The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
nisbiog Of our extensive table there was fall

nisniog OF our extensive table there was fol
supply.
Indeed, regard Il now, not only as pleas
ant, but also as profitable occasion. LITTLE
misunderstanding, dislikes, were forgotten il
the general joyousness; envies and jealousie
were lost sight Of; there was no time to thinl
Of them; those who had most were quite will
ing to divide with their neighbors who hat
least and such Is had no lamps, nor china
nor curtains to contribute, lent the service o
their hands, which was no less desirable, 81
that day by day the work went actively ant
genisily forward.
Neighbor-women, who had not for year.
found time to visit each other, were seen cross
ing the fields to each others homes, once Of
twicc q day, now carrying the new calico
and now to borrow baking dishes, or the pat
torn of cap; and so much pleasant talkine
and planning had never been dreamed O
amongst as 40 was then done.
Amongst those who declined participation
wcrc Martha and MIR. Goodman-the forme,
because the joys of earth were nothing in com
parison to those of eternity; and the latter
because time that should be passed in the aw
full contemplation of death, the grave, iudg
ment and eternity, ought not TO be frittercd
away in leading dances On the brink Of hell
My father came occasionally, to ask me how
things were going forward, and to say hi
cared nothing about the festivities himself
though he would like well enough to hear ms
speak my piece, if Martha was willing to e
with him, but she was not; and efter all, be
didn't know but that it would DO best that hi
should remain at home, and work. "Sht
thinks SOP so he concluded, for it was seldom
he said, "your mother or e my wife,
All me, marriage without love strikes me
as the root out of which sprout rankly the
blacklist poisons of the world.
Every day the Divine Spirit is sold for shir
ty pieces of silyer-sometimes for micro Cd
price, and sometimes it would puzzle the an,
gels to say for what.
But, thank God, however il may be sold
however it may be counterfeited, however il
may be trodden down by the " hungry genera,
tions," it cannot be killed nor driven from the
world And hope and believe it will at last
work out good and great thing--the build
ing up of the ruined glory Of humanity. AL
tho wailing and moaning that has saddened
the night of centuries will find in the univer
sal heart q response at last and the angel
putting off the demons shape, shall be as al
the first
Pardon my digression--I was speaking Of
my fathers visits to me; was glad to Gee
him, and yet it was as if cloud passed over
the Gun whenever he crossed the threshold, in
everything but q predisposition to melancholy
our natures were 60 Observation-Disclosures ambi.
tious and restless and determined, plotting ii
may be, and seeking desired end through
crooked ways sometimes-his simple and hon.
est and uDambitious, showing to the veriest
stranger clear to the bottom.
wished to please him, yet not at the sacri-
fee of my own pleasures; so duty and inclina-
ton made battle in my soul.
"And what are you to do, Marya % he said,
one day, when had told him the proposed
order OF exercises for our approaching exhibit
ton.
40, am to read one of Shakspeare's plays"
/ replied, sand / expect to do myself great
credit. | wish you would come and hear me,
father
You have too much hope,n he said; "you
continued, "whose writing are you going to
speak?"
repeated what had said, upon which he
replied, Shakspeare-he is ono of the men
that writes for my paper, isn't he 2"
My father had little notion Of the hosts OF
grear men who have lived and died, and in his
mind everybody who wrote was in some way
connected with his newspaper. All his visits
to me were made with one intcnt-to know
whether had heard news of Charley How
much it panied me to say had no news, you
cannot know, for felt, truly, that he had a
right to say, Where is thy brothera'
When | saw him, time after time, going
lonesomely away said to myeelf, time after
time, this concealment and this pretence is
nearing its end, for be never failed to Inquire
whether liked Mr.. Richards and if he was
kind to me, and paid me my wages regularly.
And each time repeated the truthful lie, that
l liked him, and that he was kind to me. Once
even went 30 far as to say that we were 90
much pleased with each other, did not sup
pose we should ever part; bat, though I satis-
fed my father in this way, did not satisfy
myself Meantime Rose continued to throw
ont hints and insinuations that vexed rather
than discouraged me. limo and again, as
sat alone, quietly reading or working, she would
rap on my door, causing my heart to flatser
wildly, for my first thought was always of my
lover and when would see that it was only
Rose, for the moment could have blotted her
from the world And then, az excuse for tho
wicked thought, said, if Gin, it ia she who is
to blame she is the cause Of the effect Some
times tried to disconnect my thoughts from
what tried to believe her foolish gossip; but
in vain; might as we'll havo sought to per-
form miracle. Oftenest strove TO draw her
away from the subject which was always the
theme of her discourse, but could not do so,
except for a moment at time; and the great
burden of all her communications was, that
che believed Mir. Richards was going to be
married to some lady away of somewhere, who
was rich, and that such was the general ru-
NOR Ali the letters were not written for moth.
ing-nor was that picture the likeness of no
body. Every day she had found some now evil
dence that favored her suppoeition, but made
myself deaf and blind and dumb to suspicion
for first love has in it all of tho child's conf
dence, and in this respect, more than in any.
thing else, it differs, think, from atsachments
Of a later period Little did she suspect thsl
every word was poison tipped arrow, but &C
it was.
But from the many shadows wrenched ou,
some CLEANS of sunshine. was approaching
9 knowledge of my fate-that, in any event, wa
some comfort; but, in spite Of all, flsttered
myself that that fate should be as wished il
More and more felt assured of being loved
not by tho confirmation of words, 90 much q
in the thousand nameless things which canno,
be 90 well written or spoken as impressed
upon us, as it were. And in this conviction
rested greater security than l should have
dine if had been wiser, for men do not oon.
meet love and marriage as women do.
Timothy grew to like me very much, and
grew to Ike Timothy; and the reason was, we
grew to understand each other, and am not
sure but that this is the great secret Of our
likings, and that our dislikes arise more from
Misrepresentation than any positive antsgo.
nism Of character. A crooked and knotty stick
gives rs no pleasure to look upon but when
we zee where it grew, how il was hedged away
from the sunshine and the rain, and cramped
and bent By the rough, hard obstacles with
which it came in contact, we forget its unsight
illness, and marvel, rather, that it should have