True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-12-31
.Gopb Stprg.
aoa ~ IF rom Peterson's Magazine.
MY AUNT EDITH'S LOVE.
BY ELLEN LOUISE CHANDLER MoULToN.

.sHs .- - #
.IU... ...G'. . L. .U ....
Now in her snowy shroud she lies
Her lily lid half veil her eyes
As if she looked with wild surprise
Up at her soul in Paradise. ."--CHvERs.
l was nine years old, and my mother
only twenty FIVE. when over our house
fell great darkness, the bitterness, aud
the shadow of death. My mother was
very beautiful. Sweet Effie Snow"
had been .hc name by which all the vii
layers called her in tile happy daysof her
childhood /; happy, save that she had
never known mothers love. She had
scarcely missed it, however, so tenderly
had she been cared for by her widowed
father, and her elder sister, Edith. AT
fifteen, her girlish heart had yielded it.
self up in passionate alteration to my state.
Iy, noble father, and she had become his
wife.
He was many years older than she. and
the world used to call him grave and
Stern, butLe was never SO to her his
fairy. his darling, his little " snow baby
as he used, laughingly, TO call her. A
very handsome man was my father; his
figure was dignifed and noble, aud bis
dark, deep eyes were fuller of tenderness
than any eyes ever looked into, save,
well, it's no matter for the exception.
perhaps, your own heart is making one
also. They had lived together, my
parents, a kind of enc hanted life, full Of
beauty, Of flove, of dreams; leading thro'
green meadows, iuto which no apple of
discord had ever fallen; beside the still
waters Of peace was their only child,
and they never tired of me. or of each
other. Day after day, in tue long. blue
summer, mother would lie on her light
straw hat, and we would all 60 forth to-
gelher, into the fields and woods, and
there my stately father would lie, hour
after hour at her feet, and read 10 her old
legends of knights and ladies', and tender
lays of" the love that hopes, and ell
dures, and is patient"
AT last, they told me- God was going
10 give me baby brother or sister.
was sent to spend a few days with friend
two or three miles away. and when |
came back, was told should find the
sweet, new conner. shall remember to
my dying day, how my mo ,her drew me
to bor, and kissed me again. and again,
her brown eyes all luminous with tears.
No other child shall ever be to us
like this, our first one, shall there, Guy |!
she said, with faltering voice. '
He bent over her, aud kissed her.
No, Eff e, no, little snow darling. nc
other ever could be. think first chlt
is like first love. 1t touches a chor(
that has never before ,rembled, and botl
are sweeter than anything that can eve
come again ..l'-- a. ".+ T.
20 Invent away with my heart thrilling tc
her murmured words, and the passionat,
clasp Of her tender arms with my cleel
wet with her tears. ....".
Three days after stood alone, towart
nightfall, at the gate Of my friends house
/ saw a carriage whirling swiftly dow
the road. It stopped. and my fathe
spraug from it, in restless, hurried man
ner, very unlike, himself. He caught nj
frantically in his aims, and strained M
TO his bosom. '.r7a nu. 10 ,.r. '.|
ri" My own child, "hemurmured, "poo
little lamb, poor, lonely, desolale litl
thing; come, must take you home wit
me" .-E ..a 70 A.sa
My childheart grew heavy with a
underlined fear. I went away for M
things, and in the meantime, my father
had few moments conversation will
the lady of the house. When cam
back he lifted me tenderly into the car
riags, and we drove rapidly away. "
So ',sIs there new baby 7" asked, m,
childish eagerness overmasteriug my tel
roriat his altered manner. Il have learn
ed since. that great sorrow can seldor
school itself to make choice Of words
My father answered me with startlip
abruptness. go ,,,}.
MY child" he said. "you are m
only child still your mother is dead !
i threw myself into his arms. sol
bod wildly. My figure shook in HI
clasp, and felt other tears falling ihic
and fast among my curls. l do nc
think he had wept before. His eyes ha
looked fearless, his face rigid, but i, di
him good now. After little while h
smoothed my hair tenderly, and holdin
me closer to his bosom, he said.
"My little girl must not weep 81
God will take care Of her. and some da
if she is very good, she will 60 and Sc
her mother in heaven" "o
Isaw he was struggling to regain h
composure, and aided him by .conlro
ling myself, and only weeping very gu
city. a w...
When we reached home, he, hi msel
took off my bonnet, and hung it u
Al 4 L II Al Al.