Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-28
MRTsBURG COUNTY VIRGINIA. THURSDAY MORNING. OCTOBER Is nr


tons she here and there CLEANED few ideas
but this kind Of mental effort was little profta-
! bic and less enlivenng. Blessed Nature stood
ever ready to refresh and siregthen her The
golden dandelion blossoms smiled brightly in
her face, and the trees stretched their friendly
arms over her in blessings; but she had no
time TO listen to their kind voices. 1t would
have been difficult 10 lure her aside from her
arduous path, even if she had known that it
would lead 10 an open tomb.
/ When an object is pursued with such con
centra,ed aim and perseYering effort, ii is al
most always attained. John taught school in
Winters, and worked al whatever his hand
could find TO do in the Summers. Esther
boarded all her earnings to add 10 the Educa-
/ ton Fund, as they called il; and their good
! friend the minister borrowed a hundred dollars
for them, 10 be repaid according to their own
4 convenience. Atlast, the 3.zling hope of ma
ny years was realized. Jonn went to college.
and soon ranked among the best scholars of
his class. His sister still toiled, that he might
have sutiiciency of books and clothing. He
studied hard, and taught school during college
vacations, and returned home at the end of
| four years, atenuated almost to a skeleton.
/ The new milk and cheese whey, the breath
Of the cows and the verdue of the fields, re-
| treshed him, and in some degree restored his
exhausted strength. But now he was freted
with The question, what TO dc with the educa-
ton he had acquired with so much hardship.
An additional expenditure oftime and money
was required to fit him for the Professions
He was not stimulated by any strong prefer
ence for either of them, and his generous soul
resisted the idea of taxing his dear sisters
strength any farther for his own advantage
old ~,.tl
additional force. Why should she, with her
noble nature and admirable faculties, be for
ever penned up within the small routine of
petty cares and more mechanical efforts p
Why should she not share his destiny, and
enjoy with him more expansive atmosphere
for soul and body? To this end he resolved
| 10 labor. He would earn money by the read
lest means that offered, and devote his earn
lngs to her improvement. But Esther said,
''lf you educate me, dear John, what can
do with my education? | can do nothing but
teach school; and for that | am sure my
health is not adequate. The doctor says
must take as much exercise as possible.o
"The doctorl' exclaimed john "Why,
Esther, you never told me you had been i'll
enough TO consult physician"
SIT is merely slight difficulty in nv lcngs, :"
she replied. 81 am going TO spin at the great
wheel this Winter; and think that will cure
me. Do not trouble your kind heart about
me, dear John. While have any health and
strength, will never consent 10 be a burden
upon you, however much you may urge it,
do not believe that sisters ought 10 depend
upon brothers for support | am sure it is far
better ior the character OF woman 10 rely upon
their own energies. But sometimes | think
we have not fair chance in the world of
ten wish, as you do, that it was easy for us TO
obtain more liberal education, and customa-
ry TO use that education IN a ireer scope for
all our faculties. Butnev mind, dear broth
err, the door Of yo'r cage is open, and the
world is all before you. Go where YOU will,
! know you will never forget the sister who
loves you so dearly You are destined TO 90
far ahead Of me in life; but your good heart
will never allow you 10 oe ashamed of your
poor untutored Esther"
John folded her close TO his heart, and turn
ed away 10 hide the gathering teaIs He was
more than ever DESTROYS TO do something for
the high culture of that generous ard alIec-
tionale soul. The way 10 earn a moderate in
come was soon opened to him. The widow
ed sister of one of the college professors want
ed tutor for her sons; and John Golding
was recommended by her brother. Here he
came in contact, for the first time, with the
outward retinements of life. Charming mu-
sic, harmonious colors, elegant furniture, and
above all, the daily conversation Of cultiva-
ted woman, brealhed their gentle and refining
influences over his strong and honest SOUL
Al first, he was shy and awkward, but the
kindly atmosphere around him gradually un
folded the sleeping flower buds within. and
without thinking of the process, the scholar be-
came gentleman. BY careful economy, he
repaid Esther the sums she advanced for his ed
tucauon; but the opposition was forever renewed
how he should manage to have her share his
advantages, without sacrificing her noble spir-
4 1t of independence. His visits to the old
homes lead reminded him, sometimes a little
/ painfully, that he was leaving his family Ear
behind in the career of knowledge and refine
ment. His father chewed his tobacco without
regard TO cleanliness. His kind old mother
woutd cut the butter with the same knife she
used in eating. She had done so all her life,
! but he had never before noticed it, and il yex
\ ed him TO the heart to find him so much an
noyed by 1t now. His serious, gentle sister
was endowed with an unusual degree of nat
ural refinement, which Is usually better teach
er OF manners than mere conventional polite
ness. But once, when he brought home
one OF his pupils, she came out TO meet
them dressed IN new gown. of dingy blue
and brick-red, with figures large enough for
bed curtains. He blushed and was for mo-
ment ashamed Of her; then he reproached
himself that his darling Esther could seem to
him ir any respect vulgar. The next week
he sent her a dress ofdelicate material and qui-
ct colors. and she had tact enough to perceive
that this was silent mode of improving her
TASTE rr
The most painful thing connected with his
own superior culture was the spiritual dis
lance it produced between him and his hon
est parents. Their relative positions were re-
versed. Father and mother looked up with
wondering Difference 10 their children. Like
hens that have Matched ducks, they knew not
what TO make OF their progeny, thus lanchng
out on fiuid elemen! which they had never
tried. But he perceived the distance between
them far mo:e clearly than they could He
could receive the whole of their thought, but
was constantly obliged to check the utterance
his own, from consciousness that illusions
the most common 10 him would be quite unin-
telliglble TO them. "The butterfly may re-