d, as he entered the private salon of an hotel,

ntinued, addressing his sister, who, seated in a recess formed b

yet," she said, as she came eag

iously you were waiting, and hastene

me," said Ella, with an affectionate smile, but in a tone, whose

n the apartment, for each were busily enga

arrested her brother's attention, and looking up from the o

sister's cheek had become colorless as marble, and si

tter, and advancing to her, implored he

d, "for I cannot bear to spe

f tears follow

han Miss Wiltshire, for among the circle of their acquaintance there were two or three with a similar designation, but in his inmost thoughts, though he had never thus addressed her, he had been so accust

ut one such

o kind, so

itten in a fine Italian hand, not very intelligible,

she must no longer expect a home beneath his roof. The vessel in which she embarked sailed at the appointed time, but never reached its destination. It took fire the night after leaving the harbor, and all efforts to quench the flames were unavailing. The passengers, of whom there were a large number on board, attempted to escape in boats; some were fortunate enough to succeed, but the ladies, among whom was Miss Wiltshire, without exception, found a watery grave. It appears that the females had been first placed in one of the boats manned by two or three sailors, and then another boat received the male passengers and crew. They had hoped to keep near each other, but were separated by the dark and tempestuous night. The gentlemen were fortunate enough to gain land, after a good deal of sailing, and from thence, having endured much fatigue, at length arrived here in safety; but of the missing ones no intelligence was gained, until yesterday, when a boat, identified by the passenge

was never a favorite of mine, for I do dislike that pretending to be so much better than others, and she had such a

t in pieces, scattering its contents to the winds; while with open, wondering eyes, the tears suddenly checked, Ella looked on without speaking, almost ready to con

us; "but oh, Ella, Ella, is it possible that such fearful intelligence can be true? It almost seems," he added, in a tone of anguish and despair, "that heaven co

erly American lady, who was on a visit to some friends that resided opposite, and with wh

the morning, and finding you did not make your appearance, concluded to come in search of you. But what is the matte

very dear friend,"-here the tones visibly faltered,-"by the burning of a vessel at sea, and the sub

for five years ago to-day, my son, my darling son, the pride of my heart, the charm and ornament of our dwelling, set sail from his native

ated, as the young girl's eyes, swollen with weeping, were upraised to her benevolent countenance, "that I was standing at the window right opposite, when you drove up to the door, and as your brother quickly alighted from the carriage, and tenderly as

y's tears f

ich tore him from my fond embrace, and I can well appreciate the emotion which lent intensity to Davi

of its terrible reality. At length a hope, that seemed to up-spring from the depth of his despair, shed a faint light over the chaotic darkness that reigned within. "The information may be exaggerated," was his mental solving, "for it is plain that the writer, in penning it, was actuated by no feelings of good-will, and there may yet exist a hope of Anges's escape." With this idea, he opened another epistle, which he had received, but not yet read. It was from an elderly g

th up." But now, mitigating, soothing, extracting from grief, however mighty, some portion of its bitterness, where was the resignation of the Christian? Not, certainly, in that heart so full of bitterness, that was ready to contend with heaven for having reclaimed its own; its power, its goodness, its wisdom, were almost, unconsciously, arraigned, and finite man

crushed, and to inquire, with fiendish malignity, "Where is now thy God?" that if not wholly overcome, he, at least, escapes alone with fearful wounds from the trying conflict; how then can that one sustain the assault who is totally unprepared, and who knows but li

absorbing emotion, Arthur still sat in the armchair, into which he had thrown himself, his th

e hope, the expectation, of meeting with her. He recalled to mind the hours he had passed with her,-happy hours, all too quickly flown; her winning smile, the sweetly persuasive tones of her voice, her earnest and thou

cken

nt on errands

nguish, and fo

of passion had in a measure subsided, and the still s

er spirits, but could you see my rebellious heart, how infinitely removed from the resignation and purity that can alone find admission into the haven of bl

wing what he did. It was an elegant edition of Mrs. Hemans' poems, and had b

om his sister, he had contemplated it with such delight; now, it was but the fatal reminder of "what had been, but never more could be." With the restlessness of a we

ce such magic

t lose its me

e the load-sta

the springs of

tal form with

vision mingles

lessings; there

willow, idol

treasure best r

dread 'forever

his own conscience; for earth had too much engrossed his vision, and while from childhood he had been taught that life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel, in h

weeks, or years, to that service which is alone worthy of being engaged in by immortal beings, Arthur Bernard returned once more to the battle of life, with a hea