The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-20

| lace. Eva received 1t with perfect simplicity,
without even change of feature; merely say
ing Pm glad you feel so, dear Henrique. |
hope you will remember
The dinner-bell put an end to the interview.
9 qa.7=z
! Two da, r.. ...stg . tsArs sps
augustine rar,c, anti {.f, . to ~: ,, u.
stimulated, by the society of her young cousin,
to exertions beyond her strength, began to fail
rapidly. ST. Clare was at last willing to call
in medical advice-a thing from which he had
| always shrunk, because it was the admission
| of an mwelcome truth.
But for n day or two Eva was so unwell IN
| to be confined to the house. and the doctor was
| called.
Marie St Clare had taken no notice of the
child's gradually decaying health and strength
because she was completely absorbed in study
ing out two or three new forms of disease to
| which she believed she herself was a victim 1t
was the first principle of Maries belief that
nobody ever was or could be so great sufferer
| as heraLf-and therefore sha always repealed
quite Indignantly any suggestion that any one
around her could be sick She was always
sure, in such case, that it was nothing but
aziness or want of energy and that if they
had had the suffering she had, they would soon
know the difference
Miss Ophelia had several times tried to AVA
ken her maternal fears about Eva, but to no
avail.
81 don't see as anything ais the child" she
would say SHE runs about and plays
| But she has cough"
Cough you don't need to tell me about a
cough. Pve always been subject to cough all
my days When was of Eva's age, they
thought was in a consumption. Night after
night Nanny used to sit mp with me-. Or.
Eva's cough is not anything
But she gets weak, and is short-breathedn
ouy hsf Va h snflsd ahat '''--- --A
ABut she sweats so, nights"
"Well, have, these ten years Very often
night after night, my clothes will be wringing
wet. There won't be a dry thread in my night
clothes, and the sheets will be 50 that Nanny
has to hang them up to dry! Eva doesn't
sweat anything like that"
Miss Ophelia shut her mouth for n season
But now that Eva was fairly and visibly pros
trated, and doctor called, Marie all on a sud
den took a new turn.
| She knew it, she said she always felt
it. that she was destined to be the most mis-
cradle of mothers Here she was, with her
wretched health and her only darling child
going down to the grave before her eyes"--and
Marie routed up Nanny, nights, and rum
pissed and scOlded with more energy than ever
all day, on the strength of this new misery.
my dear Marie, don't talk So" said st.
Clare. You ought not to give up the case 80
| at once"
''You have not mothers feelings St. Clare!
You never could understand me you don't
now"
But don't talk so, as if it were a gone
cascn
IL can't take it as indifferently rs you can,
st. Clare. IL you don't feel when your only
child is in this alarming state, do. It's blow
too much for me, with all was bearing be-
| foren
"Its true.n said St Clare, that Eva is very
delicate, that always knew; and that she has
grown 10 rapidly as to exhaust her strength ;
and that her situation is critical But just now
and by the excitement of her cousins visit, and
the exertions she made The physician says
there is room for hope"
"Well, of course, if you can look ON the bright
side pray dots mercy if people haven't
sensitive feelings in this world ! am sure |
wish didn't feel as dot only makes me
completely wretched wish | could be as easy
| as the rest of you ~
And the crest Of them had good reason TO
breathe the same prayer, for Marie paraded her
new misery as the reason and apology for all
sorts Of infections ON every one about her. Every
word that was spoken by anybody, everything
that was done or was not done everywhere, was
only new proof that she was surrounded by
hard-hearted insensible beings, who were I'M
| ,,.;ndGl Of har ,.oouliar Poor Eva
heard some Of these speeches, and nearly cried
her little eyes out in pity for her mamma, and
in sorrow that she should make her so mucl
distress
In a week or two there was great improve
ment of symptoms--one of those decetful lnlls
by which her inexorabe disease 80 often be
guiles the anxious heart even on the verge o
the grave Eva's stepwas again in the garden
in the balconies--she played and laughedagain-
and her father, in transport, declared tina
they should soon have her as hearty as any
: body. Miss Ophela and the physician alone
felt no encouragement from this Elusive truce
There was one other heart too, that felt thu
same certainty, and that was the little heart 0
Eva. What is it that sometimes speaks in thu
soul so calmly, 50 clearly, that its earthly time
, il short Is it the secret instinct OF decayinl
nature. or the souls impulsive throb, as i'm
mortality draws on? BE it what it may,
! rested in the heart of Eva calm, sweet pro
. phctic certainty that Heaven was near,-caim
rs the light of sunset sweet as the bright still
!. ness of autumn, there her little heart reposed
r only troubled by sorrow for those who loved he
so dearly
For the child, though nursed 20 tenderly, AM
though life was unfolding before her with ever.
brightness that love and wealth could give, ha'
y no regret for herself in dying
A In that book which she and her simple Oh
friend had read NO much together, she had scel
, and taken to her young heart the image OF ON
> who loved the little child and as she gazed an
- mused He had ceased to be an image and
70 ncture Of the distant past, and come to be liz
A Inc allsurrounding reality, His love eniolde
- her childish heart with more than mortal ter
a derness. and il was to Him, she said, she wa
y going, and 10 His home.
But her heart yearned with sad tenderne'
= Far ali that she was 10 leave behind hcrfnthe
u most--for Eva, though she never distinct
Thought No. had an instructive PERCEPTION thi
n she was more in his heart than any other 81
loved her mother because she was NO LOVING
w creature, and all the sel6shness that she ma