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tales for fifteen-第7部分

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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 believe she preferred her to her own
sister; notwithstanding that sister was married; and
beyond the years of romance。 Yet Julia loved her
cousin; and was hardly ever melancholy or out of
spirits when in her company。 The cheerful and
affectionate good humour of Katherine was
catching; and all were pleased with her; although
but few discovered the reason。 Charles Weston
soon forgot his displeasure; and with the exception
of Julia's hidden uneasiness; the house was one
quiet scene of peaceful content。 The party were
sitting at their work the day after the arrival of
Katherine; when Julia thought it a good opportunity
to intimate her wish to have the society of her
friend during the ensuing winter。

〃Why did Mr。 Miller give up his house in town; I
wonder?〃 said Julia; 〃I am sure it was inconsiderate
to his family。〃

〃Rather say; my child; that it was in consideration
to his children that he did so;〃 observed Miss
Emmerson; 〃his finances would not bear the
expense; and suffer him to provide for his family
after his death。〃

〃I am sure a little money might be spent now; to
indulge his children in society; and they would be
satisfied with less hereafter;〃 continued Julia。 〃Mr。
Miller must be rich; and think; aunt; he has seven
grown up daughters that he has dragged with him
into the wilderness; only think; Katherine; how
solitary they must be。〃

〃Had I six sisters I could be solitary no where;〃 said
Katherine; simply; 〃besides; I understand that the
country where Mr。 Miller resides is beautiful and
populous。〃

〃Oh! there are men and women enough; I dare say;〃
cried Julia; 〃and the family is largeeleven in the
whole; but they must feel the want of friends in
such a retired place。〃

〃What; with six sisters!〃 said Katherine; laughing
and shaking her head。

〃There is a difference between a sister end a friend;
you know;〃 said Julia; a little surprised。

〃Iindeed I have yet to learn that;〃 exclaimed the
other; in a little more astonishment。

〃Why you feel affection for your sisters from nature
and habit; but friendship is voluntary; spontaneous;
and a much stronger feelingfriendship is a
sentiment。〃

〃And cannot one feel this sentiment; as you call it;
for a sister?〃 asked Katherine; smiling。

〃I should think not;〃 returned Julia; musing; 〃I
never had a sister; but it appears to me that the
very familiarity of sisters would be destructive to
friendship。〃

〃Why I thought it was the confidencethe
familiaritythe secretswhich form the very
essence of friendship。〃 cried Katherine; 〃at least so
I have always heard。〃

〃True;〃 said Julia; eagerly; 〃you speak truethe
confidence and the secretsbut not thetheI am
not sure that I express myself wellbut the
intimate knowledge that one has of one's own
sisterthat I should think would be destructive to
the delicacy of friendship。〃

〃Julia means that a prophet has never honour in his
own country;〃 cried Charles with a laugh〃a
somewhat doubtful compliment to your sex; ladies;
under her application of it。〃

〃But what becomes of your innate evidence of worth
in friendship;〃 asked Miss Emmerson; 〃I thought
that was the most infallible of all kinds of
testimony: surely that must bring you intimately
acquainted with each other's secret foibles too。〃

〃Oh! nothat is a species of sentimental
knowledge;〃 returned Julia; 〃it only dwells on the
loftier parts of the character; and never descends to
the minute knowledge which makes us suffer so
much in each other's estimation: it leaves all these
to be filled by theby theby thewhat shall I call
it?〃

〃Imagination;〃 said Katherine; dryly。

〃Well; by the imagination then: but it is an
imagination that is purified by sentiment; and〃

〃Already rendered partial by the innate evidence of
worth;〃 interrupted Charles。

Julia had lost herself in the mazes of her own
ideas; and changed the subject under a secret
suspicion that her companions were amusing
themselves at her expense; she; therefore;
proceeded directly to urge the request of Anna
Miller。

〃Oh! aunt; now we are on the subject of friends; I
wish to request you would authorize me to invite
my Anna to pass the next winter with us in Park…
Place。〃

〃I confess; my love;〃 said Miss Emmerson; glancing
her eye at Katherine; 〃that I had different views for
ourselves next winter: has not Miss Miller a married
sister living in town?〃

〃Yes; but she has positively refused to ask the dear
girl; I know;〃 said Julia。 〃Anna is not a favourite
with her sister。〃

〃Very odd that;〃 said the aunt gravely; 〃there must
be a reason for her dislike then: what can be the
cause of this unusual distaste for each other?〃

〃Oh!〃 cried Julia; 〃it is all the fault of Mrs。 Welton;
they quarrelled about something; I don't know
what; but Anna assures me Mrs。 Welton is entirely
in fault。〃

〃Indeed!and you are perfectly sure that Mrs。
Welton is in faultperhaps Anna has; however; laid
too strong a stress upon the error of her sister;〃
observed the aunt。

〃Oh! not at all; dear aunt。 I can assure you; on my
own knowledge;〃 continued Julia; 〃Anna was
anxious for a reconciliation; and offered to come
and spend the winter with her sister; but Mrs。
Welton declared positively that she would not have
so selfish a creature round her children: now this
Anna told me herself one day; and wept nearly to
break her heart at the time。〃

〃Perhaps Mrs。 Welton was right then;〃 said Miss
Emmerson; 〃and prudence; if not some other
reason; justified her refusal。〃

〃How can you say so; dear aunt?〃 interrupted Julia;
with a little impatience; 〃when I tell you that Anna
herselfmy Anna; told me with her own lips; here in
this very house; that Mrs。 Welton was entirely to
blame; and that she had never done any thing in
her life to justify the treatment or the remarknow
Anna told me this with her own mouth。〃

As Julia spoke; the ardour of her feelings brought
the colour to her cheeks and an animation to her
eyes that rendered her doubly handsome; and
Charles Weston; who had watched her varying
countenance with delight; sighed as she concluded;
and rising; left the room。

〃I understand that your father intends spending his
winter in Carolina; for his health;〃 said Miss
Emmerson to Katherine。

〃Yes;〃 returned the other in a low tone; and
bending over her work to conceal her feelings;
〃mother has persuaded him to avoid our winter。〃

〃And you are to be left behind?〃

〃I am afraid so;〃 was the modest reply。

〃And your brother and sister go to Washington
together?〃

〃That is the arrangement; I believe。〃

Miss Emmerson said no more; but she turned an
expressive look on her ward; which Julia was too
much occupied with her thoughts to notice。 The
illness of her father; and the prospect of a long
separation from her sister; were too much for the
fortitude of Katherine at any time; and hastily
gathering her work in her hand; she left the room
just in time to prevent the tears which streamed
down her cheeks from meeting the eyes of her
companions。

〃We ought to ask Katherine to mak
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