The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BRONZE STATUE. back the veil—revealing the bright and sunny lovelinesss of that heavenly creature with so appropriate a name. shoulders—over her her waist, fell the rich, shining, gotden tresses: dark as night—black as velvet— and brilliant as the concentration of ten thousand diamonds, were the magnificent 63 refines his manners, softens the hard points of his character, and smooths the asperities Over her| of his rugged disposition—so that, by cap- bosom—down below) tivating his imagination, securing his af- fections, and enmeshing him in a silken thraldoin fur good purposes, she soothes his cares with her irresistible powers of solace— insensibly pleces him in the way to love eyes which gave so wild and yet so angelic,! the virtues which his selfishness, his ambi- so romantic and yet so divine an expression | tion, and his to that countenance. On her checks the purest carnation died away impercebtibly until it mingled with the fairest and softest lily; and the dazzling clearness and bril- liancy of the complexion appeared as if the vermeil bloom of the peach had been trans- ferred to the surface of the finest damask. The richest scarlet lent its hue to her lips, which were moist, wholesome, and healthy to the sight—worthy portals for the pure and fragrant breath! Spotless, stainless as snow, but of that less gleaming whiteness which belongs to pearls, were the two rows of teeth so perfect in number and faultless in position; and ravishing was the smile which, like Cupid nestling amongst roses, played upon the lips and thus affurded a glimpse of those brilliant teeth. There is a beauty which kindles the fires of indvinition to such an extent that when we Waken at Jast from the illimitable play of afervent fancy, and when we look again at the countenance which thus inspired us, we find that the real charms were enhanc- ed so far into the ideal by our romantic dream that this second contemplation finds them comparatively insipid and powerless : —but when De Colmar awoke from the be- wilderment into which the blaze of Gloria s loveliness plunged his brain—when, after believing for a few moments that he stood in the presence of an angel, he ra'sed his eyes again in the conviction that it was In- deed a daughter of earth—then, instead of beholding her less dazzlingly beautiful— less radiently transcendent in the combina- tion of her charms—he felt, in his wrapt and ecstatic mind, that she was something to be worshipped and adored and that he was the mere dross of earthly clay which ourht to worship and adore! It was no sensual hallucination which he experienced towards that heavenlycreature: the feeling which influenced him was as honornble to him as & man, as it was a glowing tribute to the beauty of herself as a matchless wornan;—for assuredly is the adiniration of female loveliness a virtue— and the Greeks were right when they made it an object of worship. For oh! by means of that admiration which the sterner sex should ever pay to the softer sex, is Woman enabled to exer- cise upon Man that holy influence which — — avarice would otherwise mar —and attaches him to the serene enjoyment of home! Oh! blessed—thrice blessed woman! myriads of harps have already been tuned io thine honor: thousands and thousands of bards have hymned thy praise; and every poet has penned odes in eulogy of thee! But were all those efforts multi- plied a million times, and then remultiplied again and again until language could afford no words to express the magnitude of the tutal sum—still would your merits remain under-rated, your exceliencies but feebly described, and your natural virtues far from adequately extolled Can our readers now entertain some idea of that prefuund admiration mingied with ecsiatic biiss which inspired the soul of Sir Ernest de Colmar, «s he accosted Gloria —tvok her hand—and gently touched it with his lips ? | ‘Is it possible, dear lady,’ he exclaimed at lenvth, ‘that we thus meet again— that you have deigned to remember your promise—that you are here on the very day atid punelital tu the hour appointed a ‘Sr Kuight, you declared that you wish ed to see me again, answered Glorfa, cast- ing down her supéfb"eyes— and | gave the promise which your Excellency haif exact- ed, und which | considered myself bound to keep.’ ‘Yes, Tam aware that I exacted such a promise, Giurla, he said, his countenance ~uddenly assuming an expression of mourn- ful pensiveness, as her musical voice fell softi'y and bewitchingly upon his ear: * and lor use reason | wore than half repent my rashness—radness ‘You now speak bitterly, Sir Knight,’ in- terrupting the heavenly creature, in a tone of such gentle, tender, winning Interest, that De Colmar could not help bending up- on her a look in which positive uff ctlon was expressed. * Wherefore do you regret the words which led to our present meeting ?— is it that the temporary friendship which you experienced for me at the moment, and which was doubtless ns fleeting and transi- tory as the startling circumstances that ex- cited it : ‘Nvu-—no—you are wrong, Gloria,’ ex- claimed De Colmar, taking her hand and pressing it in his own: then instantly comicbooks.com