The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-19
For tho National Era.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE IN THE FAMILY.
BY MARY IRVING

BY MARY IRVING.
"Home!n How that little word strikes
upon the heart strings, awakening all the sweet
melodies that had slspt in memory's chamber !!
Our home was "pearl Of price" among
homes not for its architectural elegance-for
it was only o four-gabled, brown country house,
shaded by two antediluvian oak trees nor was
its interior crowded with the Injuries that
4 charm every sense, and come from every cline.
Its furniture had grown old with US for we re-
membered no other and, though polished as
highly as furniture could be, by daily scrubbing,
was somewhat the worse for wear, it must be
confessed.
| But neither tho house nor its furnishing
makes the home and the charm of ours lay in
the sympathy that linked the nine who called
it =" home to one another. Father, mother,
and seven children-fve of them gay hearted
girls, and two boys, petted just enough not to
| be spoiled--not one link had ever been dropped
| from the chain of love, or one corroding drop
fallen upon its brightness.
zone star differeth from another star in
glory" even in the armament Of home. Thus
though we could not have told a stranger
which sister or brother was dearest-from our
gentle "eldest an invalid herself but the CON-
forter and counsellor of all beside, to the curly
haired boy, who romped and rejOiced in tho
appellation Of baby" given five years before
still, an observing eye would soon have singled
out sister Ellen as tho sunbeam of our heaven,
the morning star" of our little constellation.
She was tho second in age, but the first in
the inheritance of that load of responsibility
which, in such household, falls naturally
upon the oldest daughter. Eliza, as | have
said, was i'll from early girlhood and Ellen
had shouldered all her burden Of care and
kindness, with light heart and lighter step.
Up stairs and down cellar-in the parlor, nur-
sery or kitchen-at the piano or the wash-tub-
with pen, pencil, needle, or ladle--sster Ellen
was always busy, always with a smile on her
cheek, and a MARBLE on her lip.
Quietly happily, the months and years went
by. We never realized that change was to
come over our band To be sure, when mother
would look in upon us, seated together, with
our books, paintings, and needle-wOrk, and say,
in her gentle way, with only half sgh, "Ah,
girls, you are living your happiest days." we
would glance into each others eyes, and won
der who ,could 20 first. But it was a wonder
that passed away with the hour, and rufiled
not even the surface of our sistcrly hearts. 1t
could not be always so-and the change came
at last
Sister Ellen was 10 be married
IL was like the crash of thunder-bolt in a
clear summer sky! Sister Ellen--the fairy of
the hearthstOne, the darling Of every heart
which of us could spare her! Who had been
30 presumptuous az to find out her worth For
the first moment, This question burst from each
surprised, hslEangry sister of the bushing,
fearful Ellen! 1t was only for q moment; FOR
our hearts told US that nobody could help
loving her, who had ever looked through her
loving blue eyes, into the clear well-spring Of
the heart beneath. So We threw our arms
around her, and hid our fscrs on her shoulder
and lap, and sobbed without a word
We knew very well that the young clergy
man, whose Sabbath sermons and gentle ad-
monitions had won all our hearts, had been, for
months weekly visiter to our fresde circle.
With baby George on his knee, and Georges
brother and sisters clusted around him, he had
sat through many AN evening, charming the
hours away until the clock startled us with its
unwecome nine-o CLOCK warning; and the
softly-spoken reminder, Girls il is bedtime"
woke more than one stihed sigh of regret.
Then, sister Ellen must always 20 with us, TO
Law George in his little bed; 10 hear him and
Annette repeat the evening prayer and hymn
her lips had taught them; to comb out the long
brown brads of Emily's head; to rob Arthur
of the story-book over which he would have
squandsred the midnightoil;" and to breathe
kiss and blessing over the pillow OF each
other sister, rs she tucked the warm blankets
tenderly about them. We did not know how
often, OF late, she had stolen down again, from
these sisterly duties, after our senses were
locked 10 sleep; or, If our eyes and ears had
ever been open to the fact, we could never nave
a L.. o9 aalAh n
plot sgaiust our peace! That name was asso'
oisted, IN our minds, with all that was super
human The grsy-haired pastor, who had gone
IN his VPava "a o.o., tks .xa vinita had sat