"
"If she had dazzled us with that splendid pin alone," returned my
friend, "we might never have been tempted to look beneath the jewel,
far down into the wearer's heart. But, diamond earrings, and a
diamond bracelet, added--we know their value to be just twelve
hundred dollars; the public is specially inquisitive--suggest some
weakness or perversion of feeling, and we become eagle-eyed. But for
the blaze of light with which Miss Harvey has surrounded herself, I,
for one, should not have been led to observe her closely. There is
no object in nature which has not its own peculiar signification;
which does not correspond to some quality, affection, or attribute
of the mind. This is true of gems; and it is but natural, that we
should look for those qualities in the wearer of them to which the
gems correspond."
I admitted the proposition, and my friend went on.
"Gold is the most precious of all metals, and it must, therefore,
correspond to the most precious attribute, or quality of the mind.
What is that attribute?--and what is that quality?"
"Love," said I, after a pause, "Love is the most precious attribute
of the mind--goodness the highest quality."
"Then, it is no mere fancy to say that gold corresponds to love, or
goodness. It is pure, and ductile, and warm in color, like love;
while silver is harder, and white and shining, like truth. Gold and
silver in nature are, then, as goodness and truth in the human soul.
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