Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-09-24
From the Ladies' Nj tionsI Magazine.
SWEET SIXTEEN"

Mr.: Hepburn was clergyman and widower
Wto lived in the parsonage Of the village of Irving
Here he hnd been married, here his three childsen
were born here be had lest his wife, and hen be
loted himself to lay down the weary burden of his
llie His children were all girls, Margaret Lucy
anu Lizzie, at the time my story opens, of the re-
spectve ages Of eighteen, fourteen and six. Maggie
hah neen almost mother to her sisters since they
lost iher own mother ihrco years before, and they
loved and respected her her devoted Hecticn de-
served they should She was housekeeper, teacher
ard friend, the companion of her fathers lonely
hours, the confident of the children, sympathizng
n all their joys and sorrows, and the darling of all
eer iathers Ioor parishioners for miles around -
Lucy was bright supny-haircd blonde, full Of
grace and ease, With a tall, and, fer her aRe, re-,
Inaikably wcll-7eveioped figure lady.lke man
ner, md fine intelleet Lizzie also blonde the
pete tho whole household servaLts hcrses and dog
lneiudea. l must give you some idea Of my friend
Massie.s appearance, for she was my pet, coming
10 me, dear, motherless child in all her diiculties
tor advice and sympathy, and depending with pretty
chd-lihe confidence on my Older If not wiser judgN
ment. She was OF medium STATURE and very slight,
with delicatc, pretty hands and feet. Her features
wero not perfectly regular, yet not by any means
ugly; her eyes were large and Of deep hGze; and
her halr glossy and abundant, was of soft, pretty
orswn color; her complexion fair, bnt, except.
ing wlen she was excited, very pale The care of
her fat ers house and the responsibility OF the "a Oh
thoughtful expression, suited to an older person
MY darling Maggie. In sorrow or gladness always
Keeping the same cheerful manner, never excited
either to passionate greving boiserOus mirth, yet
always ready with gentle sympathy for either.
one morning was sitting with my pct, chatting
and sewing, when her father opened the door, and
handed her letter, saying
Havana! Whom do you know there, Maggie2"
"lt must bo frcm Mr. Graham," said Maggie in
low, constrained voice.
Mr.. Hepburn left us, apparently satisfied, aud
Maggie opened the letter. 1 watched her whilo she
iead it, saw the car fEce grow whittier and whiter,
the dark eyes grow more and more nGurnul in their
expresson till she finished che dropped her heud
saving, in low, hcurt,brOken tone, "What shall I
was amazed Mr.. Graham knew was friend,
u dear friend of the family, but never suspected
that letter from him could elect Maggie 10 rower
fully.
"0h, aunt Hetty, what shall do?" she repeated,
drew her UlOse unto my arms, and asked her
what troubled her. For several moments she could
not gain sufficient composuTe TO answer me, thon
The said,
at has been my only secret from you, dear aunty,
because it troubled me much could not talk OF
it, but now will tell you all about it. You have
met Harry Graham here; you know how grand sud
noble ho is, how high-minded intellectual, and yet
how kind and gentle. From the first time ever
met him loved him, hut il was with reVerenllal,
worshiping love that never looked f'r retnT' lie
seemed to me too far above me, 100 much my super
ior ever TO dream Of loving poor little me. Last
summer when he stayed here he was very kind to
me, and when the doctor said his haa 'th required
Q change of climate, and ordered hi n 20 so south
for the winter, then l knew truly bow deeply and
intensely loved him, and let that my heart slung
TO him as part If Itself; then knew that it would
be taking part of my life to separate us, yet even
then did not know he loved me. Du5 lie did Ono
evening were on the porch talking together, and
he told me he loved me, and asked to be his wife.
For time was perfectly happy, then came my
said he could not bear to part with me, and could
not go. could not leave my father, Lucy, and
above all Lizzie. Lucy at boarding-school would
not miss me much, but am my father's only com,
panion, LizZie's only guardian The struggle beN
tween these two conflicting loves was terrible, and
he urged me so sOIely. At last he laft me. We
entered into no engagement; could not feel that 1t
was right to bind him to so long one as ours must
have been, and no lett Inc, FREQ. Now," here
her voice sank TO q whisper, "be is III, dangerously
ill, and he writes TO to come to him, he will die
and cannot see him ~
took the letter from her, aud read it while she
lay in mute, fearless suffering upon my breast. 1t
was passionate appeal to her, imrlOring her to
come TO him, setthg aside her scruples with subtle
ingenuity, and appealing to her love and sympathy
IN the energetic, imnloring words OF warm lover
My poor Maggie. The letter concluded by saying
that Harrys mother and brother were coming out
to him in u few days, and begging Maggie to come
with them. Maggie wns pale and suffering, and |
knew how soTely her poor heart was tried leis
her at her own request An hour after, looked in
at her door, and found her kneeing beside the chair
L left her again, and saw her more until dinner
time, when she came down, pale but composed. In
the afternoon she wrote 10 Harry, telling him she
could not leave her father and enclosed it in note
to his mother declining her ofer 10 accompany her
TO uayana.
"Hnrry will have his mother and bIoiher," she
shld 10 me, "father and Lizzie will have one"
For long time feared that Maggie would sink
under this Trial, but she did not her strong sense
Of duty, clear conscience and hope that she was
rlght, kept her up; and us time passed on, good
from Harry helped to keep up her spirits
Harry had beeA gone nearly two years, when
again visited the parsonage Lucy was new home
from school md nearly sixteen years old My hope
Tor these years had been that Lucy weuld take
Maggie g place when she TetUrned from school, and
lhus repay her kind sisters caro- by leaving her
free, but when l saw her at home for a lew days
this hope left me. She had altered sadly. At si1.
teen instead of tho bright, cheerful gIl had ast
seen her, she was indolent and careless large wo-
manly in solHe respects, but totally incapable of
supI lying Maggio's plaoo at the parsonage. She
was handsome, with her large, languid blue eyes,
soft, curling, blonde hair, brilliant complexion and
gliding, graceful movements; and did not wonder
when Maggie told me that all the country beaux
bad Frustrated themselves before Lucy The first
time saw her on tho occasion of this visit she was
seated IN large, old fashioned arm chair, pillow
behind her, lnzily playing with rose left BY some
adDirlng swain. 1 talked long and freely with
Maggie sho AS disappointed at Lu.y's want of
energy and her total incapacty to fill her own place.
but with sweet ssterly affection she attributed il 10
faulty education at the boarding and praised
Lncys beauty, her talents, her grGcefal easy man
ners, and overlooked the glarng faults in her char
icter.
''Aunt IIetty," she said as rose 10 leave her
iiter thls long talk, stay one moment more
want nj to tel you something. Harry is here !''
"Here. In this house! Oh! aanty. I am 90 bappv.
10 loves me now, still; and he says acted rightly
ma M ~ - a t.