Eastern times., 1856-02-28


pure, delicate, Saxon faces, with blue eyes
and bronze hair, which always carry one back
TO the old feudal days. when the bright heads
of English maidens beamed out from the lat
tices on the knights who rode with white
plumes and flashing spears, into the court be-
low.
Minnie lives with her mother and her uncle,
cher father is dead, in the pretty white cottage
on the hill.
Her brother Eldridge is at college, and she
attending the village high school.
This is an abridgment of the knowledge !
CLEANED of Minnie's antecedents the next week.
But we met soon after, at the society |
hardly know how it was we became SO well
acquainted in so little time. l think our sous
must haze looked al each other.
Bryan says we are somewhat alike, which
is, suppose, the highest compliment he could
bestow upon any woman.
At any rate, last Saturday, Minnie passed
the day with me, and an amusing time had
of it, listening to her humorous description of
her first profound dread of the parsons wife.
But it's all gone now, she says.
Last evening, went up into the back cham
Der, to see the sunset move, with its red feet,
up the gray mountain on the west, when Min
MES voice came up to me from the kitchen.
'No, Biddy, don't call Mrs. Raymond came
in this way on purpose to find her all alone,
and, as you say she is up stairs, I'll go to her.
ran to the balustrade, as she set her foot
on the lowest stair
May come up, Mrs. Raymond
Certainly, DEAR
saw that something was troubling her,
with my first glance into the sweet face 1t
was very pale, now, and the small, mobile
mouth was tremulous with the sobs below it:
| took her into the chamber what in the
world brought you in the back way, Minnie z
Because was afraid should meet some
one in the front hall. Oh! Mrs Raymond,
am very, very wretched : breaking down in a
storm of sobs.
Minnie, darling, don't give way so. Tell
me what is troubling you. Am | not your
true friend1
j know you are, and it is this thought that
has brought me here, but-her fast flowing
tears finished The sentence.
1t was long before drew the story from
Minnie. Her uncle, who is the guardian Of
the few thousands her father left the family,
is, it seems, stern, exacting sort of man,
with whom his relatives have very little sym
pathy.
Eldredge, Minnie's idolized brother, has
entered on his third year at college, but his
parsimonIous old uncle will hardly allow him
funds to defray his expenses.
Last year the young gentleman incurred a
debt of hundred dollars, for which he has
been constantly harrassed this term by the
creditor, who is one of the under stewards
The man threatened at last to write to Min
MES uncle, and had fulfilled his threat, but
she had taken it from the Office that dav with
out her uncle's knowledge.
There is no use,' wrote her brother, sin
my trying to get on this way any longer. Un-
Gle Aaron's stinginess has reduced me to all
sorts of miserable shifts and annoyances during
this term, and can't bear it any longer. This
paltry debt, too, is like nightmare upon my
energies, and pay-it must and shall, in the
only way that lies open TO me. The sin be
with him who brought me to it, Only you
net nossessio of the latter that dasni,o r,y
entreaties, Give descended 10 this, Minnie y
will, know, be sent this week for, you see,
if our precious uncle gets hold of it, he'll
neither pay it, nor defray the remainder of my
college expenses And so ran the despairing
letter of the young collegian.
'Oh! Mrs. Raymond, if you only knew Ell
dredgel He is so noble, so generous, so
proud, and | know what that dark hint OF pay
ing the debt means-he has resolved on gam
bling to obtain the money, and the very thought
it will break my heart
But, Minnie, why don't you show your
brothers letter TO your uncle1 He surely
couldn't resist that
Yes, he would, and disgrace him, too, il
possible. And Eldridge has one Of those
proud natures, that would never endure any.
thing of the kind. Besides this, you know
how very delicate mammals health is, and any
knowledge of this matter would throw her
right back on her sick bed. If could only
raise thar bundled dollars! There are my
pin and rings, which night bring ten, but man.
ma would mis-. them, and then where would
the rest come 'front.'
My heart ached for her. she said this SO
despairingly, with the tears standing still on
her soft cheeks.
'Oh, Minnie drawing my arm around her,
'if only had the money, instead of my sym
pathy, to give you
Scarcely had the words passed my lips,
when new thought flashed into my mind
There were the parlor carpet and curtains
was intending to purchase before cousin Hes
ter's visit.
1 might do without these, for the ingram
carpet was very tasteful one, and the en-
broidered curtains exceedingly graceful, but
felt little anxious, in view of the scrutiniz-
ing glances Of my fashionable cousin, and SO