Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-08-29
THE F0RsAKEN GIRL.
A BEAUTIFUL SKETCH.
They parted ns all lovers part;
She with wronged and broken heart;
But he reiOic ing be is free.
Bound like a captive from his chains;
And wilfully believing she
Hath found her liberty

Hath found her liberty
If there is any act which deserves deep and
bitter condemnation, it is that of trifling with
the inestimable gift of woman's Affection
The female heart may be compared to deli
cate harp, over which the breathing of earlier
affections wander, until each tender cord is
awakened to tones of ineffable sweetness. II
is the music of the soul which is thus called
forth-a music swceter than the fall of foun-
tains of the Houri in the Moslem's Paradise.
But woe for the delicate fashioning of that
harp, if chain pass over the love which first
called forth its hidden harmouies. Let neg.
lect aud cold UnkindRess sweep over its deli,
cate strings, and they break one after anoth>
er-slOWly perhaps, but surely. UnVisited
aud unrequited by the light of love, the soul.
like melody will be hushed in the stricken
bosom-like the mysterious harmony of
statue, before the coming OF the sunrise. 1
have beeen wandering among the graves. /
love at all times to do SO. feel a melancholy
not uuallicd to pleasure in communicating
with the resting place Of those who have gone
before mc-tO go forth among the thrunged
tOmbstones, rising from every grassy uudula-
tion like ghOstly sentinels of the departed.-
And when l kncel above the narrow mansion
OF one whom I'haVe known and loved in life,
l feel n strange assurance that a spirit of a
sleeper Is near me-a vieWless and minister.
ing angel. 1t is a beautiful philosophy.
which has found its way unsought for aud
mysteriously into the silence of nv heart;
aud If it only be dream-tbe unreal image
OF taucy-pray God that may never wake
from the beautiful illusion
have this evening been by the grave of
IA nj vi,
hidden by flowers, and you may read its epi,
taph in the clear moonlight, which falls upon
It like the smiles Of an angel, through the
opening in the dropping branches. Emily
was beautuuI--thc fairest Of village maidens.
think see her now, as she looked when
the loved one-thc idol of her affections
approached with his smiles of conscious fri;
umph aud love. She had seen but eighteen
summers, and her whole being seemed woven
Of the dream of her first passion. The OBJ
Ject OF her'love was a proud and wayWard be.
ing, whose naughty spirit never relaxed from
Its habItuaI stcTnncSs, save when he found him
self in the presence of the young and beau
tiful creature who had trusted her all on the
venture of her vOw,' aud who loved him
with all the earncstncss Of a pure aud devoid
heart Nature had not deprived him of the
advantage of outward grace and beauty and
It was the abiding consciousness of this,
which gave 20 his intercourse with society
character OF pride and sternness. lie felt
himself in some degree removed from his (el-
low men by partial fashiOning of human
nature: aud he scorncd to sce n near affinity.
His mind was of an exalted bearing and prodi.
gal of beauty. The flowers of poetry were
IN his imagination a perpetual blossomiug;
aud 1t was to this intellectual bounty that
Emily kneIt dOwn-bOwinS to the altar of
her idOl-the flower of her alTection-eveu
rs the dark-eyed daughters of the ancient
GheOer spread out their otferiRg from the
rich gardens of the East upon the altar of the
sun.
There is surprising strength in a love
like that OF Emily y's-it has nothing gross. nor
low, nor earthly, in its aspirings 1t has its
source in deeper fountains of the human
heart-and as such as the redeemed and sane.
titled for the earth might feel for one another
in the far land Of spirits. Alas ! that such
love should be unrequited or turn back in
GOODNESS or darkness upon the crushed hear.
Of its giver.
They Parted-EmiIy and her lover; but
not before they had vowed eternal constancy
to each other. The one retired to the quiet
of her hOme-tO dream over again the scenes
OF her early passion, to count with untiring
eagerness the hours OF separation and to
"CCpONGI GuG IuleEVaI nope deferred
Tho other went out with a strong heart to
mingle with the world, grded with pride and
imPeled forward by ambition. lie found the
world cold, and callous, and selfish his own
spirit lnscnsibly took the hue OF those around
him. lie shut his eyes upon the past it was
too pure aud mildly beautiful for the sterner
gaze Of his manhood. He forgot the passion
OF his boyhood, all beautiful aud lovely as il
was he turned not back to tho young, and
lovely, aud devoted girl who has poured out
to him in the cOnfding earnestness Of womau's
confidence, the wealth of her affection. lie
came not back TO fulfil the VOW which he had
piGhted.
Slowly and painfully the knowledge of her
lovers iufdelity came over the sensitive hear.
OF Emily, She sought for time to shut out
the horrible suspicion from her mind. She
half doubted the evidence of her own senses
- she could not believe that he was o traitor
-ior her memory had treasured every tok en-
OF affection, every imPassiOned word and ev-
cry endearing smile of his tenderness. But
the truth came at last; the doubtful spectre
which had long haunted her, and from which
she mad turned away as il were a sin to look
upon It, now stood before her, a dreadful and
unacceptable vision OF reality. There was one
burst OF passionate tears, an overflow of that
fountain Of athlctiOn which queuches the last
ray OF hope in the desolate bosom ; for the
struggle was over, and she gaZed steadily with
awful confidence as one whose hopes are not
OF earth, upon the dark valley of death,
whose shadow was around her.
1t was beautiful evening Of summer, that
saw her for the last time. The sun was
just setting behind long line of beautiful
! and undulating hills, touching their tall sum.
mits with the radiance like the halo which