Alida; or, Miscellaneous Sketches of Incidents During the Late American War.

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER X.

  "Dark gathering clouds involve the threat'ning skies, The billows heave with the impending gloom; Deep hollow murmurs from the cliffs arise, Ride on the blast, and urge the howling storm."

  Several weeks passed away, and Theodore felt all that anxiety andimpatience which a separation from a beloved object can produce. Heframed a thousand excuses to visit Alida, yet he feared a visit might bepremature. He was, however, necessitated to make a journey to a distantpart of the country, after which he resolved to see her.

  He performed the business he went on, and was returning. It was towardevening, and the day had been uncommonly sultry for the autumnal season.A rising shower blackened the western hemisphere; the dark vapoursascended in folding ridges, and the thunder rolled at a distance.

  Theodore saw he should be overtaken by the rain. He discovered anelegant seat about a hundred yards distant from the road; thither hehastened to gain shelter from the approaching storm.

  The owner of the mansion met him at the door, and politely invited himin, while a servant stood ready to take his horse.

  He was ushered into a large apartment, genteelly furnished, where thefamily and several young ladies were sitting. As he glanced his eyehastily around the room, he thought he recognized a familiarcountenance. A hurried succession of confused ideas for a moment crossedhis recollection. In a moment he discovered that it was Alida.

  By this unexpected meeting they were both completely embarrassed. Alida,however, arose, and, in rather a confused manner, introduced Theodore tothe company as the friend of her brother.

  The rain continued most part of the afternoon. Theodore was urged by thefamily, and consented to stay the night. A moonlight evening succeededthe shower, which invited the young people to walk in an adjoininggarden. Alida informed Theodore that the owner of the mansion was adistant relative of her father, who had two amiable daughters, not farfrom her own age. She had been invited there to pass a week, andexpected to return within two days. "And," she added, smiling, "perhaps,Theodore, we may have an opportunity once more to visit our favouritegrove, before winter entirely destroys the remaining beauties of thesummer."

  Theodore felt all the force of the remark. He recollected theconversation when they were last at the place she mentioned; and he wellremembered his feelings on that occasion.

  "Great changes, indeed," he replied, "have taken place since we werelast there;--that they are productive of unexpected and unexampledhappiness to me, is due, Alida, to yourself alone."

  Theodore departed next morning, appointing the next week to visit Alidaat her father's house. Thus were the obstacles removed which hadpresented a barrier to their united wishes. They had not, it is true,been separated by wide seas, unfeeling parents, nor, as yet, by therigorous laws of war; but vexations, doubts, and difficulties had thusfar attended them, which had now happily disappeared, and theycalculated on no unpropitious event which might thwart their futurehappiness.

  All the hours that Theodore could spare from his studies were devoted toAlida; and their parents began to calculate on joining their hands assoon as his professional term of study was completed.

  Hostilities that had previously commenced with England had been followedby several battles. "The panic and general bustle which prevailed atthis time, will yet be remembered by many." These circumstances were notcalculated to impress the mind of Alida with the most pleasantsensations. She foresaw that the burden of the war must rest on theAmerican youth, and she trembled in anticipation for the fate ofTheodore. He, with others, should it continue, must take the field indefence of his country. The effects of such a separation were dubiousand gloomy. Theodore and herself frequently discoursed on the subject,and they agreed to form the mystic union previous to any wideseparation. One event tended to hasten this resolution: The attorney inwhose office Theodore was engaged received a commission in thenew-raised American army, and marched to the lines near Boston. Hisbusiness was therefore suspended, and Theodore returned to the house ofhis father. He considered that he could not remain long a mere spectatorof the contest, and that it might soon become his duty to take thefield, therefore concluded to hasten his marriage with Alida. Sheconsented to the proposition, and their parents made the necessaryarrangements for the event. The place was fixed upon which was to betheir future residence. It was a pleasantly situated eminence,commanding an extensive prospect. On the west, forests unevenly liftedtheir rude heads, with here and there a solitary field, newly cleared,and thinly scattered with cottages. To the east, the eye extended over asoil at one time swelling into woody elevations, and at anotherspreading itself into vales of the most enchanting verdure. To the northit extended to the palisades, wooded to their summits, and throwingtheir shadows over intervals of equal wilderness, till at length theeye, wandering far beyond, was arrested in its excursions by the bluemist which hovered over the distant mountains, more grand, majestic, andlofty. The inhabitants around were mild, sociable, moral, and diligent.The produce of their own fields gave them the most of what wasnecessary, and they were happily free from all dissipation and luxury.

  Such was the site marked out for the residence of Theodore and Alida.They visited the spot, and were enraptured with its pensive, romanticbeauties.

  "Here," said Theodore, "we will one day pass our time in all thefelicity of mind which the chequered scenes of life will admit. In thespring, we will roam among the flowers; in summer, we will gatherstrawberries in yonder fields, or raspberries from the adjacentshrubbery. The breezes of fragrant morning and the sighs of the eveninggale will be mingled with the songs of the various birds which frequentthe surrounding groves. We will gather the bending fruits of autumn, andwill listen with pleasure to the hoarse, murmuring voice of winter--itswhistling winds, its driving snow and rattling hail--with delight."

  The bright gems of joy glistened in the eyes of Alida as Theodoredescribed this pleasing scene of anticipation.

  Winter came on; it rapidly passed away. Spring advanced, and themarriage day was appointed. Preparations for the hymenial ceremony weremaking, and invitations had already gone abroad. Albert was particularlysent for, and all was approaching to readiness for this happy event.

  Theodore and Alida again promenaded to the spot which had been chosenfor their habitation; they projected the structure of the buildings,planned the gardens, the artificial groves, the walks, and the greenretreat of the summer-house; and already they realized in imaginationthe various domestic blessings and felicities with which they were to besurrounded.

  Nature was adorned with the bridal ornaments of spring; the radiant sunwas sinking behind the groves, casting his sable shades over the valley,while the retiring beams of day adorned the distant eastern eminenceswith yellow lustre; the birds sung melodiously in the grove; the air wasfreshened by light western breezes, bearing upon their wings all theentrancing odours of the season; while around the horizon clouds raisedtheir brazen summits, based in the black vapour of approaching night;and as its darkening shades were advancing, Theodore and Alida returnedhome. They seated themselves awhile on the piazza, to contemplate thesplendours of the evening, and to witness the beauties of one of themost picturesque draperies painted in the landscape of nature.