Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-09-29
Jfli5rfllanfuus.
The First Marriage in the
Family.

eIcpt VI uicInOIl CndIlDcf Our
home was a "pearl Of price, among
homes not for its architectural ele-
gance-for it was only four gabled,
brown country house, shaded by two
antedIluvIan oak trees nor was its
interior crowded with Injuries that
charm life and come from every
cline. Its furniture had grown old
with us, for we remember no other.
and though polished as highly as fur
nlture could be, by daily scrubbing,
was somewhat the worse for wear, II
must be confessed
But neither the house nor its fur
nishing makes the home; and the
charm of ours lay in the sympathy
that linked the nine that called il
"home" To one another. Father.
mother, and seven children-five of
them gay-hearled girls, AID two boys,
petted Just enough 10 be spoiled
not one link had ever dropped from
the chain of love or one corrodng
drop fallen upon its brightness.
One star diflercth from another
in glory" even ia the armament Of
home. 'fhus-though we could not
have told a stranger which sister or
brother was dearest-from our gent
lest eldest and invalid herself. but
the comforter and counsellor, Of all
beside, to the curly haired boy, who
romped and rejolced in the appella-
ton OF " baby given hve years be-
tore--stIll an observing eye would
nave singled out sister Ellen as the
sunbeam OF our heaven, the morning
star OF our consultations She was
the second ia age, but the first in the
inheritance of that load of response
; blhty, which ia such household falls
naturally upon the eldest daught-
er. Eliza, as have said, was III
from early girlhood, and Ellen had
. shouldered all her burden of cares
and kindness, with light heart aud
lighter step. Up stairs and down
celler---in the parlor, nursery or
kltchen-at the piano or the wash
, tub-with pen, pencil, needle or
ladle-sister Ellen was always busy,
always wIIh a smile on her cheek
and a MARBLE on her lip.
Quietly, happily, the months aud
years went by. We never realized
that change was to come over our
band To be sure, when mother
would look IN upon MS seated togeth-
er, with our books, painting and
needlework, and say, in her gentle
way, with only half a sigh, "Ah,
girls, you are living your happest
days r. we would glance into each
others eyes, and wonder who would
go first. But it was q wonder that
d passed away with the hour aud ruff
fled not even the surface of our sis
terly hearts. 1t could no, be always
so-and the danger came at last
Sister Ellen was to be married
; 1t 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 4. For the first
moment, the question burst from
each surprised, hall-augry sister of
the blushiug, fearful Ellen. 1t was
only for moment for our hearts
told us that no one could help loving
her, who looked through her loving
blue eyes into the clear well-sprlng
of the heart beneath. So we threw
our arms around her, and sobbed
without a word.
We knew very well that the
young clergyman, whose Sunday
sermons and gentle admonitions had
won all hearts. had been fort months
a weekly visitor to our fire-side
circle. With baby George on his
knees, and Georges brothers and
sisters clustered about him, he had
sat through many an evening,
charming the hours away, until the
clock startled us with its unweIcome
nine o'clock warning, and the soft
ly-spoken reminder, Girls, it is
bed time woke more than one
stihed sigh of regret. Then sister
Ellen must go with us to lay George
IN his little bed to hear him and
Annett repeat their evening prayer
and hymn her lips had taught them
to comb the long brown braids of
Emily's head ; to rob Arthur of the
story book, over which he would
; have squandered the the midnight
oil, and to breathe a kiss and
blessing over the pillow of each
other sister, as she tucked the warm
blankets tenderly around them.
We do not know how often of
late she had stolen down again from
these sisterly duties, after our sisters
, W re locked in sleep; or if our eyes
and ears have ever been open to the
fact, we could never have suspected
the minister to be guilty of such
! plot against our peace. That name
was associated in our minds with
all that was superhuman. The
) gray-haired pastor, who had gone
to his grave six months previous,
had sat as frequently in that oxen
arm chair, and talked with us. We
) had loved him as a father and a
friend, and had almost worshipped
him as the embodiment of all at
tainable goodness. And when Mr..
Neville came among us, with his
high, pale forehead and soul-kindled