Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-08-14
LOST BEAUTY.
BY MRS. S. c. HALL.

In the saloon of large antique house, of
the Elizabethan era, two ladies were seated, en-
joying the cool evening breeze that entered
through an open window. The dwelling had
deem altered and re-altered, to meet The tastes
and improvements of the various masters into
whose hands it had passed from century to CEN
tury. Here and there fragments of turrets
were propped up by modern buttresses, the
modern and the antique appearing in perfect
contrast one beautiful arch still marked the
old entrance gate. The former strength of the
place was intimated by the remains of a moat,
now nearly filled with rubbish and portions of
broken and moudering stone, from which the
Haunting wall-hower and various creeping
plants, sprung up, and mocked the decay, which
alas poor blossoms was soon to render
them far more contemplate than that over
which they triumphed. The windows of Leslie
Hall-for so was the dwelling caled-were of
every order and every size, from the small loop
holes to the spacious and modern French case
ments, that opened upon lawn of matchess
color and beauty.
Near one of these the ladies' were seated /:
and if we do not longer descant upon the rich
ness and variety of the landscape, the extent of
the wood, whose dark girdle of mingled oak
and platanas clasped the green meadows, and
shadowed the river that wandered and mur-
INJURED beneath the foliage, it is because we
would make acquaintance with that noble look
ing woman whose countenance is turned tow
ards the setting sun, and whose every attitude
expresses dignity. How firmly, yet how grace
fully, her head is raised above her polished
shoulders! What richness, yet proprety in
her dress the folds of her velvet robe descen-
ded to her feet, that-so delicate are their form
hardly indeut the crimson cushion with their
i.
though, it may be, of more winning beauty
The childish golden hair, that clusters over her
expansive brow in such redundancy of freedom,
harmonizes well with the cheek of palest rose,
and form that, we could imagine might rest
on bed of violets without crushing a petal
Her voice is like the breathing Of soft Tyre,
when awakened by the spirit of joy; her blue
eyes are full of hope-that perfectly unsad-
dened hope, which dwels with youth as COM
panion, and calls innocence its sister.
They are both children Of the same parents,
though many years had passed before Annette
was born, to be the playmate and friend o ( the
stately Lady Leslie.
AS they sat together in that chamber, there
was feeling OF quiet and solitude around them
which darkened the shadows of Lady Leslie's
mind, and sobercd the smile on the lips of her
gay young sister. They had both recently suf.
tereu from tue lell ulseaSe Wnlcn mas Oeen tnt
bane of so much beauty. But, while Annette
had escaped unscratched, the blight had faller
upon her sister, and the mistress of Leslie Alb
hey arose from her bed with the marks of thu
pestience written on her once beautiful coun-
tenance too strongly to be ever effaced.
1t is not to be de led that the noble lady had a
large portion of personal vanity as usually fall
to the lot of woman. Of high birth, and larg
possessions, she consequently had a suhicien
number of flatterers to praise and fawn. Hat
she been as dark as Erebus, and as deforme'
as sin, they would still have sung of and praised
her loveliness. But its character and briiancy
had been such, she could not move without re
ceiving the homage of eyes-so rarely pal,
without being sensibly felt, and duly appreci
ated. She had been feted and sung, painted
and culpture1, until her exquisite head whirlet
upon its pedestal, and, what was still worse, he
heart naturally kind and benevolent, becam
careless of the wants and wishes of her fellow
creatures Prosperity drives pity from III
bosoms of the wealthy 1t is good to feel dis
appointment, and even adversely, at some perio
OF our lives for practical experience is a ben
eft to ourselves and others. 1t was Lady Les
lies beauty that steeled her heart she though
of it--acted upon it-dreamed of it. 1t ha
gained her the affections of the only man sh
ever loved. One whom wealth and title ooul
never purchase was nevertheless caught by he
matchless iace--that now but she could nC
bear to think of II. To look upon it a secon
time, thus SCARED and disfgured, was imposs