按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
it would be a fruitless task to include all the scenes
of his danger and his glory。 Thanks to the kind
fates which shield the lives of the brave； he yet
lives to adore my Julia。 That you may be as happy
as you deserve； and happier than your heart…
stricken friend； is the constant prayer of your
ANNA。〃
〃P。 S。 Write me soon； and make my very best
respects to your excellent aunt。 It was laughable
enough that Charles Weston should be afraid of a
flash of lightning。 I mentioned it to Antonio； who
cried； while manly indignation clouded his brow；
'chill penury repressed his noble rage； and froze the
genial current of the soul。' However； say nothing to
Charles about it； I charge you。〃
｛Highlands = the Hudson Highlands； a mountainous
region in Putnam and Dutchess Counties； through
which the Hudson River passes in a deep and
picturesque gorge； Eolus = God of the winds；
Boreas = God of the North wind； Seneca = one of
the Finger Lakes in central New York State； Grecian
king = both the Senecas of antiquity； the
rhetorician （54 BC…39 AD） and his son the
philosopher/statesman （4 BC…65 AD）； were； of
course； Romansin any case； Lake Seneca is named
after the Seneca nation of the Iroquois Indians；
Park…Place = already in 1816 a fashionable street in
lower Manhattan； Chippewa = an American army
defeated the British at Chippewa； in Canada near
Niagara Falls； on July 5； 1814； Lawrence = Captain
James （〃Don't give up the ship！〃） Lawrence （1781…
1813） of the U。S。 Frigate Chesapeake was killed on
June 1； 1813； as his ship was captured by H。M。S。
Shannon outside Boston harbor； Marengo = battle
won by Napoleon against the Austrians on June 14；
1800〃Antonio's〃 military career was truly an
amazing one！； pluck honor。。。。 = slightly misquoted
from Shakespeare； 〃King Henry IV； Part I；〃 Act I；
Scene 3； line 202； chill penury。。。。 = slightly
misquoted from Thomas Gray； 〃Elegy in a Country
Churchyard〃 verse 13｝
Julia fairly gasped for breath as she read this
epistle： her very soul was entranced by the song。
Whatever of seeming contradiction there might be
in the letter of her friend； her active mind soon
reconciled。 She was now really beloved； and in a
manner most grateful to her heartby the sole
power of sympathy and congenial feelings。
Whatever might be the adoration of Edward
Stanley； it was more than equalled by the
admiration of this amiable girl。 Her very soul
seemed to her to be devoted to his worship； she
thought of him constantly； and pictured out his
various distresses and dangers； she wept at his
sufferings； and rejoiced in his prosperityand all
this in the short space of one hour。 Julia was yet in
the midst of this tumult of feeling； when another
letter was placed in her hands； and on opening it
she read as follows：
〃Dear Julia；
〃I should have remembered my promise； and come
out and spent a week with you； had not one of
Mary's little boys been quite sick； of course I went
to her until he recovered。 But if you will ask aunt
Margaret to send for me； I will come tomorrow with
great pleasure； for I am sure you must find it
solitary； now Miss Miller has left you。 Tell aunt to
send by the servant a list of such books as she
wants from Goodrich's； and I will get them for her；
or indeed any thing else that I can do for her or
you。 Give my love to aunt； and tell her that；
knowing her eyes are beginning to fail； I have
worked her a cap； which I shall bring with me。
Mamma desires her love to you both； and believe
me to be affectionately your cousin；
KATHERINE EMMERSON。〃
This was well enough； but as it was merely a letter
of business； one perusal； and that a somewhat
hasty one； was sufficient。 Julia loved its writer
more than she suspected herself； but there was
nothing in her manner or character that seemed
calculated to excite strong emotion。 In short； all
her excellences were so evident that nothing was
left dependent on innate evidence； and our heroine
seldom dwelt with pleasure on any character that
did not give a scope to her imagination。 In
whatever light she viewed the conduct or
disposition of her cousin； she was met by obstinate
facts that admitted of no cavil nor of any
exaggeration。
Turning quickly； therefore； from this barren
contemplation to one better suited to her
inclinations； Julia's thoughts resumed the agreeable
reverie from which she had been awakened。 She
also could paint； and after twenty trials she at
length sketched an outline of the figure of a man
that answered to Anna's description； and satisfied
her own eye。 Without being conscious of the theft；
she had copied from a print of the Apollo； and
clothed it in the uniform which Bonaparte is said to
have worn。 A small scar was traced on the cheek in
such a manner that although it might be fancied as
the ravages of a bullet； it admirably answered all
the purposes of a dimple。 Two epaulettes graced
the shoulders of the hero； and before the picture
was done； although it was somewhat at variance
with republican principles； an aristocratical star
glittered on its breast。 Had he his birth…right；
thought Julia； it would be there in reality； and this
idea amply justified the innovation。 To this image；
which it took several days to complete； certain
verses were addressed also； but they were never
submitted to the confidence of her friend。 The
whole subject was now beginning to be too sacred
even for such a communication； and as the mind of
Julia every hour became more entranced with its
new master； her delicacy shrunk from an exposure
of her weakness： it was getting too serious for the
light compositions of epistolary correspondence。
We furnish a copy of the lines； as they me not only
indicative of her feelings； but may give the reader
some idea of the powers of her imagination。
〃Beloved image of a god…like mind；
〃In sacred privacy thy power I feel；
〃What bright perfection in thy form's combin'd！
〃How sure to injure； and how kind to heal。
〃Thine eagle eye bedazzles e'en the brain；
〃Thy gallant brow bespeaks the front of Jove；
〃While smiles enchant me； tears in torrents rain；
〃And each seductive charm impels to love。
〃Ah！ hapless maid； why daring dost thou prove
〃The hidden dangers of the urchin's dart；
〃Why fix thine eye on this； the god of love；
〃And heedless think thee to retain thy heart！〃
This was but one of fifty similar effusions； in which
Julia poured forth her soul。 The flame was kept
alive by frequent letters from her friend； in all of
which she dwelt with rapture on the moment of
their re…union； and never failed to mention Antonio
in a manner that added new fuel to the fire that
already began to consume Julia； and； in some
degree； to undermine her health； at least she
thought so。
In the mean time Katherine Emmerson paid her
promised visit to her friends； and our heroine was
in some degree drawn from her musings on love
and friendship。 The manners of this young lady
were conspicuously natural； she had a confirmed
habit of calling things by their right names； and
never dwelt in the least in superlatives。 Her
affections seemed centered in the members of her
own family； nor had she ever given Julia the least
reason to belie