I have sworn upou tho Altar of fceei, eternal Uosttttly to cvcty ford of Tyranny lover the Md of Man." TjlomeS Jenteoi
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From tho London Metropolitan Magazine for Dec,
THE WOMAN-HATER.
Trust not the troanon of thows saillhiR looks,
Until you havo their guileful train's well trml."
Sir.eEit.
Many remembrances,' says Aristotle,
make tin one experience;' ami if it could
nr r.xnccted that rcmcmbernnec of
u i t
written words would make up an experi
ence, as well ns that of actions, I might
-with justice anticipate much good from the
records of my past fortunes. Alas 1 that
the verbal touching of the old falls power
less on the car of the young, and nothing
but the sad contact with calamity and sor
row can write upon tho heart the lessons of
mcdom and pimluncc. JJut the mclaii.
choly pleasuro of looking; back from tho
Bhores of ago on the angry waters jii3t past
.ovcrof recounting old perils and escapes
induces me to incur tho charge of useless
tedium, by reading, to all who will listen, a
yago from that.ridile--boolt.of croatma, wo
man. But you do mo much injustice in callinj?
me a woman-hater, in tho proper meaning
of tho term; I hale no being, and in few
things. It is true, that the -society of
thosc.lho music of whoso tone, the round
ness of whoso forms, and the intoxication
resulting from whose intercourse, remind
ja'e too forcibly of miseries I would fain for
get, is dista5cfu!; true that it lacerates to the
cruelcst degree of anguish my inward heart;
and therefore I fly from it, seeking in the
passionless communion with books, an ex
citement lcs3 enthralling pethnps, but infin
itely richer in calm joy and not inactive
contemplation. "With my wholo heart do
I desiro to benefit the sex whom you would
Bay 1 detest, but I would fain do so without
the expense of personal pain to myself,
which must result from their contact and in
tercourse. If thctc bo any truth in the as
ertinn ihnllhntu woman! ind, it is. that I
abhor the woman man and the world have
made, but that I love and reverence the
trusting being of feeling and affection whom
God intended she should bo.
Many vcare, when I was in Cambridge,
t ntir,t,Pil n favorite theory, savoring of
Platonism as 1 think, of silliness as I know,
.that nature never did, and never would, it-
tnite surpassing lovaliucss of form to any-
thin" but corresponding purity ol 6oul anu
refinement of intellect. How rudely this
theory W3S shaken fiom its Vasis how this
chaff of speculation was dissipated before
-tho wind of practice, shall now be shown.
Leaving Cambridge one summer with the
determination of visiting tho Lakoo of Uum
berland in search of that health which hair any alike turn over wmo lugca un
seen but a'sa.l truant from my body, I fell 1 J-n. You, my young friend, will not do
in, during my jonrnev northward, with a so, berauM they "ill .,i least interest you
vounrrladv and her father, with whom 1 m coining fiom one you havo known and
y a ..... I
was silently acquaimeu, nnu who iuvuuu
1
we to join them in their route, as our des
tination was nearly the same an invitation
with which my lovo of society induced me
cheerfully to comply. Would that my ton
'gun hail failed mo before I had acceded to
nv such fatal measure I Aura Merion was
the vory lovclie'et creature I ever saw: Tcan
Opt elaborate 'a description of her personal
excellencies. To you, my friend, or somo
other in whoso veins the pulse of youth is
eaping, such a task must bo lefti fur mo it
must be enough to say, in one word,ahe was
beautiful' A da3h of fotoirn blood in her
race had given her tho spotless paleness of
a warmer clime, without robbing her of her
golden hair and blue eye of her native
land. Grace and aymmetry of form rro to
the completion of this picture, which 1 can
not look upon in tho gallery of memoiy, e
ven at this distant lime, without a thrill.
Her voice was softnc33 and mudc, an ex
cellent tiling in woman, anu mere was nn
nrtlcssness of manner which lent tenfold of
feci to its lone. See 1 1 have made a sketch,
at tho moment I vowed it should bo left to
you.
Aa fathers r.ro sleepy companions, my
conversation with Miss Meiinn was almost
unintctrnptcd, exceplby the delays inciden
tal to a well travelled road. Little as I had
previously known of her opinion or predil
ections, n few hours sufficed to place us on
terms of the most perfectly apparent inli-
macyjwo had passed, with the steps of light
and playful criticism, over tho regions of
literature usually cultivated by a feminine
intellect, and the kind smile was the signal
for recall when cither was straying where
the fert of the other were unable to follow;
we talked of love, with the calm candoi o
of two philosophers, little fearing thai a
few short day3 would chango tho tone
our remarks, and add the intensity of per
sonal interest to the warmth of the theme
I well remember the sense of undefined
pain with which I received an impression
drawn from her manner rather than from
her words, of tho interest tho felt in the
destinies of a certain mutual male friend
then in a foreir n land, and scon after in hi
uravc. Thiii sense of dain should hav
warned me, as indeed in subsequent day
it would, that samnlhinjf was growing tin
between me and Aura Merion, which would
toon be nneratlfcable by all efforts on my
part. Yeas it raadncsa or infatuation that
led me on to love, where I saw I must eitii
er occupy a second place, a divided heart
or wait for tho expiration of a former pas
s'.on, ere I could hope to excite tho new
As was said, the hand of fale was laid on
Aura's lover, and in a week or two the news
of his death removed the external part of
the barrier; the internal remained to bo dealt
with. Could anything, however, be more
damping to the young ardor of affection than
tho knowledge that Aura's love was else
where bestowed! To mine it was not damp
ing, more than iho rain-drops to a blazing
forest. In her presence, reason ami told
calculation of chances were lulled to sleep,
and paesiou and intoxication awake. Thtn
first did I learn to appreciate the caution of
the old men in Homer, whoilcmand the re
moval of the war creating, beautiful Helen,
lest her presence should influence the de
liberation, and sway the voice of the coun
cillors, Our journey terminated, but not its con
sequences, A few miles of separation a
lone lay between our homes, and my foot
or my bridlercin turned oftener towards
hers than was at all consistent with the
change of scene, the search after which had
been tho ostensible cause cf my visit to
Cumberland. Whether she deligtcd in the
enildlc. or loved that particular path, we
met daily. Tho talc is told I deeply lov
ed her. v
I feel that I am gosippiiig, and know
that those who havo never fallen victims to
tho soft passion ( very soft passion it is,)
und those who fondly hope they never will
loved. For olhcr and remoter mailers, I
hall look for my recompense among those
whom Eros has rendered docile and greedy
of knowledge of the passion that devours
them. Even theso I shall spare the- details
of meeting after meeting, of tho thousand
little coinages of lovo's currency that cir
culated betwnen us, of the songs copied or
wtitten, tho flower gifts novorfora day neg
lected, (some of Aura'a afo in my desk still) I
the many city nothings which, to those a-
lone most deeply interested, acquiro a lo
cal habitation and a name.
To this forbearance an exception must
be made, Somo miles from the scene of
my sketch was (lie ruin of an ancient ab
bey, placed in a pach of scenery. Bitch cs
here and thofo in tho wido world, Katuro
decorates in thtf highest of her skill, as if
for her own peculiar abode, A couple of
moons had waned upon my intercourse with
ura, when a party was made up for the
purpose of visiting this ruin and duly chap
eroned, we set off one of the vehicles, in
which was Miss Merion, with some others
of tho parly being entrusted to my pilotage.
Everything, the season, the drive, the scene
ry, was delightful, and tended to inspire the
luoughts and emoliono most favorable to
love. We gazed our fill on the ruin, wan
dered around; it until the sun had glided it
with his latest glory) and then, with the
ombre yet nat unpleasing melancholy sue!
a sight must ijispirc we left the place,
ihe oged pile1 had told us his story; we saw
him in the bakward cyo of fancyi when
the pale and wite tobed sister was gliding
through his hajpy cloisters, and we heard
the organ pcalhfc till his pointed windows
trembled at its eiund and now all was de
cay, A statry rfajht clothed the heaven to
light us homewaid. From tho disposition
of our party I cauld converse with Miss
Merion unheard aid tho neglected rein hung
fiom my iand as I poured into her car nil
that fancy could supply or lovo dictate
We looked up tie sappiro vault, and she
quoted the poetry of Italy with a tone of
feeling and expression entirely irrcsistablo
I, on my part, spoke what I knew of dial
dxan and Explain lore, that toad that sky
like a book UV prophecy! then of Aratus,
and his stairy imaginings, whom fancy had
covered the mazy htavens with rajwW r-J
Iii'e-liko picture. wY i lark, weary of
soaring, our converse at Itigth turned home
ward, and we spoke of mrselvcs I told
her of my love, my mon than love; and
she recorded a certian niglt when I appear
ed to her in sleep recouited the things I
said, anil the pleasure the rave her. Her
pressure of my hand whei 1 dicw tip the
horses at her home, gavo me assurance of
the warmth of iter heart and it was a ly
ing assurance but mark he sequel 1
Tho poetical icmperameit (without mean
ing tho mere faculty of versifying) is pe
culiarly dangerous to one under the influ
ence of love. It sheds a lii'ht of tenfold
biil'.iancy over each lotsablo attribute in
the object, and, by daztling tho eyes of
the subject, pretludes ths chance of his
perceiving anything else. All drawbacks,
all shadows of character, arc concealed ;
and as the illusion thus funned is perfect
in beauty, so is the dispelincnt of it dreary
nnd full of sorroi". To say that in Aura I
detected no fault) were even to say Icbs than
the truth. I had throned her as my idol,
and in the intensity of my worship shunned
rather than courted that calmness of mind
by which the wood, earth, and atone might
have been seen and estimated. A some,
what too high valuation of rank and birth
seemed to my eyes the only foriblo of Mi6s
Mcrion'a character; she scimcd little to
feel Edmund Spencer' dictum that ' love
is nobility ;' but having it in my power to
claim iho worthless distinction of a belled
earl as ray grcat-gtoat (I know not, how
many greats) grandfather, I viewed this
taste of hers as an additional tic. See tho
blindness throughout 1
Aura's depaiture for Scotland on a short
visit filled mo with grief, heightened by a
strong presentiment of longer separation.
Wo parted in all tenderness, and so slur
over this painful portion of tho narration
ranidlv. in three weeks she returned We
met again in one of her accustomed walks;
sho was not alone, but the glad words of
greeting and welcome were springing to
my lips. Could it bo? her soft eyo wan
dered above, around, across me, without
meeting tho passionate glanco it should
havo been ready to return. Sho passed
she who three short weeks before had told
me how I waa the subject of her dreams,
without the salution due 10 a common ac
quaintance ; and words calirto't describo the
slupified misery sho left behind. I was a-
wake ) a thousand things came back from
tho past to tell me I had given my heart and
scul to onct Whose offcclions were doffed
and donned as easily as a cloak nr bonnet.
And yet it was hardly credible ; and when
I caw her at a ball, I Could not refrain from
asking her hand for a dance: Tt was not
withheld, and the tact with which her soft
voice spoko of indifferent subjectsi without
trenching cn explanation, or even touching
the past, was admirable, if not admired.
Sick and wretched, With a lump in mv
throat like a peach, choaking with excess
ive and conflicting passions, I left the room
tho house, and strode through a-smoking
rain and tempest of wind to my home
Tho demanded and reluctantly granted
interview of explanation the heartless
false jargon about unmeaning attention, her
ignorance of my motives, and the like are
better omitted. Our farewell took place
late one evening, and the next eunriss found
mo on the box of a south mail, on my way
to bury my sorrowsj and, if possible, my
remembrance, in the sober studies of Cam
bridge What was the real cause of Aura's
changed domeanor ? An English gentleman
named Pentegru, tho owner of a beautiful
house and broad lands in the part of Scot
land whither Aura went, had seen her, lov
ed, proposed, and won True, three
weeks was A short time 1 iruo ; former
passions must bo banished or forgotten ;
true, Mr. rcntcgru possessed no single re
commendation beyond a v?ry honest, well-
meaning stnpidity belonging to a class
Die uueuueateu countiy gentleman now
almost extinct'. True all these things
militated against his suit the proposal was
tyi-mIm iiPtiflitri lilfl ntvn stnirlv rnnf. nnl !i
r;-htniljT-n feuoa?&.eIds, m&fi
Merion's mother, too, was there, and he
was successful It was Aura's third attach
ment within four months !
Mv heart was schooled to calmness. I
had, indeed the bachelor's gown, and com
pleted my academic course, before I ven
tured near tho scene of the above adventure.
The little town of wa3 gay and noisy
on tiic night I entered it, wilh all the glo
ries of a race ball, or somo such festivity.
As the mail rallied past the windows of the
illuminated ball-room, I felt a longing to
enter its precincts, which was too easily
gratified to be resisted. Mine host, all
bows and smiles, told mo what steps were
necessary towards gaining admission, and
an hour saw me ascending accoutred for the
scene cf revel A waltz waa in progress
as I entered the door, and that very moment
Miss Morion was being whirled past by a
tall and strikingly haudeomo officer, most
unlike the only man she should have been
waltzing with, Mr. Pentegru.
Who is that gentlemau V asked I, of a
friend stood near.
Oantain Elhclintr. Miss Merion has
been waltzing with him the whole even
ing.'
I turned away and moved onward, caught
her eye, and threw as much meaning
as possible into the distant bow that I gavo
her.
Captain Etheling waa a young man, who
had recently changed liifl naine on his ac
cession to- an immense fortune; handsome
and accotnoli9hcd. little renusito to make
him an universal favourite, in the little oir
clo of the town of . Accordingly, he
had scarcely been three weeks there, when
every female and most of the males, were
ready to join loudly in his praises the ra
titer, as hia demeanor was marked by the
most polished courtesy and affability Miss
Merion, not insensible to the value of such
a conquest, and undeterred by principle and
respect for her engagement to Mr. Pente
gru, had used every endeavour to bring
him to her feet, and had succeeded fully, if
one might believo tho accredited judges of
such tilings in . The two appeared
inseperable, and many an envious glance
was direated at the supposed future litis
band of Aura, her previous betroihment to
Pentegru being unknown1. Military duly
howeVcr, having summoned Captain Eth
hng away, without any formal proposal
having transpired, the circumstances were
fast wearing out from Iho memory of tho
good people of '' '
.. V ... . . A.. S . .
not many ilay.1 elapses before acarncre;
furiously driven) htopyed ak the tloor of
Mis9 Motions rc3ideie and out of it leap
ed Pentegru. To his demand of a privato
and immidiata interview with Aura; her
mother, to whom Iho demand was rhado;
offered no opposition1 They were left a1
lone for some time, Until Mrs; Merion; a
larm'cd at iho fierce loudness of Fenlegru'ii
lone; opened tho door that led 15 the roomi
to interrupt or prevent angsr 30 strange and
urtseemlyi
1 You told Caplalii Etheling; tod,' wa
saying in a tone tremulous with suppress
ed passion, 1 when he said lib loved you;
that of him you had thought wilh sentiment
such as you can never feel towards any oth1
er man."
A deep sob was the reply;
1 That his image was next 16 yon? heart;
sleeping or walking, and that you loved
none other.'
fhe same iriar'ticulalea answer was re
turned;
And yet during iho time you were bes
trolhed to me I Is it is it really all
true V
Most true,' faintly answered Aura, 'and
true, that if Captain Etheling had the feel
ing of a man of honor, ho wbiild never
have addressed) solely to insult and deridd
me
Woman ! Henry Etheiinrj loved ydi
wilh the warmest affection of a good man
he told me all, that I might advise him re
specting your immediate union','
Told you alii' replied Auraj 1 that ybtl
I tnSrriir vtlvito ?'
Are you rgucrant that Etbtlin isnjjr
brother V
Mrs. Merion stepped forward to prevent
her fainting daughter from falling on thd
floor, whilst Pentegru having violently
rung the bell rushed out of the house like
a man distracted; and the sound of his re1
treating carriage-wheels had died awaybei
fore Aura iiad opened iter eyes to sadness1
and sorrow. When ehc did so; she ap
pcared totally changed; her useful grateful
ptide of demeanour was vanished fererer;
she seemed brushed and humbled; and
walked about more like somo passionlesi
spectro than a young and high-spirited wo
man. Whatever she might havo fcaid td
Etheling, whose reserve re?pecting himself
had Caused this strange incident, I believd
that, as far as the was capable of loving,
she was devoted to Pentegru; Tho want
of that consistency of character, for whicli
wo must look to principal, to religion; riol
to impulse, led her to violence1 to thin de
votion, rathef perhaps for the sake of dis
play and indulgence in a sickly sbntlmen5
tality, than of any thing baser; and the coai
sequence was the 1ob3 of him whose re5
gard sho moit wished to cultivate and at:
tract:
Pain and sorrow now follow every word
I write. Two days after this took place, I
had drawn my chair to a cheerful fire, and
had opened a volume of tho Republic of.
Plato, determined to brguilo the hours thus
till bed time, fur the evening had closed id;
when a knock at ray door (I was lodging iri
a snug house near ) made mo start
from ray chair in alarm so lond, So vio
lent was it No timd was left for surmise,
for a young surgeon of , named Jones,1
rushed abruptly into my apartment. 1 Tai
God's sako 1' he said, 1 for God's sake; ray
dear sir, do you know any thing of Mis J
Merion's movements to-day !'
Mr. Morion's carriago passed my door
this morning, towards ,' said I, trem
Ming at every joint, a3 if a palsy had
struck me,' und I think she was in it with
her mother.'
1 Oh ! merciful Heaven forbid 1 1 left iny
surgery early this morning, and tho boy
who should have remained in went out too'
On my return I found a box containing a vi
al of poison missing, and a guinea left in Hi