Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-09-08

THAT would be easy enough, if you were
sick or in Distress said the landady.-
.nrs. Walton is famous for her broths and
possets; and as for Clara, why, she shinks
nothing Of going miles to carry something
nice to the sick, or to watch with the poor,
while she would not spare an afternoon
from her work or her books to visit neigh
Dor, sociably.'
ooh, what eulogy!' exclaimed Mrs.
Conant, turning to her daughter. sHow
glad am to find that the moral beauty of
the dwellers in that lovely cottage is in
unison with the charms of nature around
them What Paradise we might have of
this earth, fall were good and kind.'
'Clara and her mother are good and kind,'
chimed in the landlady; shat everybody
allows; but people said they are over
proud, though certainly, as Mrs. Walton is
not able to 90 out much-she has the asth-
ma terribly at times-except to church, it
is not strange that Clara stays at home with
her, and to take care of poor Henry. But
then, she never seems to care about going
and that is strange; and now as she has
managed to catch the richest match in the
State of Vermont, suppose she will hold
her head higher than ever.'
'rhen presume Miss Walton is soon to
be married. remarked Emily Conant.
q hope so,' replied Mrs. Bell; 'for they
say her mother is urging on the match
But indeed, poor lady, who can blame her,
when Mr.. Palmer is so rich, and they have
nothing'
'But the COTTAGE said Mrs. Conant.
ooh, that is not their own they live
there on suiierance,' replied the other.-
'The place is owned by the Rev. Mr.. For
rester.'
'What-Chares Forester p inquired
Emily Conant.
Yes, believe his name is Charles. At
any rate, he is southern gentleman, and
came here with his invalid mother, who
had been ordered to try our bracing cli-
mate,' said the loquacous Mrs. Bell. 'He
fitted up the cottage which he bought, and
ornamented the grounds, and lived there
two years or more, and became very int-
mate with the Waltons. ! told you they
always visited the sick so Mrs. Forester
had Clara with her nearly half the time;
and Mr.. Forester gave her lessons-she
was mere girl when they came not
more than fifteen, you know-so he gave
her lessons in music and drawing, and all
sorts of languages some say he taught her
Hebrew; and when they went away, they
put the Waltons into the cottage to take
care of IT.
sThe Foresters have been absent near
| Ill IL. Ia,
nant.
'Thereabouts, said Mrs. Bell. 'But news
has Just come that the old lady is dead, and
Mr.. Forester is coming back soon. SO |
suppose Mrs. Walton will hurry Clara's
marriage otherwise they would have go
into cheap lodgings, which would terribly
mortify her, after living so long in such a
lovely place-so people say
And thus, under the shelter Of that con-
venient oracle, the sayings of the thought
less, the idle, or the envious, did Mrs. Bell
virtually bear false witness against her
neighbor, and yet they both knelt at the
same altar, and took the symbols of the Sa-
vior's dying love from the same pastors
hand. Nay, more than this, Mrs. Bell, in
pious, humble christian. Truly, evil speak
ing is the sin which, in social life, requires
our most constant watchfulness. Let us
pray, each morning, not to be led into this
temptation, but that we may have our hearts
filled with that charity which suilereth long
and is kind, which believeth no evil, and
giveth tongue to no slanderous report.
AT the very time when this conversation
between the Conants and Mrs. Bell occur
red, a scene was passing at the cottage,
which, could they have known, would
have read them lesson never to have been
forgotten.
Mrs. Walton was sittlug by her work.
table, which stood not far from an open
window that overlooked the river, called,
in poetic lore, the ''soft-fowing Connecti-
cut" (but which here, compressed in its
channel, was deep and rapid,) and the green
hills beyond. 1t was soft June evening,
the sun had disappeared behind the western
mountains, but his beams yet rested on the
heads of the tall cliffs that bordered the
river, and frightened the old ever-greens
that clothed the broken hills on the eastern
shore. The flowers that surrounded the
, cottage, were filled with fresh fragrance as
the evening drew on; and the birds that
thronged, unmoested, in this sanctuary Of
peace, were pouring forth their sweetest
songs OF thankfulneSs and love.
But all these beauties and perfections o.
nature were lost on Mrs. Walton. Hel
thoughts We're busy with the past, while
her heart yearned towards her daughter
She felt the time had come when deep les
, sons, which errors and suiIerings had en-
graved on her own heart, must be told tC
Clara. The sweet girl was leaning beside
:, the open window, the pale roses that drop
:, ped over head were not so white asher cheel
!, Yet she shed one tear, breathed ne sigh
. her eyes were, in truth, bright as thougl
:, she had herved her soul for some deep sa
, crifce of self at the shrine ofduty.
rs She had that day, received the reiterated
as and urgent offer of marriage from Mr.. Pal
mer, with pledge that II she should be
IN come his wlfe, her mother and brothe
W should be amply provided for--shoul,