El
portal
THE EVENING IMAIEPIISTC/NE
(ilndly 1101 Y Vo. aUlrvr ' , Mid it,
I ' orl ho tiny'
And the {Cray anti solovon I wilhfht,
FOIIOWS "):
Shadows lengthen toi the tla,t ntont•
111,0 giants thn tn.h the ylnottl. ;
Wander past the
Creep artuittul the t:t.o.'ll
Draw the ourtait the s lutttots!
t Nave the slippers 11 It. f To'
Though the mule nit d 'omit% Inutters,
ll'hat care IVO (Or wind /41,1111'S
what car , w , for nu: traril seepliott?
Firi<h• Forttior's Mara or sniiitt,
lf around us lilt e ls 1 onspillo4--
Love can human Ills 1 :
'Neath the .-iitaqe roof nod po mn ,
From the pealqtait le the 1:11...
All are qualltrpt from life's chalice,
linhLlra that enchaottpeot
Orates Are pri. ,, Wiluz. music fimriv;!
From ti lo s, lips Ire lose the Loot :
Oh, the jo3-- , h,•
'chow. are hearts Whilh tii
Hearts that t lir it +skit eager
Heart s that et•lin to our .ml.--
11'1100 font) rare and haunting - slit.
Mingle reler ITS look o r tome.
Care nosy tread tho. halls of has li lii.-
:'11.1114 , 52 , haunt OP' Illithlight 1p
Mit OM Hcird and wltelilio-
Itrings the zlio, ik•g
Altar nf tar holiest feelings'.
reinenitiereil
Sitiril-yearnings-,-pioni.rol r ah.,
11'reat itinntietal round tr. ii
i;rlcrt (rut!
A STORY OF THE HEARI
‘• I FRIV 11%1 i'•: , lii tLr 11“ , ttf yttlolt.
Amt Itulli Nom y, ttittg, t t . e %kV.. I.
tLat i, ilt..:,iral‘'A.,,ndko,•l:. 41
-41 -- tir.it — i - 74 , 10 - riviv; - ilnyfilii , (l l c n
ltdwirers. With tiotliitor to rt tat , l ft:,
.k *
lir flu t%t. kt, (HI
I.:tt 1111' hi ilnim 11 as :is calm ;is
"iinnior rvc, :ind aii iiinlonibid us IL.- 111.14 , -
.1,11;1111"nd . , I.llT:inis. 'Hwy ;try tin• id 'l-
ciryl,•; fir theni - 111,, singing ins t•
qvailies and tho it .•
-iamorcd r gain \raft.; it, s\%(•i•tili, , en 11H.
midnight air; and n dark, laugl , Mii - ore. and_
;in aubtlim I ress, and a idomiiing c h i,in
!III111(1 applallSt• lwrever they are eII. It t
Ow most !..,
, ininis in branti, is ilia( whii•li is I,on'ort
ith the litie of "village Lilies
nil
are untainted by the alrectatiuns of Ilu r;,-12-
i'•)n;thle Nvurld, and ennibine,a SNVI t'i 11(•S`i and
•inildivity of (Imraeter which
winning. For them the brightest fiowers
culled, and the deepest ravines are l!Nploreil
by rival and adventurous youths : ninny aro
the feats of agility and strength
the fund regard of their• suitors ; and I eau
conceive no ohject iu nature sn iotere:ding
:LA a %-illage belle, crowned oth a lia•l cu l of
timers from la'r natl\•(' vale, and
lid c a gentle monarch the feelings and pas
sions of her many admirers.
• Such an one was Alice Sinclair. At sev
,.fiteen she ha r q . like the opening rose-bud
irk) e'om:ulhnod, yet seemed all. unennsei n a s
ef the charms :The so eminently poss.cs•4ed.—
She might have heel a despot over the heart.:
which bowed at the shrine of her beauty and
Her virtues, but gazed with indifrerence ou
the sacrifices she had never demanded. ,tier
name was upon every tongue; her praises
were echoed by every hachelor in his retire
ment; and many were the romantic gallants
who serenaded at midnight beneath her Int
tice,'pouring forth all that eloquence of song
which only lovers can appreciate. Indeed,
she seemed worthy of all this adoration, pos
sessing, as she did, the sylphlike form, the
auburn truss, the blooming cheek, and the
nameless magic of the dark-blue eve, which
rioets and primers delight to contemplate,—
Still, Alice Sinelair had never loved !
If there was any thing in which she delHit
ed, with all the tenderness of a snseePtlide
heart, if ivas music. Site Av.;4l listen eager
ly for the ftintest note which was bornee
her ear, and was herself Most accomplishil
In all the graces of the heavenly art. When
ever in the crowded circle she touched the
keys of 'the piano, and warbled one of lie.
.favorite airs, every ear would be on the idert
to catch the whining melody. Her window
overlooked a flower garden which she had
nurtured with her own hand ; and very often
when the stars We're just peeping through the
mists of twilight, front that window might be
heard the low tverbling of a mellow voice,
and the faint tinkling of a guitar stealing on
the car with it melody whose captivating in
fluence no human fortitude could resist. It
- was somethiy too pure, too ethereal for
earth, - and to 'elegiac the dark-eyed girl with
her ringlets waving in the evening Wind, and
to drink in the melody of her guitar,to inhale
the dewy sweetness of her favorite bower,
rind Co have the tisene melloweilhy the mag
ic light of the evening stars, was a 'tepid
ness %Odell ens only; be exceeded by ihe bliss
Of heaven.
I;ut thei.o in 'the line ;of even
one. On 4)TIP thisilt'y•d:' V Or ill I:
' ever. She entered with n merry heart, into
ell the delights of the occaiion, and looked
with undiscriminating thvor on the attentions
of her various suitors. • licr heart was beny
,, ant with.the brie•htes! anticipations; her eye
' as brillitW as the gem which sparkled upon
lieu-brok; and newt before , in
the' eyes of
I)4admiyers, lied her beauty seemed Irin
ning,Or Omit• idol sorwortliy of their idolatry. ,
11 bile hi `r merriment was Most boisterous,
Pr eye 1 , 11 easily upon the form of a siren.
re r who moved amid the assembly with all
the native ease and polish of a ,4ntleman.
ife stiaidin a remote corner of the hall, and
Iroiv and then, through the throng which had ,
gathered around her, Alice could catch
2. - limpqes of a tall commanding flint), a pale,
melancholy brow, and a dark eye that beam•
e.l tenderly on the lady who stood beside him.
Vor once the village belle saw one whom she
thought slw could love. A strange, indefin
able feeling came over bier; she heeded not
hr rohdations of flattery ; the illuminated
)111 and the array of beauty and
aAion S'‘N ill i n indistinct images before her;
lor the first time during a long inter`-
r:. 1„•r suitors were unable to account
h-r oi their attentions.
1"6• Imomcrits p t lssed a w ay—t e th e sen
e..rion, girl. it seemed more like the
derirtare or an hour. The. interesting
-tr,im f ri* NV:IS reildOCtell to the piano, and as
t,: i, 11,1 the tna:-ic ke6, every eve was
throod n ,cm him in wonder at his rare ae-
Sinclair. at, in
-v-1-1:4-4-1-4 -411 f 41141 11(4 t trin pt - tryC7rTr.Tl,
(,i) the perl4,4-1114-r: and
ht•artS ItNitreSSed iu 1114
1111'011g1 . haSty prldllde. Fe
R II:16;111d air Wk.)] all energy Which
thrilled , •‘.•t y pntrint 1,4,401 l in the
Cnionteneill;t: with a Inw and ineasured ,traitt,
the 'hearer enald nhnost limey hehenrd the
the In:mini tread of his country's warrior.;
..t<7lliog 10 the battle field; and then came
I r
the churi!o. the onset, the thundering of tin
,an t ion, the shoat, the huzza or yiptorr—un
il the
noit•s gradually (lioll away like tin: dint
toncs of a trotllled drum, sounding faintly
na Hie distant vale. 'Flip audience l‘tts
'.mitt iii ;1 , t1 , 16411111 . 11t and admiration; while
he nutsician, after a pause, smiling as it
c•nr.sciuus of hi.; sway, touched again the
kt , ss of the piano. Now it was
in
tuned to tlw softer breathings of the tender
pa , :•.;ion ; and. accompanying it With a full,
mellow voiee, he uttered the melody of a fh
vorite love sAms. Alice thought that music
had never seemed so delightful, so rich, so
soothing; and ,for the first time she could.
:,ppreciate the tender sentiment or the lore
horn madrigal.
The stranger at length ceased, amid the
plaudits of the company ; and casting a bur
riot glauee around him, his eye fell upon
that of Alice, who was regarding him with a
111:1V and ill-disguised interest. lie paused
for a moment in admiration of the beautiful
girl, who tilt the warm blood rush to her
temples, and turned away to hide her confu
sion; and when Alice once more ventured to
look u it, the handsome stranger was standing,
with folded arms, apart from the giddy circle
around him. He seemed to he meditating
on some all-absorbing theme, perhaps his
distant home, or the idol whose image was
recalled by the scene he was witnessing ; but,
then his eye would resume the wonted ten
derness, while with stolen glance he regard
ed the blushing features of the village belle.
The evening at length closed Alice and
the stranger exchanged glances. as she ker.
vied from the scene. She sought her cham
ber and her couch, but not to slumber. In
vain she endeavored to upbraid herself for
liaming an attachment,. Mr (Ate she might
never again behold ; and vainly strove to rid
icule the thought of giving her heart away
feu. a sm i ig: She Arose and opened her case
ment, that the pure air of heaven mfght play
around her brow, and check the excitement
of her fevered pulse. The breath 'of the ear
ly Spring came laden with the perfumes of
her flower garden ; and Alice *. lhought that
the stars had never seemed so beautiful as
at that moment.. A hurried step was heard
beneath her lattice ; the, light notes of a gui
tar fell softly on her ear, and the manly voice
of the singer thrilled still more gently on her .
soul. It Was the eery same voice she had
heard in the drawing room, and the notes of
the same tender song were k iloating up to her
window. She listened with wrapt attention,
while strain after strain was wafted to her
ear ; and it was not until the serenader's last
"Geoll'Night I" had been heard, .and his re
'treating fbotsteps had ce'aSe d to ,echo, that
she sought once snore her pillow. it
wttothat a slumber as blisSful as am tof in
fancy gathered about 'lel., senses ; visions of
delight danced before her, and can we won:
der, that. amid all her dcotoas, rested
u tI;t1 ff qui of the dark ImirtAl Bh'jtitlfer. anti
tllartielc Ejer6ltt.
. - Arthur Beaumont had come froth the sun
ny.land of the south, to complete the course
of his professlonal studies.. hie-possessed, to
an eminent degree, the handsome exterior
which marks the natives of that sultry clime;
and was well calculafa to excite (Tie adrni
ration of a young and sensitive girl, though
the paleness of his brow, the hectic flush up
on his cheeks, but too sadly told that con
sumption had fixed its hold upon his vitals.
His physicians had advised a change.of air
to retard the progress of his disease; but
there was an image of quiet, resigned melan
choly upon his brow which too (dearly re
vealed his forebodings of his early doom.—
He had not been }trig in the village when
Alice first saw him, and had gazed with im
partial admiration on the many brilliant eyes
and blomning cheeks which had shone upon
him ; but the glance which ca usually fell up
on Alice Sinclair laid won his exclusive ad.
irat ion.
hint a few days elapsed before they again
met. At an evening party he sought and
made her acquaitiTance. Both strove to seem
indifferent, and to conceal the feelings which
they mutually indulged, lint beneath all their
reserve and timidity might be seen the true
workings of their attachment. The . y , joined
in the seducing labyrinths of the prom
enade., and the giddy mazes of the joyous
dance ; and when, at the request of Alice,
he took his sent tit the piano, her whole sold
was wrap( in the melody dint nwohe from the
nn ie hQs of the instruniept, Thlls ti;ev
gTailinilly progressed in their Inntnal
eeufi
dencr and nifection and n hen they parted
.etinvineed of
MAE
their deep and unquenchable loves
shy - pursue a history that all have„,ex
pericoced in their own hearts ?----ttily enu
merate the alternate doubts and uncertamies,
the shifting hopes and fearOwhich each on e
dart kit for himself? The Itisi‘tory of the ento•
tions of the heart. though varied by casual
circumstances, is always the stone; and if
there be one WhOM6 . C'ye nifty rest on the sim
ple record. tvho has never owned the nuwie
of a dark eye, or bowed his soul of the ...divine
of beauty, ue would remind hint that he has
missed a treasure which no pen can vortray,
and no talisman but love can unfold. The
hovers tnet again and again. llow delightful
were,,the hours that they spenttogetlihr ! how
heavy the moments when separated! And
week nftcr week passed away, and A rtkur
still hesitated to reveal the story of his love.
There is no language by which the heart can
disclose its warmest, deepest emotions. The
anxious, molting look, the crimson blush.
the unhidden sigh, can convey a confession
of love, flit Letter than all els'e beside; and
I would scorn all the eloquence of a lover's
erbosity. unless there were a glow upon his
cheek and n fire in his eye, far more thrilling
than the language its uttered.
For once, indeed, the course of true love
ran snioothly. The most hrilliant prospects
opened before them : life was to them as un
clouded as the summer sky, and hope seemed
the bright star of their destiny. They look
ed only at the preSent hour, or invested the
future with greater charms, and gilded it
with a halo as beautiful and delusive as the
purple haze on the distant. mountain top.—
Insensibly to others, the deadly disease Was
thstening on the vitals of Arthur. Often did
he repent his
. rashness in beguiling the of
fections of a young and artless girl, and de
termined to drain his own heart from au in
taehment which would result in misery to
-both. But the unsuspecting eonfidence and
devotion of Alice:would win him back to his
first live and he feared to make a disclo
sure whit It would blight the anticipations
uhich she had indulged. Even the shade of
melancholy wh tlt \t s ring lipott his
brow, but served to render him more inter
esting to the devoted Alice.
'For hours would she sit beside 'him, list
ening to the melting strains of his guitar, and
the melody of his favorite airs ; fbr hours,
while the shade of twilight gathered over
them, would she y lean upon his arm, and hear
his eloquent descriptions of his native South.
And then in the soft accents of love, he would
tell her of the broad Savannahs where the
rivulets wandered in melody through the long
grass—of the wild steeds, noble as the cour
sers of Araby, that bounded in native freedom
through the deep forests. He spoke of the
happy clime where the 'orange and lemon
tree bloomed in perennial beauty ; where the
air was calm as the breathings of a thiry's
slumber; and where every vale and glen:Was
vocal with the mOody of birds and the.mer
riment of dark-haired girls. , Thus would they
linger , alone, undisturbed by _ the thousand
obstructions which so often impede the course
of true rove: and if ever happiness dawned
upon earth, surely Arthur and Alice were
doubly blest. And 'still lac never told his
love I
Pot ;.; :t c „;,:,:
party assembled at the house of Alice's fatly
er, and all the beauty and fashion of theivil
lage was there. There wns a marked con.
trast bittween the blooming belle:of seven
teen and the pale consumptive student, upon
whose n rin All' iiuiignin all the confidence of
youthful love. 'tot it was pleasing to wit•
nesi• the mutual affection of the two-L—how
eagerls , she listened to his every word, and
how fondly and tenderly he gazed upon Al.
ice. Now and then a shcdow would flit over
hitir features, as though lie bad no heart for
the revelry; nod then again be would resume
his wonted cheerfulness. nod feign an inter
est which he could not feel.
It. was a beautiful nifrht in early Spring.
Groups of the visittrs were strolling through
the walks of the flower garden which Alice
had planted with her own baud. The moon
lit up the scene with all the magic of 'her
beams; whilc through the windows of the
drawing room. the notes of the piano and the
sound of merriment swelled- out on the ear.
Let him who would escape't he enticements
of lo„-e,„beware of music., and moonlighk and
womet I know not how many onbese
moonlight strollers 'were in love, nor how
mane vows were whispered in the reeessts of
those gar len walks. Fain would I linger to
tell of the beans and hellos who sported their
holiday attire in the light of the nmon,"and
pause to contemplate so much of Minim-nee
and hcit4y,, ,. .. lint I speak not of them. One
by tine thfrlroup retired to the drawing.room
antLat_a_lati•--hour—of—t-Im--nigh-t, on ir trulo
bench in the .shadow ofn biter, A I-1 htir wits
sitting - alone with the idol of his love.
- I ' M'S indeed t 1101 V Stcfle. 41111 the
pepped Wit like bashful sentinol.s from thl•
sky: anti through the opening vi , tas of tiri!
ripe leaves alai% e theta. the strimrgling 1110011
htams till itt beauty on the lovers. There
wa:10 one [mar to Item- the plig.lited faith. save
the night hroeze which wafted its perfume.;
around them, and the humble flower that
bowed its bead beneath their feet.
"Anil I never told that I loved
said A rthur, ltartingthe rilmlets from her !mow
aptl gazing tenderly into the t•es that ‘vere
resting mildly on his own.
"I knew it Arthur, else I could nut haul
loved tun su tet devotedly...
a Jong pause ; their fet lings
were too deep, toy holy l'ur utterance. Now
and then a snail' of music came gently from
the distant Lail, chiming in delightful ca
dences around the moon lit bower, and then
all Would be as hushed as. the repose of the
MEE
"lon love this bower with its roses, .and
lilies, and vibe leaves—do you not, Alice'."
"More than any other spot on earth, - she
replied, and her blue eve danced with joy,
•It was the pride of my earliest years to tend
this garden spot and trim the flower's which
dec•lced it; it has sheltered my favorite sing
ing birds from the sunshine and the storm,
and more than all, it is delightful to recall
the happy hours which I have spent with
yourself, Arthur.-
"Would you,pot like to live Alice, where
the flowers need no culture—where the birds
are never wearied with singing—where the
skies tire bright as those of Italy—where—"
•
"Your father land—is it not ?" interrupted
Alice. "But is it as beautiful as the bower
which I have nurtured with my own hand ?
could I love it as I do that which has grown
up with me from my childhood ?"
"Far better, believe me, 4110 E. Why, in
every, valley th6re is a bower springing un
nurtured from the earth ) the orange and the
lemon trees bloom , in unfading beauty ; and
the dark eyed girls are more beautiful than
the clime which they inhabit.' llow gladly
woulfhthey welcome. you to the land of your
adoption! and 1 bare a. sister, too, who would
gladly chiim you as such."
"Is she beautiful?" inquired Alice, in
stinctively.
"Almost as yourself," said Arthur, 'though
she has mote of the serpent and less of the
dove in her nature."
',.‘14; she like yourself?' asked Alice.
"You might guess that we were brother
and sister," was the reply; "but shAits
er been tossed far from home on the rude
billows,pl the cold hearted world; and her
life has been cherished by those who loveher,
like the exotic flower, exposed to'naught but
the dews and sunshine of Heaven."
"But Arthur,wlien harassed ,by the cares
and vexations of the world—when the novel
ty of your contiack is ov(r, and w6sit.„do&vn
to the simphi.realities of life, we will not for
get the charm which drew my attention to
you the first night we•met?- 7 -will you not lay
aside the piano and guitar, as unworthy the at,
tention 'of any but a 3ctitkg and imPassioned
lover?"
"Never my lingers en 3 toueh their
churls ! I will inalie our arbor ju,-4 like this,
(I( urc , ..it Alice 41vlieret:e it in the
which inspired our earliest love, and repeat
ing and renewing the vows of this hallowed
hour."
Alice could not utter all she felt; but she
looked forward with the gayest anticipations
to the realization of all the hopes she had in•
(bilged, and felt that the distant clime of
which her lover had spoken, was just suited
to her wishes, and with snch a heart as . Ar.
thur's to comfort and cherish her, she would
be happy indeed. Alas! that our hopes
should often lend but a false enchantment to
the future, and prove-as transient as the}' are
captivating.
"Alice, I fear I have deceived You," said
her lover after a pause: g ,"llavc you not ob
served my unusual paleness, and the hectic
flush on my cheek ?"
"But you arc a student, 'Arthur."
"I am an invalid, Alice. I can no longer
conceal the truth. I have loved you Idimily
and devotedly, and in gain en - deavin-ed to
cheek a'passion which can only end in the
misery of both. This moment the ccpTsamp•
tirin is preying on my vitals."
"Oh, speak not thus," exclaimed the fran
tic girl. `•J)o not innr the fondest hopes I
have'ever cherished. Gnu it he tluit a wom-
tu's love should call up such gloomy forl!od
in the ohicc•t or her idolatry?' -
"1 repent—sorely repent the Means T have
used to NVIII that love t ••
said Arthur. "I
had hoped that a change of climate mid sce
nery would remove or mitigate the pangs of
flii`ili `i ruliny
1 - 04, .1 lice, though I can never souse
tuve VOII, Imin this moment 1 resign the
heart and laud you Lave given me. 111,•re
:11 . 0 many n.spinints to 1110 slum. lo•n‘f.nly
treasure. who could !nuke you fur num. I,!e:t
than I might ever hope to do; to I must'
yield the charge I once hoped to protect.—
(lio back, dearest Alice, to the many hearts
which have loved you—remain as , yilth Luvc
ever been, the pride and ornnment of pinr
native village,ard forget that you ever loved
Arthur Beaumont.-
..Nuver. never!" exclaimed Alice. with all
the energy of woman, - ran you thus. trifle
with the heart that haq given you all its pur
est ;ItTections? "'hat heart would iudeed lie
blighted and desolate, and could net. er love
again. Tt was not thus you spike. i% hot, in
the silence of the twilight hour. you told rue
of the glories or your native South, and that
I would be the loveliest flower or that 'Henry
clime. Oh, Arthur. viii 'know hut little o
woman's beart,if you deem that aught of care
or adversity, or sorrow, can chill its love, or
blight its holiest affections." •
"Then vott will still he mine?" said the loy
er,g,azing tenderly on the eye that na Leant
ing on his own.
"I will, forever!" said Aliee, with all the
noble warmth of a woman's los:e I will
gladly participate in your sorrow, if I can
but share your impassioned heart. I ant sure,
Arthur, that when you breathe the air of
your native valley, y0u.....w4-11 lit! well again .11
"Thank Heaven for such love as this!" ex
claimed the entbusiastie Arthur. "Already,
Alice, I feel that new life is breathed into
my frame, and that we may yet be happy.—
But the night'air is growing chilly ; shall we
return ?"
The guests were just departing. The lights
were growing dim ; the shouts of revelry and
mirth had bee❑ hushed, and the transports of
the giddy dance had passed away. 'And the
plighted lovers parted, but. not to slum her.—
ln the still watches of the midnight hour ,
when dewy repose rested on the distant hill,
and spire and valley, and closed the eye-lids
of the young ,lind blcst, their hearts wire un
ted in a bond which none but those who ',lve.
can know. Though dreaming al : each other,
how different were their feelings and hopes
iia• the one, with all the enthusiasm of her
sex, painted the future prospect with all that
was beautiful and lovely in her own Ihney ;
while the other but too well forsaw the clouds
which hovered over all his anticipations.
Fromlhe night which seemed to hate seal
ed his happiness, Arthur's health rapidly . de
.clined. His cheek became paler, his eye
more haggard, and his frame seemed gratin- '
„fl y was ti ng away. But his devotion to Al,
iceseemed to increase in proportion to his
weakness. Then it was that, throwing aside
the reserve of her° sex, she visited the sick
matt in his chamher, arid ianotithed the pil
low for hitn to. whom she had. plighted her
hand and her heart. With the true nolde.:
'less of a woman's soul, she never despaired
of his recovery; and whihst .. lter gay compan
ions were engaging in the revel and tho dant o,
she would steal nway from the heartless
throng, and watch by the couch of the joys.
lid, No •wonder that with smilt treatment,
Arthur rapidly recovered, And then they
would sit by his window together, gazing out
of.on the drifting clouds, and the deep bt.tie
hi!ls.'aml the. - from•the Cis-
B
OE3