Natalie

ndimmed, th

red on m

g's sunset

shadowe

houghts thy v

of spring-

ue halcyon

in the fla

BEN

-boy, handing Natalie a letter, which she was n

cle Sam's department to leave incomplete the angle of forty-five degrees, which he had been in the habit

pe they'll send down another document to her soon!" and his eyes wandered up to

letter, and sat, apparent

m, "what has given you such a wise look this morning? A letter, eh? good n

shes; but I cannot well conceive of any other t

ie did not suspect, as she listened to her sprightly air, that there

disposed to turn listener, we could only have distinguished that one word,--"Delwood;" but we might have seen the delicate tinge of pink, which, tell-tale like, overspread the face and neck of the Sea-flower. Be that as it may, there was a thoughtful look lingering about those expressive features, which could even be traced, when at night-fal

his name never accompanies his works, and the piece in question was but by accident, brought to public view. It hangs, among others, in his fine gallery of paintings, and is hung with a heavy drapery of black, which was by chance removed by a gentleman, a friend of mine, who offered a handsome fortune at once for the prize; but his rich offer was declined by the owner, who, to the gentleman's earnest desire that he might become its possessor, replied,--'sir, that bit of inanimate canvas is all upon which my weary life feeds! were you to offer me the wealth of the world, I would not part with that one small picture! neither can I be wrought upon to produce a copy of the same, withou

have met him, describe him as being a middle-aged gentleman, of foreign birth, very marked in his polite, graceful manners; yet there appears to be a great mystery hanging about him, and some have ventured to remark that his is no common history,

been a heavier loss, than the gentle words, so characteristic of my mother's tenderness for me, may imply! she would not, if it were in her power to prevent, have me feel that I must curtail my expenses in the least, and I know that my necessary expenses here, must be a great tax upon her income; to be sure Harry has often said, that our dear mother shall never know what it is to want; but for all that, I feel that I might do something to repay my mother for all that she has done for me. Yes! it is my duty! and it certainly would be a duty of pleasure, if I could do anything to assist her." This it was, which had caused the thoughtful expression of the Sea-flower; this which had called forth the ever ready wit of Miss Winnie--had detained Delwood's gaze! But what would be the sentiment of uppertendom, when it should be rumored that the beautiful young creature, of the proud Clarence Delwood's choice, had stooped so low, as to maintain herself by her own hands? How would Mr. Delwood himself receive such an announcement? such thoughts did not occur to th

enor and her son, in connection with their Sea-flower, yet it was remotest from their minds, that such thoughts would find their way to her heart. Mrs. Grosvenor's circumstances were indeed more embarrassed than she had expressed to Natalie, yet she had sufficient left, wherewith they might by retrenching a little, live very comfortably. Accordingly, that Natalie might not fee

d made no one a confidant of her designs, not even Winnie; and when that little lady met her in the hall, all armed and equipped as the weather directed, she exclaimed,--"where now? Miss Snow-wreath! are you going to temper your indis

te mind of man, that she had lost sight of her object, in visiting the unknown artist, until she was awakened from her revery, by a voice near her, and looking 'round, she discovered a poor, dejected looking old negro woman, kneeling with her hands clasped together, and her eyes fixed upon--Natalie followed in the direction--it must be the beautiful Madonna! of which she had heard. Involuntarily she assumed the position of the negress! What visions filled her soul! flitting to and fro. The past, the present, and the future r

t it am to be torn from her childer!" groa

yes still fixed upon that spiritual face

y from my poor ole man, and de young uns! but I's not sure now but you's de spirit ob da

children now? and

red handkerchief up to view,--"if I tinks I eber find de mate to dat, I'specks I die wid de joy! but it a

; it is a beautiful world, whi

e you, I 'specks it be jus no world

the most valuable thing he owned in the world, beside his Bible, and she had looked up into his face, with her great blue eyes, and asked him what the two little crooked marks were made to represent; and he had told her they were to represent himself and his p

ou get this?

, and say, 'Phillis, we will keep dem; dey's not quite as 'spressive as de garultype

gain?" asked Natalie, without betray

r; but we not know anyting 'bout dat good place den, and I 'specks he am c

n,--you have neve

dar; and I takes dem in my arms, and press dem to my heart de same, but I rudder be called to part wid

nk God, I have it in my power to make two of my fellow mortals happy. Wha

at her, without

her's family, where his wants, spiritual and temporal, are cared for; and he has of

the floor. At this instant the artist issued from an

entleman, in a voice which instantly riv

ho thou art!" and he leaned

a lunatic; but no such fear was hers. Advancing, she bowed low, in honor to his superior age, saying, "pardon me, if I am an intruder here; yet, sir, an apology is needless, for who can resist the grace and beauty which is here displayed? My pr

thought to meet her again until the dark river had been crossed! but what do I see?" a

ate features to which his soul had clung, as if it were of life; and his eye now wandered from the animate to the inanimate,--the beauteous countenance of the Ma

an early age; the young wife of my choice was taken from me, and I should have been overwhelmed with grief, had not the precious boon left to me by her, claimed my heart-felt love; the beautiful babe smiled upon me, and I felt rebuked in spirit that I should thus murmur at God's will, w

untless mercies which you have received at his hand,--weigh them well in a balance with your

grasped the hand of my noble son, her husband, I was happy; for so full was my cup of joy, that I had forgotten the drop of bitterness which I had tasted therefrom. But, alas! it was not so full to overflowing that there was not room for the draught that was to be my portion. They sailed for America, to visit his home, when, after the settlement of his estate in this Western world, they would return to make glad their father's home; that day has not yet come! A year elapsed, and I had no tidings of them, yet I would not permit the thought to dwell with me that I should never hear from them more, and another year passed on before the despair entered my soul, which has been to me a burning flame ever since. I gave my possessions to the keeping of another, and left my native Italy, to cross the deep, if I might learn of the fate of my children. I went to the place he had told me was his home, but I met with only strangers there. I inquired for the noble vessel in which my child had sailed; she had not belonged on this coast, and thus were my ea

lie, in a suppressed breath

upon the sea, depressed in spirits, I observed a pretty sight not far from me; an old negro sat upon the beach, and by his side an infant, some eighteen months old, with her arms clasped about the neck of a large Newfoundland dog, while her eyes, which were of the blue of heaven, were fixed upon the waves which rolled and broke in harmless ripples at her feet. She was a beauteous child. I have never seen another upon whom I could look, as the little angel that had gone. I traced her beautiful features, a

of the sad gentleman whom he met, when I was but an infant, and how he spoke to me so tenderly, and sighed for his own Natalie. I had

the child! you are like the Madonna! Can it be that I have unconsciously resto

of a beauteous being, who has smiled upon me, and made me happy. The Madonna awakens all those pure feelings, and I cannot but look upo

eaven," muse

conversation with the mysterious artist. She arose as he entered, and presented him to the gentleman, but she had not yet learned his name.

de use of this lady's face to attract the notice of a vulgar public t

ad never seen me, to his knowledge, until this morning. It rather become

to the no less beautiful being, whom he hoped, at no distant day, to call his own, while a thought filled his soul with delight, and he

lved. Who is she?--this pure being. And your mother

y family, so much so that

our fa

n hea

ntleman, "and your sa

gentle lady," said the artist, a

ow me to come every day, an

y presence for years;" and bidding them a "good morning,

ught of the object of her own visit thither, crossed her mind. The woman w

e, my good woman?

y home. But tell me, missy, did ole Phillis hear you straight, or a

y upon; come here in a day or two

w freed from slavery's chains,) and making sundry other uncouth manifestations of her joy, so characteristic of her race, which caused a policeman

om her mother, in reply to her account of her

f grief. That which I would say has to do with yourself, my daughter, yet I cannot commission my pen to the revealing of this long-buried secret. I would tell you with my own lips, of the mystery which hangs around your birth, for I would seal the tale with a mother's kiss, looking upon my foster-child for an assurance of love undiminished. You must now come home to us. I can bear this separation no longer. The time has come when our

loud, "can I ever love my mother less?" sh

such sweet counsel as would sink into her heart, giving her new strength, making her a wiser and a better being. In the time which Natalie had been in the Santon family, there had been a perceptible change in the character of the beautiful coquettish heiress. Those blemishes which the faithful mother had discovered, upspringing in her daughter's youthful heart, m

we have said,--the last. Folded in each other's arms, they sat in the pale moonlight, each reading within the other's soul, an appreciation of this holy hour. Holy hours are they indeed, which lead our thoughts far up beyond this mort

d keep my feet from the dangerous paths which surround me?" asked Winnie, as the discorda

he has given us the promise of a home where there will be no more parting,--never a farewell? and he will guide your footsteps; make him your friend, and though all others should forsake you, you will be happy. He wi

Mrs. Santon. Blessings on thee, noble girl! would there were more like thee to be found in this sinful world below! But what is a blessing craved by the lips of frail mortal, compared with the seraph bless

e had gone, leaving her impress upon the hearts of all who had met and loved her. Her spirit was the spirit of love, forgiving as she hoped to be forgiven,--her sins, which, had it not been said of man, "not one is perfect," we should have looked upon as of no deeper stains than are of the n

other can feel, who, after a long separation from the child whose beauty of character sheds a halo of honor around the household name, holds her to her heart again, where she knows her to be safest from the world's contumely. Harry welcomed his sister home, with the wild delight of his boyish days, regardless o

same! I tells mysef dat, dese long years past, and bress de Lord,

he poor black woman, before his wondering eyes, "you are deserving of the rich blessings of earthly friends; for had I been tried, as it has been the will of an overruling providence that you should

id it by the side of the other. They were just alike; there were the two crooked mark

ob my days wid joy at de sight ob dat! it am next to finding poor Phillis hersef. Pray, missy, did you find dat in some accidental cot

man and wife, who had been separated for so many long years, and under such trying circumstances. To be sure, they were poor ignorant negroes, who are looked upon by a large portion of the world, as only fit to be ranked with dogs and other dumb animals: yet they have souls, hearts which had been given to Christ, and the meek and lowly Jesus, were he now upon the earth, would not be ashame

had one of those gentlemen, whose highly respectable occupation it is to deal in the traffic of buying and selling-

ng of the descent and lineage of another line of ancestors than hers; while the Sea-flower, her hand clasped within that of him who had found favor in the mother's eyes, prepared herself to receive any information in regard to her destiny, which it should be the will of a just God to decree. The tiny lace dress, which the infant had worn, when she was first placed in her foster-mother's arms, was held up to view. It was of a costly fabric, embroidered heavily with needle-work, evidently the production of the industry of some lone

e for my deep sin in living so long without thee, even doubting thy existence! This is truly a convincing proof that thou art all in all. I here vow, that should the gracious Lord see fit to chasten his se

can it be that my mother has been looking

her is in heaven,

iew, it was like an arrow to her heart; for was she not her child? Natalie arose, and giving one hand to her mother, the other to him whom she would henceforth look upon as a father, she said,--"Yes, my own mother has gone to her home; she is an angel there, where I shall meet her at the

y for their care. It was a long and interesting story, to which this little circle listened, regardless of the raging elements without, with the exception of the Sea-flower, who drank in every note of nature's mighty chorus, sc

ed Mr. Delwood; "it is a singular coincidence

old Vingo not far out of the way, when he declared 'Missy Sea-flo

iven the subject a thought, and strangers, or some public institution, would have realized a handsome legacy; but his every nerve thrilled now with new life for her; every advantage which wealth could procure would be hers. But it was not only to look after his pecuniary affairs that he laid the question before Mrs. Grosvenor, if her child should accompany him to the land of her birth, but that she might become acquainted with the position in life which she was every way capable of fillin

sad heart that he looked upon such a separation from his betrothed, for he would necessarily resign the pleasure which he had anticipated, in escorting her to countries which he had visited, and which h

ifting high his head, imparting a flood of radiance in pity to thousands, who watch with an intensity, to make the well-known light, rejoicing no less when they have left it far behind, for well do they realize that they have passed one of the most dangerous shoals to be found on the American coast. Behind them, distance about three miles, is the town; there is no din and bustle borne on the night air to their ears,--naught is heard but the moaning voice of the night wind, mingled wi

d, "or will you travel under your grandfather's Italian na

and was my fa

a child, in Italy; she whom I begged to take me to that beautiful place again! Ah, it comes to me now, in no dream, but a reality; I have always thought, since I first

you? Oh, I shall love you with a holier love for this!" and the young girl paused, and trembled, as he held her to hi

ial rays, other than of a May morning's sun, were in their hearts; yet those indescribable tones, which under any circumstance

m a sister. Broken sobs measured the bitterness of the parting of those down-trodden ones, who, "by an angel of mercy," had been lifted up, to taste one drop of that bliss upon earth, which the white man holds within his power