Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-05
LITERARY. MISCELLANY.
For the National Fra
a BROTHERS. REcoILxcTIONs OF AN ONLY
SISTER.
BY MARY IRVING

hood and guide Of her girlhood s-model, as
well as educator, in all that was beet and love-
lest Such was the problem which presented
itsolf for the consideration Of our household
trio. three wears after the home shrine, OF which
had thought never to dream again, was set
up. =.
aNo nov cried Ealalie, Nesting in her ac
customed seat, an ottoman at the feet oil my
gentle wife, and burying her arms in the lap OF
her teacher. Don't send me again into that
great, lonely world never want to know
more than my sweet sister Mary can teach
me!D
"Ah!n sighed Mary, as she stroked back a
curl from that young, glowing face, "you must
learn much that Mary cannot teach you You
mnst have Mary's teacher!
Eulalie raised her lids, with look that
asked, & Your teacher--who I"
nLife's stern, sad discipline, dear child !"
NV heart plead with Enlalie's tears. But
Mary was firm in her decision.
The dear girl loves me too well, !" she said,
sadly, as Eulalie, after murmuring her choked
Good night passed up to her own little room.
She teams upon me, Ralph and though the
tendrils Of her heart bleed in the severing. she
must be torn from me for a while. Strength
Of character to bear tho struggle earth surely
has for spirit 40 sensitive ~ hers, cannot be
gained in this life of loving Dependence"
"Ah, Mary! who could help leaning on a
heart like yours
aThe heart mino leans upon i! she respond
cd, with quick, upward sweep Of her long
lashes.
What magic had showcred beauty on that
once pale, plain face II was not only hus-
bands partial eye that saw Mary's heart in
her expressive features, and called both lovely
81 don'I know, Mary" and q wave OF ONO
ton rippled from my heart to my lips. was
dfferent being before found out that heart
Of yours! This newly.lent energy, this career
of activity and usefulness, this revived faith in
my fellow-men and in their Maker---to whose
prompting owe these
!" To the prompting Of your own better ma
ture,u che interrupted, with emphasis. Look
into its depths, and inquire If word or look
Of mine helped to awaken it, thank Heaven
not me ~
But am not writing the biography Of tho
best of wives. Heaven forbid it no ever writ
ten save on my heart, and in the Book Of Life
for mortal words can never embody its serene,
daily beauty
So Enlalie went from our peaceful home to
tie ofien-clonded world Of a boarding school,
far toward the rising sur, on her native hills.
Messengers of love were constantly on the wing
tho post office land they nnfolded to me the
life and heart Of my precious sister rs plainly
as when every evening she had sat by my knee
and told over the days experience of trial and
gain of ideas.
You remember, dear brother she wrote,
after an absence Of some montha, your part
ing caution to me Beware oil the schoolgirls
dear five hundred friends ! dctest rs thor
oughly "a you can, the frivolous friendships
formed in day and broken in m hour; but If
ono finds real friend--a heart friends it
not treasure worth keeping Bot must in
troduce to you Grace Conway, that you may
Judge how proud should be to have her call
me friend
aYou know how dreaded tho trial of road
ing composition publicly. That fear did not
lessen rs the ordeal drew near. | could not
control my thoughts-I could not fnd words to
clotho thcm ! summoned to my aid the men,
DRY Of Mary, and her gentle words Of wisdom.
I remembered how she had chidden my vanity
in surprising my own performance worthy Of
10 much attention and preparatory distress !;
and, at last, the despaired-of inspiration came
upon me. | l0et myself and my fears in my
anbject.
1That troublesome self came nigh over
towering me, however, at the moment Of rising
10 read ! could scarcely articnlate the first
sentence. That once mastered, | felt none Of
the hundred glances upon me, and finished in
q glow OF enthusiasm. An electric glance Of
approval and encouragement from the Princi-
pal as | sat down, fell on my heart like o dash
Of iced water upon fever burning forehead.
But strange fnrtivc looks stole from the half
voiled lids Of several schoolmates. In the rec
rcation honr, the mystery grew; tho girls
Stunned me, or brushed carefully by me, as If
Iwere a freshly imported lionesp, with portent-
Gus whispers.
"We.mu~t compliment your talent for sitc-
tion, Miss Lincoln ~ exclaimed, in freezing
tone, tall, sinister looking girl, at the head
Of an excited clique. 10 an instant the mean
ing OF al this flashed upon mo. suspected
of playing of the thoughts Of another a. my
own. Ny Lincoln. blood as you call il,
Ralph, was FIR d for the first time in years it
biased 10 my Lrshcad and back to my heart
in an Instant Before | could unclose my lips,
Grace Conway--to whom have hitherto tim
idly looked up, "a the gcnius and beauty Of the
senior class and OF the school-boundcd for.
ward, and laid her hand on my arm.
ssFor shame, Martha Severn y she cried,
with FIRE 10 her large dark eyes Was il not
enough, girls TO act this farce oace2
.They shrunk away abashed like ehadou 8
ut tho coming Of sunbeam--all but Martha
who with an mir Of cfrontcry, plainly assum-
cd, observed:
80 II is natural enough. suppose, for Miss
Conway 10 take her part! But remember, it
isn't escry one that 10 no favored in the line OF
partial euardiansl'
"The iightest ro~-tint warmed the cheek Of
nv champion, as she replied, with dignity,
Nonsense behave yourselves young ladies'
if you value my advicc-with tho courtesy due
70 q stranger and h yourselves, and cultivate
your powers OF discrimination 10 finer point
Of nicely Gomez she continued, suddenly
turning TO me. like your face, Miss Lincoln,
and hike your composition she added, alb
ruptly, ~ we passed ont Of hearing Of the
clique sD in school-e girl fashion, let's learn a
little about each other Whai--tearsl That
foolish impsvtinenoe j. really not worthy Of
thsm! Stop crying, dear child To me i i