When Fanny returned home, the change in her manners was a source of delight to all her family, and she could not help wondering why she had not always been as happy at home. She mingled again in the circles of fashionable life, but with different feelings. She was more than ever beautiful, but yet no longer a belle, for her manners were no longer frivolous-a certain degree of frivolity being necessary to attract the gay and thoughtless. Fanny had found sources of enjoyment higher and purer, and was appreciated by the noble and pure-spirited. And when, the next first of June, she again left her father's house, not for her aunt Mowbray's, but as the bride of the high-souled Edward Devens, Charley stood by his mother's side, and looking up, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed, "Oh, mother! how sorry I am Fanny is gone! She is so good, and so kind, what shall we do without her?" A LADY, gathering flowers for children, remarked, "They have a claim I cannot refuse." WE are sure that this beautiful engraving will afford pleasure to our readers this month. It is a graphic picture of a man in the lower walks of life, absorbed in the witching theme of politics. Seated in his stall, the morning paper is brought to him by the newsboy. Immediately, every thing is laid aside; the awl, hanging in the half-mended boot, is thrown upon the bench; and even his well-blacked pipe is, for the moment, rejected. Every faculty is enlisted in his subject; every power strained in the eager desire to learn the fate of parties-the victory or defeat of whigs and tories. It is true to life, and cannot fail to strike the eye favorably. THE LADY'S PEARL. OCTOBER, 1842. Original. THE RESCUE. A LEGEND O F THE WEST. BY J. G. WHITTIER, ESQ. GRIMLY towards the clouded skies Gleams the fire of sacrifice Widely on the misty air, Wo for her who silent stands Who shall look for pity's tear Sooner from their destined bourn See!-the flames around her close- Hark! a sound is on the breeze Ha, wild rider! sweeping near Ask ye where the twain have gone? Till the listening Kanzas maid, "So, this is Providence, the city of the famous puritan, Roger Williams?" said a chivalrous southerner to his Yankee friend, as they sipped their coffee in an elegant temperance house in the aforementioned city. "Yes," was the reply; "and a pure old puritan he was; and right happy did he feel himself when heaven-directed to this goodly land, he saw himself comfortably domiciled here. And Divine Providence has ever smiled upon this place, so that we defy any city on earth to outdo us in enterprise, industry, health, beauty, or virtue. Providence has, perchance, directed you here, also, to crown you with the sweet rose of domestic felicity. We have roses here that have no thorns, and which add glorious grace and fragrance to any chaplet that a man can earn, or wear." "I would really like to see a bevy of your Yankee ladies, your tongue does so 'grow wanton in their praise." "Suppose, then, we walk over to church; you will see them there assembled in their glory." "Let us go by all means," cried the stranger; and Mr. Randolph, of old Virginia, and Mr. Stuart, of Rhode Island, were soon seated in a convenient position for seeing all the youth and beauty in the church."* "Well, what do you think of the ladies of our puritan city?" enquired Stuart of * A very common, but unprofitable manner this, of spending time in the house of God.-ED. his friend, as they sauntered along a shady lane towards the picturesque residence of old Colonel Stuart. “I think,” cried Randolph, starting from a reverie, "that he must be a puritan who could wish a brighter heaven than the one we just left. Do tell me," he continued, "who was the divine creature just in front of us, dressed in pearl white, with rose pink trimmings?" "I am not much of an observer of dress," replied Stuart; "can you not describe her person?" "I might as well endeavor to describe a summer twilight dream of heaven. She is just as tall, and as large as a woman should be; her form is provokingly faultless; her grace, perfect, and perfectly natural; and her hands defy all the arts, for they can neither be copied nor described. Her eyes are like heaven, blue only from the depth of their perfect purity, and glowing with the light of the heavenly worlds that float within them; her hair—one would deem every lock a cherub's wing, trembling in the light of immortal glory, and expect momentarily to see bright faces of paradise peeping from beneath them." "Oh, forbear! I pray you. Your description only bewilders me. I never saw such a paragon, even in Providence," said Stuart, laughing at his friend's extravagance. "I have seen her," murmured Randolph, "and I will see her again." We must leave our enamored southerner ostensibly enjoying the spirit of a volume of Petrarch, in Colonel Stuart's library, and accompany the young gentleman, Henry Stuart, in a visit to his merry cousin, Anthea Louisa Sprague. After a little commonplace conversation, he enquired, “Well, Anthea, what do you think of my noble Virginia friend ?” “What should I think of a man whom I have only peeped at across a church?" said she, smiling. “Oh, you girls see so well, and form such summary conclusions, that I know you have made up your mind concerning his appearance, at least." "Well, then, he makes a right handsome appearance, although some of our Yankee boys are by no means disparaged by a comparison with him. I must make his acquaintance, however, for I suppose he is a prince of chivalry." "He is, indeed, an honorable young gentleman, very fastidious withal, and full of the pride and aristocratic notions which cling to the old regime of the Old Dominion; yet a kinder, truer, more generous heart than his throbs not even in this world of noble spirits. But this is not all I have to say to you: he was deeply smitten with your appearance at church, yesterday, and is resolved to obtain an introduction. I will not tell you all the extravagant commendations that he poured out upon your form, eyes, hair, &c., lest such puffs should add to the blaze of your vanity; but I will tell you, that he would sooner hang than marry you, after he learns all. Now, to cure him of his most objectionable foible, I wish you to lend me your passive assistance. I would not understand of whom he was speaking as we came from church. I wish you to keep out of our vicinity, and let him feed his fancy upon your idea until he meets you again at some public place, when, if I am forced to it, I will present him to you. Then we will keep him in ignorance until he is thoroughly acquainted with you; but beware, and do not suffer him to get hold of your heart, for, be assured, he can never stoop to marry one of your caste." “I might suspect you of a sinister motive in giving me this earnest warning," she said, with an arch smile; "but I tell you, cousin, you are losing caste in thus soliciting me to endeavor to ensnare and deceive." "Cousin Anthea! would I ask you to practice deceit? No, no; be yourself in every way—only do not betray your calling until Randolph learns that a working girl can be a lady in every sense of the word." The next Sabbath, as Anthea entered the church, Randolph gave his friend a significant touch on the elbow, with a glance, as much as to say, that is she; and it is matter of doubt whether the service of the sanctuary found any room in his heart that day, although his apparent devotion could not be questioned. "Now tell me who she is," he said to Stuart, after church. 66 Why, the lady whom you pointed out to me is Miss Anthea Louisa, the daughter of Theodore Sprague, Esq., an excellent man, although not overladen with wealth.” "He has in that one daughter more than all the wealth of all the Indies," cried Randolph; "and her name, it sounds melodiously. I had feared that her puritan parents had designated her Ruth, or Judith, or Eve, or Tamar." "All very good names," remarked Stuart, calmly. "Pshaw!" cried Randolph-"but you must introduce me to Miss Sprague immediately." "Don't be in a hurry. We shall meet her at some party, or other public place, soon, and then I shall present you." "I suppose I must submit. But, now I think of it, how happens it that I see none of your factory girls?" "You have not been to the factories yet, how should you see them.” "Ah, to be sure. I did not expect to find them mingling in society, but I thought one might probably see a group of them at church." "They are generally regular in their attendance on Divine worship, and justice obliges me to say, they are, most of them, handsome and respectable," said Stuart. "I do not doubt it. I should not be willing to believe that vice held dominion over so many hundred young creatures as I am told your manufacturers employ. You must find opportunity to show me some of them." "I will; and you will find them enchanting." The fine eyes of Randolph flashed as he replied, "Your words savor of dishonor, or offensive lightness. I shall suffer myself to be enchanted by no woman whose station utterly precludes all thought or possibility of an honorable union." "Well, well," cried Stuart, "I will take my words back, and apologize, but, depend on it, you will find our factory girls not the vulgar creatures you may suppose them to be." "I suppose," said the appeased southerner, "that, having the spectacle ever before you, you learn to look without abhorrence on this debasement of female delicacy to occupations which, in the South, belong exclusively to the slave." "Well, do not be indignant; we will drop this moot point in political economy. You know that we have no slaves, and our work must be done. The girls get good wages, and their labors are light. Beside, there is no coercion: they are free to work in the factories, or at home. But there is to be a brilliant party next week, at which will be assembled the beauty and respectability of our city and vicinity. We shall be amongst the selected guests, and there I shall probably have the pleasure of giving you an introduction to Miss Sprague." (To be concluded in our next) THE love that increases by degrees, is so like friendship, that it can never be violent. |