Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-14
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era.
RECoLLEcrIoEsoF MY HOME

For the National Era.
RECoILEcrioHsoF MYGRANDrATHERsH HOME
CHAPTER vi.
Hannah and Jonathan.
o. that estates degrees, and Offices,
Were not derived conpptly and that clear honor
Were purchased by the merit Of the wearer"
Hannah 10 enough sight better than grand
mother said TO Benny, as we sat one day,
during that memorable visit, in corner OF the
kitchen, feasting on basin OF blue berries,
which the watchful care of the former had put
by for us Benny nodded, and gave force TO
the assertion by fresh mouthtul OF berries
q Do YOU think she 10 handsome?0 asked OF
Benny, girl-like Benny shook his head But
them whispered he, she is very good--so
much better than "-. My grandm0ther's
entrance put stop to all further criticism
and greatly FASTENED the consumption OF the
berries.
Good Hannah she won, and kept our young
hearts by such daily little kindnesses. Were
We hungry, who but Hannah had reserved a
nice lunch for us in a corner OF the little cup
board Were we thirsty twas she who
brought us cool milk from the dairy. Full Of
gratitude, we tried to repay her in many little
nameless ways. We kept the baskets by the
hearth, full Of chips we brought apples from
the orchard and every morning, when the
yellow blanket was taken from it's nail, we ran
to set tie three legged stool by the side Of the
bfiDdled COW, and would watch the ioamipg
milk, while Hannah told ns simple stories.
Childish recollections, these, but fresh and
grateful to me for they are fraught with the
image of little Benny When he was gone, and
remained the only juvenile appendage to my
prandfather's home, Hannah was still to me
the same good Hannah as Of yore, kinder, il
't~ere possible. loved her better The
childish impulse had changed to deep affection,
There was new bond of sympathy between
us: and with time and added experience came
gradual appreciation of her character. There
was a simple rustic beauty in her daily life,
that refreshed me, awed by my grandmother's
stately presence She seemed thin pale, and
spiritless; but, all her mild blue eyes looked
kindly on me, little one, and | loved her.
Like farmhouse servants generally, she was n
maid Of all work and most quietly, patiently,
did she 90 through her monotonous routine
She did not work very hard, for my step grand
mother was domestic, and, as have said be-
fore, q kind-hearted woman. Indeed, every
member Of that household tried, from pure
love, to favor Hannah-even rough Jonathan
who, Benny once roguishly whispered to me-
was uncommon kind Hannah was not
really servant, but rather an equal shsrer Of
the labors Of the family. She had seen SUMMER
days; when sorrow came and one after an
other Of her fathers family had gone to their
long home, till she was left honseless and
friendless, my grandfather took her in, and
c0mforted and nourished her. Her heart
warmed towards him with,a daughters graft
tude, and his home became her home ever
&C L. Il
affectionate spirit refined without culture
What might she have been
She loved little Benny, and was very kind to
him. When he died. she grieyed bitterly, and
begged q lock of his shiny hair His death
touched . tender chord. Way back in her
childhood path had slipped away from her
little Benny Age, and there was fresher
and deeper wound that the habiliments Of the
grave, and sad rites, made bleed Afresh
One day. when we had been talking about
little Benny, in burst Of griefful confidence,
she poured her sorrowful tale into my ear. IL
was the old but sad story Of lover persisted
at sea- Her voice choked. and the tears rolled
down. | cried from childish sympathy. "Ah,
life has been weary and sad to me, said she
at length thought of my grandfather's
more than comfortable home and foolishly
wondered at her "Was he good o. at length
asked |. She pointed to well-worn pocket
Bible .Was he rich and handsome :" went
on, like true daughter Of Eve She looked
at me with sad astonishment. | was q child
my burst Of grief had been sympathetic and
cvanescent The lost lover was after all to
me only the jolly sailor, who should have been
rich and handsome as well AZ good All, sor-
row only feels with sorrow Poor Hannah
forgsve me, and went on listening to my plain
tive talk about little Benny, dropping now and
then tear
la her soul there dwelt q true love for the
bsautiiul, which, even in her humble vocation,
found its many ways Of manifestation. IL will
speak out this hesyenward aspiration, when
il finds in nature responsive echo. Even the
two little boxes Of earth on either side of the
front door, gave token of-its presence, in the
sweet mignionette, that acknowledged the ser
wants bounty by il fragrance. Mgoionette-
must fam stay q moment to invoke the little
fairy in Thy CUP. Fat flower for Paradise
with thy l.ny, cream colored blossoms, 30 loaded
with fragrance. Thou must be happy little
fairy, who dwcllest in such freighted cups.
Didst thou never cast thy gentle spell on lonely
Hannah, rs she gave thee thy daily bath Good
Hannah Whose hand but hers kept the
solitary white-rcsc bush in the corner Of the
garden, so nicely trimmed, or cherished with
condescendiDg care the few struggling plebei.
an msrigodsa They we're flowers, gaudy and
poor in fragrance, to be sure but they were
rich in little veins and fbres, and got their
deep yellow from Gods sunshine; so she took
care Of them too
remember how, when very little child,
afecr one of those incomparable sunshiny, nice
summer showers, deserted, by the wayside, a
little chick~eed blossom, laden with q single
drop Of rain, which reflected all the hues OF
the rainbow, still glowing in the heavens
above had never noticed the little flower be-
fore, nor did know its name, and | gazed in
muts wonder Bot even now the tiny chick
weed blossom, with it's unseen, wonderful
mechanism is no weed to me, but, seen still
through that same glowing drop, is q sunlight
loving thankful little flower
The white rose bush was Hannah's greatest
delight She watched its enfodings, from the
pcepiDg out Of the first embryo bud, till