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left in silent harmony to enjoy the change。 The
passage of the Highlands is most delightful。 Figure
to yourself; my Julia; the rushing waters; lessening
from their expanded width to the degeneracy of the
stagnant poolrocks rise on rocks in overhanging
mountains; until the weary eye; refusing its natural
office; yields to the fancy what its feeble powers
can never conquer。 Clouds impend over their
summits; and the thoughts pierce the vast abyss。
Ah! Julia; these are moments of awful romance;
how the soul longs for the consolations of
friendship。 Albany is one of the most picturesque
places in the world; situated most delightfully on
the banks of the Hudson; which here meanders in
sylvan beauty through meadows of ever…green and
desert islands。 Words are wanting to paint the
melancholy beauties of the ride to Schenectady;
through gloomy forests; where the silvery pine
waves in solemn grandeur to the sighings of Eolus;
while Boreas threatens in vain their firm…rooted
trunks。 But the lakes! Ah! Juliathe lakes! The
most beautiful is the Seneca; named after a Grecian
king。 The limpid water; ne'er ruffled by the rude
breathings of the wind; shines with golden tints to
the homage of the rising sun; while the light bark
gallantly lashes the surge; rocking before the
propelling gale; and forcibly brings to the appalled
mind the fleeting hours of time。 But I must pause
my pen refuses to do justice to the subject; and
the remainder will furnish us hours of conversation
during the tedious moments of the delightful visit
to Park…Place。 You speak of Antoniodear girl; with
me the secret is hallowed。 He is yet here; his whole
thoughts are of Juliafrom my description only; he
has drawn your picture; which is the most striking
in the world; and nothing can tear the dear emblem
from his keeping。 He called here yesterday in his
phaeton; and insisted on my riding a few short
miles in his company: I assented; for I knew it was
to talk of my friend。 He already feels your worth;
and handed me the following verses; which he
begged me to offer as the sincere homage of his
heart。 He intends accompanying my father and me
to town next winterprovided I go。
〃Oh! charming image of an artless fair;
〃Whose eyes; with lightning; fire the very soul;
〃Whose face portrays the mind; and ebon hair
〃Gives grace and harmony unto the whole。
〃In vain I gaze entranc'd; in vain deplore
〃The leagues that roll between the maid and me;
〃Lonely I wander on the desert shore;
〃And Julia's lovely form can never see。
〃But fly; ye fleeting hours; I beg ye fly;
〃And bring the time when Anna seeks her friend;
〃HasteOh haste; or Edward sure must die。
〃Arriveand quickly Edward's sorrows end。〃
I know you will think with me; that these lines are
beautiful; and merely a faint image of his manly
heart。 In the course of our ride; during which he did
nothing but converse on your beauty and merit; he
gave me a detailed narrative of his life。 It was
long; but I can do no less than favour you with an
abridgment of it。 Edward Stanley was early left an
orphan: no father's guardian eye directed his
footsteps; no mother's fostering care cherished his
infancy。 His estate was princely; and his family
noble; being a wronged branch of an English
potentate。 During his early youth he had to contend
against the machinations of a malignant uncle; who
would have robbed him of his large possessions;
and left him in black despair; to have eaten the
bread of penury。 His courage and understanding;
however; conquered this difficulty; and at the age
of fourteen he was quietly admitted to an
university。 Here he continued peacefully to wander
amid the academic bowers; until the blast of war
rung in his ears; and called him to the field of
honour。 Edward was ever foremost in the hour of
danger。 It was his fate to meet the enemy often;
and as often did 〃he pluck honour from the pale…
fac'd moon。〃 He fought at Chippewabled at the
side of the gallant Lawrence…and nearly laid down
his life on the ensanguined plains of Marengo。 But
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 justifi