The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1854-09-14
VOLUME IV-NUMBER %.
Gelctte0.
THE CITY CLERK.
BY CATHERINE N. sEpGwICK.

1t is about the middle ofNovember-
Il bright soft day, when the genial spirit
of the year looks back with one Of his
farewell smiles. His warm breath has
spread silver haze over the hill-sides.
the mountain tops are shining-the dried
leaves bitten off by the frost, turn round
and round and drop without sound.
A rather narrow, brisk stream runs rap
idly, descending as it goes, till it reaches
the rear of neat one-story house,
where, being set back by dam below,
it seems like plate of FURNISHED steel
from which soft vapor is rising.
Around its edges is a thin coating of ice
Indicating the cold of the preceding
night. The house stands on the decliv-
Iity of hill that slopes gradually from
the road, with one end to the river the
other end to the road, and fronting to
the south. Behind it is little garden
patch, which in its wintry adversely
shows sigus of being cared for and loved |;
some plants being carefully tied up, and
few covered with boxes and barrels.
There are some other signs of refinement
not too common about the humble
dwellings of our country parts vines
trained about the low door, and rose
bushes so nicely fitted around the old
windows that they seem to have come
aud to stay there of their own accord
Neatness, that good angel Of an humble
home, keeping all right with her ever
rustling wings, hovers round this pretty
dwelling. A small wood pile is laid up
as if by mathematical rule. No litter
Of any kind is anywhere to be seen, and
one wonders what the splendid cock
with his pedestrian harem can find to
pick around the sunny doorway.
1t is but nine o'clock, and morning
at that hour, on the 18th of November,
had hardly dawned on the luxurious
dwellers in great houses but here how
much of the daily work of life had been
accomplished. A pale, and in common
parlance, unfortunate man. is sitting
bolstered in an easy chair near a cheer
{ full fire, his arm and leg lwithered and
useless. His wife, woman with mild
thoughtful face, sits near the window
making a vest, and with the instruments
of tailoring about her. With every
stitch and without hindering it, she turns
her eye on the lame man and address
ling him as country wives use, she says
&" Do you find your paper interesting
father ? Is it not almost time to-
fathers drops'" and the answer is ye
e or no as may be, but always in cheer
full tone, which comes from that poo
mutilated figure, is startling like a ligh
suddenly kindled in darkness. A tri
little lass is putting the last touches t
" the mornings house work. She ha
cleared away the breakfast, skimme
the milk, and is ready to cit down by he
mother to finish off the work that alway
accumulrtes for Saturday. Both father
and mothers eyes often turn to her, an
who would not love to look on face S
beaming with intelligence, so fresh an
cheerful. Never were there prettier q
/. beautiful teeth, or in palace or cottag
- more electrifying smile than littl
If Ruth Hathway's. Perhaps it derive
: its quality from q cast Of sadness an
care on her brow it was a shadow on
D rose. There it fell when her fathe
was brought homo from bis new factory
with his flesh torn from his arm and LEI
and there it remained indelible. As I
the rest, the face is pretty and pleasing
}, but not beautiful her eyes are rathe
small and grayish, and her complexion
clear and pure, is not brilliant. lie
ID hair not only does not curl, and
neither auburn, chestnut, nor raven, br
a very common brown, aud remarkabl
for the neatness with which she arrange
it on her very well shaped head. Rut
d is said to be tho very image Of her tathe'
:, y and she rather prides herself on bis re
lsemblapco.