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Show 26 WCHAHD HORDIS. CHAPTE R III. COJ\HtAOI~: TN EXILE. ".l'iow go we in content To lil>cl'ly, nnd not. to bnni~llln cnt."-.A.s You Like It. "Brothers in exile, Jlat.h 11ot old custom mnde this lif(l mol"c sweet Than that of pnintcll pomp1"-Samc. 'VAS I right in such a resolution? "'as it proper in me, be· cause one l1ml made me desolate, to make otJ, c.rs-and not thn.t one - equally so 7 I know not. I inquired not tl1115 at tl1c time, and the question is unnecessary 110w. llfy resolution was l3kcn at n. lcnp. I t was a resolution nwdc lJy my feelings, in wllich my thotq;hts I ~ad little 11art. And yet I reasoned upon it, aml gnYc stubborn arguments in its defence to others. ] t is strange how earnestly the mind will devote itself to the exactions of the Llootl, and cog, ~md coHnive, :mel en vi i, in compli~ wce with the appetites n.nd impulses of the Lody. 'l'he animal is no small despot when it begins to sway. In leaving home, however, and going abroad among strangers, I did not purpose to go niOJH'. )fy arguments, wl1ich had not moved myself, had their influence upon nnothcr. A young mnn of tl1e neighborhood, about my own nge, with wl1om I ll:ul Leen long intimate, consented to go nloug with me. His situation :md motives were ulike din<•rcnt from mine. lie was not only a wealthy m~m. in the estimntion of the conutry, but he was fortunate- perlwps because l1e was wealthy-in the fayor andregard of a young dnmse] to whom he lwd profl"crcd vows which had proved accept[Lblc. He was nn accepted n1an, fortnnatc or not; and in t l1is particular of fortuuc l1e JiiTcrcd from me as widely as in his moneyed concerns. His property consisted in negroes and ready money. lie had forty of the former, and CO)IRADE IN F:XILE. 27 some _LJ1rec _thousand dollnrs, pmt in specie, but tl1c grratcr part m Umtecl States bank notes, then considered quite ns good. He wanted lands, and to supply this want was the chief moti,·c for his resolve to set out with me. 'l'he dnmsel to whom. he was betrothed was poor, but sl1e wore 1wne of the deport~ meut of }JOverty. The neighborl~aod tllOnglJt her proud. I can not say thnt I thoug-ht with thrm. She wns more rrsencd than youn:; women commonly, at her time of life-more di,...nificd, thoughtful, and, perhn ps, more prudent. S he was raJ1er pcnsi,:c in her mnnncr; and yrt there was a quickness of movement m the flashing of her dnrk black eye, that bespoke sudden resoh·c, and n latent character wl1ich needed Lut the st roke of tri:tl and the collis ion of necessity to give forth unquenchable fbmc. She said little; but tlwt little, ·wl1en spoken, wns ever to the P?int a~td purpose, and seemed unaYoidable. Yet, UJoug11 lln1s tac1lum 111 Iangunge, there was speech in e\"ery mo,·ement of her eyes - in all the play of hc1· intelligent and remarkaLle fc:t~urcs. She wa~ not bcautiful-scnrcely 1nctty, if you cxammcd her face W1th a design to sec its charms. ]Jut few e,·er ~ookcd at her with sucl1 :m obj ect. 'l'hc ciJara.ctcr which spoke 111 her countenance was enougl1, nud you forbore to look for other beauties. ]~mmeline "\\' alkcr wns a thinking and intelligent c1·caturc, and her mind prc·occupicd yours at a glance, rmd sntisficd you with l1er, ·without suffering you to look farther. You felt not as when gazing on mere beauty - you felt that tl1erc was more to Lc seen than was seen - that she had areso~ u·ce of wealth beyond wealth, and which, like tho gift of the fa1ry, tl1ough wortllless in its outward seeming was yet inexh: mstible in its supplies. H er lover, tl1ough a youth of good sense, nnd very fair education, was not a man of mind. He was a man to memorize and repeat, not to renson and originate. lie could follow promptly, but he would not do to lead. lie lacked the thinking organs, and admired his betrothed the more, as he discovered tl~:1t sl1c was possessed of a readiness, the want of which l10 IJ:lCl deplored in llimsclf. I t is no unfrcquent t hing with us to admire :t quality ratlJcr because of our own lack of it, than because of its intrinsic Yaluc. "\Villiam Carrington was not without l1is virtues of mind, as |
