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Are numerous, embracing Professional and Amateur WRITERS OF THE FIRST DISTINCTION. Great EXPENSE is incurred and great pains are taken to secure an ABUNDANT SUPPLY of interesting and instructive matter.

Will be exceedingly varied, embracing Reviews, Tales, Novels, Poems, Essays, Travels, Sketches, Biography, History, Popular Science,

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For the best paper on the present state of American Letters, the prospect and means of their improvement,

The best Review of the works of some Native Prose Writer,
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Their publication to commence with a new volume and the unsuccessful competitors to be at the disposal of the Editor.

MANY IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED

With a new volume, and the style rendered still more excellent. As it aspires to be

THE LITERARY ORGAN OF THE SOUTH AND WEST, It is expected that they, (and the North and East also.) will LIBERALLY encourage it-as such. It congratulates the West on the success of their NAVAL DEPOT;-a work of its own creation.

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On an average SIXTY-FOUR pages, a number, SIXTEEN PAGES MORE than most of our Magazines; and is published MONTHLY, at FIVE DOLLARS, per annum;-FIVE COPIES for Twenty Dollars. If the Friends of the Cause and Agents exert themselves,

It will soon be visiting every month, at least TWENTY THOUSAND STANCH SUBSCRIBERS.

Richmond, Virginia, July, 1844.

N. B.-Subscriptions received at once.

B. B. MINOR, Editor and Proprietor.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"The Sciote Captive," by "Nasus;""The Blind Preacher and the British Spy," and more of Pliny's interesting letters, in our next. "Thoughts," by Dr. John C. McCabe; "The Eye of Blue;" "To My Cigar;" The favors of Mrs. E. J. Eames, E. B. Hale and W. W. Andrews; "Hope, ad echo from the - of S. Carolina;" "Friendship, from the Italian;""Alfred, an Historical Poem:""Sonnets to Franklin's Printing Press;" "Love Sketches;" "Leigh Hunt's Poems;" and "The Cecesbia, or Customs of Sicily," are accepted.

The following are respectfully declined: "The Disappointed Lovers;" "Stanzas," from B. R. B.; "L. M. T." "B. W. A. ;" "Yorick;" "Lyrae;" "The Wrong of the Rose;" "Time and the Tide of Life;" "Lines to him who best understands them;" "Lines," &c., by a Student of the University of Va.; " "Shelley ;" "Mike Grizzle;" "The Rose of Sommerville," &c. ; " On Duelling." "Nature," a Poem, received. "The Iron Steed;" "Thoughts on the Sources of Human Happiness," and accompanying poems; "The Warrior's Maiden;" have yet to be examined.

PAYMENTS TO THE SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.

Received since the publication of the Aug. number. If any names should have been omitted, they will appear on the cover of the Oct. number. No order hereafter (come from whatever quarter it may.) for the Messenger, will be attended to unless the money accompanies it, nor will any Bank Bills, other than those which are current at par in the States where they are issued, be received in payment for subscriptions.

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.

SEPTEMBER, 1844.

GERTRUDE; AN ORIGINAL NOVEL.

CHAPTER I.

"Well! my daughter ?" said Mrs. Austin, with an approving smile, and in a tone of inquiry.

cacy, and disgusted you, by teasing you about him. Now this time I have said nothing, and left you to yourself. But though I was silent you could not help knowing my wishes; and that, I suppose, was enough to determine you to disappoint them. Obstinate, disobedient, ungrateful girl!"

The young lady was entering the room with an air of recovered composure, though a slight tinge upon her cheek, and an excited flash of the eye, and an almost imperceptible quivering of the lip showed that she was not entirely free from emotion. In her step, and the carriage of her head there was an expression of self-confidence and offended pride; and, on the whole, it was plain, that whatever might be the feeling of the moment, self-ther, sensible of her injustice, instantly softened. reproach had no part in it.

"Well! my daughter: is all settled ?"

"I hope so, Ma'am," was the quiet reply.

Poor Gertrude burst into tears, and sinking on the sofa, covered her face with her hands. She felt that she did not deserve this reproach—but she did not expostulate. It was needless. The Mo

"My dear Gertrude," she said, “you must forgive my harshness. You have always been good and dutiful, in every thing but this; and hence per

"Mr. Crabshaw then is the happy man at last ?"haps it is, that I am the more impatient at finding

"I trust, Mother, I wish Mr. Crabshaw at least as much happiness as he deserves, but I do not expect that I shall ever contribute to it."

"How!" exclaimed Mrs. Austin, in a tone of unfeigned amazement; "is it possible that you have rejected an offer that has made you the envy of all the girls in the village?"

"I do not know, Mother, who may envy me, but I have certainly given Mr. Crabshaw an answer which should forever free me from his unwelcome addresses."

you so unreasonable and intractable. But what am I to think of your behavior? I have had no reason to suspect that you had gone, like a silly girl, and fallen in love with somebody who was not thinking of you, and I do not know how to understand your obstinate rejection of the best offers." "Is it not enough, Mother, that I have as yet seen no man whom I can love?"

"Love!! repeated Mrs. Austin, with that scornful emphasis, with which the word is sometimes uttered by ladies whose day of love is past; "Love! and what should you know about love?"

"Nothing, Mother, but what I am told, and of that I understand and believe no more than what is self-evident-that whenever I do love any body well enough to be willing to leave all my friends, and spend my days with him, I shall not be unconscious of it."

"There you are mistaken, my dear. People are very often in love before they suspect it, and remain in ignorance of their true feelings, until something happens to interpret them."

"I do not know how that can be, Mother. I love you, and my kind good father, and my little sister, and all my friends; and I could as soon be

hungry, or thirsty without knowing it, as insensible to my affection for these."

At this moment Dr. Austin entered the room, and wearily threw himself on a sofa opposite to

"O yes! But the love we are talking of is that on which Gertrude sat. Though but her stepquite a different affair."

"Different! So I have been told before. I wish people would not call different things by the same name. But if I love Mr. Crabshaw, it must be because the love you speak of is more like disgust, contempt and aversion than any thing else. I certainly have no pleasure in his company: I see no sense in any thing he says; his sentiments, to me, seem low and mean: I find nothing in his conduct to approve; and I am always glad when he goes away."

father, he regarded and loved her as his own child, and unaccustomed to any reserves in his family, thought nothing of breaking in upon a conversation between his wife and her daughter. His presence caused no interruption, though it might have moderated the coarseness of the last remark. But the arrow had sped. The words had been uttered, and were fixed in Gertrude's mind as a text and interpreter to what might follow. The lady went on. My dear daughter, you must bear in mind your situation and circumstances. You know you have no fortune. The small property left by your father was dissipated in my widowhood, by the necessary expenses of a helpless family; and a young woman so situated, must make up her mind to lay aside all romantic notions, and never think of marrying any man who is not rich enough to establish her in You have my example to serve you as a warning, though you can never know the trouble

"Pshaw! That is only because he is your lover, and girls are always so, at first. It is disagreeable to be always teased and harassed with attentions, which are often ill-timed; but let engagement once establish confidence and security, and so put an end to that sort of troublesome importunity, and who knows how soon you might love life. him?"

And suppose I should not, Mother; what then and anxiety I experienced, when left by your poor would become of the engagement ?"

But that is not to be supposed." "Is love then sure to follow!" "I do not exactly say that."

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"Then again, my dear Mother, let me ask what is to become of the engagement if it does not?" That will depend on circumstances. If a more advantageous offer, or one more acceptable and equally advantageous should be made, it might be broken off; but, if not, then let the marriage take place, and let love come afterwards."

The only answer to this was a look of perplexed amazement. Gertrude could hardly believe that she had heard aright. Yet her ears could not have deceived her; and she dared not trust herself to utter to a mother she loved and respected, the only reply to such a proposition that rose to her lips.

father in such narrow circumstances. But I formed what I thought the best plan for you. Instead of trying to save a scanty pittance which must soon be gone, I thought it best to give you an education that might qualify you for the highest places in society; and now, if you throw yourself away upon a poor man, you defeat my plan, disappoint my hopes, and prepare for yourself the same distresses which I experienced.”

66

But Mother, I have no thought, as yet, of marrying any body, and would rather live single all my life, than marry a man whom I cannot love. I am thankful for your attention to my education, and wish I could have profited by it more. But, my dear Mother, you did not endeavor to improve my mind in order to qualify me to be the wife of one whose principles I disapprove, and whose understanding I cannot respect."

Mrs. Austin felt that she had struck a hard blow. But she had of late learned to blame herself for "Live single all your life!" exclaimed the Moher neglect of this important point in the training ther, giving the go-by to the latter part of this of a daughter; and, far from wishing to recall it, speech. "And how are you to live? Who is to she was glad it had been given, and determined to maintain you, when you have power to do somefollow it up. "My dear child," she continued, "a thing for yourself, and will not? Here is poor Dr. pure-minded and simple girl like you cannot un-Austin with his large family of children to provide derstand these things. None but a married woman can understand the feelings of a woman toward the father of her children."

for, and nothing but his profession and this little farm to depend on and because he is so good as to give you home, and maintain you without charge till this time, you have no right to expect him to do so always."

Gertrude was indeed a pure-minded girl; but there was a significant emphasis in these words, and they were accompanied by a meaning look, The Doctor rose from his seat, walked directly from which her earnest gaze was instantly with- across the room to Gertrude, laid his hand gently drawn. Ideas which the delicate instincts of wo-on her head, and bending over her, kissed her foreman had taught her to chase from her mind had head. "Bless you, my dear noble girl," said he. been summoned by the words of her own mother: "I honor your pure and virtuous heart, and love and, with downcast eyes, a burning blush, and a you better than ever for what you have done. I starting tear, she sat the image of wounded deli- have just seen Mr. Crabshaw, and was pleased, cacy and violated modesty. and not at all surprised to learn the result of his