The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-03-02
MISCELLANE EOUS.
FIRST MARRIAGE IN THE FAMILY
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.

sweet memories that haf slept IN memory,
chambers Our home was pearl Of price
among homes not for its architectural ele'
gance-ior !, was only fou..s .sabied, brown
country house, shaded by two ancient oak
trees; nor was its interior crowded with
luxuries that charm every sense and come
from every cline. It's furniture had grown
old with use,fo we remember no other and
though polished as hishly rs furniture
could be, by daily scrubbing, was some
what The worse for wear, il must be confess
ed. But neither the house nor the furniture
makes the home; and the charm OF ours
lay in the sympathy that linked the nine
thai called il tHome" TO one another
Father, mother, and seven children-fve
of them say.helrled girls, and two boys
pelled just enough 10 be spoiled-no, one
link had ever d'opped from tho chain Of
love, or one cortoding drop fallen upon lis
brightness.
"Onesta liisreth from another in glory,
even in the armament of home. Thus
though we could not have told stranger
which sister or brother was the dearest,
from our gentle "eldesi" an invalid her
sell, but the comforting counsellor Of all
beside, TO the curly haired boy who romp-
ed and rejoiced in The appellalion Of "baby"
given five years before-stilf an observing
eye would soon have singled out Ellen as
the sunbeam Of our heaven, the "morning
star" of our constellation. She was the
second in age, but first in inheritance Of
that load OF responsibility which in such
a household falls naturally upon the eldes,
daughter. The eldes,,asI have said, was
i'll from early girlhood, aud Ellen had shoul-
dered all her burden Of care and kindness,
with light heart and lighter step. Up
stairs aud down cellar-in The parlor, nurse
ry or kilchen-at The piano or the washtub-
with pen, pencil, needle or ladle-sisier
Ellen was always busy, always with smile
on her cheek and n warble on her lip.
Quickly, happily, the months and years
went by. We never realized that change
was 10 come over our band !; TO be sure
when mother would look in upon us, seated
together, with our books, painting ani
needle. work, and say in her gentle way,
with only half sigh, "Ah, girls, you are
living your hapricst days ~ we would
glance into each others eyes, and wonder
who would 20 first. But !, was wonder
,ha, passed away with the hour, ,ha, ruffled
no, even the surface of our sis,eIly hearts.
Ii could not be always 50, and the change
came at last
Sister Ellen was TO be married.
I, was like the crash of thunderbolt IN
a clear summer sky. Sister Elleu-ihe
fairy OF the hearihstone, the darling OF every
hear,-whlch Of us could spare heri Who
had been so presumpiuous as 10 find out
her worth, For the frs. moment, this
question burst from each surprised half an
Cry sister Of the bushing, fearful Ellen.
II was only for moment; our hearts told
us that nobody could help loving her, who
looked through her loving blue eyes into
the clear wel-spring Of the heart beneath.
So we threw our arms around her, and sob
bed without word.
We knew very well that the young cler.
gyman, whose Sunday sermons and gentle
admoniiions had won all our hearts, had
been for months weekly visitor 10 oul fire.
side circle. With baby George on his knee
and Georges brothers and sisters clustered
about him, he had sa, through many an
evening, charming hours away, until the
clock startled us with the u1welcome nine
o'clock warning, and the softly spoken re-
minder, "Girls il is bed-time." woke more
than one siiied sigh OF regret. Then sister
Ellen mus, go with us 10 lay George in his
little bed; 10 hear him aud Annette repeat
the evening prayer and hymn, her lips had
taught them; 10 comb the long brown
braids Of Emily's head; 10 rob Arthur Of
the s,ory.book, over which he had been
squandering the mitnigh, oil and 10
breathe kiss and blessing over The pill.
low OF each other sister, as she tucked The
warm blankets tenderly around them.
We did moi know how OF late she had
stolen down again, from those sisicrly duties
after our sisters were locked in sleep: or if
onr eyes and ears had ever been open 10
the fact, we could never have suspected the
minister 10 have been guilty of such plot
against our peace. Tha, name was associa-
ted in our mind with all that was superhu.
man. The grey-haired pastor who had
gone 10 his grave six month, previous, had
sal as frequently in our oaken backed chair.
and talked with us. We loved him rs q
father and friend, and had aIrnos, worship.
ped him as The embodiment Of all aiiaina-
BILE goodness. When Mr.. Neville came
among us, with his high, pale forehead,
and souI.kindled eye, we had thought his,
also "the face OF an angel" Too glorious for
the print OF mortal passion especially, af.
ter in answer TO an urgen, call from the
people among whom he was laboriny. he
had frankly told them his purpose was no,
10 remain among them or anywhere ON his
native shore; that he only waited the puid-
arce of Providence TO home in a foreign
cline. After this much bewailed disclos.
ure Of his plans, we placed our tavori,e
preacher on higher pinnacle of saint,bin
Bu, sister Ellen was 10 DO married-and
married TO Mr.. Neville. All. then. ooh
sister You arc going away 10 India,n burs,
from our lips, with fresh gush of soh,.
| was the first ,ha, looked up into ElIen,s
troubled face. twas heaving with emolion
'ha, rufiled its calmness, as the ,ide.waye.
rufiled the sea. Her lips We're firmly COM
pressed, her eyes were fixed on some dis.
liant dream glassed with two tears ,ha, STOOD
still in their chalices forbidden 10 fall +
almost ,rembled as cangh, her glance.
"Sis,er I! Agnes-Emily !" she exclaim.
ed in husky voice. "Hush! be calm
Don't Freak my heart. Do love him less
than"
The efior, was too much; the words died
away on her lips. We liiled her 10 bed
frightened into iorseifulncss of her own
grief. We soo,hed her until she wen, loo
freely and passiona,ely, and in weeping
grew strong for the sacrifice 10 which she
had pledged her heart.
We never spoke another word Of remon-