The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-17
How old is she 2"
"TwentY-eight."

GLOW old is she?"
| "Twenty eight"
Twenty-eightl And does she allow you to
tell her age ?"
| Yes, indeed, she's as queer in this as she
is in everything else. She tells it herself every
chance she can get"
"She's a rarer thing than all your century
plants, then. Tell me who she is; shall feel
more like attacking her.
| She is my only sister,"
"Your sister, is she ?" his face flushing a
little, and so queer ?-how happens it ?"
| "She was always so, from child. Good,
she was; but shy, in general, for all she was so
| communicative with those she loved. She was
very homely, as child, and so ashamed of it
that she was ready to go down into the mud
puddles, where the frogs were. / can remem-
Der her saying so, one spring day, when we were
out walking, and talking about it. She's over it
| now"
"Over the ugliness, do you mean, or the
shame2"
"Over both. Or, so I think. She don't think
she's over the ugliness, but she says she has no
desire to be. There's my husband, stretching
his neck to find me. There's Ada; she's look
ing after Inc. | suppose It's somewhere in the
neighborhood of supper-time. Good bye"
CHAPTER VIII.
| Mrs. Hadden sent me out here to see her
famous century plant" said Fletcher, close to
Julia's shoulder, but with his eyes peering sedu-
lousy among the roses. geraniums, verbenas,
heliotropes, and the like beautiful fower-gen-
try. Where is it, madam" still without look
ing at Julia, still peering assiduously, "can
you tell me where it is ?"
Julia looked first at him, to see what sort of
a person 1t was, with the unknown voice; the
| rather hIunt nd nf. hutru tbo1
pleasant voice. She saw a tall, broad, portly
man, with light in his face, and, as it were, all
about him. She wondered who he was, until
she recollected about the "Stone Factory"
and other works, having been built there at
r, since she went away; and about agent,
overseers, and other families, having moved
In on account of it; then she fancied that this
was the agent. She remembered Mrs Had.
den's mentioning him and his family in one of
her letters, as an acquisition" So there, in
that handsome form aud the face oflight, (she
looked at him again at this stage of her reAec.
tions,) was, no doubt, her sisters acauisi
tion," Mr.. Merry. She was STOPPING a little,
by the way, examining the plant to which she
had brought him.
so this is the be-praised century plant" said
he, drawing himself up, and facing ulia "Be-
praised because it flowers so rarely. Excellent
gratitude to the rest of the plants here, that
blossom continually; don't you think SOP"
Julia smiled to see the curl of his full and
handsome lip, as she answered-"you don't un-
derstand about it, perhaps One must see that
the century-plant is a grand thing, in its way.
like its slow, iron-like growth the even face
with which it goes on through whole genera
tons, to blossom by-and-by-by-and- when
the plants and people that surrounded it once,
| have run their short, irregular race and are
gone. AS for these plants that blossom so early
and so often" she added, after pause, her eyes
still on the beautiful array of bright flowers and
dark-green leaves, Gone must love them and
feel grateful to them, if one does not open ones
mouth to say word"
Perhaps so. l have no doubt, in fact, that
our hostess, yourself, and the admirers of how-
ers, in general, have a liking for these unpre-
tending little things. But, after all, when it
comes to the high qualities Of admiration, and
almost worship, you bend yourselves down to
the stiff, thorny, and, to nay mind, senseless,
10y plant, that, for all your homage, makes you
not the slightest returns; ouly, very gracious
ly, very benignly, blossoming when it is well
ready-that is, at the end of hundred years.
I've seen few men in my life, like your famous
century plant. Prof. Nutting, of Cambridge,
is one; and his wife-all the women, in fact
think that he is a god. / hope you have one
ofthese men for your husband. He'll smile once
1t will be sunshine enough for all the rest of
the year. For the rest, you'll be gloriously
satisfied to see him wrapped imperviously in
his own concentrated individuality, going for
ward and carrying his works, his studies, and
all his expressions and developments, with
him, to the next generations; to be seen, felt,
and appreciated then, when he, poor mani when
you, poor woman! are lying side by side in
the dust"
Julia laughed little, but with tears in her
eyes. You must think, though, as do said
she, "that it is grand doing something with
ones might, if it is nearly all for the genera
lions TO come. There are so many Of us who
go through life smiling this way, smiling that,
saying senseless, unmeaning things to this one,
and to that one, who just smile and say un.
meaning, worthless things back again. Just
eating, drinking, smiling, and saying worthless
things, all through this life On earth You
muat think, as / do, that this is miserable
enough"
ayes, indeed But hope there is a posi-
BILE golden mean somewhere between Prof
Nutting, this century plant, your husband, and
the mere chrysalis of the hour, that you have
been suPposing. They are all leaving us. Are
they going to SUPERB"
| Upon Julia's answering in the affirmative, he
offered to attend her, adding, =" / am Mrs. Had.
denis friend, Fletcher; you, believe, are her
sister,"
(Dr. W comes along the hall. / hear,
or rather feel, the jar of his emphatic steps
every one of WHICH IL set down with "a period"
at the close. He opens the door wide-sets it
away back-that he may overlook we'll the
whole room at the threshold, and afterwards
pass in without obstruction.
How are you-how do you 90 Ga ne asked,
adya22lps.
Nicely" answer, without looking away
from the point of my pen. "How do yos. do2h
Nicely" He lisps and minces the word a
little: he thinks it is foolish, provoking
word to hear spoken in answer to ones in
quiries.
always scribbling; your pen going along
the hines like race-horse-hhoI do you get
along2"
"Nicely."
ooh, hang it Have done with that, or will
never come near you. How would you stand
that?"
"Nicely, DIR. VI"
eyes don't ] reIaember your losing your
appetite and growing thin, and as pale as a
ghost, poor child! once when you believed
you had made me angry-so angry that / would
never come near you again? All, know You
haven't forgotten that whatever else you raay
have forgotten. See look up here are some
flowers and sweetscented leaves the girls broke
of for you, as l was coming. Go and put them
into some water, while l read what IS up here
on this page about Prof. Nutting, of Gam
bridge He and ! were classmates, twenty
years ago. ne was the oldest fellow at Har-
ward. Never a word to say to ANYBODY; he'd
have gone through difficult problem, or a
difficult rendering, with pack of bloodhounds
yelping in his face and eyes. WE'LL" he resum.
ed, after he had read down TO nv parenthesis.