The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-08-31


| away, Uncle Banks thought it a propitious omen,
and drawing the back of his hand across his eyes,
he did not speak for few moments.
Aunt Phillis. conapletely exhausted, leaned
against the wall. Her bonnet partly united rest
ed on the back of her head; her turbon disarrang-
ed by the joltng fthe carriage and her own wrath
ful gestures. was poked side, revealing
or two stiff grey locks, while her long dark ring
lets uncurled by the rain, clung to her cheeks
aud chin with mournful adhesiveness The corri-
ners of her mouth were drawn down into acute
angles; the corners of her eyebrows lifted up in
corresponding angles in an opposite direction;her
| nose looked sharpened into severer point Shuke-
speare knew nothing of melancholy madness. He
had never seen Aunt Phillis Manners.
Notw outstanding the rough appearance of this
lodge in the wilderness ofthe boundIees west where
the storm wrecked and eccentric mariner had found
| a sheltered haven of rest, it comfortable and
looked even cheerful iumined as it now was by
the blazing pine knots which cracked and corrus-
Gated in the vast chimney, and filled every nook
| and crevice with The brightness of noon-day. A
good substantial supper was soon spread before
them by the maid of all-work,' but no ono but
Uncle Banks tasted morsol. He seemed TO have
lost entirely the fasdiousness of his appetite and
eat of every dish with the keenest relish.
Aunt Phils did not prowl in the woods, rs she
had threatened. but threw herself down on her
humble bed in a state resembling despair. The
cup of her wrath had foamed over and she was now
drinking in siecnce the bitter dregs; the veriest
lees of the wine of life. She felt as we may sup
pose the pronaut feels, who after rising jesti-
cally into the blue couyexity of Heaven, leaving
far below the grossness and opacity earth breath
ing the elasticity of rarer, purer atmosphere al
most hearing the music of the enipyreau, and CATCH
ing glmpses of the palace of the Sun, when sud
denly the gas expiodes, the airy chariot falls and
he tunbling headong froml his glorious height
into some muddy pool, with bruised fiume, broken
bones and shaking brains.
For hours she lay, planning schemes Of unexam-
pied vengeance, which for variety and originality,
might have shamed the torments of the fabled Tar
tarus till an appalling consciousness of her own
impotence, and the righteousness of her wrongs.
| checked the ingenuity of her revenge. Sheresolv
cd ut length to get home, speedily and quietly as
possible, to say nothing to her brother, or any of
her friends, of her disappointment aud thus screen
herself from the dersion which she knew would
be her portion. Elmira's feelings were not deep,
! nor her passions strong. Her character had been
moulded by circumstances, and it was easily re-
| moulded. After the first ebulition of sorrow and
chagrln, convinced that her destiny was fixed, she
submitted with a comparative good grace-
determining in her own mind,that her father should
| build her fine house, and that tho world should
| never know how deceived she had been. Besides
Joe was SO really af1ectionate aud kind she could
not continue sulen and resentful-and ill-humor
looked SO uuovely and forbiddng in her Aunt, that
she struggled against its mastery.
Garry you home again. said Mr.. Banks, sin the
same cnrriage that brought you-don't want to
keep folks against their wi-ought to be glad of
such fine ride. Daughter may go too, till we
get her house built. Be happy as queen yet
mustn't be angry at Unce-ul for the best-r.ur-
ried Joe-not his purse. Fine boy-hey!'
! With what different emotions did Aunt Phis
find herself seated in the same carriage with the
same party, the day but ono aftor her arrival. Sho
wouldn't condescend to sit on the seat with
Mr.. Banks, but making Elmra occupy that post of
honor, TO tho great dispIensure of cousin Joe,
placed herself opposite and if the lightning of her
cyos could have withered, Mr.. Banks would have
/
in imperturbable good humor,sin ging und laughing
SO merrily. that EImira caught the infection, and
smiled and even laughed. Tho third day after
their journey, the aspect of the country changed.
1t was no longer the same road they had travelled
before-Aunt Phlis noticed the change, and
peevishly asked to what now cities hey were 60
ing.
i Going to stop tonight at friends,' answered
| Uncle Banks. Good friend-loaned me this car
rage-lent me my velvet suit AMI jewels-capital
fellow-rich as a Jew-lives like prce-caich
! him perhaps, hey?'
Aunt Phllis disdained to answer, supposing he
wasgoing to take her to another log cabin and some
companion OF congenial coarsuess. Night camo
on, clear, cold, moonlight night, when tho at
mosphere itself looked all white and silvery, and
the pebbled ground sparked like diamonds. The
horses went fs and fuster and struck fire from
their resoundng hoofS. Uncle Banks spirits roso
Mt every turning of the wheels. He sang every
verse of Cease rude Boreas' sBlack- eyed Susan,
and The Jolly Tar keeping time with his feet
and hands, while Aunt Phis kept dodging hor
heud this way and that way, and drawing her feet
under her clothes to avoid coming in cortact with
him. At length the carriage rolled over smooth
, er road; regulnr rows OF lofty trees, grand and
lordy even in the wintry nakedness, skrted the
way-side; The illuminated windows of nrse white
dwelling, with white columns supporting piazzn
that surrounded tho whole building, which
perennial vines were clustering, became defined
on the luminous back ground ofthe starry heaven
This is fno house, to be sure,' said Aunt Phil
lis, in moro gracious tone the carriage stopped
at tho door. 1T is pleasant to SEQ chrisnn-look
ing habi,aton once more.'
No need of knocking said Uncle Banks, lead,
0 ing tho wny up the flight of marble stops, to the
entrance; 'old ncquantunce; no ceremony
He entered tho hall, then throwing back tht
d folding DOORS displayed to tho astonshed eyes o
Aunt Phillis, scene which she thought some
wizard wand had conjurod. Seated at the tabl,
g in the centre of the apartment, beneath tho sof
q ! laSt Of ! l l