"Wilful people should be reproved when they deserve it," said the young girl, drawing her arm within the governor's; "I challenge your excellency to a controversy, but I will have no eye-witnesses or listeners to my conversation." The governor was led by the impulsive girl into a charming walk bordered by lime-trees, and the astonished nobleman really and verily believed that poor Anna was going to become very serious, whilst all her care was to prevent her brother or Cunnington from noticing De Scala's admiring glances. Once away from the searching look of those dark eyes, she breathed more freely, of young enthusiasm passed over and a ray her once more. "You English people have a cool way of reasoning I cannot understand, a sang froid, an apparent nonchalance, when perhaps you CHAPTER VI. But they that fight for Freedom, undertake August is a splendid month. May, June, and July have each their attractions, stealing gently and calmly upon the senses, the heat so gradually approaching its climax, that man is enabled to bear the sun's ardent rays. August completes the summer's loveliness; if June be the climax, August retains the beauty without any of the process of spring. To the unhappy Negroes, far surpassing all other month's beauty appeared-that long expected period-the 1st of August. Mothers clothed their children in their festive garbs; church bells sounded merrily on the air. There is a solemn sound in those peals; they invite the heart to gratitude, they draw the mind into a sacred train of thought, they cause hallowed feelings to fill the breast. They seem most forcibly to tell us to thank the Almighty Disposer of all things, and to remember that whatever event man has achieved, a Divine Will has preordained. No scenes of violence or drunkenness disturbed the harmony of the day. It was a beautiful sight to see the Negroes congregated in the places of worship; low on bended knees, thanking the Omnipotent One for the blessing of freedom. Members of parliament, feel you not sometimes your hearts bound within you? Feel you not the keen joy of giving pleasure to a large mass of mankind? For this ye toil; for this ye study; for this fame is sometimes an empty name; for this ye pass the midnight hour; for this ye return again to your toils. Ye men who are not called to either House; ye who sigh for such a post, think it not a sinecure, if duly filled; think not to be known is to be happy, but believe that a great, a responsible, a moral task devolves upon each member of parliament. It is a difficult thing to earn fame-fame of any kind; but parliamentary fame is the most difficult of all. An artist who pleases the public, need not care if he be himself disappointed when his picture is achieved; but the man who earns parliamentary fame has gone through a tedious apprenticeship. I am not here talking of the fame of rhetoric: I hope many gentlemen agree with the young writer; I hope that all sensible men agree with me, that to be famous as an orator in politics hollow qualification. is a very The heart, the mind, the conscience must lend pathos to a speech; enemies must be counted as flies on the surface of the water; jealousy must be disarmed by following one never changing course of upright politics; a man must not change sides according to the sunshine of each party. A renegade in politics, when he changes to serve his own aims, is much worse, methinks, than any other deserter from his post. A soldier may be seized with a sudden panic; for some of the ancient Romansthose vaunted warriors-were thus affected. In a moment of horror, of nervous fear, he flees; but a renegade in politics generally |