Litchfield enquirer., 1842-08-11
Frona the Philadelphia Saturday Courier.
THE SPINNING WHEEL,
BY MRS. NJ. ST. LEON LOUD

| BY MRS. NJ. ST. LEON LOUD.
There stands, or rather stood, for the Clan
Improvement may, for aught know, hav,
run double railway over the spot, or cXca
waited canal, or divided the beautiful faru
into town lots but there did stand at the dat
OF my story, in the loveliest of New EngIan,
vallies, a large old-fashioned, rambling, ma
ny winged house, which every attempt t.
modernize would have rendered less pcur
esque. One gh-peaked gabe-end tronted
the road, and from each side of latticed
porch over the door, a hardy vine had clam.
bered upward, clinging by its root.like tibres
until the whole grey and weather, beaten
front was covered by draperv of the rich.
est green. Here and there the luxuriant
screen was parted away from the small mar
row windows, which peeped out like bright
eyes from among clustering curls. At the
other end of the house, a venerable willow of
immense size spread its branches protecting
ly abroad, while the summer wind made
sweet music through its waving top. Every
thing around bespoke comfort of the most
substantial kind, but had the proprietor yiel-
ded to the superior taste Of his wife and cid.
est daughter, the shady old homestead that
had sheltered its four generations would soon
have been improved, as far as possible, into n
mere Chinese pagoda. But considering all i'm
provement as innovation, and actuated more
over, BY sincere generation for the home of
his fathers, Mr.. Mason stoutly resisted the
entreaties of Miss Malvina, that the vines
might be torn from the old wall, whose imper-
fections they had so long and lovingly con.
cealed, and coat of white paint substituted {;
or that an unsightly wing might be pulled
down, Or the shrubbery cut away, and rows
of poplars planted 10 form an avenue, and af-
ford prospect; or even that the garden beds
might be changed from the triangles, quad
rangles, and all sorts of angles, which they
exhibited, TO the more ornamental figures of
a plan she had drawn.
But it is time the reader was more partic.
ularly introduced TO the family inhabiting
the mansion we have described, which con-
sisted OF Mr.. Mason, his wife, his aged moth.
er stately and interesting relic of the olden
time. and two daughters. On the eldest Of
these, Mrs. Mason, who had just been read.
ing The Children of the Abbey" bestowed
the twice romantic Marie of Malvina Euphra-
sia while Mr.. Mason claimed the paternal
privilege of naming the youngest Charity
Mr.. Mason himself was a fine specimen OF
New England farmer some years ago. His
father, sharer to the Revolution, had well
nigh impoverished himself by his devotion to
the cause of liberty, and, at his death, left his
son little more than the house in which he
was born, and few acres adjoining but, du-
ring his lifetime, he had endowed him with
that which no vicssitudes could take from
him,a treasure of greater value than houses or
lands; contented disposition, sound and cor
rect principles, and frugal, industrious hab.
its: by the exercise of which he had added
field to tield-buit barns and filled them,
and secured to his family every comfort of
Aifa A. middle age, he found himself the in
farm On wh GIns e 4 " no longer necessary
for him to labor. AS is not unusual ~ these
latter DAYS, there was DIVISION IN Inc Iaml-
~ OF Mr.. Mason for while he strove to per-
petuate the good old primitive habits OF his
ancestors, his wife, whose only dowry when
he married her, was pretty face and abun-
dance of pride, contended that her daughters
ought to be exempt from all labor, 60 to
fashionable, that is, expensive boarding
school, and dress as well as other young la
dies in the institution in no other way, she
declared, could they ever become fitted tor
society. BY dint Of perseverance, she car
ried her point SO far as to obtain her hus-
bands consent that Malvina should receive
what her mother called the advantages of
education" while Charity was to remain
and attend really excellent day school in
the next village.
With this arrangement, Mrs. Mason was
fain 10 comply. for as she said, it was labor
lost, to try to make lady of Charity but in
reality she was unwilling to dispense with
the active and efficient aid rendered her by
her Youngest daughter in all household af-
fairs. The result of these different systems
was, that when after two years, Malvina re-
turned tnselled over with snowy accom-
plishments, Charity had laid up treasure
= ~. If EpnxalnIna Malu;pa
who was her mothers favorite, inherited
many of her peculiar traits of character, and
had profited so well by her instructions,
that She looked upon the necessary avoca-
tons of u farmhouse with sovereign con-
tempt. To her fathers expressed desire
that she should assist about the house, she
pleaded delicate health, and to tablish her
plea, never arose until after the family had
breakfasted But sweet Charity Mason, no
wonder that she was the life and soul of the
place, as blooming with health, her fair
round face dimpled with smiles and her blue
ewes beaming with cheerfulness, she per-
formed, not only her own, but her sisters
share of the household duties. The earliest
carol of the lark, was sure TO be answered
by her blithe voice from tho garden, where
there was some spray TO be tied up, that had
been loose during the night; or from the
dairy, where she was experimenting the dis
posal Of the brinming pans Of milk or from
the orchard, where she was gathering the
early ripe apples that had fallen, before the
pigs and poultry had devoured them; or
from some other place where she was making
herself useful. And no wonder that she was
the pride and comfort of her father, and The
idol of her doting grandmother.
The southern wing Of the house, contain.
ing two rooms, was appropriated to the use
of1ha oldar Mra Macnn and a mara dal;nht