Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-10-21
From the Ne,O Bedford Bulletin.
GRACE FLEMING,
OR THE Il WIN SIS Il f r S.
A FRAGMENT.

|. As l was sitting at my window the 9TH
er evening, idly playing with the tendrils of
the vines which interlaced the trelis and
watching the gorgeous sunset, with its rain
bow tints and mellow CLEANS, was startled
from my dreams by the loud crack of whip
at a short distance, and looking up l OBJ
served an omnibus which had been making
its way from the cars, drive up in front of
beautiful mansion, in one of the neighboring
streets, when the driver handed from the We
hicle young female, protected from the
evening winds by well lined cloak and bon
net, who, without waiting for trunk or band
box, tripped up the avenue that led to the
door, like fairy, opened the door and was
in her mothers arms
"My daughter :"
"Mother 2"
Such were the passionate EXPLANATIONS of
the two at meeting. The young girl enter
ed leaning upon her mothers arm, and the
door closed upon them.
IT. Grace Fleming was a bright and beau
tifu girl in her eighteenth year, fair and en-
qustely moulded. Her father having been
for some years retired from the business in
which he had been successfully engaged,
had removed with his family from the city
to the place of his birth, where still lived
his early friends and relatives But alas !!
we know not when the arrow of death may
strike us. Mr.. Fleming had hardly placed
his foot within his new abode, ere he was
summoned away from the employments OF
life, Just as his two beautiful daughters
twin sisters-twin flowers on the same stalk,
were entering into blooming girlhood. Sy-
bn-the fair and delicate Sybi-survived
her father but a few months, and pining
away into a consumption, dropped into the
grave, ere the sod upon her fathers resting
place was green with the early flowers of
spring. Mrs. Fleming and her surviving,
and now her only daughter were inconsola-
BILE and heart-broken at this double bereave-
ment Sorrow sat upon their desolate
hearth-stone and brooded over their favor
lite haunts. Grace, who had always been
bright, and happy, and cheerful, and whose
soul was bound up in her departed sister, no
longer touched the keys of her Piano with
as merry heart as when she stood at her side
mingling her voice and breathing out her
soul in song. The instrument and the mu-
sic-book lay untouched in their accustomed
places in the drawisg-room. The moss rose
tree that had received the tender care of her
who had been so snatched from the endear-
ments Of her earthly home stood in the vase
upon the mantle-faded and wthered like
the delicate fingers that trimmed its leaves
and screened its bushng gories from the
ungenial air. 1t dropped and decayed on
the very day-at the very hour in which the
young creature bre athed her last-as if the
same breath animated both, and the hgh. Of
an immortal spirit to the realms Of bis:
were but the signal for the rose to yield uT
its increase and scatter its tinted leaves to
the earth in DEATH The last flower, plucked
3 from its stalk, before the death Of the gentle
one was placed in the bosom of the sainteC
q girl as she lay in her coffin, in the room
n through which she had so often bounded
A with light heart. How sweet memoria
then was that rose stalk in the vase of he
who had watched over it while living and re
ceived its last breath Of incense when dead
N Grace cherished it even in its decay an,
even looked for new twig or bud to pu
forth upon its leafless branches
III. Time wore on and poured the balm
of consolation into the heart Of the widowed
mother and her beautiful daughter. AT thu
close Of two summers from the death o
Sybi, Mrs, Fleming had prevailed upol
& an elder sister of her own to take up he
residence with her. With this addition t.
the family circle-now so narrowed b
death-of one who could so well sympathis
with her, the hours passed off more pleasant
iy than could have been expected, Alas
that littlel circle had not yet reached it
smallest circumference In few week
after Mrs. Fleming's sister had become a
inmate Of the Mansion, Grace was induced
by very hatterng offer, to accept an ar
polntment as instructress in private famil
at the South. 1t was bitter hour-that i
which she parted from her mother and tn
home so long loved and cherished. But tn
hour came and part she must. | need ne
detail the incidents of that parting. lmprin
ing fervant kiss on her mothers lips, sh
broke away from her embrace, and from a
the delights of home which had SO won upo
her youthful heart. IaH hH
~. 1t is not my purpose to follow ii
fortunes of Grace Fleming, or those of h
mother during the period which intervene
between the day of her departure and tn
OF her return. Two years of Joy and sorro
had passed away and not once during tn
long interval had Grace visited her mother
The vehicle which described as drivr
up, with a sharp crack of the whip, no
brought them together for the first tin
since their separation. Mrs Fleming h;
been apprsed by her daughter that 81
should soon be with her-no more to lea
her till death should separate them forev
IN this world She was therefore anxiou
ly looking for her when the carriage dro
up They met-the mother and the daug