The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-29
For the National Era
A DIARY.
BY MARTHA RUSSELL.

H, NOU. 9th, 1885,.
No, not that album, loaded with gilt like an
Eastern slave, even though it be precisely
like the one on Lady Blessington's table, as
the giver, Mr. H., assures me; but this one in
plain black, with only the design of the serpent
f. done upon the back. 1t is plain and sub.
stantial, !" as old Mrs. A. was pleased to say of
myself and when Harold T. gave it me, point
ing to the design, he bade me heed the symbol
well, saying in that calm, grave way of his,
| that | lacked both wisdom and gentleness
My master" should hardly have borne that
from any one else. Bot, perhaps, he was
| right-right, also, when he said that women
could not exist without confdant." denied
| it then and resented it az q libel; but now
after four weeks sojourn with these relatives
with whom it seems impossible to establish any
thing like relations OF confidence, begin to
feel its truth, else should not be blotting the
blank leaves Of his gift
n B. | will never own rs much to him
think | will dedicate the book to Vaouna,
the goddess of the idle; doubtless many of my
salfconsttuted advisers would think it very APP
propriate Not that ! admit that have any
more of an inherent proclivity to what, in their
eyes, constitutes the "sum of all moral evil y
idleness-than many Others but am, unfor-
tunately, always doing those things which !
ought not to do, and in way in which they
ought not to be done; and, as Aunt Minick
said, when | saw no impropriety in carrying
from Stewards TO her house small parcel,
containing few yards Of silk, there is no
know am neither pretty nor graceful, but
! never have such saving consciousness of the
fact, as when with my mothers relatives.
| hnx vta tfta va1 in a
tone Of cold, critical COMMUNICATION, a.: "Eliz-
abeth is 30 overgrOwn, 10 garky-Elzabeth ii
odd she has no taste in dress her head is ~
large; and, then, her feet She has not the
Sewal look at all, poor child all Lyttonp &c.
my fathers. alliance being the one Blot in
the Escutcheon, have had to do with my
awkwardness. They are not particularly cal
culated to remedy the defect fancy.
Once felt all this keenly, but am getting
bravely over it. My head and my feet are az
| God made them; and, rs 10 my taste let them
remember that have had no means of graft.
| flying it before they deny me its possession and
as to lacking the "Sewal air. the slightest
childish memory that | cherish Of my noble
father, is more to me than "the blood of all
the Sewals!n
There There goes the dinner. bell NV en-
gers are inky, my collar the sixteenth part Of
an inch awry; if do not stay to right II, aunt
will be sure to perceive it if do, | shall be
the sixteenth part of a minute too late at the
table, and uncle will look like an ioeberg-be-
tween them both the room will be like Sptz-
bergen. Elizabeth will be uneasy and diaraite
for few moments then eat her dinner with
the selfpossession of Queen vsstiti of old.
Nop lO--"A word 6tly spoken is like apples
Of gold and pictures of SILVER we are told, but
who has not felt sometimes that word ftly
withheld is not less precious?
Had | remembered this yesterday, should
have refrained from shocking uncle and aunt
with my heresies and saved myself long leo
ture on "womanly proprieties" and "woman's
sphere" this morning
Though some moments too late, was hap
PLY disappointed on entering the dining room,
for uncle was too busily occupied in talking
with an old gentleman to notice my tardiness,
though the exquisite French time piece on the
mantel stared him straight in the face. Mr..
H., aunt's nephew, had dropped in to dinner.
Query--What brings him here 80 often of
late An increasing appreciation of his aunts
euisinaere, or the laudable desire 10 keep him
self in practice, by playing of his European
destinations on a country teacher
He certainly is handsome and, as aunt and
he sat there, both 30 carefully dressed, 80 seem
ingly obliyiOus of the fact that rents and dust
lint and wrinkles missing buttons and hooks
and-e are part Of the evils consequent up
on Adams fall y that 1t would have been an
inexpressible relief TO me 10 have seen speck
of dust on either of them-aye, to have proved
their affinity for "dast and ashesD like other
mortals, would have been willing TO encoun-
ter slight SirocoO, or that cloud which Chris
tian saw at the house Of the Interpreters, even
at the expense Of my new maroon merino, in
which fanccd was looking remarkably well.
H. greeted me with his blandest smile, and
uncle introduced my niece" to his guest, the
Rev. DIR. Smith. Uncle's manner Of introdu-
cling me VI my nieoe"-s title which he evil
IDENTIFY considers sufficiently distinctive for any
reasonable young lady-csuses some mistakes,
for his guests invariably address me as Miss
SewaL This old gentleman did the same, and
when set him right he said;
All aye, yes; tbs daughter OF your sister
Elizabeth, Mr.. Sewal | remember your moth
er, my child, when she WAS scarce as old as
yoursef. She married, let me see--a"--
"An editor" said.
Aye, yea | think | met him once or twice
during the sitting Of the Association in this
city, some-well- twenty-five years ago.
How time does fly. He is well, hope"
III trust 30" ! said, my eyes filing with tears.
But before | could gather courage TO 90 on
uncle had answered for me-
Mr. Lytton is dead, sir"
lndeed!n said the old man, in a tone of
concern pardon me, my dear young lady,
might have heard it, but We old folks forget.
But your mothsr--is she still in the city,"
"No, sir;n said 1, calmly, for uncles cold
tones had recalled me to myself amy fathers
health failed soon after his marriage and my
mother accompanied him TO his native village,
where he died when | was Ave years oid. |
Mother and have continued 10 live at the old
place, with the exception Of short rssdsnoe
Vt G., two yeArs ago.