Alida; or, Miscellaneous Sketches of Incidents During the Late American War.

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XVI.

  "Dejection pales thy rosy cheek, And steals the lustre from thine eye; The minutes of each tedious hour, Are mark'd by sad anxiety:

  "And all thy soft, endearing smiles, That spoke with such expressive grace, Alas! are fled, and only care Is seen upon that pensive face."

  [_NY Weekly_: On the recovery of an Only Child from the Small-pox, lines 1-8:

  When sickness pal'd thy rosy cheek, And stole the lustre from thine eye, The minutes of each tedious hour Were mark'd by sad anxiety. For all thy soft endearing smiles, Which spoke with such expressive grace, Alas! were fled, and only pain Was trac'd upon thy cherub face.]

  The sublime works of nature had shed abroad their cheering influences,and the mild and salubrious breezes of spring had succeeded to theblustering gales of winter. The parents of Alida made preparation toreturn to the country. Alida's father was declining in health. He hadimparted to his son his wish for him to close and settle his mercantileaffairs in the city, (as the times were dreary,) and return to thepaternal estate. In the meantime, Albert's assistance was necessary toalleviate his father, as he was now advanced in years, and hadprincipally relinquished all public business, except attending to itscalls only when requested in cases of emergency.

  [_Alida_ page 153 (chapter XX):

  He had long wished him to close his affairs of business in the city, and settle himself on the paternal estate.]

  [_Alida_ page 206 (chapter XXIX):

  It had long been the wish of his parent, that he should close his business in New-York, and settle himself on the paternal estate.]

  [_Lives of Signers_: Thornton of New Hampshire:

  Being advanced in years, he principally relinquished the business of his medical profession, attending to its calls only when requested in cases of special urgency.]

  Mr. Bolton had been with the family several days, and attended them onboard the steamboat. One would scarcely suppose that so interesting anexterior as his, blended with highly polished manners, should not havemade some impression on the mind of Alida if her heart had beendisengaged. Besides, he was a person too amiable not to be esteemed. Hisideas with regard to Alida were altogether sanguine. He believed, assoon as he should ask the consent of her parents, he would easily obtainhis wishes. He considered his own fortune already sufficient, withoutseeking more in the din of business. And he possessed many otheradvantages which pleaded in his favour. With these hopes of assuredsuccess, he made proposals to her father. The manner in which her fatherreplied to him was altogether discouraging, which excluded the hope ofhis ever gaining the hand of his daughter by his consent. This denialwas a sensible cause of chagrin to Mr. Bolton, but yet it did notdiscourage him.

  The impatience sometimes of obtaining a thing which is refused to us,renders it still more desirable, and the heart is never in a greaterflutter than when it is agitated with the fear of losing the object itmost wishes to gain. Moreover, he believed that Alida was alreadyinterested in his favour, and he determined to suggest to her, the firstopportunity, the plan to elope with him, and thus put it out of thepower of her father to impede their happiness.

  The day was calm and serene, and the air invigorating. The steam-boatfloated slowly upon the waters in monotonous movement. There was musicon board. A company of militia were going to the village of ----, wherethey usually paraded the town for several hours, took dinner at thehotel, and then returned again to the city.

  Alida remained on deck nearly the whole way, to be a spectator of thevarious, beautiful landscapes that presented themselves on the river,particularly at this season of the year. A gentle breeze sprung up asthey passed the little islands at the entrance of the bay, on whoseglassy surface the sun shone with meridian splendour, illustrating thepeculiar beauty of the diversified scenery. In the course of a few hoursthey arrived at the village of ----, where they obtained a conveyance totake them on to their family residence, where they arrived some time inthe afternoon.

  [[The phrase "shone with meridian splendour" is widely quoted from Boswell's _Life of Johnson_.]]

  Although all nature was smiling around, and the variegated landscapenever appeared more enchanting, birds of every description were seenchirping on the spray, and the trees resounded with their sportivemelody, and Alida might still have been happy if she had never becomeacquainted with Theodore; yet while she had the appearance of serenity,she still cherished a secret uneasiness. She had never received anyintelligence concerning him since they had last parted. She imaginedherself altogether forgotten, as Bonville had frequently suggested.Besides, he had represented Theodore as worthless. Harrassed andoppressed by a thousand different conjectures, she could scarcelysupport herself under them with any degree of resignation.

  In this frame of mind, in serious meditation, she took a seat by thewindow. The sun was declining slowly beneath the horizon to gladdenother regions. The spire of the village church was tipped with gold, andthe resplendent rays reflected from the window dazzled the eye. Abovewas the azure vault variegated with fleecy clouds; beneath was nature'sverdant carpet. The little songsters of the adjoining grove were payingtheir tribute of praise in melodious strains. The bleating of the lambs,and the lowing of the milky train, re-echoed from the fields andvalleys; while the gentle murmuring of the water-fall at the mill, withits rumbling cadence over the dam, was heard at a little distance.

  [_NY Weekly_: A Fragment, after the manner of J. Y. (abbreviated "Fragment JY"):

  The sun was retiring behind a lofty ridge of mountains to gladden other regions; the towering spires of the village churches were tipt with gold; while the resplendent rays reflected from the windows dazzled the eye. Above was the azure vault, variegated with fleecy clouds; beneath was Nature's verdant carpet. The little songsters of the grove were paying their tributes of praise in melodious strains; the bleatings of the lambs, and the lowings of the milky mothers re-echoed from the vallies.]

  [_Alida_ page 166 (chapter XXIII):

  The rumbling water-fall was again heard at the mill....]

  "How still is nature," said Alida. "The sun has withdrawn his radiance,yet the gleam from yonder western sky bespeaks him still at hand,promising to return with his reviving warmth when nature is refreshedwith darkness. The bay is already beginning to be silvered over by themild rays of the queen of night. Gently she steals on the world, whileshe bestows on us her borrowed splendour. She lights the wanderingtraveller, she warms the earth with gentle heat. She dazzles not the eyeof the philosopher, but invites him to contemplate and admire. Scarcelya breeze is stirring; the shadow of each tree remains undisturbed; theunruffled bay and river glide smoothly on, reflecting nature's face.Again the attention is drawn, and the eye wanders to yon vast concave,where the mind follows in silent wonder, wandering among the planets,till, struck with beauty of the whole, it acknowledges 'the Hand thatmade it is divine.'

  [_NY Weekly_: An Evening Meditation:

  Now all is hushed, and nature seems to make a pause; the sun has withdrawn his radiance, yet the gloom [_sic_] from yonder western sky bespeaks him still at hand, promising to return with his reviving warmth, when nature is refreshed with darkness.]

  [_NY Weekly_: Fragment JY:

  The waters of a gently murmuring stream, which ran by the foot of a mountain, were silvered o'er by the mild rays of the queen of night. The soothing sound of a distant cataract gently saluted the car. The fragrant oders of flowers, watered by gentle zephyrs, breath'd a delightful perfume.]

  [_NY Weekly_: An Evening Meditation:

  The moon borrows her light, and bestows it upon us; she arises in silent majesty, humbly waiting to reign when he resigns his throne. No chorus ushers in his reign, no rays pronounce her approach; gently she steals on the world, and sits in silent majesty to view the good she does. She lights the wandering traveller, she warms the earth with gentle heat, she dazzles not t
he eye of the philosopher, but invites him to view and to admire--How still is nature! not a breeze! each tree enjoys its shadow undisturbed, the unruffled rivers glide smoothly on reflecting nature's face ... ... Oh see, by night, beauties transcendant and glorious; such as draw up the eye to yon vast concave, where the mind's eye follows in silent wonder, quickly passing from star to star, till struck with the beauty of the whole, it feels "the hand that made it is divine."]

  "Surely," said Alida, "all nature conspires to calm the mind, to restoretranquillity, to soften every care and corroding thought. But what canease the troubled mind, which, like the angry sea, after agitation byblustering winds, 'tis still tumultuous?" Where now, thought she, isTheodore? What sadness and difficulty may not his noble and generousspirit have had to encounter! His tender sensibility, his serene andpacific disposition, may have had numerous trials; and how unhappy hemay be, who was ever ardent in his endeavours to communicate peace andhappiness to others! When she reflected upon all his goodness, hiszealous piety, his religious sentiments the same as her own, andrecalled to her memory happier days, when she had listened with pleasureto the powerful eloquence of a corresponding spirit. And her esteem forhim rose higher, while he commented on religious truths, and bade herplace a firm dependence on Divine Providence. Amid these uneasysensations, which filled the bosom of Alida with anxiety and grief, andleft her mind in a state of despondency, the period arrived for thecelebration of her father's birth-day, which brought with it, as usual,much company from the city, from the neighbouring village, with theparish minister and his family.

  [_NY Weekly_: Fragment JY:

  Surely, says Amelia, all nature conspires to calm the mind, to restore tranquility, to soften every care. But what can ease the torture of a love-sick soul; like the angry sea after agitation by blustering winds, 'tis still tumultuous.]

  After her several sisters had arrived, and nearly all the company hadcollected, Alida entered the drawing-room with spirits somewhatre-animated. Bonville was already there. He arose and handed her to aseat. He accompanied the first salutations with many flatteringcompliments, but with all his endeavours to win her favour, he could notawaken even a temporary regard in the bosom of Alida. In the meantime,she had full leisure to observe his singular behaviour, to listen to hisinsinuating address, to hear him mention the name of Theodore, and whenhe observed her feelings were excited, to hear him suddenly change thesubject. He sometimes appeared to regard her with an eye of pity, but itarose from a consciousness of his own errors, bordering on baseness. Hefelt unhappy at his own want of integrity, and his heart reproached himwith injustice and treachery.