The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-23
VOL. TX.

pTlSc; tucu SdiU, very earnestly duQ RTdFtly-
Eleanor, when tell you that, to my certain
knowledge, this man is utterly unprincipled in
all things, but especially in regard to your sex,
and that among men he makes no scruple of
avowing it, respect for yourself, if not for my
wishes, should teach you to -
"Scorn him." / said, Indignantly, for the
words would come, "but not so deeply as do
a hypocrite like yourself, who, by crying out
against another's sins, thinks to hide his own"
Oh how the red blood rushed to cheek and
browl how those high features trembled and
quivered, and suddenly grew still-still as
death-as, with one glance at the farther end of
the room, where the family were sitting, he said,
in low, distinct tones
"Miss Southmayd, you must explain this"
1t must be that my heart was hardened, like
Pharaoh s--that SEINE evil spirit had possession
of mel felt so hateful, else | could never, in
the presence of that face, have answered so
scornfully-
Willingly, sir; but perhaps my explanation
would be more lucid, had the testimony of the
inmate of No. Sc B street, near Fort
Hill"
A sudden light flashed up in his face, and
conferred in. his eyes.
"You shall have it." he said, looking at his
watch. "You have still an hour to spare, and
you will not refuse to trust yourself with me for
tldC blIn6. III Is bQ6 uTSL ldNUI nave CNCi
asked of you ;" and, going to the door, he Or
dered the servant to call carriage.
"You surely do not think we have grown
suddenly helpless, brother Fred, to call a car
rage to carry US dozen rods" said Rebecca,
who had heard the order.
~ am going out with Miss Southmayd," he
answered. You will have to postpone hear
ing SAKE, unless you can induce Mr.. Bigelow
to escort you, as / have business which impera-
lively demands Miss Southmayds presence"
Business !" echoed the merry girl "What
slaves these rich people are!" and she began
coaxing Mr.. Bigelow to go out with her, while
| went for my cloak and hat.
"Mr Symmetrical was waiting in the hall
when came down, and he handed me into the
carriage in silence, and in silence we drove
through the busy streets.
! / knew, from the moment he had uttered that
calm imperative, "You shall have the testimo-
n.y." that l had wronged him, and grieyously
wronged him, and L would have confessed it
with tears, but there seemed to be some spell
upon me-the demon had not left me. All
Margaret, there are others beside Simon, whom
Satan doth desire to have, that he may slit
! them as wheat"
At last the carriage stopped. l knew we
had reached our destination, and as my guard
ian silently handed me out, it seemed to my ex-
cllSu fancy rs II the dlT was WIN eAO
tears and groans, the suffering and sorrow, the
curses aud blasphemies, of that region.
Bidding the carriage wait, my guardian, draw
ing my arm through his, we entered the dark
entrance, and assembled two flights of stairs
Here he knocked at door; a respectable-look-
ing middle-aged woman opened 1t, and CLEAN
of pleasure lighted up her thin face, as she rec
ognised him, and said
~ am glad you are come, sir, for she's fast
going, poor thing. Lucy is with her.
Bowling silently, he took a light from her
hand, and we climbed another long ascent of
stairs and found ourselves on a landing, from
which opened several doors. He knocked
lightly upon one, it was opened by woman,
who might have been the sister of the one be-
low.
GLOW is your charge tonight, Miss Ames?"
be asked.
did not need to be told what that charge
was; for on the bed, in one corner of the
room, lay female figure, apparently in the UNI
conscious sleep of death.
"Almost gone, sir. She has scarcely spoken
since noon and then, only to bless you, sir, for
all your kindness, and me and sister Ann for
our poor care. She has a grateful heart, poor
thing t" and the genuine humanity that lighted
up the poor woman's wrinkled face was beau
tiful.
11dS Iuc puySlCldu uccu HCAO tO-o11
ayes, sir; but he only ordered a spoonful
or two of wine and water, just to keep her up
But it seems a pity almost to give it, for she
so longs to be gone"
"This lady is friend, Miss Ames, and we
will relieve you an hour or so, while you get
breath Of fresh air."
81 will give her the wine first, sir. will
arouse her little, and mayhap she may know
YOU"
Tenderly raising her head upon her arm, and
displaying the beautiful outline of a face now
wasted by disease, and touched by death, the
woman administered the stimulant and, wait
ing moment until a look of partial conscious
ness dawned upon the features, said
at is the kind gentleman, dear"
There was tremor about the nerveless lips,
a quivering of the blue-veined eyelids then
they were slowly raised, and an expression of
intense pleasure flashed over the white face,
like lightning over beautiful ruin.
The woman left the room silently, and, turn
| ing to me, my guardian said with a significant
glance at the bed
81 fear we are too late, Miss Southmayd,
! the"-
He paused-for, at the sound of my name, a
quick change came over the sufferers face.
She strove feebly to raise herself, saying, ca
gerly-
sprang to her side, and for one moment our
eyes met; then, hers were covered by her thin
hands, and the great tears stole silently down
her face, while | strove in vain to recall those
| features
81 do not remember" said, STOPPING over
her. "Will you tell me who you are?"
How should your" she whispered, still
shrinking, as it were, from my gaze; but
but you cannot have forgotten your old school
mate. Julia Westcott"
l sat down by her bedside, and, gently re-
moving the unresisting hands from her face,
gazed long and earnestly upon the sunken,
! qulverng features, striving to give back to
them something of the rich beauty which 1 so
well remembered, while my own tears fell thick
and fast-fell upon the hands still clasped
within my own-and felt them tremble with
the emotion which shook her whole frame, as,
raising her eyes with a look of mingled graft
tude and wonder she said
GU did not like me then, Miss Southmayd.
but now, when you know what am-guilty,
forsaken, dylng-you come to me, you give me
your tears. 1t is too much! I"
! l dared not take that fattering JUNCTION to
my SOUL" Margaret, / dared not lie in that
| presence, though my tears did fall faster and
faster-not so much for her as myself-for the
mean wrong / had done another; and, with a
glance toward the distant window, to which nv
guardian had Withdrawn, l tried to tell her
something of this.
EDUCATED WOMEN.
All women should be educated, and, what is
more, educated for their profession, as conser-
vators of the domestic state, the nurses of the