"
Sickness of her parents at last called her back to the lonely Prevorst,
where, by trouble and watching beside sick beds, her feelings were too
much excited, so that the faculty for prophetic dreams and the vision of
spirits increased upon her.
From her seventeenth to her nineteenth year, when every outward relation
was pleasant for her, this inward life was not so active, and she was
distinguished from other girls of her circle only by the more
intellectual nature, which displayed itself chiefly in the eyes, and by
a greater liveliness which, however, never passed the bounds of grace
and propriety.
She had none of the sentimentality so common at that age, and it can be
proved that she had never an attachment, nor was disappointed in love,
as has been groundlessly asserted.
In her nineteenth year, she was by her family betrothed to Herr H. The
match was desirable on account of the excellence of the man, and the
sure provision it afforded for her comfort through life.
But, whether from presentiment of the years of suffering that were
before her, or from other hidden feelings, of which we only know with
certainty that, if such there were, they were not occasioned by another
attachment, she sank into a dejection, inexplicable to her family;
passed whole days in weeping; scarcely slept for some weeks, and thus
the life of feeling which had been too powerful in her childhood was
called up anew in full force.
On the day of her solemn betrothal, took place, also, the funeral of
T.
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