The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-26
THE NATIONAL ERA.
WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 90, 1880
BY MARTHA RUssI

"-TLare was haughtness In all he did
A soirit de.n. that hrvskeu not 70 be ehidh
Nonsense, Hsryp
II tell You never was more serious in my life,
Amy. As for staying here any longer, to be made
slave Of-never to go, or do, or have anything
like other boys, is what | will not do. That
point is settled | am old enough to act for my
self in some things, fancy"
Certainly, cousin Harry replied Amy Aver
il. archng her dark eyebrows, and pursuing up her
full red lips with Imaginable assumption of gravity
Let me seen she went on, as she commenced
counting upon her fingers, "you are just seven
teen years ten months and seven days old almost
Methusaleh in years, and quite one in wisdom,
it must be admitted. | agree with you iHtiTety
~ 1--we NAV intirely' az our Bridget says"
"Thnk as you will, Amy, you will be forced
TO believe me one of these days. Now, if you can
be serious five minutes together, listen to me. My
fathers temper grows worse and worse. Only this
morning he broke out upon me in terrible pas
sion because he happened to hear that had been
into the dancing school once or twice. He has
taken from me my own colt, Sorrel and am not to
90 out single evening without first going to him,
and saying, please, sir like very child If dis
obey, measures are to be taken 10 compel me to
obedience. Compel. To be told that in the pres
ence of all the household. My very blood boils
every time think of it. Compel. Let him at
tempt it if he dareV
The dimples fed from Amy Averils cheek, and
she trembled with terror as she sawthe handsome
features of her cousin culver and grow almost
liyid with passion and modification as he recalled
some quarrel between him and his stern father
which scenes, she knew, were far too frequent
"And you, Harry Did you say nothing to
exasperate him? Did you speak to him as a
child should speak ~ she eagerly asked al know
he is violent and arbitrary-still he is your ia
Their, and -
"Let him show himself as SUCH then, before he
exacts obedience from men interrupted Harry
Gordon, impatiently. "The duty is not all on one
side, fancy. Violent! You know nothing about
him, Amy. He is the crossest, most obstinate
unreasonable old man in existencer
Hush hush You forget yourself, Harry
You too, are unreasonable
IL will not hush. know and you know, that
what say is the truth. | am neither unreason-
able nor obstinate if they would let me alone II
is my fathers stern unbending, exacting temper
that makes me so. II | can't set down night after
night, in the chimney corner, and pore over q
newspaper or the almanac like John and led, am
to blame? | was born different, as I should
think he might know by this time. You know
Amy, that even as school-boy | always chose
the widest and least trodden paths love ad.
venture, novelty, anything that sets the blood in
motion and gives one the feeling of life Like
my Sorrel can not and nil not walk in one
straight furrow, marked out for me by my father
This constant pressure on the bit maddens me
Every year it grows worse and worse, and IN
bear it no longer"
But where will you go2 What will you do,
ITarry2"
Go to sea-work, fight, beg--do anything,
rather than stay heren
But your mother, Harry"
Amy Averil had touched the right chord The
boys lips quivered-the flush on his cheek faded
and the angry fash in his dark eye gave place to
an expression soft and tender as her own.
My mother! my mother! !" he said, dwelling
upon the word as if he feared to trust his voice
Aye, that is the worst of it, Amy. You do not
know half her goodness. ! wish they were all
like her. how different everything would be.
These quarrels are killing her. see her shrink
and grow pale every time my father looks sternly
at me. believe, after the first shock is over, II
will be better for her when am gone When
she hears that sm making my way in the world
as certainly Shall she will feel less anxious about
me than if had remained here to drag out
dogs life. Then when come home, Amy D.
" But you may never come home Harry Their
are such things in this world as failure, disap
pointment, and deathD
thoughtful shade passed over the boys fac
as he thought Of the fate suggested by his cous
in's words, but it quickly passed away, and in hi
usual quick, gay tone, he replied, al know Their
are, Amy, but don't take them into my reckon
ing Nothing venture, nothing have as our oil
copy used to run. DON'T look so sad, Amy. VIII
knows what the future will bring shall be
great man yet, Senator or member of Congress, Q
whom mother and you will be proud enough o,
what is better, minister to England, where
shall take you with me- and introduce you t
Queen Victoria, or, maybe, | shall 90 to Russi
or China, can't exactly tell which place, but a
any rate shall take you and mother, and you vii
not wear such stuff as this, then" he continues
ghly taking hold Of the light muslin dress, abu
real India aud silks that will turn the heads G
half the women in the States Yes, I shall be
great man yet, you little unbelievern
Aye, Harry Gordon, such has been the drear
Of thousands who have gone forth from th
threshold Of home with aspirations that graspe
at the stars, and hopes as bright as their ligh.
out that light went out in darkness, and thei
names are no more remembered upon earth Go
grant they may be registered in Heaven!
Very earnest and low were Amy Averirs tone
While she strove to soothe the angry mood an
soften the obstinate determination Of her way
ward cousin as they stood amid the lengtheniu
shadows on the old stone bridge midway betwee
Their dwellings and her sunny face was cloude
win apprehension as she turned toward hom
lot there was something in the boys eye and ton
'hat convinced her that the hour of separatio
must sooner or later come
CHAPTER H.
AA' not one child warning to another but ehide Il