CHAPTER XIX

JANEIRA'S HISTORY; OR LOVE AND REASON.

JANEIRA had been invited to pay a visit to the house of Mr. Rutler, in the hope that Mr. Bredwell's excellent conversation would help to dissipate the gloom that hung over her mind. The family rightly supposed that his cheerful instructions would peculiarly tend to calm the agitation she had lately experienced from a circumstance of peculiar interest to her sensitive mind.

There were many causes which operated to pour a melancholy over the features of the amiable Janeira.

Various attempts were made by several of her admirers to gain her affections; but only one properly succeeded. The gentleman who gained her affections was a native of a distant clime he was unfortunately a Roman Catholic. Janeira's parents were too much attached to her to part with this their second daughter to go to a distant country -the other side of the world. It seemed to them a loss second only to that which they had lately sustained by the death of their Mary. They could not consent to Janeira's espousal to one of the Romish faith, though she abjured its idols, and professed a contempt for its superstitions; nor could they be reconciled to the loss of her, perhaps for ever. The state of his affairs required his instant departure. The hour of trial came-to part with him or

her parents. She summoned up resolution to choose the latter; but it was a sacrifice of love at the shrine of principle, which, but for the hope of seeing him again, might have made herself the victim of fatal grief.

How deeply the trial wrought upon her mind! But reason and religion came in their loveliest smiles to her aid, Reason gently wiped the tear away, and religion brightened her eyes with the prospect of higher and brighter scenes. This is beautifully shown in the following extracts from her note-book :

"Unable to forget him to whom my first vows were given, let me renounce all others! and let me endeavour to scatter blessings around me on mankind; and in others' happiness, find my own. But still I feel a presentiment that I have not yet weathered all the storms of this voyage of life, and that still many rocks of danger remain for me to pass. Often before some trial have I found a thick cloud obscure the future. Alas! some experience a double share of misery by their apprehensions of it; they are terrified by the approach of the storm, and overwhelmed by its bursting on them. But night approaches-night! thou awful veil of creation! Who can contemplate thy mysterious twinkling lights who can listen to thy harmonious stillness, and not for a moment abandon his dull being, forget the perplexities of life, and the distractions of human interest! But there are certain strong impressions which, like landmarks, designate different epochs in the voyage of life. Laristo! thou wast destined to form a new era in my life. Unhappy fate! Society is sweet; but in retirement alone is to be found purity. But oh! let my spirit rise superior to these agitations of humanity calm as the ocean rock, surrounded by raging waves and scattered views of vessels wrecked. Let me trust in the Eternal, and may his Divine Spirit breathe confidence into my sinking heart! But

still Laristo pursues me like a spell-his last ardent gaze of despairing love fascinates my senses as the eye of the American serpent is said to fx the traveller. When the apprehension crosses my mind, that I may see him no more, such mighty oceans roll betwixt us, I feel as though I could renounce life with all its hopes and enchantments. The flower has fallen! I am ready to add, let the stem fall too! But no! if my heart was formed for love, let it be devoted to Him who never deceives never changes. Let me then seek to fill my cup of felicity at the true source; then perhaps at length the idolized image may be removed from my fancy; and the fire of adversity may enable me to preserve to the Lord a heart purified like gold of its dross."

Thus did this dear girl endeavour to bring reason and religion to her aid to wean her from an object with whom she would have been in danger of abandoning her Protestant faith, of encountering the papal tyranny, and of quitting her friends and her natal shores. The victory which she at length gained over an attachment so unsuitably placed, proved that reason may be brought to act upon the affairs of love, where it has been so long erroneously supposed that passion alone is to guide and govern us.

Never should it be thought by the young, that because they have conceived an attachment to a particular object, they are not to use reason, judgment, prudence, and the advice of friends to consider well before they fix an engagement which is unalterable, and plunge themselves into difficulties from which they can be extricated only by their own death or that of their partner. Who that knows the various selfish motives of the men-the falsehood and deceptions which they practise to gain the affections of the unsuspecting maid, who thinks their every syllable truth, every sigh affection, and everv glance sincerity

but must lament the llusions by which the best are entrapped by the worst, and the heart surrendered to those who are as careless of breaking it as they were sedulous in gaining it. What parent, then, ought not to study and labour, without using violence and constraint, to induce her daughter to consider coolly the merits of her admirer -to ascertain the morality of his character, the solidity of his pretensions, the validity of his claims, and the sincerity of his professions, ere she commit herself to his power, and embark the whole of her future hopes and prospects in the fragile vessel into which he would hand her? I would advise that some trial should be adopted-whether love or interest-whether honour or baseness sway his movements and dictate his assiduities. And should there be any great secrets which he unbosoms to her, and charges her never to divulge-should there be any proposals of clandestine marriage, much less elopement, let the man, however fair and engaging, be suspected and banished as a wily deceiver or a cruel monster !

It is very foolish, because the ring is bought, the licence purchased, and the day fixed, because things have proceeded so far, to make up the marriage notwithstanding objections have been discovered, which at an earlier stage, would have separated them. It is never too late, while you have it in your power, to go back again to the right road as soon as you find yourself astray. Better do that and be laughed at by the foolish, than plunge down a precipice amid their thunders of applause!

Poor Emma! she discovered that Surlus was of a morose temper, a surly disposition, which tyrannized wherever it had the power, and rendered him the object of general hatred to all his acquaintances. That disclosure was made by a faithful friend not till the night before her marriage.

She saw her danger; her property appeared his object in wedding her; and she made the marriage settlement more secure; but she had not the courage to discard him; she dragged herself with him to the altar, and in a few weeks found in him a tyrant and a brute, with whom she has led the life of a prisoner and a slave ever since! How much more wisely would she have acted had she resolutely refused to see him again, or even at the very altar had she said, "No!" like a lady who had long been troubled with a suitor whom she disliked, and at length went with him to the altar at an appointed day. When the clergyman asked the question, "Wilt thou have this man for thy wedded husband?" she replied, "No, I will not; I have told him so a hundred times and he would not believe me; I resolved, therefore, to tell him so publicly before all the congregation. I have therefore only to wish you all good morning," and left the altar immediately."

Janeira had the good sense to reconsider the matter, and listen to the suggestions of reason and the voice of her friends. The ring was purchased, and the licence was procured, and a day was fixed for the nuptials; but Providence interfered! Laristo was sent for and detained. One hour passed after another till twelve o'clock struck, and still he did not make his appearance. The day was suffered to pass; there appeared vacillation on his part; the friends began to suspect him of plotting an elopement. The day came, he must go; and yet the opportunity of marriage was neglected. They cautioned and guarded Janeira; and he fled as if conscious of detection, to return no more! Thus was the snare broken, and the captive delivered; and Janeira was beginning to entertain new objects of thought and interest.

We shall have occasion again to meet with this