The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-12
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
For the National Era.
4 BE0THER's RECo LECTION OF AN ONLY
fIsTES.
BY MARY IRVING.
CHAP. I.

BY MARY IRVING. -
CHAP. l.
had been out West" SIX years. Bow
houzh | was when nv father failed, could
20. separate his honor from my own; and the
lagelessness and anguish OF bis bankruptcy
for little while, my own naturally
,uovant spirit. had hitherto been bound up
n NV books; school and home had been all
he world 10 me And the two were linked
loosely together By the tender, judicious moth
,s-lo,e that kept watch over my progress IN
learning sympathized with me az every step,
and assisted me through every labyrinth. My
heart had always been an open page to that
rn5ther cannot say that | confded every
10 her, but rather that she read each
LGe.ire. without Tho need of words to disclose
she vss frail, beautiful creature, taking
chill from every cloud that passed over Ter
% n3rhidjg sensitive to be happy continually
L.. he hapyiess moments were given TO me
sr vouu ge5t, merriest and best beloved boy.
youngest | haye-eaid. She had another
my grave, thoughtful, precociously mature
br.ao7 Ebea. Perhaps she would have ex
fenl / portion Of her Overlooking sympathy
r.af lin if lie had seemed to need It. But his
va q silent, self-relant character he stood.
even ia the nursery, ike rock, moved neither
Pr frawrs nor caresSos from his calm. cheerful.
s.ra,z h.-'orHard way. As he grew older in
t.-rrv seemed tho very essence Of his spirit.
f. Acenness Of penetration, and excellent
igl.nent, made him an invaluable aid to our
lsr Iat.cr, whose affairs were already becom-
10. ia,oiged IL ENLARGEMENT. The catastro-
The was GTertcd for several years by the pru-
i,ns auI indsfatigable energy of poor Eben,
then scarcely out of boyhood. But the intel
Isc.sarasd the slender frame that sustained it,
taIa. txed too heavily. Repeated attacks of
heuazh:ge obliged him to leave the counting
7oJm aad finally to confne himself to his own
ch4reber; and, from that time, affairs went
down hill, with accelerated velocity
But meanwhile, realized nothing Of all this
J ~, lending every energy to the last years
studies Of my academical course, having formed
bright Ylans for college life, upon which hoped
10 otter in few iaonths. 'sBe first, or moth
ing! had been the motto, given BY my moth
ers lips, that had guided my career as
Fortunately, possessing firm health
aud quick powers, | suffered nothing from that
motto; so many have | since seen sacrificed
to it.
Ia attending upon Elem, and experimenting
ny studies compositions, 60, my mother found
70 FIJI employment as left her little time to in
t.rprft my fathers increasingly. clouded brow.
Ha WAS moody petulant: he who had always
been the soul of gentlencss and generosity
wEoe very yieldingness IF / may coin an I'M
cra- cfCl woId) was thesweakness of his charac-
tsr She wept when he turned, sshe thought,
CD y and irritably from tho chamber of his
sex son little thinking how, in comparison
wi.h the anguish Of suspcnse tha. was hourly
"a king his nerves, tie calm illness Of Eben
seemed a trife.
q That brother never complained, but grew
daily more gentle, nearer to our hearts and
though still his own silent self
For q nue he asked occasionally 70 inspect
the ieJgers, and they were brought to him.
Bat a. BE was invariably much worse after
such Inspection, nay mOtbc--attributing his
fines to exercise Of his mind in reckoning
prevailed upon his physician to forbid him the
right Of counts. Eden smiled sadly, but sub
mt.cd. We little knew what he foresaw
through the vista Cf those columns.
g crash came at last 1t was the very
day ot the exhibition d; - street Academy.
J hal taken the ledictOry-rightly, if ever a
b won it by working for it-and every word
Of my oTation had been weighed in the balance
o. an ambitious mothers critical taste How
could it fail TO merit plaudits1 All the fame
Of ab)jldoy is something far more pulse stir
r.rg than she applause Of half a world, to a
heart grown old in the knowledge of that
world
won't from that platform with a burning
ch,skrlf tlrob6iDg breast to meet her whose
cJ h-i cen on Ire t. inspire me through the
Eao'e aa- to lay my hOnors before her She
g'asYcd ny hand, ard looked unutserable
dreams o, hope For my future, from her fearful
eyes
~.'y boy! make mo Glcogs thus proud of
1.4. LA- been Ter whisper, as she placed her
~ les. is r'f arm, 70 he conducted home ali
the '-ay .hl.acr ve Lad but one thought in
o.in. ae- nus p word was spoken | left her
tx ne door, to return and Did schooimate
- i bya
Hte1 bounded to the door again, was
startled b. he lock of the Irish maid who
oi'He4 1t. Ny frst thought was of Eben,
whose abs ice from the scene of my triumph
hae h-ea itS only all v.
rai,g.
N.yeT BIZ bless him it's the throuble,
siia-s fo'p u,l
". Aat i'oable ~ demanded; but seeing
tA'.' The e. atlare was bewildered, pushed by
ieT "ad ;rss irto the drawing-room There
i"F !ty I.tnor IN couch, hands and face
t-ftl rom sight, Beside him knelt my
i'0. a'3 On 'h3 carpet with bonnet and shawl
, ,i4-1el hencAth her, vsiusing her gloved
HAno' IN distress, yet struggling evidently to
t't+'s' Ter feelings, and 20 give some comfort
% ne crushed sylTt IT her side.
lash, Ralph" sic whispered, nervously.
- | SE"e open the vide doors; your IA
he % inquired, quickly.
-. re, Nc but -
spoke my father, hoarsely, uplift-
~ ii's lace ior an instant. and darling look
; laio5,r:1abio agany through the matted
i,if nan teii over hia eyes "Boy, IRE are beg
| stood as a stone Mr. mother waved her
i.',-o n distressed en'reaty, and | went out.
Nv, I. was So The firm Ct Lincoln s. CO. had
i1iien, ahak'ng the city in its crash. "a wretch
e.. allure said the papers of the next day,
40 i'Ss startling than distressing in its con-
feq'ehces 70 rich and poor" Every person IN
1e 6 the confusion, debt. and disgrace, of
L iSiiare sagm2!.zed as "wretched.n
wen, went scarcely knowing why, to the room
% E'en; He sat, apparently as calm as ever,
u iS,&hMg MS mead on his hand. supported by
me , arm OF his great chair. But as he with
IRE" the handkerchief he had been holding to
y mouth | sprung to MS side in alarm Great
iroP7 OF fresh blood rolled down upon his
no%y linen. | assisted hin to the bed, and
sosid have rung for aid, but he restrained me,
' .hu hiGtloned to cordial, which gave him.
.le oroke the silence Of the few following mo-
nents by deep whisper rs
Raiph am glad it has come!n
at ION 'aIk indeed, brother, you must notn
q r must, Ralph | am gong to die!n
Eben, brother ! no, indeed You have had
hese attacks often.u ~" ''s''' A"O
ana Tor that reason can bear no more, nv
'rother Heaven gave me a strong frame
put at has borne its utmost; md this Crisis has