t blame
her, or any other woman, whatever her circumstances may be, who consents
to become the bosom-partner of a man she cannot love. Miserable are such
unions; from them flow, as from a polluted stream, all the bitterest
sorrows and ills of life.

Young maiden, whosoever you may be, whose eyes glance at this moment on
my page, take the advice of one who has been both a happy wife and
mother: never sacrifice the best and holiest affections of your heart on
the sordid shrine of wealth or worldly ambition. Without reciprocal
love, the heart becomes a moral desert How can you reasonably expect to
receive that from another, of which you are destitute yourself? Will the
field that never was sown yield to the possessor a plentiful harvest? I
do most firmly believe, that to this want of affection in parents to
each other may be traced the want of the same feeling in children
towards their parents. If a woman hates her husband, her offspring are
not very likely to feel a strong attachment to their father; for
children inherit, in a strong degree, not only the disposition of their
parents, but their mental and physical peculiarities.

A virtuous woman will rarely place her affections upon an unworthy
object if she be true to herself and the education she has received; and
if she cannot consent to encounter a few trials and privations for the
sake of the man she loves, she is not worthy to be his wife.

The loving and beloved partner of a good man may be called upon to
endure many temporal sorrows, but her respect and admiration for his
character will enable her to surmount them all, and she will exclaim
with pious exultation,--"Thank God! I have been happy in my choice. His
love is better to me than gold, yea, than much fine gold!"

CHAPTER IV.

Oh Lord, thou hast enlarged the grief
Of this poor stricken heart,
That only finds in tears relief,
Which all unbidden start:
Long have I borne the cruel scorn
Of one I could not love nor hate;
My soul, with secret anguish torn,
Yields unresisting to its fate--S.M.

Mark Hurdlestone's triumph was complete; his revenge fully gratified,
when he led his beautiful bride from the altar to the carriage, which
was in readiness to convey her to her future home. She was his, and
Algernon might return as soon as he pleased. Elinor Wildegrave was
beyond his reach. She could never be his wife.

Tranquil, but not happy, Elinor viewed the cha