The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-06-16
THE FRIENDS.
Forget thee! in the banquet halls,
Go nsk my fellow-men;
Or ask the tear that secret falls,
II r fprupf fhnp .han

Or ask the tear that secret falls,
II forget thee then.
AT lively pleasant party, toward the
close of the Fall of 1S-, was introduce
ed to Charles N. 1t was at the house
of an intimate friend of mine, some lit
tie distance out of town. We had ball
in the evening, and recollect were un-
commonly gay. / never was in better
spirits than in moving through a cotilion
with the pretty Miss T; we both be-
trayed our ignorance of one part of the
figure. There is something very agree
able, at times, in these mutual mistakes.
When we had sat down after the first
cOtilion, my wandering attention was
arrested by a young gentleman whose
entrance 1 had not observed. He was
apparently about twenty-seven years of
age; his figure was thin, but fine; his
features were regular; his eye dark and
expressive; and but for the gloom that
rested on his pale countenace when /
first beheld him, should have called
him eminently handsome. But in that
gloom there was so much of mental suf-
.ering, and so much of absolute wretch
cdness-such an absence of all hope, and
uch shade of settled despair-that you
r,ecame uneasy while you contemplated
1t, and turned away as from an inspirer
Df painful thoughts. / felt the melan-
iholy to be contagious, and began to
'hat and laugh with group near me to
draw off my attention from that gloomy
Brow and compressed and sunken lip ;
but in vain. My eyes involuntary re-
turned, as under the influence of fasci-
nation; and even while talked with
some appearance of earnestness to the
lady who sat next 20 me, 1 could not
avoid giving stcalthy glance at the
young stranger. There he sat as l first
remarked him-ncar window, and
somewhat retired from the rest of the
company; his head resting on his hand,
which he now and then passed through
his rich, dark hair-from habit, as it
were, for he was evidently in revery,
far from the present scene and its hilari-
ty. The bright eyes of beautiful wo-
men, sparkling with animation and
joyous excitement, attracted him not.
The soft, half wanton whisper, and the
louder tome of festal mirth, were equally
enheeded. a lady was called upon to
entertain the company with music. l
WAS delighted to see her sit down to the
harp-the lOveliest of instruments-it
shows off a fine voice and Il fine arm SO
well. She commenced sweet and
plaintive air. 1t was an old-fashioned
strain that / was fond of when boy,
The deep swell of the music appeared to
have a powerful effect upon the young
stranger. He started from his revery,
reused himself, and seemed determined
to make up for his former unsociability
by striving to be agreeable. | never
saw more sudden change in an indi-
vidual. 1 would scarcely have recog.
nized him, so altered was his counter.
ance and manner. He began gay con,
versation with a smiling, rosy-lipped
little girl he had not before condcscend-
ed to notice; offered her his arm, and
they joined group around the fail
harper. / observed him. 1t appeared
to me that his gayety was unnatural
unhealthy, forced. 1t was not the free
flow of heartfelt joy. Probably it ap'
peared the more SO to me from contrast
ing it with the gloomy expression that
first caught my notice. His department
was now elegant and graceful and his
attentions were evidently by no mean.
unacceptable to the lovely creature who
was hanging on his arm, nor to thost
who joined her for share of the hand
some young gentleman's conversation
This person had deeply interested me
and when the music was over | desiret
my friend to introduce me. He imme
diately complied; and the stranger wa,
introduced to me as Charles N, al
English gentleman, who had just arriv
ed from Il tour through our country
Young men are soon acquainted, espe
eially where there il a congeniality OF
sentiment and feeling; and 1t was no
dong before we were engaged in an in
teresting conversation. His languag,
WAS correct and polished, his addres
easy and gentlemanly; he had travelled
over the greater part of Europe, and hi
mind WAS well stored with information