A FAMILY NEWSPAPER NEUTRAL IN POLITICS.
TERMS,
TWO DOLLARS FES Ami.
efcoteb to all fyt j$ towste' of SIjc Smtflj, gitcraturt, 5btfc ation, &ptculttiK, Ifev fye sfWatftete, to.
VOL III - NO. IT.
pp - :
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1854.
WHOLE NO. 121.
WILLIAM- D. COOKE,
EDITOR & PROPRIETOR.
SELECT POETRY
; LINES ON THE LOST. . r
Strain, 's'train'-ihe eager eye, ...
From seas,-far spread, where day with silent night
Rejoins eternity.
In vain : no sail appears,
Bearing on gladsome wing the long-lost brave.
To love's fond gaze, 'tis but some restless wave
Which there its while crest rears.
-
' Wh'le in the lopjr left home, -'
The mother, wife,and children anxious wait,
Oft smooth the fireside ehiiir, oft stir the grate,
As he 'at last Were come. ". , 4
No ! Winter marked the crew ?
Of Britons bold, brave his relentless reijjn,
And from liis . flironA lio snmmrvneH all his train -
Each -forth his weapon drew
Unbar the jates of Night, iind to the hall .
Where-cold eternal kills, lead one. and all,
I fiat doomed yet dauntless band.
Doomed,, but without decay,
Tl ey pas through Dea!h, yet never reach the tomb,
.Iinpcrish-tbly fixed, they wait the doom
.. ' Of their still life-like clay.
The seasons come and go,
Like Egypt's king embalmed, they're resting there,
Each in his ice hewn sepulchre,
' And pyramid of snow.
Yet Ocean tolls their knell,
Eroin shore to shore the solelhn peal ascends,
And with its voice of many waters blends
'- : Their dirge funereal.
And the winds wait for them, '
For many a breeze which loves the seamen brave,
15yhelly. beach,- or its choir like cave,
Now sings their requiem.
"Thfi'rseerat. of thpii fate ,
Shall, when .the sea gives up its dead, be she wn
And Gd for judgment by his great White Throne
.-. The world shall congregate.
SELECTED STORY.
A SPOILT CHILD'S REFORMATION ;t
Oli, TI1K COITSIXS.
, "He did'nt care much about it;' he said 4
" they in ght marry hiiu if the" liked, and to
w.hom they liked, provided lie was not expected
to make love. Give him his hookah, and a vol
u me of Shelley, and really, wile or no wife, it
was almost the same thing to .him. By the
bye, .one tiling he ''must stipulate that she
should not hunt uor talk slang."
; This Lauucelot Chumley said, yawning al
though it was only "twelve o'clock, yet it was ten
before he came down to breakfast and, saunt
ering from the drawingrooin through the open
window on. the lawn, ho stretched himself un
derthe shadow of the' chestnut trees to dream
vague -.poem's all the day after a mode of ex
istence that seemed to fulfill the sacred destiny
of his being. . '
, Launeelot Chumley was a spoilt child a
spoilt child full of noble thoughts and generous
impulses, tarnished by his prosperity, and chok
ed for want of Simulants to exertion, lie was
also vain for want of wholesome opposition.
Provided people left him alone, they might do
as they liked, lie used to say. Let them not
disturb his books, nor cut down the chesnut
trees on the lawn, uor break his pipes, nor talk
loud, nor make a noise, ami he was perfectly
satisfied. His indifference and indolence drove
his mother to despair. She tried to tempt biin
to exertion by- dazzling visions of distinction.
But Lauucelot prided - himself on his wanl, of
ambition, and vowed lie would not accept a
dukedom, it' offered to him, it would be such a
bore I : Jlis mother htd indeed done her best
to ruin him by unmitigated indulgence : aiid
now she wrung her hands at her own work -Hut,,
as .something must be done, she bethought,
herself of mairiage, which; woman-like, she fan
cied 'would cure, everything indolence, vanity,
seiti-huess. " .
Mrs. ChunV'tey bethought her uf a marriage:
but w ith w in mi i -'
; There were hi lion ion t ao Ciiutnley cousins
Ella Limpie, -nd li::le Violet Tudor. These j
two young ladies -cr great friends,' after the
i'ahiou of young ladies general! v". Thev had
mysterious confidences together, ,and wrote :won-
derail liters. Eli.t Limpie, being of pathetic I
and sentimental temperament, talked of sorrow
1 ... .1... t- i : I; ' 1 -.
ana sauties, aiii saM ini ru wiis no more nap-
piuess for her mi earth, there being sometiiiug ment ; her tiny hand ; her fabulous waist ; her
she could never' i'igei. though nobody knew j light fairy figure; her wide red lips and her un
what. Violet Tud6r. her bosom fiieiid, laughed I tameable vivacity, made her appear like a wild
at all sentjni. nt, and exposed a shy contempt ; bird alighting on the steps of that still, lazy,
for lovers. Hie vowed also that she would nev-
er m;irrv- a k
man 'than a lion king or a gen
eral who hadVseen si'vete service add been woun-
ded badiv
:tnd then she i?kL not know per-
haps she miuht.- For iolet rode blood horses,
and once pronoun-vd an Indian officer a "muff,"
iuse he had never seen a tiger hunt an ex
; ; -siotiVtiat -caused that gentleman to blush.
and to feel that kind of anger which is, among
lii own sex, usually assuaged in a duel.
It mav be imagined, therefore, that Mrs. Chum
lev did not plac Miss Violet Tudor very high
-'"""".-
in her scata ,of feminine graces although she
certainly did not' know one-half of that curly
headed gilv'-s escapades. Consequently, she
was passed over at once. Ella was, on the con-
trary, all that. Mrs. Chumley wished young,
prettv, mild, manageable: with gold, a stainless
pedigree, and unexceptionable manners. What
more could any mother demand ' for her son !
Mrs. Chumley sent by that day's post an affec
tionate invitation asking Ella to pass a week
with her, much to Ella's surprise arid pleasure:
; for cousin Launeelot had long been a kind of
heroic myth in that young lady's imagination,
and she was glad to be asked to meet him.
' Though dearest Yi knows that nothing could
make me forget .poor dear Henry, all alone in
those terrible . East Indies !" she mentioned in
the letter which communicated the circumstance
to her bosom friend. Out of curiosity, then, she
accepted ' the invitation; and in 'less than a
week's time, she found herself at High Ashgrove,
with all her prettiest dresses, and her last new
bonnet..
Ella's correspondence w ith Violet Tudor in
creased overwhelmingly during the visit. The
early letters were gay, for her; but soon they
deepened into a nameless melancholy, and were
rife with mysterious hints. Occasionally there
burst forth in them the most terrific self-accus-ings
that English words cquld frame. If she
had become the'head of a society of coiners, or
the high priestess of a heresy she could not
Lave used strongei expressions of guilt. Violet
was frightened at first, but she remembered that
it was Ella's habit to indulge in all sorts of ex
aggerated self-accusations. At last came a let
ter which unveiled the mystery, reducing the
terrible sphynx which devoured men's bones to
a tame dog that stole his neighbor's creanl
the usual ending of most young ladies' myste
ries. " I do not know what my dearest Violet
will think of her Ella, but if 'it is to be the
death-blow of that long and tender love which
has supported my sad heart through so many
bitter trials. I must tell her the truth. Violet,
I have broken my vows, and am deserving of
the fate of Imogen in that dreadful ballatl.
Poor dear Henry !
" Violet, love, I am engaged la my cousin
Launeelot. .!.'.
" My aunt made me the offer so supplicating
Iy, "and Lanncelot said so sweetly 4 1 think you
will make me a very nice, wife, Miss Limpie,'
that I could not resist. Besides, cousin Laun
eelot is very handsome, and that goes a great
way. You know I alwavs found fault with poor
dear Henry's figure : he was inclined to be too
stout. Launcelot's figure is perfect. He is tall
six feet, I should think and witl the most
graceful manners possible. He is like a picture'
has a very bright brown hair, all in thick
curls,, not short and close like poor dear Henry's.
He wears them very long, like the portraits of
Raphael. Henry's hair, poor darling, was in
clined to be red. His eyes are large and dark
grey, with such a beautiful expression of melan
choly in them. They are poems iij themselves,
Violet. Now Henry's,' you know, j were hazel ;
and hazel eyes are unpleasant they are so
quick afid fiery. I like such eyes as Launce
lot's melancholy, poetic eyes, that seem to fe j1
and think as well as to see. Hazel eyes only
see. Don't you . know the difference ? He is
very quiet, an : lies all day under thelrf-ees,
smoking out of the most exquisite hookah and
reading Shelley. I dote on Shelley, and hate
Shakespeare. How fond Henry was of Shakes
peare that wearisome Hamlet! And now
her, own Ella is going to beg and pray of her
dearest Violet to come hereas soon as possible.
I enclose a note from aunt Chumley, asking you :
and, darling VI, I will never forgive you if you
don't come directly ; for no lover in the world
could ever separate me from my own Violet.
"If you don't come, I shall think yem are angry
with me for my bad couduct to poor Henrv ;
and, indeed, 1 feel how guilty I am. I had such
a terrible dream of him last night. I thought
he looked so pale and reproachful, just like his
favorite Hamlet. Good bye. I can't write an
other word, for aunt wants me to go with her
to the village. lo come, dearest Violet, and
come immediately."
This letter delighted Ella's friend. She had
never lie. the flirtation w ith Cornet lleury Dam
pier, which she had thought very silly and sen
timental, while this seemed to offer a real future.
She w rote to her aunt of whom she was con
siderably afraid and, in a few days, arrived at
High Ashgrove. She was received by Ella with
a burst of enthusiasm, which, coming from one.
5u calm, quite electrified Lauucelot; by Aunt
.Chumley with 116 superfluity of kindness ; and
by Launeelot hirrwelf with a cold bow. Yet
she- was pretty enough. The thick raven hair.
tt'hich it was her will and pleasure to wear
crowding over her face in wide curly bands;
her great black eyes, that never reted for a mo-
! gentlemanlike. house.
For the first two days Violet behaved herself
with perfect propriety. She embroidered more
than two square inches of Berlin work, and did
not make a single allusion to the stables. She
fell asleep only twice when Launeelot conde
scended to read aloud the mistiest parts of Queen
Mab, and she tried hard to look as if she under-
j stood what Epipsychidion was all about. Poor
little woman ! She knew as much about either
as if cousin Lauhce, as she called him, had in-,
formed her in the native dialect of the glories
of the Auax Andron, or as ;f he had told her
how arms and the ' man were sung at. Mantua
long ago. But this state of things could not
j last long. Old habits and old instincts entered
their protest, and Violet Tudor felt that she must
be natural er she should die. Lauucelot said
that she was noisy, and made his head ache;
and he changed his resting-place for one farther
off" from the house, complaining of Miss Tudor's
voice, which he declared was like a bird's whis-
tie, penetrated into his brain. This he said to
his mother languidly, at the same time asking
when she, was going away again.
"You don't keep horses, cousin Launce ?"
Violet said on the third morning, at breakfast,
raising her eyelids, and fixing her eyes for an
instant on him.
"Not for ladies, Miss Tudor," said Launeelot.
" Why do you call me Miss Tudor ?" she ask
ed again. "I am your own cousin. It is very
rude of you !"
" I should think myself impertinent if I call
ed you by any other name," returned Launeelot,
still more cold.
" How odd ! Aunt, why is cousin L&unce so
strange ?"'
" 1 don't know what you mean Violet," said
Mrs. Chumley, a little sternly ; " I think you are
strange not my son f
An answer that steadied the eyes for some
time ; for Violet looked down, feeling rebuked, j
and wondering how she had deserved a rebuke.
A moment after, Ella asked Launeelot for some
thing in her gentle, quiet, unintoned voice, as if
they had been strangers, and had met for the
first time that day. It was a striking contrast,
not unnoticed by Launeelot, who was inwardly
thankful that such a quiet wife had been ehosen
him; adding a grace of thanks for having es
caped iolet Tudor. After breakfast he stroled,
as usual, into the garden, Mrs. Chumley going
about her household concerns. Violet went to
the door, turning round for Elk.
" Come with me, Elly, darling," she saicl ; "let
us go and teaze Launce. It is really too stupid
here! I can't endure it much longer. I want
to see what the lazy fellow is really made of.
am not engaged to him, so I am' not afraid of
him. Come!" And with one spring down the
whole" flight, she dashed upon the lawn like a
flash of light. Eila descunded like a well-bred
lady ; but Violet skipped, and ran, and jumped,
and once she hopped, until she found herself bv
Launcelot's side, as he Jay on the grss, darting
in between him and the sun like a humming
bird. " Cousin Launce, how lazy you are !" were her
first words. " Why don't you do something to
amuse us ? You take no more notice of Ella
than if she were a stranger, and you are not
even ordinarily polite to me. It is really dread
ful! What will you be when you are a man, if
you are so idle and selfish now ? There will be no
living with you in a few yea's; for I am sure
you are almost insupportable as you are!"
Launeelot had not been accustomed to this
style of address, and for the first few moments
was completely at fault. Ella looked frightened.
She touched Violet, and whispered, "Don't hurt
his feelings !" as if he had been a baby, and Vi
olet an assassin.
"And what am I to do to please Miss Tudor?"
Launeelot asked, with an impertinent voice.
" What herculean exertion must I go through
to win favor in -'the eyes of my strong, brave,
manly cousin j" .
" Be a man yourself, Cousin Launce," answer
ed Violet. "Don't, spend all your time dwad
ling over stupid poetry, which I am sure you
don't understand. Take exericise good strong
excercise. Ride, hunt, shoot, take interest in
something and in some one, and don't think
yourself too good for everybody's society but
your own. You give up your happiness for
pride, I am sure you do, yet you, are perfectly
unconscious how iidiculousyou make yourself."
" You are severe, Miss Tudor," said Launee
lot, with his face crimson. Violet was so small
and so frank he could not be angry with her.
"I tell you the truth," she persisted, "and
you don't often hear the truth. Better for you
if you did.N. You must not let it be a quarrel be
tween us, for i spoak only for your own good;
and if you will only condescend to be a little
more like, other men, I will never say a word to
you again. Let us go to the stables ; I want to
see your horses. You have horses ?''
"Yes," said Lanncelot, " but, as I remarked
at breafast, not ladies' horses."
"I don't care for ladies' horses; men's horses
will suit me better.!", said Violet", with a toss of
her little head that was charming, in its asser
tion of equality. "I would undertake to ride
horses, Cousin Launce, you dare not mount; for
I am sure you cannot be good at riding, lying
on the grass all your life!"
Launeelot was excessively piqued. His blood
made his face tingle, his brows contracted, and
: he felt humbled and annoyed, but roused. Tears
came into Eila's eyes. She went up to her friend
I and said "Oh, Violet, how cruel you are!"
I Launeelot saw this little bye-scehe. He was
a man and a spoilt child in one, antl hated pity
on the one side as much as interference on the
other. So. poor Ella did not advance herself
much in his eyes by her championship. On the
contrary, he felt rnre humiliated by hr tears
than Violet's rebukes, and, drawing himself up
proudly, he said to Violet, as if he were giving
away a kingdom, " If you please we will ride to
day." '
" Bravo ! bravo, Cousin Launce !" Violet
left the lovers together, hoping they would im
prove the opportunity ; but Ella was too well
bred, and Launeelot was too cold ; and they
only called each other Miss Limpie and Mr.
Chumley, and observed it was very fine weath
er which was the general extent of their love
making. t
They' arrived at the stable in time to hear
some of Violet's candid criticsm. u Thfc ebb'
off-fetlock wants looking to. The stupid groom !
who ever saw a beast's head tied up like that I
Why, he wasn't a crib biter, was he ?" and with
a " Wo-ho. poor fellow ! steady there, steady !"
Violent went dauntlessly up to the big carriage
horse's head, and loosened the strain of his
halter before Lauucelot knew what she was a.
bout. She was in her element. She wandered
in and out of the stalls, and did not mind Jiow
much the horses fidgetted ; nor, even if they
meant to crush her against the manger.
Launeelot thought all this vulgar beyond words ;
and thought Ella Limpie, who stood just at th
door and looked frightened, infinitely the sup
erior of the two ladies; and thanked his good
star again that had risen on Ella and not on '
Violet. Violet chose the biggest and most
spirited horse of all, Ella selecting an old grey
that was as steady as a camel, and both went
into the house to dress for the ride. When
they came back, even Launeelot very much
disapproving of Amazons in general could not
but confess that they made a beautiful pair
Ella so fair and graceful, and Violet so full of
life and beauty. He was obliged to allow that
she was beautiful ; but of course not so beau1
tiful as Ella. With this thousrht he threw
himself cleverly into the saddle, and oft' the
three started Ella holding her pummel very
tightly.
;They ambled down the avenue together ; but,
when they got a short distance on the road, Vio
let raised herself in the saddle, and, waving her
small hand lost, in its white gauntlets, darted off
tearing along the road till she became rmere
speck in the distance. Launcelot's blood came
up into his face. Something stirred his 'heart
-
strung his nerves up to their natural tone, and
made him envy, long, hate, and admire all in a
breath. He turntd to Ella, and askfd hurried-ly-
" Shall we ride faster, Miss Limpie ?"
"If you please," answered Ella, timidly;
"but I cant ride very fast, you know."
Launeelot bit his lip. " Oh I remember; yet
I hate to see women riding like jockeys you
are quite right ;" but he fretted his horse, and
frowned. Then he observed, very loudly
" Violet Tudor is a very vulgar little girl !"
After a time, Violet came back her black
horse foaming, his head well up, his neck arched,
his large eyes wild and bright she flushed, an
imated, bright, full of life and health.- Launee
lot sat negligently on his bay one hand on
the crupper, as lazy men do sit on horseback
t walking'slowly ; and Ella's dozing gray hanging
down his head and sleeping, with the flies set
tling on his twinkling pink eyelids.
" Dearest Violet, I thought you would have
been killed," said Ella. ' What made you rush
away in that manner ?"
" And what makes you both ride as if you
were in a procession, and were afaid of trampling
on the crowd ?" retorted Violet. " CousinLaun
celet, you are something wonderful. A strong
man like you to ride in that manner ! Are you
made of jelly, that would break if shaken ?
For shame ! Have a canter. Your bay won't
beat my black ; although my black is blown
and your mare is fresh." Violet gave the bay
a smart cut with her whip, which sent it off at
a hand-gallop. Away they both flew, clattering
along the hard road, like dragoons. Violet beat
by a full length or, as she phrased it, she " won
cleverly telling Launcelet that he had a great
deal to do yet, before he could ride against her ;
which made him hate her as much as if he
had been a Frenchman or a Cossack, and love
Ella more than ever. And so he told her, as he
lifted her tenderly from her gray, leaving Violet
to spring from her black mammoth unassist
ed. All the evening he was sulky to Violet, and
peculiarly affectionate to Ella making the poor
child's heart flutter like a caged bird.
"Cousin," whispered Violet, the next morn
ing, laying her little hand on his shoulder, " have
you a rifle in the house, or a pair of pistols ?''
Launeelot was so taken by surprise that he hur
riedly confessed to having guns and pistols and
rifles, and all other murderous weapons necessa
ry for the fit equipment of a gentleman.
" We will have some fun, then," said she,
looking happy and Full of mischief. Violet and
Eila the latter dragged sorely against her will
for the very sighi of a pistol nearly threw her
into hysterics went into the shrubbery, and
there Violet challenged Launeelot to shoot, with
her at a mark at twenty paces then, as she
grew vain, at thirty. Launeelot was too proud
to refuse this challenge : believing, of course,
that a little black-eyed girl, whose wai:-t he
could almost span between his thumb and little
finger, and with hands that could hardly find
gloves small enough for them, could not shoot
so well as he.
Launeelot was nervous that must be confes
sed ; and Violet was excited, . Launcelot's ner
vousness helped his failure : but Violet's excite
ment helped her success. Her bullet hit the
mark every time straight in the centre, and
Launeelot never hit once which was not very
pleasant in their respective conditions of lord
and subject ; and so Launeelot classed men and
women especially little women with small
waists in his own magnificent mind.
"He had a$y shot for a long time," he said
"and he was out of practice. JTe had drank
coffee for breakfast, and that had made his hand
unsteady " .
"Confess too, Cousin Launce," said Violet,
u that you were very good at shooting any time
of your life, with it. Whj you don't even
load properly. . How oan yoa shoot if yoa don't
know how to load ? We can't read without an
a'phabet." '
In the prettiest manner possible she took the
pistol from her cousin's hand and loaded it for
him first drawing his charge. " Now try
again!" she said, speaking as if to a child, " no
thing like perseverance."
Launeelot was provoked, but subdued, and he
did as his little instructress bade him to fail
once more. His bullet went wide of the target,
'and Violet's lodged in the bull's eye. So Laun
eelot flung the pistols on the grass, and said
" It is a very unladylike amusement, Miss Tudor,
and I was much to blame to encourage you in
such nonsense." Offering his arm to Ella, he
walked sulkily away. r
Violet looked after them both for some time,
watching them through the trees. There was
a peculiar expression in her face a mixture of
whimsical humor, of pam, of triumph, and of a
wistful kind of longing, that perhaps she was,
in her own heart, unconscious of. She then
turned away, and with a half sigh, said softly
to herself" It is a pity that Cousin Launce
has such a bad temper !"
After this, Launeelot became more and more
reserved to Violet, and more and more affection
ate to Ella. Although he often wondered at
himself for thinking so much of the one though
only in anger and dislike and so little of
the other. Why should he disturb himself about
Violet ?
On the other hand, Violet was distressed at
Launcelot's evident dislike for her. What had
she said I AVhat had she done ? ' She was al
ways good-tempered to him, and ready to oblige.
To be sure she had told him several rouorh
truths ; but was not the truth always to be told ?
And just see the good she had done him ! Look
how much more active and less spoilt he was
nof than he used to be. It was all owing to
her: She wished, for Ella's sake, that he liked
her better ; for it would be very disagreeable
for Ella when she was married, if Ella's husband
did not like to see her in his house. It was re
ally very distressing. And Violet cried on her
pillow that night, thinking over the dark future
when she could notstay with Ella, because Ella's
This was after Violet had beaten Cousin
Launeelot three games of chess "consecutively.
Launeelot had been furiously humiliated, for he
was accounted the best chess-player of the
neighborhood. But Violet was really a good
player, and had won the prize at a chess club,
where she had been admitted by xtraordinary
courtesy, it not being the custom of that reputa
ble institution to sutler womanhood within its
sacred walls. But she was very unhappy about
Cousin Launce for all that, and the next day
looked quite pale and cast dowu. Even Launee
lot noticed his obnoxious cousin's changed looks,
and asked her, rather graciously, " If she were
ill ?" to w Inch question Violet replied by a blush
a glad smile bursting out like a song, and a pret
ty pout, "No, I am not ill, thank you ?"
which ended their interchange of civilities for the
day.
Launeelot became restless, feverish, melancho
ly, cross ; at times boisterously gay, at times the
very echo of despair. lie was kind to Ella, and
confessed to himself how fortunate he was in hav
ing chosen her ; but he could not understand
knowing how much he loved her the extraor
dinary effect she had upon his nerves. Her pas
si veness irritated him ; her soft and musical voi e
made him wretched, for he was incessantly
watching for a change of intonation or an em
phasis which never came. Her manners were
certainly the perfection of manners he. desired
none other in his wife; but if she would some
times move a little quicker, or look interested
and plesised when he tried to iiniuse her, she
would make him infinitely happier. And oh! if
she would only do something more than work
those eternal slippers, how glad he would be.
"There they are." he exclaiimd aloud, as the
two cousins passed before his window. "By
Jove, what a foot that Violet has; and her hair,
what a lustrous black ; and what eyes ! Pshaw !
what is it to me what hair or eyes she has?"
And he closed his window and turned away ;
but, in a minute after, he was watchiug the two
girls again, seeing only Violet. "The strange
strength of ha e," he said, as he stepped out on
the lawn, to follow them.
Launcelot's life was very different now to
what it had been. He wondered at himself. He
had become passionately fond of riding and
was locking forward to the hunting season with
delight. He rode every day with his two
cousins ; and he and Violet had races together,
which made them sometimes leave Ella and her.
grey for half an hour in the lanes. He used to
shoot too practising secretly untiioneday he
astonished Violet by hitting the bull's eye as
often as herself. He talked a great deal, and
had not opened Shelly for a fortnight. He was
more natural and less vain, and sometimes even
condescended to laugh so as to be heaid, and to
appreciate a jest. But this was very rare, and
alw ays had the appearance of a condescension,
as when men talked to children. He still hated
Violet ; and they quarrelled every day regular
ly, but were seldom apart. They hated each
other so much that they could not be happy
without bickering; although, to do Violet just
ice, it was all on Launcelot's side. Left to her
self, she would never hare said a cross word to
him. But what could she do when he was so
impertinent! Thus they rode, and shot, and
played at chess, and quarrelled, and sulked, and
became reconciled, and quarrelled again ; and
Ella, utill and calm, looked on with her soft blue
eyes, and often " wondered they were 6uch
children together."
One day, the three found themselves together
on a bench under a fine old purple beech, which
bent down its great branches like bowers about
them. Ella gathered a few ofthe most beautiful
leaves, and placed them in her hair. They did
not look very well her hair was too light ; and
Launeelot said so.
" Perhaps they will look better on you, Miss
Tudor," he added, picking a broad and ruddy
leaf, and laying it Bacchante fashion on her
curly, thick black bands. His hand touched her
cheek. He started, and dropped it suddenly,
as if that round fresh face had been burning
iron. Violet blushed deeply, and felt distressed,
and ashamed, and angry. Trembling, and with
a strange difficulty of breathing, she got up
and ran away ; saying, that she was going for
her parasol although she had it in her hand
and would be back immediately. But she
stayed away a long time, wondering at Cousin
Launcelot's impertinence. When she came back
no one was to be seen. Ella and Launeelot had
gone into the shrubbery to look after-a hare
that had run across the path ; and Violet sat
down on the bench waiting for them, and very
pleased they had'gone. She heard a footstep-
It was Launeelot without his cousin. "Ella had
gone into the house," he said, " not quite under
standing that Miss Tudor was coming back to
her seat."
Violet instantly rose ; a kind of terror was in
her face, and she trembled more than ever. " I
must go and look for her," she said, taking up
her parasol.
" I am sorry, Miss Tudor, that my presence is
so excessively disagreeable to you !" Launeelot
said, moving aside to letter pass.
Violet looked full into his" Face, in utter as
tonishment. "Disagreeable! Your presence
disagreeable to me ? Why, cousin Launce, it is
you who hate wi .'"
" You know the contrary," said Launeelot,
hurriedly. " You detest and despise me ; and
take no pains to hide your feelings not ordin
ary cousinly pains.' I know that I am full of
faults." speaking as if a dam had been removed,
and the waters were rushing over in a torrent-
"but still I am not so bad as you think me ! I
have done all I could to please you since you
have been here. I have altered my former
habits. I have adopted your advice, and follow
ed your example. If I knew how to make you
esteem me, I would try even more than I have
already tried to succeed. I can endure anything
rather than the humiliating contempt y u feel
for me !"
Launeelot became suddenly afflicted with a
choking sensation ; there was a sense of . fulin- ss
in hie head, and his limbs shook. Suddenly
tears' came into his eyes. Yes, man as he was,
he wept. Violet flung her arms round his neck,
and took his head between her little hands. She
bent her face till her breathcame warm on his
forehead, and spoke a few innocent words which
J might have been said to a brother. But they
conjured up a strange world in both. Violet
tried to disengage herself, for it was Launeelot
new who held her. She hid her face ; but he
forced her to look up.
For a long time, she besought only to be re
leased ; when suddenly, as if conquered by some-,
thing stronger than herself, she flung htrselfj
from him, and darted into the house, in a state
of excitement and tumult.
An agony of reflection succeeded eo this ag
ony of feeling ; and Launeelot and Violet both
felt as if they had committed or were about to
commit some fearful sin. Could Violet betray
hej friend ? Could she who had always upheld I
truth and honor, accept Ella's confidence only
to d-2 rive her of her love ? It was worse than
guilt! Poor Violet wept the bitterest tears her
, bright eyes had ever shed ; for she labore'd under
a sense of sin that was insupportable. She dar
ed not look at Ella, but feigned a head ache,
and went into her own room to weep. Launee
lot was shocked, too ; but Launeelot was a man,
and the sense of a half-developed triumph
somewhat deadened his sense of remorse. A
certain dim unravelling of the mystery of the
past was also pleasant. Without being dis
honorable, he was less overcome.
On that dreadful day Launeelot and Violet
spoke no more to each other, They did not
even look at each other. Ella thought that
some new quarrel had burst forth in her absence,
and tried to make it up between them, in her
amiable way. But ineffectually. Violet rushed
away when Launeelot came near her, and she
besought of Ella to leave her alone so pathetical
ly, that the poor girl, bewildered, only sighed
at the dread of being unable to connect together
the two greatest loves of her life.
The day after, Violet chanced to receive a
letter from her mother, in which that poor wo
man, having had an attack of spasms in her
chest, and being otherwise quite out of sorts,
expressed her firm "belief that she should nerer
see her sweet child again. The dear old lady
consequently bade her adieu resignedly. -On
ordinary days Violet would have known what
all this pathos meant; to day she was glad la
tum it to account, and to appear to believe it.
She spoke to her aunt and to Ella, and told
them that she must absolutely leave by the after
noon train poor mamma was ill, and she could
not let her be nnrsed by serrants. There was
nothing to oppose to his argument. Mrs. Chum
ley ordered the brougham to take her to the
statioa precisely at two o'clock. Launeelot was
not in the room when Ciese arrangements were
made ; nor did be know anything that was taking J
place until he came down to luncheon, pale
and haggard, to find Violet in her travelling
dress, standing by her boxes.
44 What is all this, Violet ?" he cried, taken
off his guard, and seizing her hands as he spoke.
." I am going away," said Violet, as quietly as
she could, but without looking at him.
He started as if an electric shock had passed
through him. " Violet, going V he cried in a
suffocated voice. He was pale, and his hands,
clasped on the back of the chair, were white
with the strain. "Going! why 1" :
" I am sorry we are to lose you," he then said
very slowly each word as if ground from him,
as words are ground out, -when they are the
masks of intense passion.
His mother looked at him with surprise. Ella
turned to Violet. Every one felt there was a
mystery they did not know of. Ella went to
her cousin. m
" Dear Violet, what does all this mean !"jShe
asked, her arm round the little one's neck, cares
singly. - ;
" Nothing," answered Violet, with great dif
ficulty. There is nothing." . II
Big dropB stood on Launcelot's forehead.
44 Ought you not to write first to your mother .
to give her notice before you go!" he said.
" "No," she answered, her flushed face quiver
ing from brow to lip ; 44 1 must go at once, j
At that moment a servant entered hurried'y
to say the latest moment had arrived to enable
them to catch the train. Aieux wer given in
all haste. Violet's tears, beginning to gather
but only to gather as yet, not to flow kept
bravely back for love and for pride. 44 Good
bye," to Ella, warmly, tenderly, with her heart
filled with self-reproach. 44 Good bye," to aunt:
aunt herself very sad ; and then 44 Good bye" to
Launeelot. 44 Good bye, Mr. Chumley," he aid,
holding out her hand, but not looking into his
face. He' tired to bid her adieu ; but lips were
dry, and bis voice would not come. All he did
was to express in his features such exquisite suf
fering that Violet for a moment was overcome
herself, and could scarcely draw away her hand.
The hour struck ; and duty with brave Violet
hfifnra ll I - 1 left Mm.
She ran down the lawn ; she was almost out of
sight, when 44 Violet 1 Violet !" rang from the
house like a cry of death.
Violet a moment irresolute returned ;ithen
almost unconsciously she found herself kneeling
beside Launeelot, who lay senseless in a chair ;
and saying, " Launeelot, I will not leave you !"
The Burden of pain was shifted now from
T MtmwJif anil Iiai tr Vila cot 1 1 man t a 1 anrl .rm.
ventional as she might be-she was agirl wholike
many, can perform great sacrifices with an un
ruffled brow ; who can ice over their hearts, and
feel without expression ; who can consume (their
sorrows inwardly, the world the while believing
them happy. j
Many years afte by the time her graceful
girlhood had waned into a faded womanhood,
and when Launeelot had become an active coun
try gentleman, and Violet a staid wife-Ella
lost her sorrows, and came to her peace int the
love of a disabled Indian officer, whom she j bad
known many years ago and whose sunset jlays
she made days of warmth and joy ; persuading
herself and him too, that the Cornet Dampier
she had flirted with when a girl, she had alwaya
loved.
THE CHTECH-YAED BEETLE
Frazisr s Magazine has lately contained a
number of .very interesting papers called "Epi
sodes of Insect Life," from the last published
one of which we make an extract, as fol
lows 44 A German named Gleditsh, who had laid
some dead moles upon the beds iu his garden,
whether as examples of retributive justice! for
their defacement of bis borders and walks, or
for other good reasons, or for none at all, does
not appear, observed that the bodies of the little
gentlemen in velvet disappeared mysteriously..
He watched, and found that the agents were
beetles, which, having first deposited their eggs
in the carcases that were to be the provision for
their larvae, buried their bodies, so that they
might be safe from predatory birds and quadru
peds. Into a glass vessel he put four of these
insects, having filled it with earth, on the sur
face of which he placed two dead frogs., -His
sextons went to work, and one frog interred in
less than twelve hours the other one on jtb'e
third day. Then be introduced a dead linnet.
The beetles soon began their labors, commencing
by removing the earth from under the, body, so
as to form a cavity for its reception. Male and
female got under the corpse and pulled away at
the feathers to lower it into its grave. A change
then came over the spirit of the male, fot he
drove the female away, and worked by himself
for five hours at a stretch. He lifted the body,
changed its position, turned and arranged it,
coming out of the hole, .mounting" on the dead
bird, trampling on it, and theni again going be
low to draw it down deeper still. Wearied with
his incessant efforts, he came out and laid
his head upon the earth beside ihe object of his
labors, remaining motionless fo a full hour, as
if for a good rest Then be crept under the
earth again. On the morning of the next day
the bird was an inch and a half below the ur
face of the ground, but the, trench remained
open, the body looking as if laid oat opon a
bier, surrounded by a rampart of mould. j (
When 'evening came, it had sunk half an inch
lower The next day the burial was completed
the bird having been completely covered. - More
cornees were now supplied!, and in fifty day 11
bodies' were interred by the four beetles in this
cemetery, unaer a g vv, .