"Fatigues of the evening!-Agonies rather," thought | Her efforts to please were unceasing. Her house was Julia; but thanking him for his "kind" advice, she immediately retreated to her chamber.

kept in perfect order, and every thing was done in time, and well done. Good taste and good judgment were Until this evening, Mr. Westbury had scarcely seen displayed in every arrangement. Her table was always Miss Eldon since his marriage. He had avoided seeing spread with great care, and if her husband partook of her, being conscious that she retained her full power any dish with peculiar relish, she was careful to have it over his heart; and his sense of rectitude forbade his repeated, but at such intervals as to gratify rather than indulging a passion for one woman, while the husband cloy the appetite. In her dress she was peculiarly neat of another. Miss Eldon suspected this, and felt piqued and simple, carefully avoiding every article of apparel at his power over himself. Her heart fluttered with that was tinctured with the "odious color." She had satisfaction when she saw him enter Mrs. Brooks's naturally a fine mind, which had had the advantage of drawing-room; and she resolved to ascertain whether high cultivation; and without being obtrusive, or aimher influence over his affections were diminished. She ing at display, she strove to be entertaining and comwas mortified and chagrined, that even here he kept panionable. Above all, she constantly endeavored to aloof from her, giving her only a passing bow, as he maintain a placid, if not a cheerful brow, knowing that walked to another part of the room. It was with unu-nothing is so repulsive as a discontented, frowning face. sual pleasure that she complied with a request to sit to She felt that nothing was unimportant that might either the piano, for she well knew the power of music-of please or displease her husband; his heart was the prize her own music over his heart. Never before had she she was endeavoring to win; and the happiness of her touched the keys with so much interest. She did her life depended on the sentiments he should ultimately best that best was pre-eminently good-and she soon entertain toward her. Every thing she did was done found that she had fixed the attention of him whom not only properly, but gracefully; and though she never alone she cared to please. After singing one or two wearied in her efforts, she would oftentimes sigh that modern songs, she began one that she had learned at they were so unsuccessful. She sometimes feared that Mr. Westbury's request, at the period when he used to her very anxiety to please, blinded her as to the best visit her almost daily. It was Burns's "Ye banks and manner of doing so; and would often repeat with a braes o' bonnie Doon,” and was with him a great favor-sigh, after some new, and apparently useless effort— ite. When Miss Eldon came to the lines"Je le servirais mieux, si je l'eusse aimé moins." The first thing to disturb the kind of quiet that Julia enjoyed, was the prospect of another party. One morning, while at the breakfast table, a card was brought in from Mr. and Mrs. Parker, who were to be "at home" on Friday evening. After looking at the card, Julia handed it to Mr. Westbury in silence.

"Thou mind'st me of departed joys,

Departed, never to return"—

she raised her eyes to his face, and in an instant he forgot every thing but herself. "Her happiness is sacrificed as well as my own," thought he; and leaning his head against the wall of the room, he gave himself up, for the time, to love and melancholy. The song concluded, however, he regained some control over his feelings, and still kept at a distance from her; nay— conquered himself, so far as to repair to the drawingroom, to escape from her dangerous vicinity. He saw her not again until she was equipped for her departure. Then she contrived to get near him, and threw so much sweetness and melancholy into her voice, as she said “good night, Mr. Westbury,” that he was instantly disarmed and drawing her arm within his, conducted her from the room.

"How," said he, in a low and tremulous tone, “how, Maria, could you sing that song, to harrow up my feelings? Time was, when to be near thee to listen to thee, was my felicity; but now, duty forbids that I indulge in the dangerous delight."

Miss Eldon replied not-but raised her eyes to his face, while she repressed a half-drawn sigh. Not another word was uttered until they exchanged "adicus" at her carriage door.

"It will be proper that we accept the invitation," said Mr. Westbury.

The remembrance of the agony she endured at the last party she attended, caused Julia's voice to tremble a little, as she said

"Just as you think best-but for my own part, I should seldom attend a party for the sake of enjoyment."

"If Mrs. Westbury thinks it proper to immure herself as if in a convent, she can," said Mr. Westbury; "for myself, I feel that society has claims upon me that I wish to discharge."

"I will go if you think there would be any impropriety in my staying away," said Julia.

"Situated as you are, I think there would," said Mr. Westbury.

"Situated as I am!" thought Julia; "what does he mean? Does he refer to my station in society? or does he fear that the world will think me an unhappy wife, that wishes to seclude herself from observation?"

In the course of the morning, Julia called on Mrs. Two or three weeks passed away without the occur- Cunningham, and found that lady and her husband disrence of any incident calculated to excite peculiar unea-cussing the point, whether or not they should attend

siness in the heart of Julia. True, her husband was still the cold, the ceremonious, and occasionally the abrupt Mr. Westbury; he passed but little even of his leisure time at home; and she had never met his eye when it expressed pleasure, or even approbation. But he did not grow more cold-more ceremonious; the time he passed at his own fireside, rather increased than diminished-and for all this she was thankful.

Mrs. Parker's party.

"Are you going, Mrs. Westbury?" asked Mrs. Cunningham.

"Yes-Mr. Westbury thinks we had better do so," Julia replied.

"Hear that, Edward!" said Mrs. Cunningham. "You perceive that Mr. Westbury likes that his wife should enjoy the pleasures of society."

Mr. Cunningham looked a little hurt, as he said"my dear Lucy, am I not more than willing to indulge you in every thing that will add to your happiness? I have only been trying to convince you how much more comfortable we should be by our own fireside, than in such a crowd as must be encountered at Mrs. Parker's. For myself, the society of my wife is my highest enjoyment, and of her conversation I never grow weary." "Thank you for the compliment, dear," said Mrs. Cunningham-" and we will settle the question at another time."

One of the first persons Julia distinguished amid the company, as she entered Mrs. Parker's drawing-room, was Mrs. Cunningham, who gave her a nod, and an exulting smile, as much as to say-"you see I have carried the day!" Julia had endeavored to arm herself for this evening's trial, should Miss Eldon make one of the company; and accordingly she was not surprised, and not much moved, when she saw her husband conversing with that young lady. She was too delicate in feeling, too refined in manner, to watch them, even long enough to catch the expression of Mr. Westbury's face; but resolutely turning her eyes another way, she endeavored to enter into conversation with the persons near her.

unlovely, an unamiable expression on her countenance. He calmly replied to Mr. Cunningham

"Unquestionably the pleasures of domestic life are the most pure, the most rational, that can be enjoyed." "O, it is strange," said Mr. Cunningham, "that any one can willingly exchange them for crowded rooms, and pestilential vapors, such as we are now inhaling! There is nothing to be gained in such a company as this. Take any dozen, or half dozen of them by themselves, and you might stand some chance to be entertained and instructed; but bring them all together, and each one seems to think it a duty to give himself up to frivolity and nonsense. I doubt whether there have been a hundred sensible words uttered here to-night, except by yonder circle, of which Mrs. Westbury seems to be the centre. There seems to be something like rational conversation there.”

Mr. Westbury turned his eyes, and saw that Julia was surrounded by the elite of the party-who all seemed to be listening with pleased attention to a conversation that was evidently carried on between herself and Mr. Eveleth, a gentleman who was universally acknowledged as one of the first in rank and talent in the city. For a minute Mr. Westbury suffered his eyes to rest on Julia. Her cheek was suffused with the beau

ing with intellectual light-while over her features was spread a slight shade of care, as if the heart were not perfectly at ease. "She certainly looks very well," was Mr. Westbury's thought; and his feeling was one of gratified pride, that she who was inevitably his wife, did not find her proper level amongst the light, the vain, and the frivolous.

"You have been delightfully attentive to your wife, this evening, my dear," said Mrs. Cunningham to her husband, as soon as they were seated in their carriage on their way home.

Mr. Westbury had not been in Mrs. Parker's drawing-tiful carmine tint of modesty, and her eyes were beamroom half an hour, ere Miss Eldon contrived to place herself in such a situation as to render it impossible for him to avoid addressing her; and this point once gained, to escape from her was impracticable. A strong sense of honor alone led him to wish to escape, as to be near her was to him the most exquisite happiness; but the greater the delight, the more imminent the danger; of this he was sensible, and it was not without some resistance that he yielded to her fascination. Could she once secure his attention, Miss Eldon well knew how to get at his heart; and at those moments when she was sure that no ear heard, and no eye observed her but his own, she let an occasional touch of the penserosa mingle so naturally with her half subdued sprightliness, as to awaken, in all their original strength, those feelings, and those regrets, he was striving to subdue. For the time he forgot every thing but that they mutually loved, and were mutually unhappy. They had been standing together a considerable length of time when they were joined by Mr. Cunningham, who abruptly remarked-tention engrossed by any particular individual.” "You don't enjoy yourself this evening, Westbury."

"What makes you think so?" Mr. Westbury inquired.

"I am not sensible of having neglected you, Lucy," said Mr. Cunningham.

"No-I suppose not; nor of having been very attentive to another!"

"I certainly am not. To whom do you allude?” "I suppose," said Mrs. Cunningham, “that Mr. Westbury is equally unconscious of having had his at

"You surely cannot mean that I was particularly attentive to Miss Eldon, Lucy?"

"O, how could I mean so ?" said Mrs. Cunningham, with a kind of laugh that expressed any thing rather than pleasure, or good humor. "I really wonder how you came to recollect having seen such a person as Miss Eldon to-night!”

"You look worn out, just as I feel," answered Mr. Cunningham. "How strange it is," he added, "that married men will ever suffer themselves to be drawn into such crowds!" "Your remark concerning Westbury brought her to "Why not married men, as well as bachelors?" asked my mind," said Mr. Cunningham. Miss Eldon.

"Because they relinquish real happiness and comfort, for a fatiguing pleasure—if pleasure it can be called," answered Cunningham. "One's own hearth and one's own wife, is the place, and the society, for unalloyed enjoyment. Am I not right, Westbury?"

Miss Eldon turned her eyes on Mr. Westbury, as she waited to hear his answer, and an expression, compounded of curiosity, contempt, and satisfaction, met his eye. It was the first time he had ever remarked an

"How strange!" said his wife. "And how extreme that young lady's mortification must have been, that she could not detain two newly married gentlemen near her for more than an hour and a half at one time! Seriously, Mr. Cunningham, the company must have thought that you and Westbury were striving which should do her most homage."

"And seriously, my dear Lucy," said Mr. Cunningham, taking the hand of his wife, which she reluctantly permitted him to detain-"seriously, it was merely ac

cidental that I spoke to Miss Eldon this evening. There | ningham, laughing. "This is delightful, truly! But is not a person on earth to whose society and conver- for my part, I cannot see why I have not as good a right sation I am more completely indifferent-so, take no offence, love, where none was meant. There is no one whose conversation can compensate me for the loss of yours; and it is one reason why I so much dislike these crowds, that, for a time, they necessarily separate us from each other."

"I was somewhat surprised to see you at Mrs. Par- tiful." ker's last evening."

"She is called so," said Mrs. Cunningham; "but some how I don't like her looks. To tell the plain truth, "You recollect the conversation that took place on the I can't endure her, she is so vain, and artful, and selfsubject, the morning I was at your house?"

"Then why do you attend parties if you do not like opened her book, and the passage lost none of its beauty them?"

The morning after the levee, Mrs. Westbury was favored with another call from Mrs. Cunningham.

secret awe, which, so far from depressing the soul, im-alone with"-she checked herself, colored crimson, parts life, and elevates the genius. Extraordinary ap- and left the sentence unfinished. pearances everywhere proclaim a land teeming with miracles. The burning sun, the towering eagle, the barren fig-tree, all the poetry, all the pictures of Scripture are here. Every name commemorates a mystery, every grotto announces a prediction, every hill re-echoes the accents of a prophet. God himself has spoken in these regions, dried up rivers, rent the rocks, and opened the grave. The desert still appears mute with terror, and you would imagine that it had never presumed to interrupt the silence, since it heard the awful voice of the Eternal."

Julia closed the volume, and Mr. Westbury, after be stowing just praise on the extract she had read, took up | the work, and proposed to read to her if she would like it. She thanked him, and an hour was very pleasantly spent in this manner. A little time was occupied in remarking on what had been read, when, after a short silence, Mr. Westbury inquired of Julia, "whether she saw much of Mrs. Cunningham."

"Not a great deal," was Julia's answer.

"She was here this morning ?" said Mr. Westbury. "She was," replied Julia.

"Do you intend to be intimate with her?" inquired Mr. Westbury.

"I have no intention about it;" said Julia-"but presume I never shall, as I fear our views and tastes will prove very discordant."

"I am happy to hear you say so," said Mr. Westbury. "I am not prepossessed in her favor, and greatly doubt whether an intimacy with her would be salutary. Such a person as I conceive her to be, should be nothing more than an acquaintance."

"Why, on earth were you not at Mrs. B's last night?" asked she almost as soon as she entered the house. "You can imagine nothing more splendid and delightful than every thing was." "You were there then ?" said Julia.

"Yes, certainly-though I went quite late. Edward was sick of a violent head-ache, and I was obliged to see him safely in bed before I could go; but nothing would have tempted me to miss it."

"How is Mr. Cunningham this morning?" Julia inquired.

"Much better-though rather languid, as is usual after such an attack. But I came in on an errand this morning, and must despatch business, as I am somewhat in haste. Mrs. T is to give a splendid party next week-by the way, have you received a card yet?” "I have not," said Julia.

"Neither have I-but we both shall. I want to prepare a dress for the occasion, and came in to look at the one you wore to Mrs. Parker's, as I think of having something like it.

Mrs. Westbury was about to ring the bell, and have the dress brought for her visitor's inspection, but Mrs. Cunningham stopt her by saying,

"No, no-do not send for it. Let me go with you to your wardrobe, I may see something else that I like." Mrs. Westbury complied, and they went up stairs together. Mrs. Cunningham was delightfully free in examining the articles exposed to her view, and expressed such warm admiration of many of them, such an ardent desire to possess the like, that it was rather difficult to forbear telling her they were at her service. The blond

and Mrs. Westbury begged her to accept it, saying "that she should probably never wear it again, as the color was not a favorite with her husband."

Nothing more was added on the subject, and Julia wondered, though she did not ask, what had given her husband so unfavorable an impression of Mrs. Cunning-mantle, with a blue border, struck her fancy particularly, ham's character. The truth was, he overheard the conversation of the morning, which he would have frankly confessed to his wife, but for a kind of delicacy to her feelings, as he had heard her remarks as well as those Mrs. Cunningham hastened home, delighted with her of Mrs. Cunningham. He knew that it was not quite acquisition, and immediately hastened to the chamber, honorable to listen to a conversation without the know-to which her husband was still confined by indisposition, ledge of the parties; but he could not close the library door without betraying his proximity; he wished not to see Mrs. Cunningham; he therefore remained quiet, and heard their whole colloquy.

A few days after this circumstance occurred, an invitation to another party was received. Mr. Westbury looked at the card first, and handing it to Julia, said:

"I would have you act your pleasure with regard to accepting this invitation."

"It will be my pleasure," said Julia, hesitating and coloring a little-" it will be my pleasure to consult yours."

"I have little choice about it," said Mr. Westbury, "and if you prefer declining to accepting it, I would have you do so."

"Shall you attend it?" asked Julia, while a shade of anxiety passed over her features.

to display to him her prize.

"See what a beautiful little affair that dear Mrs. Westbury has given me," she cried. "How lucky for me that Mr. Westbury don't like blue, else I should not have got it, I suppose, though, she could spare this, and fifty other things, as well as not. Why, Edward, you don't know what a delightful wardrobe she has! Really, you must indulge me a little more in this way, I believe."

"I am sure no one looks better dressed than yourself, Lucy," said Mr. Cunningham, in a languid voice.

"O, I try to make the most of every thing I have," said Mrs. Cunningham; " but really, Edward, Mrs. Westbury has twice as much of all sorts of apparel as I have."

"And her husband has more than four times as much property as I have," answered Mr. Cunningham. "Supposing he has," said his wife, "that need make no difference in the article of dress. And then her house

"Certainly not unless you do," Mr. Westbury re-is so charmingly furnished-every part of it! I was in plied. her chamber, just now, and it looks elegantly. Every “Then," said Julia, "if it be quite as agreeable to thing in it is of the richest and most beautiful kind. I you, I had a thousand times rather spend it at home, | declare I almost envied her so many luxuries."

"We surely have every thing necessary to comfort, Julia pondered long on this note. It was ceremonimy dear Lucy," said Mr. Cunningham. "Our happi-ous and cold-cold enough!-yet not so frozen as the ness does not depend on the splendor of our furniture, only letter she had ever received from him. Perhaps it but on our affection for each other. You would be no was his way of letting her know that he wished her to dearer to my heart, in the paraphernalia of a duchess, dress more elegantly and expensively. "I will not rediamonds and all, than you are in your simple morning main in doubt; I will know explicitly," thought she— dress; and I hope you do not love me the less, for not and taking a pen in her turn, she wrote the following: being able to furnish my house in the style of Mr. Westbury's."

"O, no-of course not," said Mrs. Cunningham, in a tone utterly devoid of all tenderness or feeling; "but then I should not love you the less for having beautiful things, I suppose. And, really, Edward, I think one of the best ways in which a husband can show his love to his wife, is by gratifying her in dress, furniture, company, and so-forth. Talking about love don't amount to much after all!"

"Mr. Westbury is so munificient in supplying every want, that his wife has none to make known. If there is any particular dress that would gratify Mr. Westbury's taste, Mrs. Westbury would esteem it a great favor would he name it, and it would be her delight to furnish herself accordingly. She accepts with gratitude, not as her right, but as a gift, the very liberal sum enclosed in Mr. Westbury's note."

Julia placed her note on Mr. Westbury's readingdesk in the library, and felt an almost feverish impatience to have an answer, either verbal or written. For

"He must ruin himself, then, to show his love," said Mr. Cunningham, throwing his head back on the easy-more than an entire day, however, she was doomed to chair, with a mingled expression of mental and bodily pain on his features.

Mrs. Cunningham, however did not look up to mark the expression of his countenance, but half-muttered in reply to his remark

"I never knew a man who was too stingy to dress his wife decently, fail to excuse himself on the ground of necessity. How I do detest to hear a man talk of ruin, if his wife only asks for a new pair of shoes!"

remain in suspense, as her husband made no allusion either to his note or her own, though the one she laid on his desk disappeared on his first visit to the library. But her suspense at length terminated. On going to her chamber she observed a little box on her dressing-table. On raising it, she discovered a note that was placed beneath it. The note ran thus:

"Mr. Westbury highly approves the elegant simplicity of Mrs. Westbury's style of dress, and in consulting her own taste, she will undoubtedly gratify his.

Mr. Cunningham was too deeply wounded to attempt a reply; and Mrs. Cunningham, having vented some-He has but once seen her wear an unbecoming article. thing of her discontent in this gentle ebullition, flirted out of the chamber, without even casting a glance toward her sick, and now afflicted husband.

The contents of the accompanying box were selected, not for their intrinsic value or splendor, but because they correspond so well with Mrs. Westbury's style of dress and of beauty. If she will wear them to Mrs. T's, she will gratify the giver."

Julia opened the box, and a set of beautiful pearls met her view. "How delicate, how kind, and how cold he is!" thought she. “O, how trifling the value of these gems, compared to one particle of his love!— Yet for his sake I will wear them-not as my adorn

spirit, but as proof of my desire in all things to please him, and meet his approbation."

In due time Mrs. T's invitation was received, and this it was Mr. Westbury's wish that Julia should accept. Without manifesting the least reluctance she consented, and Mr. Westbury went so far as to thank her for her cheerful compliance with his wishes. This was a very slight courtesy, but there was something in Mr. Westbury's voice when he spoke, that went straighting-may that ever be the ornament of a meek and quiet to Julia's heart, and she left the room to conceal the strong emotion excited by so very trivial a cause. "She certainly strives to please me, be the motive what it Mrs. T's rooms were well filled with the elegant may," thought Mr. Westbury, when left alone-“and and fashionable, on the evening on which her house was though I cannot love her, honor-nay, gratitude demands opened to receive company. But the heart of Julia was that I make her as happy as circumstances will allow."not in such scenes. The more she saw of fashionable He took a pen, and hastily writing a few lines, enclosed a life the less she liked it. Emulation, envy, detraction, bank note of considerable value, and left the little packet and dissimulation were obtruding themselves on her on her work-table, that she might see it as soon as she notice, amid gaiety and splendor. Her conscientious returned. He then left the house. When Julia resumed scruples as to the propriety of thus mixing with the her seat by her table, the packet was the first thing that world, increased rather than diminished. "I promisattracted her notice. She hastily opened it, and read as ed," thought she, while she was surveying the gay asfollows:sembly-"I promised, in all things lawful, to obey my "As Mrs. Westbury is too delicate and reserved ever | husband-but is this lawful for me? It is my duty—it to make known a want, she may have many which are is my pleasure to comply with all his wishes, where suunthought of by him who is bound to supply them.perior duties do not forbid ; but is it allowable for me to Will she receive the enclosed, not as a gift, but as her right? Perhaps a new dress may be wanted for Mrs. T's levee; if not, the enclosed can meet some of those calls on benevolence, to which report says Mrs. Westbury's ear is ever open. And if Mrs. Westbury will so far overcome her timid delicacy, as freely to make known her wants whenever they occur, she will greatly oblige her husband."

try to please him thus? His heart is the prize at which I aim, but will the end sanctify the means? Can I expect a blessing from above on my efforts, while my conscience is not quite clear as to the rectitude of the path I pursue? Can I not have moral courage enough to tell him my scruples? and dare I not hazard the consequences?" Julia's reflections were interrupted by the approach of Mrs. Cunningham.

VOL. II-54