The Family Magazine, a Repository of Literary and Entertaining Knowledge (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856. Excerpt: ... widow died, and left a daughter's sorrow in Clara's heart. Young Harry Wilmot, now an orphan, went forth into the world to toil for his bread. The sisters grew in stature, years, and beauty. Clara, like many girls of enthusiastic temperament, possessed deep feelings and great firmness of purpose; while Adelaide was in disposition more giddy, and less firm of resolution; her passions too were strong, and her temper not always even. She was addicted to "castle-building." She had from early childhood indulged an inclination for reverie, which augmented with her years. Every hour unoccupied by necessary pursuits, she would devote to her own beautifully sketched visions of future happiness. By degrees, she found such delight in these musings, that she felt impatient when aroused from them; and after being interrupted, would return to them with increased appetite. No tales of actual wo, no relation of a friend's happiness, no events in which her parents, or her sister, were interested, could excite her feelings so warmly as the dreams of her own romance. It may be asked, what harm was there in the indul gence of these dreams? No other harm than that which must arise from idle reverie: the habit of so enlarging upon our own fancied cares, as to impair that interest and sympathy for others, and for the every-day occurrences of fife, which the Almighty has implanted in us for the general benefit of mankind: the habit also of dwelling so intensely upon our own feelings, and of analyzing their subtilities, of so enhancing their importance on all trivial occasions, as to make the heart more susceptible to outward impressions, and less able to fortify itself against the indulgence of extravagant wishes, or the inroads of inordinate passions. Adelaide formed dreams of ...