Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-05-26
THE GENERALS PEW.

| Where do you sit in church, Lady l.?
inquired an old lady visitor at the country seat
of my mother one Saturday evening.
fJust above the Generals Pew, said my
mother 30
sWho is the General
| Il beg you thousand pardons. He and his
family and his ancestry have been SO well known
here for ages, that have forgot to mention his
name. Heis the owner of the most beautiful
spot in our country, Gen. Lyle, of Elms. He
is the father of The beautiful family you will see
in church to-monew.
And they were indeed beautiful family,
those little inmates of the generals Pew /!
was then boy of twelve, and remember that
my poor gentle mother was wont to praise my
steady devotion. Alas!--she never dreamt that
as my head bent over the edge Of the gallery
SO devotedly, my eyes were as devotedly fixed
on the Generals Pew! that my attention was
absorbed in watching the rosy lips of Helen
Lyle, the downcast lashes of Florence's snowy
lids and the pure, pale loveliness of Sybyl Lyle,
who was four years my junior then, and yet
looked full as old as did. Then there were
five sons, all in church regularly every Sunday.
Henry, intended for the army; Elms, for the
church; Tom, already midshipman; and Two
little creatures who nestled in the corner, with
their shining heads bent over the largest book
IN the Pew. Mrs. Lyle was at least eighteen
years younger than Gen. Lyle, butt had been a
love match--for mother remembers her first in
PRODUCTION to that Pew before her marriage, anI
his devotion OF manner towards her, and n thou
sand little things which we men never notice.
Tie General himself was in the prime Of life
whel,I was twelve; but was dreadfully afraid
of hun, for he once SAID to my mother, whilst
the words called tears down her widowed
cheeks
sPack off that tutor, Lady L., and do no,
make mik-sop of your only child. Send him
to school-to Westminster---where sent my
Tom
But did dot go to Westminster went to
Harrow; and Only once year did | journey
home to Yorkshire. Each year how nnxousiy
Ilonged for the first Sunday, that might exa-
mine the Generals Pew! twas large square
Pew, containing twelve (if necessarily lined
with purple velvet, and carved oak table in
the centre. A painted window was situated at
the northeast Of it, and beautiful was the effect
of the stream of coloured light as it swept over
tho gorgeous velvet in its brilliant passage
across the dear old church.
When was fourteen, my mother came TO
London for two years, and then went abroad
for three. At the termination of this period
was recalled, by the death Of that gentle moth
er, to take possession Of my home; and it was
with feelings Of curiosity and anxiety that en-
tered the church, and glanced from my seat to
the generals Pew. There he was---shat proud,
soldier like figure: but his cheek was more hol-
low, his brow more furrowed, and On the com.
pressed lip there was tinge Of sadness; but his
fine stately head was erect as ever, and his
searching eye as bright. There were the three
beautiful daughters and the five sons; but the
Pew caught the colored rays Of the painted
window less brilliantly lined with black
velvet. n looked at the daughters again; they
were all in black. 1t was then that observed
one place vacant--Mrs. Lyle was NOT there! -
Before the Communion, saw Ellns Lyle, a
pale, delicate young man--leave the Pew, and
/ tho't he would soon follow his mother to the
grave, since be could not sit out the service.
But was wrong, in few moments he had re-
entered the chuTch, In few more he was IN the