The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-05-13
Translated from the French for the Period.
A HEART OF FOUR LOVES.

Translated by E. Van GoidtsnOveu of Atlanta, Ga.
Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath
! loved much" Gospel
The first one loved oh! shall /
explain how and how much have loved
himY Shall l tell the sweet trembling
of my senses as l heard his voice, the
happiness felt in spying his look. and
the pain so anxiously took in drawing
smile to his lipsY And yet, | must con-
fess, he was ugly, decidedly ugly! But
he was my first love. Heit was who made
my heart pant the whole day; who fill
ed my dreams with ever -smiling images;
who opened a new life to me. Hence, |
no longer understood any happiness,
which he was not the cause Of, any feel
ings that were not for him, any duties
that would not sacrifice for his sake.
Every word of his vibratcd on my whole
frame, as a sweet melody his eye, were
it solemn or smiling, seemed to reflect it.
self in sweet joys in the depth of my
heart and when his lips multiplied their
kisses on my lips, when his arms formed
a caressing collar around my neck, or
when his hand playfully unfolded tress
ofmy hair, happiness reused my emotions
heavenward for such must be, thought,
the voluptuous rapture Of angels. Near
him, then felt as though every other
feeling of life had vanished away. What
were now to me those obligations pre-
scribed by either law or customY What
were now to me the pleasures of society,
the triumphs of self love? How often,
determined to remain with him, have l
thrown aside my richest finery and pre-
ferred his simplest word to all the inc
briating aduations of the world How
| delighted to see his foot-tread on the
wreath which coquetry had twined on
my brow! Oh for him what was l not
ready to do on this earth What favor
have not asked of Heaven in his behalf!
And what rival affection conld have PEN
etrated my soul.
And yet, shall I say it 2 Hardly had
a year of this enthusiasm passed away,
when another feeling invaded my heart.
No power could impede the interest in
spircd by being who had not on me
any of those rights claimed by remem>|
brance but whose candid brow awaken
ed in my soul thousand cheering hopes/
He had large black eyes into the crystal
of which loved to draw tenderness, and .
when his head rested on my bosom, when
on his lips caught the sweet muttering
of my name, like the first notes of new
lay | exclaimed: "There too, am bless
ed, for am loved p Happy, welcom-
ed thought which doubled my delight,
and l loved them both.
How, in the progress of time, hand
some youth, with blue eyes, found him
self near me, could not really tell. How
ever, as my pen has pledged itself to the
truth, and my heart must here betray all
its secrets, l confess that this passion
was not merely one of those subtle cpl
sodes which glide through woman's life
like the ephemeral stars that steal down
the armament without disturbing its har-
mony. Ny new Cupid found his share
of love in my soul. A thousand arts were
practiced to keep him unclaimed and
the sweetest caresses that fondness could
dictate were lavished upon him to secure
his captivity. | loved to follow the grad
ual unraveling of his wishes, to impuse
to myself, yea, to myself alone, all tho
struggles of his constituencies. Convinced
that the heart of woman resembles q
plant whose perfume is love, and TO which
another affection is but the addition of
new limb, would not resist the inva-
sion of a new sensation, and loved them
three
All were enabled to surround with
mystery the rest Of my tale, were per-
mitted to conceal in the depth of my
soul a last weakness of nature, would
stop at this mystical number of my first
loves. But alas Fate is mighty, in
scrutabe, and l had to adore, almost in
spite of myself, child dropped, think,
from the ethereal vault. He was as love-
" as the Cherubims who held the veil
over the Virgins bosom his pretty lit
tie mouth had one of those proud smiles
which, doubtless must have caused the
fall of Eve, if, indeed, such was the way
the devil enticed her. There sparkled
in his eye such a voluptuous innocence as
would infallibly fill any one with hope
and forgiveness. Amiable and graceful,
slave to the caprices of the object of
his love, he would cover it with amorous
looks and drown it in caresses. To see
him and not love him was impossible.
Therefore, loved him.
But four! Wonderful profusion Of the
heart, is it not Four loved at the same
time All equally happy, sharing the
same favOrs, receiving the same smiles,
the same looks, the same caresses, and
all that, without over permitting jealousy
even for single moment to sully the
harmonious concourse of their affections!
1t is one Of those incomprehensible mys-
/ ..us~s, b;oI, ,,atnra alma raveals IN the