The following is rather a new style of Sonnet writing. These may be perused' separately, or united by reading across the page, as may suit the fancy, A SONNET. Spirit of the gentle breeze, (Spirit of the gentle breeze,) That nimbly through the key-hole passes, TOM DOUBLEPHIZ. they who, nevertheless, had no first love, as I understand, and have felt it must be an early love; it is only during that season of youth when every one is more or less romantic, ere the realities of life have been proved, ere the mind has been habituated to the control of those rules and measures of conduct to which imperious necessity compels our submission in commerce with the world, that the passion can be entertained. Or the tenacity with which the mind clings to the recollections of a first love, it is not for me to inform the reader: it has been long since made the subject of observation. But as there are, no doubt, many who have never felt the passion at all, and as there are some peculiar circumstances in my case, a detail of the experience which I have had may prove not wholly destitute of interest and amusement. When I say there is no doubt that many have never felt the passion, let me be understood with a certain reservation. In the number I should include many a meritorious I had not in my youth grown faDarby and Joan, who live not less miliar with the beauties of the sex. happily together, and perhaps dis-I was born, and passed my early charge their several duties much more scrupulously than those who vaunt a more extatic flame. And again, of those who have been, to use the conventional language of society, in love, how numerous are VOL. I. Having thus explained what I mean by a first love, I proceed to my own tale. years, in a remote and sequestered district, in a bleak and desolate country, embosomed in mountains. The only women I knew, were the rude peasants who surrounded my home, with the exception of an an 23 I district. I am now not oid. I tiquated aunt, who presided over our household, and the pert, saucy, tawdry daughters of the poor curate of our parish. If I had seen others, I had yet no acquaintance with them, or they were objects on which it was equally impossible to fix regard. I was educated by my father, who was an elegant and accomplished scholar, and had been driven to the seclusion I have described by peculiar circumstances: but it is beside my present purpose to relate his story; that may be reserved for a fitter occasion. I was well educated: I had read all the Greek and Roman authors which usually fall in the course of instruction. I had also read the best English books selected from my father's library. In these books I have read much of love; and I well remember the wonder with which I perused the account of the powerful effects ascribed to I have travelled through most of it. I could never understand what the countries of Europe. I have was meant by the witchery of wo-been the willing votary of Parisian man, by the potency of beauty, by sprightliness and vivacity, of Spathe transports of love, by its as-nish coquetry, and of Italian vocendancy over the reason and oth-luptuousness. I am a hacknied er passions: all this was to me a gallant, a practised man of pleasmarvel and a riddle. My father ure, adroit, confident, unblenching, died: I was just seventeen, and yet my memory loves to dwell on under circumstances which it is my sensations when first, a raw not necessary to explain, I left my stripling, I was introduced to Anna home early, and was fixed in the Hervey. family of a near relation of my The effect which an apartment mother in one of the richest coun- studiously accommodated to all ties of England. There I passed the purposes of luxury, and emthe short interval from my fath-bellished with all the voluptuous er's death till my entrance on the refinements art is capable of proprofession to which I was des-ducing on the mind of a novice, tined, and now belong. Between has been frequently described; what I was then and what I am now, it would perplex the most subtle investigator to discover a point of resemblance I was an awkward artless lad, unacquainted with life or manners, and bearing about me, in innumerable particulars, the characteristics of my solitary, studious boyhood, passed in a recluse and barbarous but what is it to my sensations on being transported from a dreary, bleak, and desolate region, to the delicious and cultivated garden which the country around *** formed' Every object which I saw conspired to make the same impression upon me. I had exchanged savage rocks and sterile hills, for rich pastures and luxuri ant corn fields. Instead of stunt- thousand times. I felt an hero. ed shrubs and briars, I beheld the How soothing to my vanity was bountiful foliage of the finest tim- the first intimation I received that ber. Above my head, no angry I was not indifferent to her! How cloud lowered, but the blue firma- anxiously did I look for the conment expanded to my sight. The firmation of it! I have stood in the tenants of these scenes were imminent deadly breach,' I have equally different from those of my been where havoc raged far and earlier abode. The women were wide around me, I have had my no longer coarse, ill formed, hag- nerves and fortitude tried in other gard or miserable; but apparelled, and perhaps more fearful perils; to my eyes, with elegance and yet never did my eye exert its taste, themselves clothed in love- watchfulness with half that steadliness and beauty. Some delight- fastness and intensity with which ful object possessed my every it regarded the bright blue eye of sense. I found myself in a world my first love; and when it returnof happiness; gaunt poverty, grim, ed the undoubted glance of favor, shivering cold, seemed to be ban- how glowed my heart! It may ished from the scene. To walk seem childish-but what is real forth in this paradise, to look on and natural cannot be ridiculous. the wealth, the comfort around To this hour, however, I well reme, gave delight to my soul. It member that particular turn of was while every thing thus dis- the countenance which I loved posed me to feel the full influence best-'twas when I looked upon of her charms, that I met my first that countenance and it was raisand best beloved. She was an ob-ed to meet my eye, half jocund ject so new to me, so delightful with the sportiveness, and half to me-but if I go on to describe blushing with the apprehensiveness my emotions, I shall only ring the of young love. My name, too, changes on that word, delight, with what magical sweetness did nouns, adjectives and adverbs a her utterance endow it. That thousand times. Anna's beauty name-the truth will out, and I was of that species which is ex- shall stand in some degree conclusively English. Not tall, but fessed. I am an Irishman, and delicately shaped, her person full, that name is a Milesian one. her complexion fair, her eyes large love to hear it loftily and roundly and round, and bright blue, her sounded, but I loved more to hear hair auburn; such are the terms her lips breathe it, however, curby which I must endeavor to con-tailed of its fair proportions. My vey to the mind of the reader a own voice too-its brogue is now conception of that image my soul gone-but how its sounds appaltreasures up. How weak, how led me as I hearkened to hers. inadequate are they! She seemed Amongst the men I felt unabashed, to me all innocence and sincerity, if not proud of the large, full voland my love was guileless as ever ume of my country's dialect; but love was. The romance of my when it was heard alone with the heart fed upon the thought of her. soft clear accents of my fair young I felt new life; I felt a power, an Englishwoman, it struck upon my elevation of soul and intellect ear like the growl of a savage.which I had never before experi- We used to ride and walk togethenced. Every song of love and er, and then I was happy. I won chivalry which I knew, rose to my her gradually. lips, and I carolled them over a I Some passages of my love' were I too dear and flattering to me to be describing. Vague images of love forgotten. Let not the reader and peace, and gentleness and virsmile as I detail one. I well re- tue occupied my fancy: I must member one day, which we had have experienced something like fixed for an excursion together, what the poets have done in their became,shortly before the appoint-day-dreams. All I know is, that ed hour, overcast. I kept the I had on such occasions greater tryst, nevertheless, and she came enjoyment that the whole course abroad with me. Then, as I view of my after life has afforded; and ed the lowering sky, my eye turn- that I would give all I possess of ed upon her soft and delicate form, the substantial goods of life to my heart smote me, and I said I taste again the same innocent bliss. should be too selfish to take her While thus I dreamt my soul forth in such weather; but she away, time flew by, and the hour would not return. We had gone at length arrived which summoned only a short way, when snow be- me abroad. I must be brief at gan to fall, for the winter had the hazard of being abrupt. come. Again I remonstrated: yet need not say with what indications we continued our progress; nor of mutual reluctance we were did we turn homeward till we had, severed. I was too poor as well notwithstanding my reiterated so- as too young then to marry, and I licitations to the contrary, gone could not, therefore, venture exsome miles. The snow now be- pressly to declare my love: but came heavier; and my apprehen- words surely were not needful to sions for my fair companion pro-intimate it. Had not my assiduportionally greater. With some ity, my covetousness of her comlittle difficulty I prevailed upon pany, my glowing eye, my flushher to allow me to place round her ing cheek, my whole mien evinced neck the military kerchief I wore my devotion; and had not our upon mine; never was lady's favor lonely walks and rides together, so grateful to me, as was that our happy meetings, our reluctant incident of the kerchief. This separations, all attested the affecwill sufficiently demonstrate how tion which animated us? guileless and simple, yet ardent, parted, and with a heavy heart I was my passion; but I am temp-took my way. Heaven is my wited to mention some other par-ness, how fondly I yet loved, when ticulars. What then will my reader think, when I tell him that one of my chief pleasures was, when in our rambles together, we stopped for rest, to form of such materials as lay within reach, a throne for my fair companion, and to seat myself at her feet! When so placed I used to look up at her, and, while our talk was of indifferent matters, my soul banqueted on the thoughts which the view of her beautiful and innocent countenance created within me. I enjoyed a reverie more delicious than I can express, and the elements of which I am equally incapable of We after the lapse of eight months, I unexpectedly found myself free and disengaged. I had no room for hesitation as to how I should dispose of my leisure. I flew back to * ***. My first inquiry was for Anna Hervey. 'Anna Hervey no longer'-was the response: she was married! When somewhat recovered from the effect of these tidings, my question was, 'how married, and to whom?' I need not detail, however, the manner in which I became successively acquainted with one circumstance after another. Let me hasten to give the summary. Shortly after |