Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-21

it was Dicks birthday, or OWENS, or
mine but not to drink Annie's health
seems unlucky."
"You shall drink it," said Annie,
laughing.
In what 2" asked both the boys in a
breath.
"In fine spring water!." And she filled
their mugs.
''Better God never gave to his crea-
lures. How bright it is! How it SPAR
kles! will never from this day ask for
finer drink. Here is health TO you.
my brothers. and may we never know
what it is to lack a draught Of pure
| water"
Annie nodded to her brothers, and
drank off her mug of water; and the
good-natured fellows, who dearly loved
her, followed her example.
Oh, little did the gay-hearted girl think,
in that moment of playful glee, of the
price she was one day destined to pay for
drink of water.
The crops that year were a failure, and
| the heart of the strong man began to
droop. He felt that his labor in his
native land, would no longer give his
children bread and unwilling to sink
into the lowest class, he wisely resolved,
while he retained the means of doing so,
to emigrate to America. His wife made
no opposition to his wishes his sons
were delighted with the prospect of any
change for the better, and if Annie felt
a passing pang at leaving the daised
fields and her pretty playmates, the
lambs, she hid it from her parents. The
dear homestead, with it's quiet rural Or
| chard, and trim hedge-rows, fell to the
hammer; nor was the sunburnt check of
| the honest yeoman unmoistened with a
tear, when he saw it added to the enor-
nous possessions of the lord of the manor.
| After the sale was completed, and the
money it brought duly paid, Steel lost
no time in preparing for his emigration.
In less than fortnight he had secured
| their passage to New York, and they were
| already on their voyage across the Allan
tic. Favored by wind and weather, after
the first effects Of the sea had worn off,
they were comforta !ble enough. The steer
age passengers were poor but respecta-
bic English emigrants, and they made Sc
veral pleasant acquaintances among them.
One family especially attracted their at
tention, and SO far engaged their affections
| during the tedious voyage that they enter
ed into an agreement to settle in the same
neighborhood. Mr.. Atkins was a wild
over, with his two sons, the ages of
Richard and Owen, and an elder sister
a primitive, gentle old woman, who had
| been once both wife and mother, but had
outlived all her family. Abigail Win
| chester (for so she was called) took an es-
pecial fancy to our Annie, in whom she
fancied that she recognized a strong re-
semblance to daughter she had lost Her
affection was warmly returned by the
kind girl, who, by a thousand little atten-
tons, strove to eyince her gratitude to
Abigail for her good opinion.
They had not completed half their voy-
age before the scarlet fever broke out
among the passengers, and made dreadful
havoc among the younger portion. Steel s
whole family were down with it at the
same time, and. in spite Of the constant
nursing of himself, and his devoted part
ner, and the mremitting attention of Abb
gail Winchester, who never left the sick
ward for many nights and days, the two
youngest boys died, and were committed
to the waters of the great deep before An
ME and Richard recovered to conscious
ness of their dreadful loss. This threw a
sad gloom over the whole party. Steel
said nothing, but he often retired to some
corner of the ship to bewail his loss in
secret His wife was wasted and worn to
a shadow, and poor Annie looked the
ghost of her former self.
"Had we never left England" she
thought, "my brothers had not died.
But she was wrong. God, who watches
with parental love over all his creatures,
knows the best season in which to reclaim
his own; but human love in its vain
yeamings is slow in receiving this great
truth. 1t lives in the present, fingers
over the past, and cannot bear to give up
that which now is for the promise of that
which shall be. The future separated
from the things of time has always an aw-
full aspect. A perfect and child-like reli-
ance upon God can alone diyest it of those
thrilling doubts and fears which at times
shake the firmest mind, and urge the
proud, unyieding spirit Of man to cleaye