In the city you fall in once more with your old acquaintance
Dalton,--the graceful, winning, yet dissolute man that his youth
promised. He wishes to see your cottage home. Your heart half hesitates;
yet it seems folly to cherish distrust of a boon companion in so many of
your revels.
Madge receives him with that sweet smile which welcomes all your
friends. He gains the heart of Frank by talking of his toys and of his
pigeons; and he wins upon the tenderness of the mother by his attentions
to the child. Even you repent of your passing shadow of dislike, and
feel your heart warming toward him as he takes little Nelly in his arms
and provokes her joyous prattle.
Madge is unbounded in her admiration of your friend: he renews, at your
solicitation, his visit: he proves kinder than ever; and you grow
ashamed of your distrust.
Madge is not learned in the arts of a city life; the accomplishments of
a man-of-the world are almost new to her; she listens with eagerness to
Dalton's graphic stories of foreign _fetes_ and luxury; she is charmed
with his clear, bold voice, and with his manly execution of little
operatic airs.
----She is beautiful,--that wife who has made your heart whole by its
division,--fearfully beautiful! And she is not cold, or impassive: her
heart, though fond and earnest, is yet human;--we are all human.
Pages:
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231