The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-06-27
JAMES R. MORRIS, Publisher and Proprietor

| 81 will dosas you ask, Weldon. For
give ME If have done wrong" she whis-
pered, drawing up closer to her brother,
and laying her head in its old resting place
against his heart; for very tenderly did
brother and sister love each other.
| Weldon Marshall drew his arm around
his sisters waist, and when the wind moaned
fire mingled its ruddy glow with the silver
astral light, and filed the parsonage sit
ting room with dreamy crimson light, he
told story of the past, and his eyes grew
darker, and his low earnest tones full of
pathetic eloquence as he told it
"Itis eight years next month, Hattie,
and I was in New York, engaged in my
collegiate studies You see it was three
Years after our mothers death, and you
were at that time with uncle Harvard, at
tending school.
at was a cold, wild, disagreeable night,
and I remember standing at the window
of my snug sanctum, and looking out rue
fully into the darkness, for 1 had made an
Engagement to meet several of my fellow
students that evening in a distant portion
of the city.
Dear me! how the wind bows!' / So
Ililoquized, with very feminine shrug of
the shoulders, as I drew the curtains clos
Ter. 1--we half mind to throw myself on
the lounge, which looks so provokingly
comfortable this evening, and not attempt
an encounter with the elements. It's ab-
surd to think they'll expect me such a
night as this. In short, won't tempt an
influenza by showing my face outside the
door, was the conclusion of my mono
|logue.
!" remember that wheeled up the sofa
in a comfortable proximity with the fire;
located the lamp SO that its rays fell softly
upon the volume intended to commune
with, and that I had settled myself for q
long, quiet winters evening.
"But it would not do. My eyes wan
dered listless along the pages; they could
not engage my attention A strange, un-
accountable feeling of restlessness and
anxiety seemed to possess me. At last l
|resolutely closed the book, and few min
utes later was in Broadway, mentally
censuring my folly in. yielding to feeling
/ could not resist.
4 "Ah, me! looking back through the
eight years that lie between that .dreary
i might and the present, how clearly can ]
discover the great fathers love in it all!
What is it you want, little boy?'
see him now just as though had seen him
this morning, and the light from the tall
window is falling on him just as it fell
then, revealing his ragged dress, and pale
}, Ipinched features, and the cold rain is drip.
) Eping off his thick brown curls, just as il
; did then. It is strange, mournful pic.
ture- the dark night in the back ground
and the little ragged boy, and the brilliant
4 lights and the great store, with all sorts
s of rare CONNECTIONS in front. No wonder
), it touched my heart The boy started a.
4 laid my hand gently on his shoulder
and looked up with his wild, eager, brigh
eyes into my face. -
oh, sirP he said, after moments
4 earnest perusal of my features. 4 was
| thinking if / only could carry one of those
cakes to Ellen; she is very sick, and
(the little fellows lips quivered, } we havn'
: had any thing to eat for two days.
did not speak another word; but
caught hold Of the child, and pulled hin
after me into the store.
Hand me down plate of those cakes,
cried, to the astonished clerk-he turned
y with more. than ordinary alacrity to fulfil
my request. I drew the boy into small
sitting room at one end of the establish
t ment. Now eat these as fast as you can
and then tell me who Ellen is.
His hungry look, the strange avidit,
] with which he grasped the food, almos
wrung tears from my eyes.
".Ellen is my sister-my only siste
since the baby died. We are all alon
Z now. Last month, just after they burie
g mother, she grew sick. I s'pose it wa
q because she cried so much; and she's bee
+ growing worse all the time
!" And there is nobody to take care {
her now but you, my little fellow?'
Nobody but me---the money mothe
left is all gone, you see, sir, and though.
s sometimes earn sixpence by selling pa
. |pers or cleaning sidewalks, I couldn't leay
s Nelly Or the last week, she grieyed S
: much worse. o, sir, how good these tast,
cant thank You, but I want to-
: 3" But mayn't / take the rest home
s Nelly? She'll be frightened, I'm gone s
: : long. o, sir, if you'd only go with me
II a IN come and see you and Nelly t.
y morrow, I said, if youql tell me whel
: you live; and now while you are eatin
!, = the remainder of your cakes, I'll get som
- = thing that Nelly viii like better
!. az procured a basket which / saw We
4 stocked with variety of fruits and CO..
Il fections most likely to tempt the appeti
] Of an invalid, and adding to these all Il
- money ] had with me, I returned to Il
- child.
a go home to Nelly with these as ia
# ar you can,' I said, and tell her that l W
he como, to see her tomorrow morning. Nc
Goc w. 1;k%1o how, and fako Crot