Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

that gave them an inexpressible charm. He was so trustful, so frank, so spiritual, so purely happy, that he seemed to animate every one, even the dullest, that he approached. All seemed sunshine, where he was. His busi

ness was prosperous; he made some very successful speculations, and again called himself a rich man. Amy was rejoiced at again having money at her command. She fully appreciated the pleasure which all the refined luxuries of life afford; more especially that purest of all luxuries, of always having her purse well supplied for the needy. Mr. Weston, too, had never been so truly happy. The coldest and the most worldly heart cannot but yield, at last, to the gentle but allsubduing influences of a constant stream of Christian love. His opinions were not changed; his views of happiness could not become elevated; his intellectual and moral eye was too dim to see the true glory, the true beauty of existence; but his heart was softened and improved by the healthful moral atmosphere which pervaded Amy's and Edward's household.

"I observe, my dear," he said to Amy, "that some of our old friends, among the first class, who forgot us during our fallen fortunes,

have again found us out, since Edward has grown rich. It is well enough to have a visiting acquaintance with people of their standing in society; but I can never take as much pleasure in them as I did formerly."

Of

Had Edward and Amy no faults? Were all their days a bright succession of halcyon hours—all success, all goodness, all love? No; there is no truth in such pictures. fences must and do come; temptations are around and within us. There is no point in the scale of Christian perfection, however high, which does not present new and real, though different and more refined, trials. Married life, as an offset to its higher and more exquisite pleasures, does not lessen, but increase these dangers. The mistakes and misunderstandings of every day call forth virtues, and tempt to faults, the importance of which should not be judged of in comparison with grosser neglects of duty, but according to the higher moral attainments of those who commit them. Nothing has been said of Amy's faults; the following incident shows of what nature they were.

"Amy," said her husband, one day, "where did you put my journal of my voyage to Canton ?"

"I returned it to you."

"No; I think not; you said you wished to look at it again."

"Oh, but I am sure that I returned it to you, Edward."

"I believe that you kept it, Amy."

"I am so habitually careful about such things that I know I should not have kept it, and then have forgotten it."

"I still think, my dear, that it is in your possession."

"I should think, Edward, that when I assert a thing so positively, you would be satisfied that I am right. You know that you often forget such sort of things; but I never do."

66 Valuable papers, Amy, I am never careless of."

"Yes you are, Edward, for here is an instance of it."

"I am not convinced," said her husband. '

"I should think you would sooner trust me than yourself in this case; I never make a mistake of this kind."

"If I did not recollect distinctly your keeping the journal I probably should."

"It really is wrong in you to doubt me I am perfectly certain that I did not

now.

keep it. I am sure of myself upon such subjects."

Amy's color rose with her positiveness. Her husband's gentleness did not fail, however. He asked her to go and look in the place where she kept her own papers.

"I will go," she said, "to satisfy you, but solely on that account. I am perfectly cer

tain I am right."

She ran up to her room with a quick elated step. She opened the drawer in which her own papers were, and there the first thing was her husband's journal. Sudden shame seemed to spread all over her like a hot garment. "How absurd I must seem to my husband! how can I carry it down to him after my foolish assertions? But he will not triumph over me, he will only be sorry for my fault, he will even be generous enough to be sorry for my mortification, he is so kind; and I do deserve a punishment for my positiveness."

Amy took the manuscript to her husband, and with a quiet manner said, as she gave it to him, "I have been all wrong, and you have been all right, Edward. If I had not found

the journal I should have

still been as wrong ;

for I was so foolishly positive. This is

a great fault of mine, I am truly ashamed of it."

Edward silently pressed her hand and the incident was never spoken of again.

"You must not, dear Amy," said Edward, "rest your hopes of happiness with me, upon the faith that I have not many faults."

"Surely not," said Amy; "and rely upon it I shall be complaisant enough to keep you fully in countenance. You have already seen that I am often too positive; and perhaps you have to learn another great fault of mine."

"What is it, Amy?"

"I am very sensitive to blame."

"I should not have thought so; did you not voluntarily incur the censure of many worldly-minded people by coming to see me on Hospital Island?"

"Yes, and for such censure I care nothing; but I find it very hard to keep my temper when those I love blame me."

"It is right that we should value the opinion of those we love, Amy.”

"Oh! but I am too apt to think that those I love ought not to blame me, ought not to doubt me in any thing. I am silly enough to suppose that they cannot think I am wrong."

« AnteriorContinuar »