Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-24
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era.
H OLLY-W 0 0 D I.
BY ALICE CAREY.
CHAP. II - Continued.

without WORLDLY experience, anu INC eonuIhe
Of an affectionate nature were reaching Tor
something TO which they might cling; and
when he said he was q stranger among stran-
gerp. and that he had been thinking as he
watched by that loved child, how much better,
80 far as human sight went it would be for him
TO die--for that he would leave no vacancy in
the world, no heart to mourn could not
help saying, should be pained-I, who had
first seen him that night; for was as young
and unsophisticated 40 he My heart, natu-
rally enough, under the circumstances, was
softened; and when he suddenly checked him
SELF and begged pardon for the freedom with
which he had spoken of matters which could
not possibly interest me, replied that nothing
could have more interested me; and, by way
Of assuring him that his confidence had not
been premature raid my own experiences had
been Kindred to his When finished, q smile,
that lighted up oil his beautiful face, assured
me that had given him pleasure even before
he said, men as humble end as hopeless as
himself had found friends, and with patience
and energy, and disposition as willing to
please as to be pleased, why should he despair?
81 knew that was misinterpreted; it is USE
less to try to screen myself; knew it, and did
not correct the impression.
Meeting as we did--young as we were, and
unused To all conventional formule-nights
curtain drawn about us, and in the presence
Of the awfulest sOlemnity we felt how trifing
and empty wes everything but human love-
and we epoke as wo felt, not as lovers under
stand-but our position was taken on plain,
whence the transit was natural one.
aThe cock crew out for aybreak, the snow
had ceased falling, and lay piled against the
windows, and projected over the roof ike
stonework; across the hill, where the red be-
gan to mix with the gray, the woods stood
black and STILL and all the white surface of
the ground, as far as you could see, was I'M
broken morning was coming up, clear, and
cold, and still.
al was standing at the window, when Doc
tor Roberts called to me- very quietly. was
startled, for the tone was ominous and, turn
ING. saw that he had lifted the child from
the pillow, and that the blue, fatal tinge was
already on the whitening and convulsive lips
Fleet stood close by the bedside with almost
q human interest in his face--a moment, and
the mortal had put on Immortality; and the
morning, which was breaking for us, had for
him no night
al tapped softly at the door of Mr.. Richards's
room, and, starting up, he said, Is it morning q
said Yes, it is morning with little Harry
There was no audible grief, but knew how
his heart was rent and his manhood broken !;
and, without calling the oficious nurse, Joined
the bustling Mrs. Wilkinson, who no sooner
learned what was come to pass than she dis
patched servant for q shroud, and herself fell
to making toast for the bereaved father. Wild
ows, she said, knew how to sympathize.
1.-TWO days went by-long and miserable
DAYS they must have been to him who had no
one near to whom he could say how empty the
world was-and the day Of the funeral was
~ L.. L. -
peach tree that grew not far from the house.
the grave was made; for the father could not
put his child far from him. The coffin was
placed in the carriage with the chief mourner,
and Miss .Pinchum and the widow Wilkinson
made some desperate attempts to be.admitted
rs sharers of the affecting Office he sustained,
but were finally elected by Martha, who had
q special genius for the superintendent Of fu-
nerals, and Doctor Roberts and the Clergyman
were only admitted.
"a few kind hearted neighbors who had
heard by chance of the boys death, (for Mr..
Richards had, as yet, held himself aloof from
US ALL came on horseback or in wagons, and
followed to the lonesome grave decentIy and in
order Arrived there, Miss Pnchum took her
place, as if of right beside MIR. Richards, and
the widow, pressing as near as she could,
offered bottle Of smelling salts. Seeing this,
Miss Pinchum began to weep and wall with
inconeolable violence, and finally fell in what
seemed a fsinting ft She was caught up by
Martha, contrary to her expectations, think,
but was assisted into the carriage there was
but one,) the Doctor making room for her, and
Offering bis arm to me- for q path had been
swept clear, and the grave was not more than
q quarter Of q mile from the house. OF course,
we said little during the brief walk, but the
vasfhar my fna
Doctors part but rather tho taking up Of the
threads of an already established friendship.
At the door, where we found Martha untying
the craze, and the widow Wilkinson brushing
the snow from the porch, he took leave Of me,
with warm pressure Of the hand, and the cx-
preston Of the hope that we should meet at no
distant day. He was unlike any other person
1 ever knew and think he would interest me
more now than then.
aAt dinner, which Martha and the widow
assisted to prepare, MIR. Richards appeared
with check little paler, and voice little
more subdued than usual He spoke little,
but nevertheless appeared fully conscious Of
his position, a. master Of the house, and head
of the table. Miss PiDchum choked over the
SOUP and aftcrward Gained herself, and rela-
ted al the eDdcaring ways Of little Harry.
The widow said fhe was no hand to bawl,
and make great pretence-it was a vulgar
way, though some folks might think il made
them irresistible. For her part, she thought we
must live with the living, and not with the
dead; and though she had never taken of her
mourning, and never woodland would not
marry the best man in the world-she could
yet find something better TO do than sniveliipg;
and agrecably TO her profession, she made
herself bury and likeable as she knew how to
be- She didn't want any servant 10 wait on
her, she said-she could wait on herself and
tho rect, tco-snd 90, striding from place TO
place, now slicng bread, and now recommend
ing some delicacy to Mr.. Richsrds--now rela-
ting how Parson Goodmsn laughed at her
Jokes, and now how hard her old man died
or, perchance, the color Of his wedding coat
and the number Of the weeks Of their court
chin abe nv liffla and little anofhed and hn-