Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-05-18

had one now, clappcd my hands with de-
light, and flew over the house, shouting to
every one, "Sster is come oh, sister is
GOMEZ"
Thus ioyfully did l unconsciously hail
my best, my dearest companion, the sharer
of all my cares, the brightener OF all my
pleasures, my gentle, aflectionate, true
hearted sister Kate.
Years passed on, and, one after another,
brothers and sisters were added to Our house
hold. After Kate, came the twins Marga-
ret and Herbert then sturdy, frank, mer-
ry-hearted boy, Miles, and last of all the
youngest darling, bright-haired, blue-eyed
Dora. We had happy childhood; our
station in the world was high enough to
have all harmless pleasures and studies such
as the young require and yet we were un-
chained by the forms to which rich mans
child were subjected We had no costly
dresses to spoil we were suffered to run
out in the green fields to play without
domestc's eye always upon us; the sun
was free to kiss our sisters fair checks, ii 1t
liked, and the clear, shallow stream might
invite us boys to pleasant bath without
fear of drowning. Our learning consisted
OF what was useful and necessary to our
station, but without idle accomplishments;
my father thought it was better not to force
his boys TO hard study, and my mother
loved better to see Kate ard Margaret using
their active fingers in fabricating garments
than in playing the harp. Yet never was
a sweeter voice, or a clearer tone than our
Margarets when she enlivened the winter
evenings with her music, and long before
Kate grew to womanhood, she possessed
requirements in literature of a sound and
sterling nature, above most of her sex.
In large family, many are the diversi-
ties of character that produce dscord and
varieties of mood and temper will always
bring passing clouds. Thus even in our
little Eden of innocence there were storms
now and then. Many a care did wild,
headstrong Miles give 10 our parents from
his very childhood, and beautiful Marga-
ret was often wiful and vain. Then there
was another sore grief. For five years the
twins had grown up together, the same in
beauty and health but there came a
change. An accident belrl Herbert, and
the child rose up, from his bed Of sickness
pale and crippled being, the shadow of
/ his former self. His sister grew up tall and
blooming, but except in poor Herberi's gen.
/ tie face, the resemblance between them
/ was gone. Not so the love which is ever
so strong between twins Herbert and Mar
garet were all in all to each other, and If
was a touching sight to see the diminutive
and deformed boy cherished, tended and
protected by his beautiful sister, whose care
he returned with an intense love that
amounted almost TO worship. To him she
was all perfect, and she, on her part, would
leave us all, in the midst OF our plays, to
sit beside the frail, delicate boy, who could
no longer share them.
We had our yearly festivals-our COW
slip gatherings, our blackberry huntings,
our hay-maklngs, all those delights so pre-
cious to country children. Our five birth
days, too, were each little epoch in the
years, TO be signalized by simple presents
and evening merry-makings in the garder
or the house, as the season permitted. Her
bert's and Margaret's birthday was The
: grand era, for it was the sunny time o
May, and there were double rejoicings t'
be made. The twins were exalted in ou
luburnum bower, set upon chairs, decorated
with flowers, and crowned with wreathS.-
| fancy / see them now-Margaret, in he
girlish beauty, smiling under her brilIian
garland, and poor Herbert looking up t
: her with his pale, sweet face.
"How beautiful you are to-day, Marga
: ret :" | heard him once say TO her, whel
we were all gone away, to pluck NOR
| flowers. 81 cannot believe what they tel
me, that you and | were once so muc
alike, they could hardly distinguish on
Y from the other. You are so pretty, wit
: your rosy cheeks and your brown hair, BIT
/" and Herbert glanced at his ow
S shrunken and meagre limbs, and the teal
came into his eyes,
:, Margaret's smiling face became mourn
e full; "Herbert, dear, if you talk thus,
shall be very unhappy. Do you think
g am any better or prettier than you, becau;
e I am strong and you are not, or that m
cheeks are red and yours pale"
q "Ah! but if could only run and lea
y like Mile, there See how he is carryir
= little Dora over the stepping-stones at II
: brook. Oh, Margaret, | am very helpless
81 love you twenty times better than
" do those great, strong, rough boys" erie
: Margaret, passionately. "Don't say a
= othes word, Herbert; / had rather ha'
.v you Just as you are. You are handsom
> than Bernard, with his ugly, brown fac
Is and better than Miles, with his rude ter
per; and you are my own twin-broth6
d. and will love you and take care of "
ry all my life"
10 Margaret said these words with energ
.r2 that almost amounted to impetuosity, Ell
% bracing Herbert with strong Affection
or The thick llac-bushes did not reveal th
hi this little conversation had been overheaI
mr. and though the allusion to "great, rou
an boys" was anything but palatable, yet
its felt glad that poor Herbert was console
re. and that his quiet penSive smile had retur
ed ed. My grave and gentle sister Kate &C
,ot soled my wounded vanity.
ter "Bernard," she said, "you in your hea
10 and strength, can hardly feel tender