons in the crowd
graceful and nca!tlul attitude she assumed,
sue turned. Merciful Heaven! cauli it be
trIe? | almost screamed a oud, and. hut for
the mold | look cf the balcony, should have
fallen. The picture was La NJ rcia: the same
calm brow, the same melting look the nealI-
utul outline of neck and throat and above
ali, that lovely contour of head, 10 see which
once was never to forget. She was gone
the guests disappeared one by one from the
terrace, the saloon became again crowded.
ami the windows were closed against he now
. chilling night air; and yet 81 suddenly ali
seemed IT, happen, | could sca1 cely believe
but tlat S i'll lively voice and beauteou> form
were before me and | could not help think
ing, as left the spot, that to an excited b'ain
and trveted imagination the likcn.SS of the
picture 10 La Mercia must have been owing,
As With slow steps | retraced my way home
ward
The next morning early left Dresden for
the Angus Inc monastery at Ietchen, and
ardcnty commenced the intended altar-piece:
but, fearing lest the likeness to La Mercia
might have been real | did not copy from
the painting as | had resolved For three
months | had labored INCREASINGLY, and
whether from the perfect occupation of my
time, or that the peaceful and tranquil life
of the holy men with whom | lived had its
influence, | know not, but my mind once
sscTeurcy anu
ielt almost happy again.
In this frame of mind | was, when, one
morning, one of the fathers, ente ing my
apartment, informed me that my old friend
an, pat on, Count Lowensteir, was about to
be married. | started, and hurricdly asked
to whom, while the deep blush which suf
| fused my cheek tod too plainly the interest
| | took IN the answer.
know not, SAID the monk but report
speaks Of her as eminently beautiful
Would you recognize the name if you
! heard ItY asked
! L have heard it but once, but think
| might remember ii again said he
'Tnen 1t Is La Mercia, | replied.
Inc stnse-La Merci was the name am
they say more splenid wedding Dresden
! has never Witnessed than this will &c.
! l cannot explain Why, but never did feel
at any period Of my life, so completely over
come as when l listened to this report =
! Never before had | confessed t. mvself how
had felt towards La Mercla, no, even how
! could | ell; it was not love | had neve
| seen her before but for few nref seconds
aud yet IN my heart she lived, the guidin
star OF all my thoughts and aspirations an
| though my most sanyuine dreams never an
y
bear the thought that she was to belong t
another. | resolved at once TO set ont fo
Dresden, and, if possible, see her once be!or
the "edding wou d take place | thought
| would lie Il nam to my feelings should loo
npon her, before she VAS lost to me forever
and Ion5ed ardentiy TO trace with wha
calnneSS L was able, how far the ikenes
with the plrture was re i or Imaginary.
With these intentions | left he monaster
that evening, and returned to Dresden.
When cached home | learned that til
Count had been married, nd found upon m
table most pressing invitation from him
his s2jre2 at the villa that evening At frs
resolved not to accept it. The full meas
ure OF any loneliness had never so pressed o
me before; for although in reality, La Me
ca Was not, nor could ever have been, augf
to me, yet | felt if my frte and hsppiIscS
were by some inexplicable ties, wound u
With nerS; and now that tie was to be hr
Hen had begun to believe that the extr
ordinary impre ssion she had made upon IN
mind had entirely suggested the reSemblan,
with the pi ure, which some ct,ance trait
likeness might have contri 'atrd to, and
ion led ardently to see her but then to ss
her the bride Of another These confllc in
: thoughts agi4at ed me 1uring the entire da
Wn n evening came | embarked upon Il
Elbe, and after a hllfilIur's rowing, reache
the will If the Count With officially
: made my way through the dense mass tn;
4 filled the aute-chamber, and 1t length reacl
D ed one of the reception rooms scarcely le
f crowded Standing in mute admiration
4 he beantlfui figure of Psch, e. which >e M
: fresh from The chsel of Canoya, was rou>t
Y by voice addressing me, while at he san
| moment my shoulder was. gently tappe
| | tu ned 1T Was the Cuun hiuseif
S 'Ah, Monsieur lie Ba' on SAID he, 'whe
h have you buried yoarselt and all yor agre
d ability these ages past? But come [ Shi
:, not AK yonr invention for exruses and ap,
d ogieS; follow me-the Countess has hea
a me frequently speak of you, and longs
a make your acquaintance. This way = #.
J. me well as you can With great diticr
is ty "e got through the crowd, and ar,iy
ID at cut tan of white clotn, fringeu a, t
d bottom with deep and massive silver lac
r tins he drew gently aside, ard we en.er
Iy the bou1oir. Upon sma ottom, IN, o,
=, which Was throan rich Pes sim shawl,
/ the Countess.
l. I>adnra said The Cout, as he approac
e., lsIdora 'carissimG mia, tins is my frel
ne Carl Srciling.'
ID She if ed her head from the p eta e
Ar was showing to a lady beside her, as
of eye beamed fu,ly upon her lips par ed to
4r- diess me, fell fainting to the ground
- 'ltis!-it isl nultered. as the asst !
sc of consciousness was leaving my whirl