Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-01
Hherarp
The First Marriage in the Family.
BY MARY IRVING.


gabled, brown country house, shaded by two ant
dilayian oak trees; nor was its interior crowde
Win the Injuries that charm every sense, and CON
from every cline. Its furniture had grown oil
|, with us, for we remembered no other and, thong
polished as highly as furniture could be, by dali
scrubbing, was somewhat the worse for wear,
must be confessed
But neither the house nor its furnishing make
the home; and the charm of ours lay in the sym
pathy that linked in the nine that called it "home
to one another. Father, mother, and seven child
ren-ive of them gay hearted girls, and two boys
petted just enough not to be spoiled one linl
had ever been dropped from the chain of love, OIL
one corroding drop fallen upon its brightness
"One star differeth from another star in glory,
| even In the armament of home. Thus-though We
could not have told a stranger which sister OF
brother was dearest-from our gentle eldest an
invalid herself but the comforter and counsellor OF
all beside, to the curly haired boy, who romped
and rejoiced in the appellation of baby" given
| five years before-still, an observing eye would
soon have singled out sister Ellen as the sunbeam
of our heaven; the morning STAR. Of our constel-
lation She was the second in age, but the first in
the inheritance of that load Of responsibility which.
in such household, falls naturally upon the eldest
daughter. Eliza, have said, was i'll from early
girlhood; and Ellen had shouldered all her burden
Of care and Kindness, with light heart and
lighter step. Up stairs and down cellar, in the
parOr nursery or kitchen-at the piano or the
washtub-with pen, pencil, needle, or Iadel-sister
Ellen was always busy, always with a smile on her
cheek and MARBLE on her lip
Quietly, happily, the months and years went by.
We never realised that change was to come over
our band To be sure, when mother would look
in upon us, seated together with our books. paint
ings, and needle work, and say in her gentle way,
with only half sigh, "Ah girls you are living
your happiest days. We would glance into each
others eyes, and wonder who 1could go first But
it WIS wonder that passed away with the hour,
and rufied not even the surface of our sisterlv
hearts. 1t could not DO always so-and the change
came at last!
Sister Ellen was to be married.
1t was like the crash of thunderbolt in clear
summer sky! Sister Ellen-the fairy of the hearth
stone, the darling of every heart-which of US
could spare her? Hho had been so presumptuous
as to find out her worth? For the first moment
ths question burst from each surprised, half angry
sister of the blushing fearful Ellen. 1t was oaIy
for moment; for our hearts told US that nobody
could help loving her, who had ever looked through
her loving blue eyes, into the clear well-spring of
the heart beneath. So we threw our arms around
her, and hid our faces her shoulder and lap. and
sobbed without word,
We knew very well that the young clergyman,
whose Sabbath sermons and gentle admonitions
had won all our hearts had been, for months, a
weekly visitor to our freside circle With badv
George on bis knee, 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 unwelcome nine o.
clock warning; and the softly spoken remainder
Girls, it is bed time!" woke more than one stiHed
sigh Of regret. Then, sister Ellen must ALWAYS 90
with US, to lay George in his little bed; to hear
him and Annette repeat the evening PRAYER and
hymn her lips had taught them; to comb out the
long brown braids of Emily'S head; to rob Arthur
of the story book, over which he would have
squandered "the midnight OIL and to breathe a
kiss and blessing over the pillow of each other
sister, as she tucked the warm blankets tenderlv
about them.
We dc Ut know how Often of late, she had
stolen down again, from these sisterly duties after
our senses were locked in sleep; or if our eyes and
ears had ever been open to the fact, could never
have suspected the minister TO lie guilty of such
plot against peace. That name was associated,
in our minds, with all that was superhuman The
grey haired pastor, who had gone to his grave six
months previous, had sat as frequently ON that
same oalIen armchair, and talked with US. We
had loved him as a father aud friend, and had al
most worshiped him the embodiment of attain
among us, with his high pale forehead, and soul
kndled eye we had thought his face also, "the face
of an angei'-too glorious for the print of mortal
passion. Especially, after in answer to an urgent
call from the people among whom he was laboring,
he had frankly told them, that his purpose was not
to remain among them, anywhere on his native
shore; that he only waited the guidance of Provi-
dence to home in a foreign cline. After this
much bewailed disclosure Of his plans, we placed
our favorite preacher higher pinnacle of saint
ship.
But sister Ellen was to be married-and married
to Mr.. Neville! And then o, sister; you are
not going away to India burst from our lips,
with a fresh gush of sobS
| was the first to look into Ellens troubled face
1t was heaying with emotions that ruied its calm
ness, as the tide-waveS ruffe the sea. Her lips
were firmly compressed her eyes were fixed on
some distant dream, gaSsed with two tears, that
stood still in their chalices forbidden to fall al
most trembled as l caught her glance.
Sister! Agnes-Emilyl' she exclaimed in
husky whisper. Hush be calm Don't break my
heart! Do love home less than
The effort was too much; the words died upon
her lips We lifted her to the bed, frightened into
forgetfulness of our own fear. We soothed her
until She too wept freely and passionately and, in
weeping, grew strong for the sacrifice to whish she
had pledged her heart.
We never spoke another word of remonstrance
to her tender heart though Often in the few months
that fitted by us together, We used to choke with
sobbing, in some speech that limited of the coming
separation, and hurry from her presence to cry
alone
Our mother had told US the tidings, with white
lips that quivered tenderly and sadly. No love is