The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-08-31

yon would hardly kneel before woman
OF asked to be yeHF wife"
"Never." he said, with earnestness-
"It has always seemed to INC that no true
woman can respect the man who iorgcts
his manhood and sueS for favor. Let him
stand before her in all the pride of his
physical and intellectual strength, and
ask her if she has love enough for him
and trust enough in him to go out into
the world alone with him as yoke.frlow
in the burdens, cares and laLors Of life,
and by the grandeur which know lies in
woman's soul, she will go, if he be God
appointed for her guide"
"You are right there" I said. "A
woman's lip will curl when a man PLAYS
the slave to gain the tyranny You re-
member the Lady's ycSY"
Learn to win a ladv's faith
.Nobly as the thing is high,
Brar.iy as for life ard death,
With loyal gravity.
%" Lead her from the festive boards
Point her 10 the starry skies,
Guard her By your truthful words,
Pure from courtship's batteries"
| watched the two meet in the days
that followed. Wherever we were, no.
ticed that the lightest movement Of Sarah
attracted the blind mans attention. His
voice involuntarily softened in addressing
her. His face lighted in her presence and
clouded in her absence. thought trans
lated in the music which he drew from
the piano in his evening reveries, long
ingS, sad, passionate and hopeless. Wis.,
ions of beauty seemed TO pass before his
soul, and now to disappear in darkness.
Wild regrets. bitter bewailings, and final.
ly conquered grief and mild submission
were in turn voiced by the instrument.
And Sarah, the peerless free bird, the
belle, the willf0l and proud woman who
had hitherto pushed from her every cup
brought to her lips, however gemmed, had
grown so quiet and thoughtful that won
dersd at the change. A deep happiness
seemed to brood over her soul, and knew
that, unconsciously to herself, she had
found rest in loving. Her reverence for
Mr.. Porter was unbounded. lie guided
her in thought and often in feeling he
dared correct her little perverSities, yet in
harmony with his acknowledged princi
pies treated her with that respectful de-
ference which so powerfully impresses n
woman. But she had grown quick to de-
tect the almost inevitable sadness under
lying his life, and knowing, both bv sym.
pathy and conversation, the isolation in
which he stood, this consciousness of his
need was the strongest Of NIL the chords
drawing her daily nearer to him.
Our home life was free aud delightful.
Sarah and ], with sometimes brown,
iun-loving, manly cousin, climbed the
hills in our calico dresses and thick shoes,
| explored the woods and filled our botany
boxes with priceless treasures for her
bariums sailed, in the little boat devoted
to our use, up and down the Connecticut,
turning in now and then to some shady
cove and dropping our line for fish. Or
we carried books and work under the
grent trees on the lawn. where we were
often joined by others of the family.
One rich, breathless summer afternoon,
we sat in our retreat, sewing; and Mr..
Porter lay upon the grass evidently in the
browncst Of studies. broke the long
silence by broaching pet idea of mine,
that the trees have human characters
Have they as many grades Of rank ns
men? Here are the useful, busy fruit
trees blessing the world with no noise Mt
all. Sprnging into life, mystcriously re-
ceiving in quiet gratitude, light, and heat,
and nouriShment from the soil, joylully
budding and Dlossoming and maturing
the fruit; then laying it in perfection in
the lap of nature and sinking into their
graves and awaiting resurrection.
"And, l suppose" said Sarah, "you
would call the forest trees the assistants
of nature. Spencer, in the first canto Of
the Fairy Queen, recognizes the plebians
and nobility Of the trcc-world. The "oak,
sole king of forests, all, " has for its lofticst
subjects, "The laurel, need of mighty
conqucrorS and poets sage" "The fir
that weepeth still" "Thc vine.propped
elm," "The warlike beech" and the
"cednr proud and tall" The pine, aspen,
cypress, willow, yew, birch, and ash, are
reserved for ignoblc use. But another
poet speaks of tho "sullenness'' and
stubborn hardihood" of the yew, and
the grim delight with which it sends its
roots into the abode of the dead.
"To me-" said Mr.. Porter, "the voices
of trees make revelations as the voices of
men and women. One trcmblcs and sighs
like sick man this has in its soft tones
unconscious entreaty for love and sym
pathy; and another murmurs of a life
forever saddcncd while its neighbor
rings out tho bold defiance of an uncon-
quered will"
Yes, and by their movements as we'll
as their voices they are often the most un-
Obtrusivc sympathizcrS in ones mood
| have an old buttcrnut tree, not far from
here, OH hillside the roots have form
cd rustic seat; and just below there is
little grass-lined hollow, to which often
retreat when am sad The old tree di-
vines my thoughts and waves its branches
careSsingly over the tired child lying in
its shade. Sometimes it stoops to me and
leaves kiss Of silent love, and ever and
anon it breaks forth with some soothing
song, or woos the birds to bring me cheer.
1t is dear, old, motherly tree.
20, solemn. beating heart of Mature"
quoted l; Ihave knowledge that thou art
Bound unto man by cords he cnhnOt sever!
"Sarah and l had many earnest talks,
but in mono Of them approached the topic
which often lay in the thoughts of each.
Only her eyes sometimes questioned mine
with, II hope you like him think you
must; but if you don't, Jane, it does not
matter"
$50 the weeks sped. May had glided
into June; the sultry days of July and
the fierce heats Of August had conquered
the mild, fresh days and nights Of the
queen Of months. September had bro't
q summons TO the city: I'VE have spared
you, they said, from Saratoga and New
port; we must have you at Niagara
Your friends are becoming unmanngeable,
and rail at you as sentimental and roman
tic. You must come home. You will
establish just reputation for Oddity and
pervcrse scOrn Of society If you stay away
longer They were paternal cdicts and
not to be disrcgarded.
| That niUhf affair I had finiahed naclr.