of a widow. She was a scholar, and dai- ftell how he led her from step to step, unly passed the Independence Square, on her til he had completed her ruin. It is suffiway to school. By degrees an acquaint-cient to observe, that before a year had ance, without introduction, was formed passed, the young girl fled from her widbetween herself and the youth whom Iowed mother, with her unmarried destroyhave described. The simple act of ac-ler. They lived together in the suburbs cepting a proffered umbrella during a of the town, in a retired lane, where few sudden shower, was the origin of their who knew them could ever be seen. Pasknowledge of each other. It soon ripen- sion had done its worst; the tender heart ed into intimacy. had been swayed to evil, and the unsusMaurice Ellison was a child of passion. pecting confidence that relied on the ly From his boyhood, he had been wild and ing promises breathed to the ear of Hope, fitful in his temperament,-indignant at abused and broken.

reproof,-strong in those bitter feelings What was to be done? By degrees, against foes, which are supposed by the Marion Harold awoke from her awful world to be sometimes a test of faithful- delusion. She looked around upon the ness to friends, and open to every im-dark abyss into which she had been drawn pulse which the prevailments of ardent by her betrayer, she sought for reparablood, coursing through the veins of youth, tion,-she demanded the fulfilment of his could engender. He had good qualities, marriage vow, with tears and entreaties, and engaging ones, for 'none are all evil',but in vain. The lover has changed to -but they were choked by the sugges- the tyrant. He said nothing to his friends tions of passion, by an overbearing spirit, of the being he had so foully wronged; and by the thousand inducements to ini- her mother knew not wither she had gone quity with which cities abound. -her departure was veiled in obscurity.

--

Marion Harold had been richly endow-Let the man tremble, who breaks down ed by Nature, and early education, with the barriers that protect the bosom of Viraccomplishments far beyond her years. tue! There is in every heart a power to She, too, was ardent and susceptible. revenge, and a power to rise. If, instead Maurice was enthusiastic and devoted, of bursting the shackles of one error, only and they loved, or seemed to love. With to cling to another, the soul that has once her, it was a pure and affectionate at- been led to evil would return, not all the tachment: with him, it was one of pride stigmatizing taunts of earth could awe and impulse. He was not so desirous of that self sustained and lofty spirit. But possessing her heart, as of subduing it. alas! when innocence has been corrupted, She had been affluent, and was then cast it usually sinks deeper, or clse waits, with down. The death of her father had di-cloaked revenge, for a time to wreak itminished the income of her remaining pa- self upon the wronger.

rent, and left all her monetary affairs in Such was the determination of Marion confusion. When these were adjusted, a Harold. She saw she was undone; she very insufficient annuity only remained. pictured to her excited mind the dark disBy elegant needle work for rich families, grace which would gloom around her by whom she was much employed, she name, unless she lost it in another's. This continued to support herself and daughter refuge was denied her. Her unfeeling benot merely with respectability, but with a trayer appeared in his true colours.-reshow of luxury not unlike the external fusing her all reparation, and laughing at signs of better days. the wreck which he had made.

Ellison was proud to win the heart of There is that in woman, which, when Marion Harold,-but too wicked to repay she is but partially abandoned, will raise it with his own. He soon found that in in her bosom the daring and tempestuous him her whole affections were centred; feelings of a heroine. Show one ray of and the knowledge seemed to add to his hope, to point a way in which, to the overbearing nature. He boasted to oth-world's eye at least, her good name inay ers of his conquest, while to her he was be regained, and you open to her spirit a seemingly, all that a lover should be. light as if from heaven. It may point to It were a weary and a bitter task to crime,-it may add to her guilt,-but it

will conceal the same. She grasps the lost sight of by any indiscretion. She had hope, and begins the enterprise. resolved to retrace her steps into that One strong resolve now reigned para-path of rectitude from which she had been mount in the heart of Marion Harold. cruelly beguiled.

She had been wronged,-deceived; she] How sweet are the gleams of returning knew she was beautiful; and so over-virtue! They added new lustre to the eye whelming had been her disappointment that has wept the tears of remorse and at the degradation and coldness which regret,-they dawn upon the spirit with a she had received from Ellison, that her holy lustre. Some such an influence moved love was quenched, and its charm was Marion Harold. She was young,-and gone. She looked back upon the purity she hoped to atone, during a life of devoand the blessedness of heart from which tion to her husband, and in secret penishe had been divorced, and she mused tence and tears, for the evil she had comdeeply on the atrocity of the arts where-mitted.

.

by she had been beguiled, and by which, She was doomed to disappointment. It if discovered, she would soon be despoiled was left to her betrayer to break off every of her good name, become a sacrifice anticipation, and to plunge her into irre to scorn and infamy, and a mark for the trievable misery. He knew not the value altered eye of unkindness, or the rebuking of her affection, until he saw that he was finger of Suspicion. The thought stung beginning to lose it. His selfish spirit her almost to madness. Live abandoned, then deemed it invaluable. He had reshe would not.-She dressed with all her sourse again to the spurious tenderness by former neatness, and on every Sabbath which his first triumph over her innocence attended a church in the country, not far was accomplished. In vain. She did not from town. Here she attracted the at- conceal that her feelings had changed. tention of a youth, who loved and address- His pride was wounded, and he strove by ed her. He was a handsome, honest per- presents to win her back to cordiality. son, and his attachment was sincere. His She resolved to appear won, but her open bearing, and excellent disposition, heart was turned, and it was but a light contrasting so closely as they did with the repayment of the deception by which she acts of Ellison, won her esteem, and final- had been undone. Her design was laudly her firm and sober affection. She re- able: she desired to be an honest wife, solved to be his own, but to be utterly and sin no more. Faithful to this she unknown to him, as the victim of another. hoarded the stinted monies that he gave Almost frenzied with the desire to be his, her, for her future husband. she met him cautiously, often,-walked The sudden return of her kindness, and with him, and held sweet counsel on the the seeming excess to which she carried subject of their approaching nuptials. The it, awakened the jealousy of her betrayer. susceptible youth knew not her home, nor He resolved to devote a day to the inspecher name, save that he called her Mary. tion of her movements. He did so. SeHe deemed her a highly accomplished and creting himself in a clump of dwarf wilrespectable lady, who, obeying the im-lows near where they lived, he saw her pulses of her feelings, was about to mar- walk into the fields, and direct her steps ry the being she loved, at the expense of towards the distant dwelling of the agrilosing her station in society. This ren- culturalist. He followed stealthily, in the dered her doubly dear to him. He was shadow of the hedges; saw them meet, possessed of a sufficient competence, be observed her to give money into his hands, ing an industrious, thriving young agri- and him to kiss her own! Maddened at culturalist; and all her wants, he rejoiced the sight, he returned homeward, and to believe, even to luxurious comforts, he awaited her arrival with a moody brow had it in his power to supply. He acceded and bitter heart.

to her request, and refrained from all in- It was just after sun-set when Marion quiries respecting her conditiou or name. returned. The great luminary of day She knew he was deluded-but the delu had left a sanguinary gush of radiance sion was fixed, and the object at which upon a pile of western clouds, as the desshe aimed was too dear to her heart to be pondent girl took her seat by the case

ment, and looked out upon the landscape, the moneys I have given you, to give to apparently lost in thought. him, as you have done to-day. You have "Come, my dear," said Maurice, with concealed there the memory of the wrongs a malignant smile, and trembling tone, that you fancied I had done you in my play us an air on your guitar. Come-moments of passion. Take one more guest in that faithless mansion, the feeling She played up he instrument, and with that your hour is come, and your doom å sweet voice,"discovered excellent mu- sealed. Prepare!

come!"

sic." She repeated some airs that had Mercy! mercy!" faltered the trembeen favorites of Ellison's in the com- bling girl, as she sank on her knees before mencement of their acquaintence.

him.

"Not those, not those," muttered Maurice, You talk to a rock, Marion," was the they are too soft. Give me something deep toned reply. "You talk to ice. We stern and solemn. Play that old ballad- shall soon be no more. We are, at the Farewell, ye green fields, ye fresh wa- threshold of eternity. Mine be the hand ters adieu-that's what I like to hear." that shall draw aside the awful curtain She sang it with touching pathos and which conseals its wonders. I wish not simplicity. As she concluded the last to live a murderer; so you must die, and stanza, she turned her eye upon Maurice, I shall be your companion, even in the He was looking steadfastly in her face, grave. Come, no struggling, wretchwith an expression of consentrated malig- our hour is come!"

nity which made her recoil. It seemed He brandished aloft his horrid weapon; as if all mortal expression had vanished -he caught the shuddering Marion by from those restless eyes, and left instead the arm, and crushing her upon the floor; the glare of a demon. sank upon one knee, and bending back "Play no more!" he uttered, with firm- the graceful head and neck of his beautiset teeth. You play no more; that will ful victim, placed the knife across her do, my dear; I have Heard enough." throat. Her rich golden hair had fallen

Twilight was now drawing in; the loose in the struggle, and as it lay upon hum of the city was dying away,-the her neck, prevented the intended wound. landscape was fading into indistincthess, He deliberately dropped his knife, and and a "browner horror" seemed descend- while his left hand was pressed against ing on the distant woods. A feeling of her forehead; removed with his right the melancholy languor stole insensibly over obstructing tresses; then grasped his deadthe fair musician, as she laid aside the in- ly blade, and with one wide gash severed strument, and asked Maurcie if he was the veins of life. The heart's blood of the prepared for supper. damsel bubbled and streamed upwards "No; I wish none," he replied sternly. into his face and bosom; while her pallid Are you unwell!" she inquired. lips seemed pleading ih voiceless moveYes, I am, Marlon; go light a candle." ments for the boon of being. She retired to do his bidding. When "It springs up to meet me, this fountain shs returned, he was seated by the win of blood," said the maddened Maurice; dow where she had been playing. A" It would mingle with mine, and I bow huge Spanish knife lay on the casement, to its will." In an instant he had severed which he snatched up as she entered, and the artaries of his own neck, and the blood consealed it in his bosom. of the murderer and his victim was flow"Maurice!" she said with a foreboding ing together! It was a sight of horror! look, "what is that you are hiding in your The next morning looked upon a melbreast?" ancholy scene. The dead forms were What have you hid in yours? you lying together weltering in gore. sunken being," he replied;"what have blood had flowed over the threshold, and you been conscaling in your own? I tell stood in clotted pools among the paving you what," he added, drawing nigh to his stones. A Corroner's Inquest was contrembling victim; you have hidden there vened, and an attempt to obtain a verdict your dislike to me-your love to another. made. A paper was found in the pocket Yes, poor wretch, you have hidden there of Maurice, disclosing the name of his

is

The

victim, alluding to the estrangement of joys, to make him weep as they ceased to her affections, a boon he had won with be heard.

out merit, and kept without reward, and He had not lived long in the tumult of declaring that jealousy, remorse, and the world before he was pretty well conweariness of life had driven him to the vinced it boasted of no perfect being. He deed. even despaired of meeting with any one. Thus fell the betrayer of innocence- who would be a companion to him, such thus fell the betrayed. I saw the widowed as he wished, and with a sadness, almost mother bend in helpless agony over the amounting to gloom, he moved like an audead body of her child. I saw her wither-tomaton, through the brilliant circles of ed lips press wildly and fondly upon those fashionable life, while the bright eyes, pallid features, lovely in dissolution, and which were continually shining with lovelier in that repose which knows no smiles upon him, were like the golden waking. I saw the age-dimmed eye filled beams of the moon upon the hard polishwith tears; I heard the moans and sighs of ed ice, brightening, but not melting it. her who never could know comfort more. Not so were his glances upon the feWhen the priest would have offered. con- males around: his large black eyes, rich. solation, she turned upon him with a look with manly feeling and expression, pierced of dispair, and besought him to be still. like a scymetar, and went directly to the "Alas!" she groaned aloud, "alas, she died in sin-she went down to the grave with the leprosy on her soul!"

HERMAN AND HARRIET

which his hair was slightly curled in glcsheart. His broad, clear, open brow, on sy ringlets, his black arched eye brows, and well-formed mouth, with his elegant demeanor, often drew a long sigh from many a panting little heart, and dimmed many a sparkling eye with the tear secretly shed in the silence of midnight. There was a charming girl, whose mind There was a young gentleman of my naturally inclined to affection, who posanquaintance, whose natural strength of sessed no power, to resist the winning mind and nobleness of soul made him a qualifications of my friend, but she pasproper object for many a pretty girl to sively gave her heart to him, for she was cause a wistful eye upon. He was some-sure he was worthy of it, without having what romantic, and was wont to indulge discovered whether it would be an ac much in the vision of hope, and paint the ceptable gift.

brightest colors upon the cloud of futurity. There is no passion of the human soul which were destined to fade at his ap-stronger or purer than the love of woman. proach. As is usual with a person of his There is a silent strength in it, which nature, among the most delicious pleas- goes on increasing and irresistable; a deures of his visionary dreams were those of votion gathering energy from the knowlove. His young mind, luxuriated amidst ledge of its own might, and treasuring up beings of his own imagination. Figures every look and word, every' glow upon of the most facinating nature would pass the eheek, and every smile upon the lip, and repass before his 'mind's eye,' in the in secrecy and silence, io gerge the ava long vista of future years, and often in rice of love. It lives upon the sweet conhis dreams would he play with the gold-viction that the object is near; it rejoices en ringlets of some devoted and beautiful and riots in the sound of the voice, and a girl, or gaze upon the cheeks of a deeper kind expression of the lip, a tender smile glow than the rosy blush of the morning gives it a triumphant energy, and thrills sky. the frame with the most bewitching rap

'But as he grew to be a man, he had ture. less confidence in the syren voice of hope; Such were the feelings which the in and if at all he listened to her soothing fatuated Harriet entertained for Herman, suggestions, it was with a melancholy and notwithstanding the perfect modesty certainty that they were but deluding him of her address, the scrupulous decorum of into the sweet luxury of their transitory every moment spent in his company, her

passion soon became evident to the world, for her, yet his benevolence was awakenand, last of all, to its noble object. Con- ed, and he would have made any personcealment was impossible; it was like an al sacrifice to perform, as he imagined, so attempt to limit the wanderings of a vine imperious a duty. He knew she would be in some wiry cage. The full and free unhappy without him, and perhaps pine, spreading of its wreathing figure might away and die if he left her.

be repressed, but the rosy flower would; And can I," he asked himself, "thus here break from its confinement. The abandon a helpless woman, whose hap pirich green leaf would here escape to view, ness is in my power?-never!" And with and here the thick cluster would display its his feelings much softened towards his beauty, and twine its delicate stem in the love, he took every opportunity to address open air. The rich brown ringlets, which her upon the subject.

were wont to unloosen themselves in clus- It was one bright moon-light, as he ters from the bandage which she some- walked with her in a shadowy and vertimes bound around her forehead, were dant park, and wooed with all the poetry emblems of that love which would not be of his ardent nature-she talked of the controuled, but poured itself forth in a stars and the silver moon. The soft and profusion of blushing smiles and tears. pensive light which streamed across the When Ilerman was aware that the sky, he said, was like the magic love pretty Harriet really loved him, he recall- thrown around the beings of his choice, ed her ten thousand little kind looks and and every silvery cloud that floated thro' actions, with a feeling rather difficult to the starry vault, yielded some sweet idea be described. Although she was not so by which to lure from her willing heart very--very beautiful as some of the crea- the music of its love. It was not in the tions of his warm imaginations, she was power of the lovely being at his side to certainly handsome; but she was not what command her tell-tale eyes from revealing he hoped to have found-she was a pret- her sentiments. The bashful girl blushed ty, playful, amiable girl-a bashful child! as she confessed, and cast her blue eyes "Oh, for some high-minded and eleva- on the ground; but when the manly arm ted being," said he, "whose soul, like the of Herman encircled her waist, and he soft echo of the mountain, would breathe kissed her white forehead, from the very responsive to every feeling of mine-excess of happiness, she leaned her head whose fond spirit would be mine own, upon his bosom, and wept. but more beautiful and refined."

In a week's time they were married, and Yet did he never dream of marriage the stream of their life flowed on in smooth he was too young, and Harriet was not and unruffled tranpuility, although devoid his choice. Yes, she was beautiful, and of those exquisite pleasures which mark loved him, but could he take her to his the union of hearts more closely joined. heart as his wife, when his affections were All that friendship could feel he entertainnot in unison with hers? no, the thought ek for Harriet, but no more. Sometimes was idle. indeed, as he gazed on her lovely face, Harriet was an orphan: and though over which the success of her fond hopes her parents had left her a moderate com- had thrown a gleam of cheerfulness, which petence, yet through the villany of a false increased the charms of her appearance, hearted friend, she was cheated of her for- he could almost faney he loved her-but tune, and left destitute of almost every his heart lost the emotion in her absence, comfort of life. as the summer cloud looses its tinge of

This was a circumstance at once cal- gold upon the setting of the sun by which culated to excite the sympathy and inter- it had been illumined, and he was still conest of Herman, ahd he looked upon her vinced that his was a marriage of the hands as a neglected, yet still beautiful flower, not the heart.

that only needed his hand to shelter it Thus passed their days in calm contentfrom the blast, and raise its drooping head ment if not in the continual excitement of to the sun; the noble resolution of protect- joy, and it was with feelings of intense ing her as a husband then first possessed sorrow that Hermans beheld his wife, alter him, and although he felt nothing like love a few months, fading away with consump