letter containing a formal offer of his hand to Caroline. He confessed his He confessed his former partiality for Nina, and that his affection had been won by the feeling and soul evinced in her singing. On On that security for mind and heart he was willing to rest the happiness of his life! The letter was given next morning to Heissenheimer, who promised to deliver it. About noon, the impatient artist called again on the merchant, who had left for him the following note: "DEAR LOUIS : "Your letter was delivered; but I have no answer for you, for I could only slip it into Caroline's hand, her mistress being present. Ricco and his daughter are gone into the country. They sent to invite you to join them; but you were not at home. Pressing business prevents my seeing you. I send you information, however, as the circumstances may be favorable to you; it is possible you may find Caroline alone at the house. This evening I shall expect to hear from you. "HEISSENHEIMER.” Our artist lost no time in hastening to the chapel-master's house. He rang, and rang; but no one admitted him. After several trials with the same success, he resolved to wait till evening, when Ricco and Nina might be expected to return. Caroline would then be certainly at home. Who knows, thought he, that she has not some friend, whom she has gone to consult? He counted the hours impatiently, till it was quite dark; and stood again among the lindens opposite the house. The windows were open, but the curtains down; there was no light, a sure sign that the chapel-master had not returned. All at once he heard the sound of a piano. It must be Caroline, taking the opportunity of the absence of her master and mistress, to indulge herself in her beloved art! Quickly, but noiselessly, Louis stole up the steps, entered at the door, and passed through the hall. He listened at the door leading into the room; she was singing, with her rich, expressive voice, the same song he had first heard. He could distinguish every word; the the closing line being repeated with some variations. The whole song was unspeakably touching, and full of life, love, and hope, such as only a poetic spirit could express. It filled the listener, like magic, with a feeling of de licious sadness; the soft breath of spring, the whisper of love, could alone be compared with it! Louis breathed quickly. Now is the time or never, thought he, and opened the door. There was only sufficient light in the room to show the outline of a female figure, sitting with drooping head before the piano. The young man drew nigh, unobserved; and suddenly seizing her hand, "Caroline!" he cried, in a voice trembling with emotion. She started up; he still held her hand, and whispered, "Caroline, canst thou love me?" The girl trembled, and placed the hand that was at liberty before her eyes. Her lover tried to remove it, and felt her burning tears upon his own. He pressed her to his bosom. At last, she whispered softly," Will you love me, questioning not who I am?" Louis kissed the lips that uttered these words, and replied, " For ever and ever!" Leaning on the arm of the young man, the agitated girl led the way out of the music-room, and through two or three apartments, towards Nina's cabinet. As they stood before the door, she whispered again, “Grant me my first petition; close your eyes till the word is given to open them." Louis obeyed, in some surprise; they entered the cabinet; Caroline drew away her hand; they stood a moment still. At last, he heard a strange voice say, Now, Louis!" and opened his eyes. The room was lighted up; directly before him stood Heissenheimer; a few paces off, Ricco, supporting the form of a young girl, whose face was hid on his breast. The Italian seemed much moved, but did not utter a word. Louis stood mute with surprise and embarrassment; at length, recollecting himself, he repeated anxiously the name of "Caroline !" The weeping girl lifted her face from Ricco's bosom, and turned towards him. It was NINA! "Nina!" exclaimed the young man. "Nina-Caroline-what you will," answered Heissenheimer; "but the self-same enchantress, whose song has won your heart." "No! Is it possible? Oh, can I believe it!" cried Louis, looking bewildered around him. "The same !" said Ricco. And Nina herself confirmed the truth. No longer doubting, the artist seized her fair hand, and drew her gently to his breast. Long, long, he held her there in silence; amazement-loveunspeakable rapture-deprived him of the power of speech. At last Ricco, who had been walking up and down the room in great emotion, broke the silence. Young friend," he cried, "thou hast nobly borne the trial. Art is a divinity-and for the true artist, no sacrifice is too great! I vowed-and would have kept my vow-to give my daughter to no one who could not value her mind and heart beyond her outward charms! He who could admire the superficial, frivolous maiden, beautiful as she was, and wish for nothing more-would have been unworthy of her better self. Too often have I heard fair words in praise of art; too rarely does too rarely does the action correspond; and he alone has right to upbraid his opponents with their want of discernment, who not only has better judgment, but suffers that judgment to guide his conduct. Now, take my girl if you will! I welcome you as my son !" Louis answered by embracing the kind old man. When their feelings were in some measure calmed, Heissenheimer commenced his explanations. "You have much to thank me for, young man! Till yesterday I was as much deceived as yourself, and was only let behind the scenes after my discovery. I would have you know, all was truth I told you about my hearing the music, and so forth; except that I surprised, not the maid Caroline, but our sweet friend Nina, while her father was accompanying her in the sweet song you heard a few moments since. There was no escape; both were brought to confession, and having them in my power, I stipulated that you should be kept no longer in suspense, else I know not how many fiery trials awaited you." It was my father's will, not mine!" cried Nina; " if you only knew how hard it was for me to play such a part!" Louis answered by an expressive look; and Ricco said, deprecatingly, "My art-my child-my all, was at stake! We are told to be wise as the serpent." "But if the issue had not been fortunate ?" said the young man. Nothing venture-nating win!" "We all risked replied the Italian. something. Let us rejoice that it has ended so happily." Only the poor village musician said Heissenheimer, "has reason to complain, that I sent him out of the world so sentimentally, without asking his leave! Doubtless he would not be much obliged to me-for to-day is his birth-day, and his daughter Caroline is gone to pay him a visit. But what think you, fair lady, of our friend as a physiognomist! Here he has been finding out that your features were inexpressive-and those of Caroline very interesting! "Do not make sport of me!” cried Louis "you were as much in the dark till yesterday as myself." "Well!" said the old merchant"at least I shall claim a kiss for my reward as postillon d'amour !” "Come," interrupted the chapel-master; "let us adjourn to the little back room, where we may find something to eat!" They went, Nina leading the way, leaning on the arm of her lover. The "little back room was a private cabinet, the window of which opened on a small garden in the rear of the house. house. Here was an excellent instrument, by which Ricco was accustomed to compose, and his daughter to sing. A large book-case contained, in rich binding, the works of celebrated composers, of the old Italian school, down to the latest. There was Palestrina, Lulli, &c., and also Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Portraits of the great masters hung round the walls; the bust of MOZART stood on the book-case. Louis believed himself in a sanctuary! The fair priestess stood by his side, and smiled upon him. Her usual frank and lively manner was exchanged for something of a timidity and reserve; but love beamed in her eyes, and kindly regard was expressed in the looks of all present. Heissenheimer was the first to recover his vivacity; and he brought them back to this world by protesting that he was inordinately hungry and thirsty. He should prefer a flask of good Johannisberger to all the dews of Castaly! And they would not forget to drink the health of all the divinities of love and music; yea, the present company included, besides the poor village musician and his daughter Caroline, who certainly ought to have a share in their good wishes! THE HEART'S BRIDAL. (FROM THE ITALIAN OF BY H. T. TUCKERMAN. WRONG me not by hasty censure, Could my heart yield full expression, No blind, fitful adoration, Too ungoverned long to bless, No emotion self-consuming, Vanquished by its own excess; But a true, abiding solace, Like the breath of native air, Passion's tropic heart may foster Seeds that chance has scattered wide, But when absence doth but hallow And long silence only deepens What a sense of right conceals ;— When the wasted spirits freshen, And contentment re-appears, As if then was first discovered The true good which life endears ;— Are such tokens quite unreal? Trust, companionship, devotion, Ardor veiled by casual doings, Are not these the best espousals, Such as God confirms above? And if barred all fond caresses, Have we not enduring Love? MONTHLY FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL ARTICLE. THE Commercial affairs of the country, which were supposed to have been settled permanently through the Compromise Act of Feb., 1833, under an implied pledge that the minimum duties of that tariff were never to be exceeded, after 1842, except for purposes of revenue, have been, during the past two years, powerfully disturbed, through the bold attempts of a class of citizens to obtain special privileges at the expense of the country at large. The unfortunate result of the election of 1840 laid the foundation of the pretence of the successful party, that the people sanctioned the imposition of taxes for other purposes than to raise the means of defraying the necessary expenses of the Federal Government. The effect has been, to disorganize business, to dislocate all the channels of trade, to produce an artificial movement of capital, to reduce prices, and, finally, to involve all dealers in losses so disastrous as to paralyze their movements and stagnate commerce. The last year has been one of decline in prices so continuous, and of investments so unfortunate, that had business been conducted with the proportion of banking credits employed in years gone by, the bank failures and monetary revulsion must have exceeded those of any former period, not even excepting the years 1836-7, 183940. The progress of affairs was evinced to a very great extent in the table of prices current contained in our number for August. The fall in prices of all agricultural productions will average, from the 1st of November, 1843, to November 1st, 1844, twenty-five per cent., and has involved all dealers in serious losses, in no article more than in cotton. The present tariff commenced its operations October 1st, 1842, and consequently, up to the 1st of October, 1844, had been two years in operation. In the year 1843, a very great stagnation prevailed in all departments of business. The cotton market was heavy and falling; the import trade had not been less since the war; agricultural produce very low; the purchasers of goods for consumption very limited, and a general absence of enterprise was apparent. Even protected manufactured goods fell so low in money value that Lowell goods were sold in London. The result of this general business apathy was, that money being thrown out of employ, accumulated to a great extent at the centres of business and the rate of interest fell very low in October, 1843. This abundance of money induced of itself a renewed speculative movement in general business, which movements have all turned out disastrously, because not sound in principle. The progress of the import trade is indicated in the following official table of the quarterly customs received into the Treasury of the States: Two quarters ending April 1, Third quarter ending July 1, Fourth quarter ending October 1, $6,867,941 Total duties, Dutiable goods, The imports, although comparatively small, have paid a high tax, the effect of which has been to draw large sums from the importers into the hands of the government, and the United States deposits with the banks have prospered as follows: This tax, $30,727,176, levied upon goods under cash duties, is a sum advanced by the importers to the government, for which they are to reimburse themselves by adding to it the cost of their goods when they sell them to consumers. It has, however, so turned out, that although the imports have been made in the hope of favorable sales, yet that hope has been disappointed, and serious losses have overtaken the merchants, probably equal to the whole sum advanced by them to the government, say $25,000,000. The fall trade failed to meet the anticipations of the dealers, and they reduced their importations to an extent which diminished the revenue from $4,185,268 in the month of August, to $900,000 in the month of November. The expenses are about $2,500,000 per month. Hence the above table of deposits gives a diminution in the surplus, instead of a large increase as in every previous month. This was the course of the import trade under the full operation of the tariff for two years At the time the import trade began to swell in 1842, a great movement in cotton also commenced. It was supposed that the crop would turn out sufficiently less than the yield of the previous year, to warrant speculative purchases. The supply of cheap capital withdrawn from regular business, gave the means, and operations commenced by buying the cotton to hold on this side of the Atlantic. The progress of the speculation is evinced in the following table : RECEIPTS, exports, anD STOCKS OF COTTON IN THE UNITED STATES. The advance in cotton to Feb. 14, was 25 per cent. The average purchases were 9 cts. The average from that time to April 3, was also 9 cents, at which rate 1,600,000 bales received up to that time cost $57,600,000, on which a loss of 20 per cent., or $11,520,000, was sustained by the fall in price, which was precipitated at the moment the stock held was the largest, by the combination of the Manchester spinners. On the 600,000 bales, subsequently received, a loss of fully $3,000,000 was suffered, making $14,520,000 positive loss to a certain class of dealers, growing directly out of the absurd movements of the gov ernment in interfering with the course near |