tales for fifteen-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




Tales　for　Fifteen：　or；　Imagination　and　Heart

by　James　Fenimore　Cooper　（writing　under　the
pseudonym　of　〃Jane　Morgan〃）





NEW…YORK
C。　WILEY；　3　WALL　STREET
J。　Seymour；　printer
1823



Southern　District　of　New…York　ss。
BE　IT　REMEMBERED；　That　on　the　thirteenth　day　of
June；　in　the　forty…seventh　year　of　the　Independence
of　the　United　States　of　America；　Charles　Wiley；　of
the　said　District；　hath　deposited　in　this　office　the
title　of　a　Book；　the　right　whereof　he　claims　as
proprietor；　in　the　words　and　figures　following；　to
wit：

〃Tales　for　Fifteen；　or　Imagination　and　Heart。
By　Jane　Morgan。〃

In　conformity　with　the　Act　of　Congress　of　the
United　States　entitled；　〃An　Act　for　the
encouragement　of　Learning；　by　securing　the　copies
of　Maps；　Charts；　and　Books；　to　the　authors　and
proprietors　of　such　copies；　during　the　times　herein
mentioned。〃　And　also　to　an　Act；　entitled；　〃an　Act；
supplementary　to　an　Act；　for　the　encouragement　of
Learning；　by　securing　the　copies　of　Maps；　Charts；
and　Books；　to　the　authors　and　proprietors　of　such
copies；　during　the　times　herein　mentioned；　and
extending　the　benefits　thereof　to　the　arts　of
designing；　engraving；　and　etching　historical　and
other　prints。〃
JAMES　DILL；
Clerk　of　the　Southern　District　of　New…York



PREFACE

WHEN　the　author　of　these　little　tales　commenced
them；　it　was　her　intention　to　form　a　short　series　of
such　stories　as；　it　was　hoped；　might　not　be　entirely
without　moral　advantage；　but　unforeseen
circumstances　have　prevented　their　completion；
and；　unwilling　to　delay　the　publication　any　longer；
she　commits　them　to　the　world　in　their　present
unfinished　state；　without　any　flattering
anticipations　of　their　reception。　They　are　intended
for　the　perusal　of　young　women；　at　that　tender　age
when　the　feelings　of　their　nature　begin　to　act　on
them　most　insidiously；　and　when　their　minds　are
least　prepared　by　reason　and　experience　to　contend
with　their　passions。

〃Heart〃　was　intended　for　a　much　longer　tale；　and　is
unavoidably　incomplete；　but　it　is　unnecessary　to
point　out　defects　that　even　the　juvenile　reader　will
soon　detect。　The　author　only　hopes　that　if　they　do
no　good；　her　tales　will；　at　least；　do　no　harm。



IMAGINATION。
…oOo…

I　pray　thee；　gentle　mortal；　sing　again：
Mine　ear　is　much　enamoured　of　thy　note；
So　is　mine　eye　enthralled　to　thy　shape；
And　thy　fair　virtue's　force　perforce　doth　move　me；
On　the　first　view；　to　say；　to　swear；　I　love　thee。
MIDSUMMER　NIGHT'S　DREAM

｛Shakespeare；　〃A　Midsummer　Night's　Dream〃　Act
III；　Scene　1；　lines　137…141｝

〃DOwrite　to　me　often；　my　dear　Anna！〃　said　the
weeping　Julia　Warren；　on　parting；　for　the　first　time
since　their　acquaintance；　with　the　young　lady　whom
she　had　honoured　with　the　highest　place　in　her
affections。　〃Think　how　dreadfully　solitary　and
miserable　I　shall　be　here；　without　a　single
companion；　or　a　soul　to　converse　with；　now　you　are
to　be　removed　two　hundred　miles　into　the
wilderness。〃

〃Oh！　trust　me；　my　love；　I　shall　not　forget　you　now
or　ever；〃　replied　her　friend；　embracing　the　other
slightly；　and；　perhaps；　rather　hastily　for　so　tender
an　adieu；　at　the　same　time　glancing　her　eye　on　the
figure　of　a　youth；　who　stood　in　silent　contemplation
of　the　scene。　〃And　doubt　not　but　I　shall　soon　tire
you　with　my　correspondence；　especially　as　I　more
than　suspect　it　will　be　subjected　to　the　criticisms　of
Mr。　Charles　Weston。〃　As　she　concluded；　the　young
lady　curtisied　to　the　youth　in　a　manner　that
contradicted；　by　its　flattery；　the　forced　irony　of　her
remark。

〃Never；　my　dear　girl！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Warren　with
extreme　fervour。　〃The　confidence　of　our　friendship
is　sacred　with　me；　and　nothing；　no；　nothing；　could
ever　tempt　me　to　violate　such　a　trust。　Charles　is
very　kind　and　very　indulgent　to　all　my　whims；　but
he　never　could　obtain　such　an　influence　over　me　as
to　become　the　depositary　of　my　secrets。　Nothing
but　a　friend；　like　yourself；　can　do　that；　my　dear
Anna。〃

〃Never！　Miss　Warren；〃　said　the　youth　with　a　lip　that
betrayed　by　its　tremulous　motion　the　interest　he
took　in　her　speech〃never　includes　a　long　period　of
time。　But；〃　he　added　with　a　smile　of　good…
humoured　pleasantry；　〃if　admitted　to　such　a
distinction；　I　should　not　feel　myself　competent　to
the　task　of　commenting　on　so　much　innocence　and
purity；　as　I　know　I　should　find　in　your
correspondence。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Anna；　with　a　little　of　the　energy　of　her
friend's　manner；　〃you　may　with　truth　say　so；　Mr。
Weston。　The　imagination　of　my　Julia　is　as　pure　as
as…〃　but　turning　her　eyes　from　the　countenance
of　Julia　to　that　of　the　youth；　rather　suddenly；　the
animated　pleasure　she　saw　delineated　in　his
expressive；　though　plain　features；　drove　the
remainder　of　the　speech　from　her　recollection。

〃As　her　heart！〃　cried　Charles　Weston　with
emphasis。

〃As　her　heart；　Sir；〃　repeated　the　young　lady　coldly。

The　last　adieus　were　hastily　exchanged；　and　Anna
Miller　was　handed　into　her　father's　gig　by　Charles
Weston　in　profound　silence。　Miss　Emmerson；　the
maiden　aunt　of　Julia；　withdrew　from　the　door；
where　she　had　been　conversing　with　Mr。　Miller；　and
the　travellers　departed。　Julia　followed　the　vehicle
with　her　eyes　until　it　was　hid　by　the　trees　and
shrubbery　that　covered　the　lawn；　and　then　withdrew
to　her　room　to　give　vent　to　a　sorrow　that　had
sensibly　touched　her　affectionate　heart；　and　in　no
trifling　degree　haunted　her　lively　imagination。

As　Miss　Emmerson　by　no　means　held　the　good
qualities　of　the　guest；　who　had　just　left　them；　in　so
high　an　estimation　as　did　her　niece；　she　proceeded
quietly　and　with　great　composure　in　the　exercise　of
her　daily　duties；　not　in　the　least　suspecting　the
real　distress　that；　from　a　variety　of　causes；　this
sudden　separation　had　caused　to　her　ward。

The　only　sister　of　this　good　lady　had　died　in　giving
birth　to　a　female　infant；　and　the　fever　of　1805　had；
within　a　very　few　years　of　the　death　of　the　mother；
deprived　the　youthful　orphan　of　her　remaining
parent。　Her　father　was　a　merchant；　just
commencing　the　foundations　of　what　would；　in
time；　have　been　a　large　estate；　and　as　both　Miss
Emmerson　and　her　sister　were　possessed　of　genteel
independencies；　and　the　aunt　had　long　declared　her
intention　of　remaining　single；　the　fortune　of　Julia；　if
not　brilliant；　was　thought　rather　large　than
otherwise。　Miss　Emmerson　had　been　educated
immediately　after　the　war　of　the　revolution；　and　at
a　time　when　the　intellect　of　the　women　of　this
country　by　no　means　received　that　attention　it　is
thought　necessary　to　bestow　on　the　minds　of　the
future　mothers　of　our　families　at　the　present　hour；
and　when；　indeed；　the　country　itself　required　too
much　of　the　care　of　her　rulers　and　patriots　to　admit
of　the　consideration　of　lesser　objects。　With　the
best　of　hearts　and　affections　devoted　to　the
welfare　of　her　niece；　Miss　Emmerson　had　early
discovered　her　own　incompetency　to　the　labour　of
fitting　Julia　for　the　world　in　which　she　was　to　live；
and　shrunk　with　timid　modesty　from　the　arduous
task　of　preparing　herself；　by　application　and　study；
for　this　sacred　duty。　The　fashions　of　the　day　were
rapidly　running　into　the　attainment　of
accomplishments　among　the　young　of　her　own　sex；
and　the　piano　forte　was　already　sending　forth　its
sonorous　harmony　from　one　end　of　the　Union　to　the
other；　while　the　glittering　usefulness　of　the
tambour…frame　was　discarded　for　the　pallet　and
brush。　The　walls　of　our　mansions　were　beginning　to
groan　with　the　sickly　green　of　imaginary　fields；　that
caricatured　the　beauties　of　nature；　and　skies　of
sunny　brightness；　that　mocked　the　golden　hues　of
even　an　American　sun。　The　experience　of　Miss
Emmerson　went　no　further　than　the　simple
evolutions　of　the　country　dance；　or　the　deliberate
and　dignified　procession　of　the　minuet。　No　wonder；
therefore；　that　her　faculties　were　bewildered　by　the
complex　movements　of　the　cotillion：　and；　in　short；
as　the　good　lady　daily　contemplated　the
improvements　of　the　female　youth　around　her；　she
became　each　hour　more　convinced　of　her　own
inability　to　control；　or　in　any　manner　to
superintend；　the　education　of　her　orphan　niece。
Julia　was；　consequently；　entrusted　to　the
government　of　a　select　boarding…school；　and；　as
even　the　morals　of　the　day　were；　in　some　degree；
tinctured　with　the　existing　fashions；　her　mind　as
well　as　her　manners　were　absolutely　submitted　to
the　discretion　of　an　hireling。　Notwithstanding　this
willing　concession　of　power　on　the　part　of　Miss
Emmerson；　there　was　no　deficiency　in　ability　to
judge　between　right　and　wrong　in　her　character；　but
the　homely　nature　of　her　good　sense；　unassisted　by
any　confidence　in　her　own　powers；　was　unable　to
compete　with　the　dazzling　display　of
accomplishments　which　met　her　in　every　house
where　she　visited；　and　if　she　sometimes　thought
that　she　could　not　always　discover　much　of　the
useful　amid　this　excess　of　the　agreeable；　she　rather
attributed　the　deficiency　to　her　own　ignorance　than
to　any　error　in　the　new　system　of　instruction。　From
the　age　of　six　to　that　of　sixteen；　Julia　had　no　other
communications　with　Miss　Emmerson　than　those
endearments　which　neither　could　suppress；　and　a
constant　and　assiduous　attention　on　the　part　of　the
aunt　to　the　health　and　attire　o