The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-26
WASHINGTON, d. G..
For the National Era.
ELEANOR SOUTHMAYD'S WARDSHlP,
BY MARTHA RUSSELL.
OLDFIELD, October 10, 1850.

-. the atmosphere is very different from that
I...;,;cated- healthfula and healing to such
,,,,sre; as mine. Everything is so quiet and
,tearfal here, and the good woman herself is
srcb = complete incarnation of out-spoken hon-
es,v and busy-h aded goodness, that it seems
a. might become good too.
Today. while we were sorting over basket
ofvnter apples, "spys and "Spitzenbergs,"
apaHyins and Seek-no-farthers," selecting
tho la-re,t and fairest to send to neighbor,
widow Stokes, Whose own had fallen prey to
pnrnly cattle and poor fences as a sort OF
.aace, suppose, for the home lecture Aunt
Hrldah has given her on those topics, made
some remark to that effect, adding" How
much wish you were my guardian, instead of
tlis Mr.. Summerfeld?"
Eleanor" she replied. IF body really
wants to become better, it don't help much to-
ward it to nurse all sorts of prejudices agin
na,ple of whom we know nothing. It's better
,owait and see."
But DO know something about this gentle
man. You know | came here once, years ago,
and know he dislikes me-"
How do you know it?"
because he was always finding fault with
me-
Fired. Summerield finding fault Why,
h. was quite the evenest-tempered boy / ever
knew. lie would put up with anything where
he was concerned"
II don't mean to say he was cross, or i'll
tempered; but he had a way of looking at me,
anil crticizing my ways, and saying such and
saen things were wrong, that was very provo
ka..'
We'll, were they not wrong?" asked the
I'D LADY. with a smile, as she laid down the
napkin upon which she was wiping the apples,
al locked me in the face.
Why suppose they were," said, color
a5 and hesitating beneath her glance but,
,lea he need not have been so particular about
every little thing. IL he had really liked me,
be- solld not have been; for papa and grand
mamma never were. They made the best of
things
Yes, so Judge, so judge" repeated Aunt
HaIlah dryy. "And it is true, that Fred.
Slmmertield never was boy or man, inclined
TO make the best of anything which could be
brtered by any effort of his, though possibly
>
he told you your faults, and you did not like it
aud even now, you don't like people who do
that. Is II not so, child?"
! vas obliged to own that it was true.
she smiled as she replied, " You are honest
al east child. But don't you see that, instead
Of proving that Fred. Summer6eld dislikes you,
II is YOU that dislike him ? 1t is very natural
sad very easy to pack our own prejudices and
i4alts on to other people, instead of shoulderng
me burden ourselves. Christian" she went
re-. quoting from her favorte hook, found
the hons as harmless as my cosset Dick, yon-
der when he had conquered his own pride and
sr.twIIl. Our worst enemies are ourselves,
a.d, even a mans foes are those of his own
h04sehold. Look there; and she pointed
through the open door, TO a small flower-gar-
tn beneath the windows, blooming with asters,
drrSauthmns, marygolds, and other old-fash-
med flowers, "once that patch was run over
sth knot-grass | have fought it for more
nan twenty years, and it arnt dead yet; for if
eve 1t week, it will come up some where ;
81. rs just so with the human heart-it will
-arall sorts of beautiful flowers and rich fruit,
by the grace of God; but the knot-grass is
u4r'' and, if YOU don't look sharp, it will run
or everything else. And / must say, if your
rf.4ima aud father had looked a ieette sharper
A'er this in your case, 'twould have saved you
deal Of trouble. But you had not any
mother poor childl"
Iiet Ely eyes fill with tears-not so much for
ay moherieSs condition, as the wrong use
haze made of it; for | begin to see that, in
.r.i Of making that reason for extra care
al 'ilgence, have suffered it to serve as an
,,raSe for ali sorts of faults and imperfections.
-' father and grandmother must not bear all
te wrong.
Ike this old woman, for all her plainness.
Ne so thoroughly sincere and earnest, and
d. such direct way Of looking at things can't
Up liking her. ! don't believe she ever look
~ sideways at a thing in her life. 1t is good
% NE to come in contact with such a soul; and
~ had met her six months ago in the city,
should have laughed at her. II is strange
J.~ differently things look, when viewed from
inherent stand. points Old women, especially
% poorer and more unfashionably clad, have
.''A oil responsibility in the country, which
- not pertain to them in the city. A dress
'u looks mean or Oatre in a crowded street,
"a by brick walls and plate glass, becomes
"eSque IN the open country, with the great
- 'of background and the blue sky over
- would not have Aunt Huldah, Wonder,
- 'Ise her spotted muslin cap, with its wide
- winch she has crimped with the same
eTL1 1'Ie these twenty years, or at least one
same pattern, under which her gray hair
h nicely smoothed away, or her white mus
CAefchlef and blue and white calico
IN 'l' ior all the false fronts" dress caps, and
Ga3 treSses, IN the world Nature digniGes her
-TIllte9l-clties belittle them.
HSh you could look in upon us tonight.
,rr. 'T u wood fire burns upon the hearth, for
s,-,... tiu.oah likes good fre-"it's kind a
c-1e- she says; and while write in my
5,-nji sue sits opposite, with a great leather
to how 4 &C. book, which probably belonged
r,sr Il I"'ler, before her on the stand, looking
- 'lg weekly accounts, and occasionally dips
sand "a SIC aohors steel pen) in the ink
~ SIu puts down or crosses out some item
h ~ ueSt Or credit of her work people. Now
IN, Gown her pen, and. with her fore6nger,
no 81 column of figures, to see that there
Som ~ --S'ake then, as a sort of relaxation
,ae If II unusual mental effort, she takes up
Of rss,; -e row OF apples which, in the process
lie l,a.Ia are splitting and spluttering upon
sh7s ~ swept hearth, and enjoys its flavor,
l;B5.5 coi'emplates, with an expression OF
v4s,iD~ r.! and contempt, the prodigal son
"o0a.';,- -iS substance among people of rather
he sa,a s,'aDie reputation" which forms one Of
sjgrrs Is- ~ Illustration of that parable which
Cher 80 ~. mantle. She has her weak side, like
suet;os md, and that is manifested in
speciaiIr VI :! idoiatry for these Summerields,
tie sam: my guardian" They have been
saonoIo as children to her, and it is natural,
.o,...P Ise' Tor all women to make to themselves
lad ALL l confess, l would rather her choice
upon some one else. ELEANOR.
R4bao.o oLDFTELD, November /, 1850.
SCi7irg bo unlmerheld has arrived; have been
iest =, HeI Tor the past three weeks, and she
lat dav Iidch OF puzzle to me now as the
q y51;! saw : saw her. She reminds me the most
esrdeD sVTandiather's old blind colored mans