Ravensdale; a Tale, by a Lady

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Gently, most gently on thy victim's head, Consumption, lay thy hand?let me decay, Like the expiring lamp, unseen, away, And softly go to slumber with the dead! Kikke White. BuT what of Anna? inquired Emily, as Louisa perused aloud an extract from Charles's letter, giving a detailed account of the improvement visible in Lord Mowbray's health. He dwells much, replied her sister, on the change her appearance has undergone since he last saw her. All hope of her recovery is for ever extinct?nor is she longer desirous to promote it.? Already her spirit seems beatified; and every thought, wish, and affection brought into subjection to the will of her Creator. Happy, angelic state! exclaimed Emily, with fervour; but how does her brother view theprospect of such a separation and as for St. Clair, I tremble at its effect upon him?so devoted ?so wayward?so impassioned;?and then, his setting forth to join her, in opposition to all Helen's remonstrances!?Much do I dread the effect of such a meeting upon a temperament like his?and even upon Anna, who can answer for its results at that critical period, when the mind is probably enfeebled by the body's suffering. But He who orders all things well, interrupted Louisa, will surely direct this event as it seemeth to him best: ?possibly, it may eventually be productive of happy effects upon the ungoverned spirit of St. Clair;?it will, at least, damp his too sanguine nature, and subdue, perhaps, the impetuous enthusiasm of his character, which has so long held in embryo those many amiable qualities, for which it is impossible not to love him. And then, when we consider all the variety of ways that we know not of, by which the Lord leads us to himself, and reflect that he is able ' to temper the wind ...