Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-04
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the Natioaal Era.
A BROTHERS. RECOLLECTION OF AN ONLY
- E1lKa.
BY MARY IRVING.
CHAP. !

BY MARY IRVING.
cHAPI
had been out West six years. Boy
though was, when my father failed, ! could
not separate his honor from. my own and the
hOpelessness and anguish of his bankruptcy
benumbed, for little while, my own naturally
buoyant spirit. had hitherto been bound up
in my books school and home had been all
the world to me- And the two were linked
closely together by the. tender, judicious moth
er-loye that kept watch over my progress in
learning, sympathized with me at every step,
and assisted me through every labyrinth. My
heart had always been an open page to that
mother / cannot say that ! c0nfded every
thought to her, but rather that she read each
feeling, without the need of words to Disclose
it. She was q fral beautiful creature, taking
q chill from every cloud that passed over her !;
too morbidly sensitive to be happy continually J;
but her happiest moments were given to me
her Youngest merriest, and best beloved boy
Her youngest, have said. She had another
sonny grave thoughtful, precociousy- mature
brother Eben. Perhaps she would have ex-
pended portion Of her over flowing sympathy
upon him, If he had seemed to need it But his
was silent, selfreliant character he stood
even in the nursery, like rock, moved neither
by frowns nor caresses from his calm, cheerful,
straight forward way. As he grew older, in
tegrity seemed the very essence Of his spirit.
HIS keenness Of penetration, and excellent
Judgment, made him an invaluable aid to our
dear father, whose affairs were already becom-
ing involved in ENHANCEMENT. The catastro-
phs was averted, for several years by the pru-
dence and interchangeable energy Of poor Eben,
then scarcely out Of boyhood. But the intel
lect Slapped the slender frame that sustained it,
being taxed too heavily. Repeated attacks OF
hemorrhage obliged him to leave the counting
room, and finally to confne himself to his own
chamber and, from that time, affairs went
down hill, with accelerated velocity
But |, meanwhile, realized nothing Of all this
/ was bending every energy to the last years
studies Of my academical course having formed
bright plans for college life, upon which hoped
to enter in few months. Be first, or moth
ing y had been the motto, given by my moth.
er's lips, that had guided my career as
school boy. Fortunately, possessing firm health
and quick powers suffered nothing from that
motto so many have since seen sacrificed
to it,
In attending upon Eben, and experimenting
my studies, compositions, &c., my mother found
30 full employment as left her little time to in
tarpret my fathers increasingly clouded brow.
He was moody, petnlant he who had always
been the sonl Of gentleness and generosity
whose very yieldingness tif may coin an un
graceful world was the weakness Of his charac
ter. She wept when he turned as she thought
coldly and irritably from the chamber Of his
sick son little thinking how, in comparison
with the anguish Of suspense that was hourly
racking his nerves, the calm illness Of Eben
seemed trihe.
That brother never complained, but grew
daily more gentle, nearer to our hearts and
sympathies, though still his own silent self
For time, he asked occasionally to inspect
the ledgers, and they were brought to him
But ~ he was invariably much worse after
such inspection, my MISUNDERSTANDING his
lines to exercise Of his mind in reckoning
prevailed upon his physician TO forbid him the
sight Of accounts. Eben smiled sadly, butsnb
mitted We little knew what he foresaw
through the vista Of those columns
The crash came ut last Il was the very
day OF the exhibition ut -- street Academy
Ih>1 k~h~. th~ v~l>d;stary--rixhfly. IT. ever a
boy won u BY working for it--and every word
OF my Grafton had been weighed in the balance
OF an ambitious mothers critical taste How
could it fail TO merit plauditsa All! the fame
Of school days is something far more pulse stir
ring than the applause Of half world, to
hesrt grown old in the knowledge Of that
world.
went from that platform with burning
cheek and throbbing breast, to meet her whose
eye had been on me to inspire me through the
whole, and to lay my honors before her She
grasped my hand and looked unutterabe
dreams Of hope for my future, from her fearful
eyes.
MY boy make me aiDays thus proud of
you!" had been her whisper, as she placed her
hand in my arm, to be conducted home. All
the way thither VIC had but one thought in
common--not a word was spoken. | left her
at the door, to return and bid schoolmate
good bye.
When | bounded 10 the door again, was
startled by the look Of the Irish maid who
opened IL. My first thought was Of Eben,
whose absence from the scene Of my triumph
had been it's only alloy.
What Is brother worse?D | asked, hur-
riedly.
aNiver bit, bless him it's the throuble
saints help us (,
"What trouble ~ ! demanded; but seeing
that the creature was bewildered, pushed BY
her, and burst into the drawing room. There
lay my father on couch, hands and face
buried from sight Beside him knelt my
mother, on the carpet, with bonnet and shawl
crushed beneath her, wringing her gloved
hands IN distress, yet struggling evidently TO
repress her feelings, and to give some comfort
70 the crushed spirit at her side.
Hush, Ralpbp she whispered nervously,
- swung open the wide doors ayour ia
Their ~
: y he sick ~ inquired, quickly.
9Oh, no! mo- BUT
"Boyp spoke my father hoarsely, uplift-
ing his face FOR an instant, and darling look
d Understandable agony through the matted
hair that fell over his eyes "Boy, zoe are beg.
gGredl Goip
stood ~ Stone. My mother waved her
hand 10 distressed entreaiy, and went out.
Il was 70. The firm Of Lincoln & Co. had
fklIsn, shaking the city in its crash "A wretch
Cd failure said the papers Of the next day,
90 les startling than distressing in its con.
ssqnsDcss % rich and poor Every person nm