Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-05
LITERARY MISCELLANY.

BY ALICE CAREY.
CHAP. I-Conoluded.

BY ALICE CAREY.
CHAP. I--Concluded.
Wewere poor, hard-working people at home,
living in an obscure country neighborhood,
with but few wants, and the few were not al
WAYS satisfied. had little time for play but
in that little was in the habit Of climbing
among the boughs OF an apple tree near tho
door, and reciting to myself snch poems and
fragments Of eloquent imagery az had gather
ed from my school books, and from the news
paper. One day, when ! was stealing from
work for this pnrpCsa my mother called me to
stop, saying ii | would play, must take the
baby with me to my play house Right well
knew she had no thought that my play house
was in tree-top; yet, under the plea Of obey
ing her instruction, | took up the baby, little
dimplc- checked Hetty, and, half defiant and
half obedient bore her away placed slab
against the trunk Of the apple troe-climbod
on il, and, with good deal Of tagging and lift
ing, placed her among the branches high as !
could reach, telling her to hold fast, and do
signing to be in moment by hcr side. don't
like to talk about il, but you understand why
she is hunchback.
That night, my brother Charley, u little fell
low then, three years younger than !, didn't
want to sleep with me, and all night, whenever
Hetty moaned and sobbed, he drew farther
and farther away, and looked at me AS though
afraid would harm him. No wonder he fear
ed me-
said then, would never climb into the
tree again, and thought SO, too; but after a
while little Hetty grew well--crooked and i'll.
shapen--but well. Charley ceased to fear me,
aud the old daring camo back. SO went
quite out Of the view of my mother, and climb
ed in tho tallest Of the apple trees, on the sum-
NIT OF the orchard hill, and there, as before,
made recitations to the winds, sometimes to the
moon indeed, for was not afraid Of the night,
nor, III fact afraid of anything. said Char
ley ceased to fear me, and yet he never came
so near in love as before; and though, as the
time went by, he gathered MOSES and bright
pebbles with which to adorn my playhouses,
he rarely shared my amusemente, but grew sad
and thoughtful, more and more His nature
was timid and shy, and though he.possessed .
good deal OF intellectual power his self distrust
forever neutralized it; and therefore, among
his school-matea and afterward among men,
the praise he deserved was taken up by others.
Our neighbors and friends rather pitied and
patronized him remember they used to cay,
when they invited me to their houses You
must come, too, Charley; we could not get along
without you"
This manner gave him offence, for he knew
he had no superior, scarcely an equal, in fact,
among the persons about ms; 80 he rarely
accepted the invitations and when he did, it
WAS in 40 moody way as to deprive alike
himself and his entertainers of all pleasure.
Oftencst went alone, less considerable of him
than ] should have been, for remember, now,
] did not urge nor even encourage him to ac-
company me, sometimes. Often, when re-
turned late, found him sitting in the moon
light if il was summer, under the maple tree
that grew a short distance away from the
homestead, and if winter, by the cmber fire,
knows what he suffered at those times more,
l fear, than dreamed Of then.
used to say, occasionally, 3We had such a
nice time wish you had been there Char
ley" but did not really wish it, for knew
it would not have been q pleasant time to him;
he felt it 60, and would make no reply, or say
simply he was not one to be missed, and that
was all. So we would separate for the night,
and by little and little We grew apart. IL
seemed like mockery to repeat to him my tri
nmphs il never occurred to nae that he need
ed my help that the obstacles in our way
seemed greater to him than to me, who had
energy and perseverance,, while his morbid and
Submissive nature made him powerless to battle
with hard fortune, and to warp it to his will !;
and because he failed to do 80, | thought him
without ambition, and, absorbed in my own
schemes, left him to NOPE alone.
Now that it is too late, understand him
better. My tact availed more than bis talent
My poor brother! your sad, reproachfui eyes
look ON me through the darkness that is be-
tween us now In the past full Of errors as it
is there is nothing regret SO much as the love
have slighted for know, now, how hard it
is 20 find one heart that cares for us
One August night, when ! was about seven
teen years OF age, went alone to the orchard !;
all the ground was covered with apples-red
and yellow and rnsset--but did not care to
gather them. nor did climb TO my old accus-
toned seat: thore was dragging on my heart
that would not let me hear the birds. If the
grasshoppcr sung. ! did not hear him but |
heard The owls cry in the woods, and under
their wailing a more fearful sound--the rum
BILE Of clods on the coffin.
My mother had been in Ill health for long
while, and though sbc had not complained Of
difqaiet, nor seemed less cheerful than was her
custonn, felt that che would not be with us
long We had mover spoken Of the close VIC
both foresaw. | had refrained, from the natu-
raj dread Of youth to the great solemnity, and
she because she feared 10 give us pain.
She was good woman cannot say more
that embraces all excellence daughter cares
to remember She was the guide, the ruling
iDfuencc--all the ends Of things met in her
hands. Not field was plowed or sowed but
she knew Of IL; not tree was fclled but she
knew when and where; and the wheat field
she watched from the time the ground turned
green till the golden heads hung heavy; and
she cornfelds, from the time Of planted burrows
till the white husks were peeled from tho ripe
ears not cfkciously and dictatorially- mol, in
fact M ono having any authority at all; but
she loved the orchards and meadows, the
brooks and the wood; and more than this
she loved her husband and his interests were
her interests; il was her pleasantest recreation
20 walk with him about the fields 70 listen to
his plane, and afterwards to aid in their exc
oution How often have seen them together,
sitting in the shadow Of somc tree, or in the
open barn when the new hay was being made
ar when the tanning mill sent ont ite floods az