Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-07-14
I soon met him. He was of medium :t.tIr i

| soon met him. He was Of medium st,ttr (;
had face which denoted mindrather search
ing and active, than profound and clear. found
hm-aud had b, gun to pride nlys4lf on my
discriminating knowledge OF men-a frank e n
| tleman- making no pr0iesslonaot erudllon, and
having no CLAIM to it. lie was soclable com pan
ion; toerable We'll read in modern literalure-and
had a funi of knowledge of East Indian lie
and habits. won by travel through almost mac
| cessne regions Of the country which made him
| most entertaining com pan'on. l so"n grew
| very fond of his comp paDy. H. turned lightly
off every alIusion 70 the marvels old OF Liu;
n~ver alluded to'he su jecs himself aud social
decaucy i'm posed the same silence upon me:
At l.ngth, we lett Cu!cutta, and passed by
way OF Van DiemaD's Land, Y aIparaiso IN Chill,
and Cape Horn to Rio Janerio, .irom whence
We took the Lisbon Packet, and arrived in Par
is having been absent three years, aud travelled
around the world s.'"
To pa,iSians, Paris is the world, and few dwell
long within the circle of its mutitarous at,rac-
tions, without, in this respect, at least, becom-
ing pali>ians. | did not catch the fever, tor
my travels and education had made me TOO
| much of a cosmopolitan to give my pleasures
into the charge Of any city, however competent
to care for them. My guardians counsels Sc
conded my own wishes, and MY Paris life was,
in my opinion, a master piece OF skill.
It would SAVIOR too much Of minu'eness for
this hurried narrative to tell the varying phases
which many sided life assumed under my man
agement No pleasure jaded under hard riding
a fertile fancy ever suggested new expedients
of enjoyment to give rosy wings to the hours
I kept the top of the tide Of pleasure, for well
knew that the shadows telow were but un-
substantial images of the real joys that rode
above the wave. and that bitter dregs lay at the
bottom Books and pen kept in Que hounds
the morning outdoor sport, where the field, the
sailboat aud the hunting match restored the lit
tie lustre the eye had lost In the night conviv
atty. Independence and familiarity alike with
friends and pleasures disposed both to ser, e
me. Sovereign Of myself, without selfdenial,
and of all with whom camein contact without
arrogance, knowledge In me was, indeed, power.
Seldom had severe study and earnest thought
chiseled a more symmetrical character, never
had accom- plishments given such grace to stone.
Nv guardian was delighted with me. l had
surpassed his most saDguine expectations -
Here was, he said, the triumph of nature over
superstiton-a man without a soul powerful
enjoying life with Zest which bade defiance 70
ennus-an epicurian con!ented to run his race
OF power and pleasure, and return 10
dust, and give bis place to the one best able to
fill it. It was true.
! knew, by heart, all the theories, creeds,
opinions, or faiths which had subjected man
kind to their domain; divided brother from
brother aud given ten thousand varying images
70 the great existence, which they called God
Yet | knew there was no certainty, and fel. lit
tie incued to grapple with the doubts which,
it seemed to NE, all those creeds engendered.
The present was too tull Of pleasantnsss aud the
future too bright with hope 20 allow vague
memories or gloomy antlcipations to take hold
on me- was ike magician now-beauty,
honor, pleasure waited at my hand Could the
future be less than dazzling? What would not
be within my grasp when age had natured
powers SO splendid In their FIRST dawning. En-
raptulcd in tic present and speculating so con-
6dently or my triuDphs in the coming times,
when my abilities and learning would give me
place beside the great ones which were then
the idols of the worlt, and sleep iu death with
those whose names are hou~ehold world for
centuries, | cared for nothing else. Creeds
were to me, q portion Of human policy; one
of the many chords which tho accomplished
ruler must know well, to touch successfully in
securing his triumphS-but except for the
earthly power they might give me, [ Thought
of them only to de>plsc them. We'll had my
artificial lite d., eloped itself; the soul-cru>hed
boy had grown ino The soul less man. "Al
things but love when love is all We want.
pn CnNTISJEn-) = .=