Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-06-27
Gbpite 1iterata.r {.
from the Ollve Branch.
PLAIN CHARITY.
BY ALICE CARY.

BY ALICE CARY.
Twenty years agoeor thereabouts, there
lived in one of the most. beautiful districts
of Southern Ohio, family of the name of
Underhill, the head of which, Mr. Joua-
than Underhill, was an elder in the Meth
odist church, the owner of good deal Of
land and money, and altogether person OF
very considerable importance.
Mrs. UnderhiIl h#S been beauty, and
the charm os {, bid ssis.Ss
Gle, previously to her marriage, and she still
retained good deal of personal attractive
ness. and more than her former pride of
position and exclusiveIess Of feeling. Now,
she was proud, not on ly in her own right
but she was also proud Of her husband and
proud of her daughters, or rather Of two o.
them. Charity, the eldest sister. was plain
terribly plain,-her mother said, and this
was the great trouble of her life. 1t seem
ed that no color and no style of dress were
becoming to Charity, and when the sisters,
Helen and Sophie came out, the attempt tc
make anything Of Charity was quite aban.
doned. They were gay, snowy girls, and
with their bloom and their manner quite
eclipsed their eldest sister III the estimation
of their mother, and of most other peo-
pie indeed for they are comparatively few
who see the shining of the spirit in the
eyes and the smile, and who think little Of
smooth forehead and rounded cheek, where
there is no deeper and more abiding beauty
beneath.
Charity was quite serious in her feelings
earnest in the accomplishment of good in
her life-and thoughtful about the mysteries
of time and the soemnities of eternity
The frivolous fnery in which the pretty
Helen and Sophie shone so well, were
nothings to her, and often when the parlor
rung with gaiety, she sat in some nook, un.
interesting and overlooked. Not that she
despised harmless mirth, but it was not her
nature to lead in it, and so quiet and unob.
trusive was she, that her real excellencies
did not appear, and it became generally
understood by the frequenters of Mr.. Un
derhilrs house, that Charity was plain old
maid, to be benevolently patronized some
times, but for she most part, passed by as
an unfortunate, about whom the least sale
the better.
Now and then some kindly old person
would say, how do you do. Charity anc
do you keep pretty we'll, in way that sale
she was not expected to be seen, and th,
implied i'll health was supposed to indicat'
Unity
Sometimes she was invited out, througl
her father and mother, in this way, - Char
ity must come aIong;' and if she were il
fearing, it was at once added, 90 yes; W
can't do without you
The more she was left out of merry-ma
kings and social circles, the less she sough
the favor Of young and gay people, and a
twenty-five she had become Aunt Charity
to all the children of the neighborhood, an,
to such of their acquaintance generally a
had not entirel ly forgotten her.
When Mrs. Underhlll went to town
shop, she brought home palmer and NOR
substantial articles for Charity than for th
other girls,-silks for Sophie and Heller
stout ginghams for Charity feathers an
velvets for the younger girls, and a stra'
hat and spare ribon for her; kid slipper
for the beauties-coarse ties for plai
Charity.
When there was protracted meeting i
the woods two or three miles from Mr.. III
derhilPs, Sophie and Helen rode on hors
back, wearing white dresses, (for it WI
the fashion then for young ladies to ride
white dresses) and wore leghorn flats, trim
med with pink ribbon and artificial flower
and carried green parasois with fringe thrt
inches deep, while Charity rode in the lit
wagon with her father and mother, sheltert
by plain black umbrella, and wearing
washed and ironed dress, and cotton in Il
place of kid gloves.
In the evenings when the gentlemen we
expected to see the ladies home, it W
thought best generally that Charity shou
not 90 out-she could not come home aor
and Of course no one would want to COZ
home with her.
If the tears came to her eyes, her moth
said, What foolish girl you are, Chari
I am always afraid to speak to you, you ;
sach baby,-now | can say to Helen
Sophie that hat is unbecoming, or Il
dress is wretched,' and they don't care
all And so it was for when Charity '
told that she looked badly, she felt tha
was true, while the younger girls could "
afford to be rallied on i'll appearance II
were on good terms with themselves and
their friends, and that made the diferen
1t happened one time that there was gr
excitement through the neighborhood,
consequence of a report that the great
Westbrook, from one of the Atlantic cit
was to be in attendance at an approach
meeting, which according to the custom
the times, was to be held in the woods
ring the day, and at night in the barr
Squire Medenhof- that being large
e centrally located. His fame for excelle
: and eloquence was all through the count
r and it could not at first be believed that
great man was positively coming to c
v paratively SO obscure place. 1t was
:; certained, however, that some very i'm
: tant affairs necessarily brought him in
J direction, and that the quarterly NEE
was simply taken on his way. Unu
re preparations were made. The trumpe
e. the great announcement was blown far
y wide the schoolmaster was -instruote
at give notice every Saturday night for m,
st in advance of the big meeting that
ct great Mr.. Westbrook was confidently
I'd pected, and written notice Of the same
st posted at the crossroads, at the grist-
and at the tavern.