Eastern times., 1856-04-10
g @oob Stotp,
From Arthur's Home Magazine.
ONE DAYS SACRIFICE.
BY VIRGINIA P. TOWNSEND.

The lips were just like the tone, That mo-
ment, half pouting, half wistful indeed, this
was the expression of the whole face, as it
pressed itself up to the window-pane that
morning.
1t was sweet face, though by no means a
beautiful one, and you felt intuitively that the
pout was improvised, and that a smile was
the indigenous expression of the full, rounded
lips, and of the clear hazel eyes.
They looked out, those eyes, on winter
morning, cold and still, for the night before
had woven its seamless robe over brown field,
and barren hill, and the trees lifted up their
charred foreheads under the white baptismal of
December.
their gray folds away from the sun, and reveal
ing pleasant interludes of soft, blue sky, the
mornings blessed prophesy written in the
heavens above, to the earth beneath, "The
day shall be a Uery bright one.'
What glorious time they will have,
murmurs Grace Hammond, while her little
fingers move along the high frost rim on the
edges of the pane. Its full fifteen miles to
the green, and they'll be three hours getting
there Then, such delicious sleighing as it
will be. and there are twenty couples going,
Cousin Charley said.
How 1 should enjoy it, with the late dinner,
and the evening plays, and The delightful ride
home by moonlight. Oh seems to me l new
er wanted to go anywhere so much in my life.
But then there's Matte, dear child, she'd
enjoy it even more than 1 would, buried up as
she is, week after week, in that old red school
house, with those tiresome boys and girls.
Goodness believe it would drive me era
zy in less than month, and yet how patiently
and nobly she beals it all.
If her father hadn't made that wretched
speculation before he died, mortgaging even
the house they live in.
Mrs Palmer, with her feeble health, and
those two little children, all dependent on Mat
ties services, and she so delcately, so tender
ly reared 1 declare, it makes my heart
ache TO think of it,
Didn't she look sweetly, though, at our par
ty, the other evening. lspoke before thought,
''Mattie, how becoming black is TO you,' and
then the tears came into her eyes. 1t was SO
careless of me.
Weston Hunt was really quite smitten with
her. could see this very plainly by the at
tention he paid her all the evening, and then
his inviting her TO go in the sleighing party
to-day proves this, fever anything did. Why
there isn't girl in all Meadowbrook that
wouldn't be proud of his attentions. And
then, how some of them have treated Matte of
late, because the family have lost their proper
ty. It's perfect shame, think.
But about the sleigh ride, that's the ques-
tion, and l must decide, now.
CharIey'l be so disappointed if don't go >
and the old, halt pouting, half irresolute look
dashed across the sweet face.
But there's Matte again. 1t would be
such change, such pleasure to get out of
that old school-room for day; and if | were
to teach for her, could think, when night
came, I'd made her happy, if | hadn't been SO
myself
l triH, too; that's settled now. Grace
Hammond, you don't go on that sleiging party
today And the young girl perforated this
decision by bringing down her hand emphat-
ically on the window-sill.
Grace Hammond's monologue must have
given you glance into her inner self, reader
and can only outline for you, very briefly
her mental character.
She was the only child of wealthy farmer
petted and half spoiled from her infancy.
But she was ardent and impusive, with {
rich, deep, loving nature, which no extraneou.
circumstances could entirely change.
She had her faults, and they were many
but her heart-and it is blessed thing wher
you can say this of man or woman-her hear
was true one.
Matte, darling,'- wrote Grace Ham
mond ten minutes later,-you are going OIL
this sleigh ride, so just don't say another wor'
about it. Cousin Charley told me Mr.. Hun
sent you the invitation an hour ago, and l'v
taken a notion to play school ma'am for yol
TODAY. I've been on scores of sleigh ride
this winter, and | think it will do you as mucl
good to drop the mantle of your dignity on m
to day, as it will my giddy self to assume it.
So throw off that school hood from you
brown curls, my darling, and call up the ol
smiles to the soft bloom of your lips, the ol
light to the summer-blue of your eye; and
all the annals of youth, love, and sleigh rides
may there be no page so bright as the one th
day shall write in the history of Matte Pain
er and W eston Hunt, most fervently prays
GRACE HAMMOND
Not going, Grace! Why. you're surel
not in earnest and look of mingled chagri
and disappointment cIouded the fine feature
of the young man, as he turned them on h
companion.
Yes, am, Charley. You see, I've mao
an engagement for the day which renders
quite impossible for me to go. I'm sorry, bl
it can't be helped Spite of her efforts, the
was a little thread of disappointment runnir
through the studied calmness Of the speaker