Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-12-31
From the Philadelphia Saturday Cottrrcr.
THE SPINNING " HEEL.
BY MRS. NJ. ST. LEON LOUD.


Improv emenl may, for ought know, have run
double railway over the spot or excaVaied ca
nal, divided the beautiful farm into town iots;
but there did stand at the date OF my story, IN
the Ioveiest Of New England vailies, large. old
fashioned, rambling, many-winged house, which
every attempt 10 modernIze would have render
ed less picturesque. One high peaked, gabe-end
fronted the road, and from each SIDE OF a latticed
porch over the door, hardy vine had clambered
upward, clingicg by its rootlike fibres, until the
whole grey and YEA ther-beaten front was cover
ed by a drapery Of tho richest green. Here and
there, the uyuriant screen was parted away from
tho email narrow windows, which peeped out like
lght eyes from amoHg clustering curIs. At the
other end OF the house "A venerable willow OF i'm.
mense size, spread its branches protecungy o.
broad, while tho summer wind made sweet music
through It's waving top. Everything around be-
spoke comfort Of the most substantial kind, but
had the proprietor yielded to the superior taste of
his wife and edes, daughter, the shady ole home
stead that had sheltered its four generations would
soon have been improved, far a possible, into
a mere Chinese pagoda. But considering all i'm
provenent as Innovation and actuated moreover
by sincere veneratIon for the home of his faith
ers, Mr. NJ ,son stoutly resisted the entrea'ies of
Mss MivIna, that the vines might De torn from
the old wall whose impe DIRECTIONS they hid
long and lovingly concealed; and coat of white
paint substituted; that an unsightly wing
might be pulled down, or the shrubbery cut away,
and rows Of popars planted to form avenue,
and afford IA prospect; even that the garden
beds might be changed from tho triangies, quad
rlnges and all sorts of angles, which they
hb,ed. to The more ornamental figures Of plan
she had drawn.
Bat il is time the reader more particular
Iy introduced TO the family inhabting the mansion
we have described, which cons:sfed of Mr.. Mason,
his wife, his aged mother stately and interest
ing relic Of tho olien time, and two daughteys-
Ga the eldes, Of these, Mrs Mason, who had iIst
been reading Tho Children Of the Abbey" be-
IN we'd tvIr TIC me- of E,l-
phrasia; whilo Mr. Mason claimed the paternal
privilege of naming tho youngest Charity. Mr.
M,son himself a ine specimen Of New
England farmer, some years ago. HIS father, a
shlrer IN the x vplutioD, had well nigh Empower
'shed himself by his devotion 10 tho cause Of lib
er,y, and, at his death, left his littie more
than the house ~ which he was born, and few
ncros adj lining; bat, during his life time, he had
endowed him with that which no vcissltudes
could take from him, a treasure Of greater value
than houses lands-a contented dispostion
sound and correct principles, and frugal, industrI
ors habits: by the exercise Of which he had ad-
ded field TO hed--built barns and filed them, and
secured to his family every comfort of life. A,
middle age, he found himself The independent
ner OF a largo and valuable farm. which it
no longer necessary for him to labor. As is not
unusuai in these latter DAYS, there was division
IN tho family Of Mr. Mason for while he srOve
TO perpetua,e the good old primitive habits of his
ancestors, his wife, whose only dowry when he
married her, was pretty face and Abundance OF
pride, contended that her daughters ought 10 be
exemp, from all labor. go TO a fashionable, that is
expensive boarding school, and dress well as
other young ladies IN tho institution; in no other
wav, she declared. could they ever become hued
for society. By dint Of perseverance,, she car
ried her poin, far to obtain her husbands
consent that Miivina should receive what her
mother called the advantages of education.
while Charity to remain and attend really
excellent day school in the village.
With this arrangement Mrs. Mason was lam to
comply for she said. il was labor lost. 10 try
10 make a lady of Charity, but IN reality she was
unwilling to dispense with the active. and efficen
aid rendered by her Youngest daughter in all the
household af,irs. The result Of these different
systems was, that when after two wears. Malvina
returned tinselled over wirh snowy accomplish
men,s, Charity had laid treasure Of the ster
ling of knowledge. Mhvina. who was her
mothers favourie. inherited many Of her pecuIi
traits OF character, and had profted so well by
her Instructions that she boxed upon the necCS
sary avocatons Of a farm house with sovereign
contempt. To her fathers expressed deslre that
she should assist abou, the house. she pleaded del
icate health and, to establish her plea. never
until after the family had breakfl ste d
But sweet Charity Mason-no wonder that she
was the life and soul of the place, bloomin 9
with health. her fair round face dimpled with
smiles and her blue eyes beaming with cheerful
ness she performed. not only her own. but her
sisters share of the household duties. The ear
lest carol Of the lark sure to be answered
BY her blythe voice from the garden where there
was some spray TO be tied up, that had broken
loose during the night: or from the dairy, where
sho was superin tending the disposal of the brim-
ming pans Of milk; from the orchard where
she was gathering the early ripe apples that hac
fallen, before the pigs and poultry devoured Them
or from some other place where she making
hersei useful. And wonder that she the
PRIDE ana comfor, Of her father, and the idol o
her doting grandmother
The southern wing of the house containing ,w,
rooms. was appropriated TO the use of the eide
Mrs Mason, and a more delightful re,rea, fer noe
could scarcely be imagined. On each side of
door opening into the garden. were rose bushes
whose branches, weighed down with their fra
grant blossoms, met above. while the room w,