It is rarely that a girl of Julia’s age, but little over fifteen, possesses much insight into character.  It was enough for her that her parents invited young men to the house, or permitted them to visit her.  Her favour, or dislike, was founded upon mere impulse, or the caprice of first impressions.  Among her earliest visitors, was a young man of twenty-two, clerk in a dry-goods’ store.  He had an open, prepossessing manner, but had indulged in vicious habits for many years, and was thoroughly unprincipled.  His name I will call Warburton.  Another visitor was a modest, sensible young man, also clerk in another dry-goods’ store.  He was correct in all his habits, and inclined to be religious.  He had no particular end in view in visiting at Forrester’s, more than to mingle in society.  Still, as he continued his visits, he began to grow fond of Julia, notwithstanding her extreme youth.  The fact was, she had shot up suddenly into a graceful woman; and her manners were really attractive.  Little could be gleaned, however, in her society, or in that of but few who visited her, from the current chit-chat.  It was all chaffy stuff,—­mere small-talk.  Let me introduce the reader to their more particular acquaintance.  There is assembled at Mr. Forrester’s a gay social party, such as met there almost every week.  It is in the summer time.  The windows are thrown open, and the passers-by can look in upon the light-hearted group, at will.  Warburton and Julia are trifling in conversation, and the others are wasting. the moments as frivolously as possible.  We will join them without ceremony.

“A more beautiful ring than this on your finger, I have never seen.  Do you know why a ring is used in marriage?”

“La! no, Mr. Warburton.  Do tell me.”

“Why, because it is an emblem of love, which has neither beginning nor end.”

“And how will you make that out, Sir Oracle? ha! ha!”

“Why as plain as a pike-staff.  True love has no beginning; for those who are to be married love each other before they meet.  And it cannot have an end.  So you see that a ring is the emblem of love.”

“That’s an odd notion; where did you pick it up?”

“I picked it up nowhere.  It is a cherished opinion of my own, and I believe in it as firmly as some of the Jews of old did in the transmigration of souls.”

“You are a queer body.”

“Yes, I have got some queer notions; so people say:  but I think I am right, and those who don’t agree with me, wrong.  A mere difference of opinion, however.  All things are matters of opinion.  Aint it so, Perkins?” addressing the young man before alluded to.

“What were you talking about?”

“Why, I was just saying to Julia that all different ideas entertained by different persons, were differences of opinion merely.”

“Do you mean to say, that there is no such thing as truth, or error?”

“I do—­in the abstract.”