The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-26


OVERLOOKING kindness such very liberal things
that she sometimes ran blank against high
wall of forgotten necessity, burst upon me with
the aggravating question, oh dear Hepsy-
why soiH you ssw so much?' A glance at nv
work-basket, and at the several waiting claim
ants for its unfinished pile seemed to me sufi-
cient reply.n
"Why don't you write story?n was the
desperate question, upon which she vaulted
over this cotton battery. Two or three other
voices chimed in, and we all made merry over
the novel notion.
"Never wrote a story in my life--nevsr told
one, worth whipping"
swell, but better people than you have.
Mrs. So and-So writes stories; why should not
you?"
A lady whom we had all known-not as
altogether such an one as ourselves but
still too nearly to realize, in the free use of her
name, the liberty we were taking with public
| property, had Just startled the world by a won
derful book, not only spreading her fame
| aboad, but accomplishing for herself the rare
fate to be accounted prophecies in her own
country, and that country's most skillfal de-
fender of right and truth, even with the light
lance of fiction. With her and her strangely
powerful creations before me, it was impossible
to say, what was on my tongue, that | always
| thought storytelling O small trade and to add,
for the other significance of the encouragement,
Mr.. Shakespeare wrote verses; why shouldn't
l?' would, knew, have been putting the case
just about as modestly. Nevertheless, glanced
at my needle-bitten finger and again at my
towering work-basket and the temptation was
| born.
The within of tho hour went by acclama-
ton, "Sew no more, Hepsy sew no more! A
| book book ~
you'll all have to go to press, in the SER
vice, them haven't a bit of constructiveness,
and must have ready-made characters"
| al should like to see myself pressed!D said
our Queen Elizabeth, Strengthening her bodice
with two little hands, and motion inimita-
BILE.
al shouldn't mind renting out trihe Of
my character" said ClaraP.
| Consider me capital, to any extent you
please" observed plump Mrs. Judge comforta-
| bly,.
"You're welcome to every bright thing ]
ever said" contributed Madge, trying to look
stupid, but showing white teeth that we knew
could cut.
| Speech-making is against my principles, y
said Our Lady of Miracles, " but might con-
sent to sit for neck and arm IL is not gene
rally known that Powers sent from Italy for
the model "-"and if you want head OF
hair, here's your man." chimed Undine, duck
ing little, and running her fingers under her
heavy wave-locks.
ooh, yes we'll all serve" outspake COM
plimentary brother. awe should never know
ourselves-I mean" said he, starting up and
making desperate dive after the blunder, be-
fore the many-voiced laugh closed over it ir-
revocably-aI mean, we should be 80 kindly
represented, we should never recognise our own
angels under your gentle touches"
pretty good! Well dodged!" rang the
chorus now.
"And presume Hepsy, you propose to In
terlard with all cur clever saying" iasinuated
Mrs. Judge, with the rosiest complsoency.
Clara, crisply-"And nice shortening they
viii make, too.n
Queen Bess, in explanation-"C c. P. is COM
mittee on pastry, and speaks professionally"
Our Lady of Miracles clapped her hands
"The happiest reproduction of that ancient
myth: -Four d-twenty black-birds singing
in pie Come, be quick, mix it forthwith.
| am impatient to have the pie opened" But,
what shall we eat, meantime? and what will
these things do?" said |, pointing once more
this time, forlornly-to the unmade coats and
| garments.
ooh, to be sure"-and Our Lady, looking
down demurely, and happening to spy her
employed in such manufacture" have lost
my thimble, or it would give me the greatest
pleasure to help you and" We'll, " interposed
Undine, off you have any gingerbread ready
made, we won't wait for the pie"
In half an hour, they were all shawled, and
kissed, and gone; and sat me down to rock
my fun-tired baby-boy, to stir the Goals of the
evening fire, and in them, shifting shapes, and
fancies golden" To play out the play or to
work out the work gu pretty definite must
decide for the work. But then, why might
not the play go on too? A little of that days
fattering junction touched the next night-vision
with glistening edges. Even the shadow of
my leanness riding high toward popular ad.
miration, or that sore-galled hack, The ur-
| gency of partial friends" their troops following
in full, mad, cry, outlived itself before me: But
daylight shone sharp through the ribs of that
skeleton. Still, the temptation grew, laugh
cd at its folly but it called itself By so many
better names it looked to me, If only possible,
such pleasant substitution for less congenial
labors; it aspires TO be 90 greatly the helper OF
those loved it promised so many things i'm
| practicable to me now ; it smoothed itself with
such an Cir of benevolence, as it suggested my
enlarged usefulness; it stirred so shrewdly,
into the growing sharpness Of my practical
spirit the few drops of enthusiasm yet linger-
| ing at the bOttom-that the Jest was uncon-
sciously nursed into a purpose. | went about
all one day, like Mre. Jellyby, who could see
nothing nearer than Africa--to the great won
derment Of my husband, who must have thought
me bewitched Memory and fancy busy with
spec.res, dusty corners gave their many notes
to fit, and form, and mingle in the new light !;
and it looked but fairy work, to call the figures
for this queer quadrille.
But no master of the ball ever grew so dizzy
in arraying, steadying, guiding his fantastic
| toed subjects. The fun was DID, before the
| play began and, sick at heart for the wasted
day, closed my eyes upon the pad rehearsal
vowing to dream no more. But the next day
brought divers calls for money, which | an
swered with confident dignity, ayes, I'll attend
| to it." and then went to my room, to cry heart
| lily, and turn over the three cents in the treas
| ury; the dim coppers somehow suggesting ten
| talents five, two, one, and q napkin. And so
| a sordid gloss came over the divine teaching
and the temptation, shifting its side, whispered
in the other ear, "Try again-if these airy
nothings pcrrist in moving after their own
| sweet WILL puppets may be made to work by
wires, and to pay the Snowman"
| This time, went to Uork. But you are very
| tired, and no wonderland as for you, little
one, spologizcd my aunt turning to Sue, al
have been talking over your head for the last
| two hours"
The damsel threw up her bright brown
curls, with an air that rather defed anybody
to talk over them, and protested, 81 know pref
ty well what you are talking about, if | don't
understand all the long words-and they are
here on my slate, waiting to be looked out in
the dictionary" While politely intimated,
that to stop now, after bringing us by SO long
circuit just to the verge of her story actual would
be simply ,caste knowing that, here, | had