Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-01-28
THE DIsEONORED SISTER.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY.


and excitable temper; but, as we often find in
violent and excitable persons, he had a warm
heart. He was generous and whole souled
1 to fault. and notwithstanding the vilonce OF
his temper, he had many warm and sincere
! friopds among whom l was proud to count
myself.
| His father was man in humble circum-
stances He had contrived, by denying him
I self many of the luxuries of life, to gain his
| sgn collegiate education, and by his own ex-
! crtions the son had completed his course of
study, and chosen the legal profession His
! talents were of the highest onder, and all who
! knew him pictured for him a brilliant and
useful career. He was many years my Junior
and had studied for year in my Office, which
! increased the esteem I had long cherished for
| him. Not often did bis violent temper dis
| turb the harmony of his relations with his
! friends, for be was true man, and when, in
/! his cooler moments, he saw that he had done
wrong, he had the courage to acknowledge
his fault He was always forgiven and per-
haps bis friends bad learned to humor his fail
ing, for, as he became more intimate with
them, the occasions which gave SO much pain
to him and thein grew less frequent.
lie continued to reside with his father at
the South End, more, l think, because he
loved his home, than because his father lived
in a style suited to the taste of young man
of Intelligence and refinement He was Who'll
ly devoted to his father, of whom he often
spoke in the most enthusiastic terms He
was sensible that his father had made great
meny sacrifices for his advantage, in which his
mother and sister had cheerfully shared Cor
his sake.
Elinor Read, his sister, was sweet girl,
entirely unselfsh in her relations with those
deprivation too great for her to bear for her
brothers sake !; and Chester was as much de-
voted to her as if she had been the maiden of
his choice, instead OF sister When he had
any money 20 spend upon the theatre, or a
ride into the couDtry, Elinor was bis compan-
ion. His evenings were spent at home, for
he preferred the society of father, mother, and
sister, to the charms of those who frequent
the drawiug-room in which he would always
have been a welcome guest
I had often called at the house of Mr.. Read
and was always impressed by the perfect un
animity of feeling which pervaded the happy
circle. | was always pleased to go there the
atmosphere Of tie place seemed 50 pure and
exalted.
In some Of my latter visits. I generally
found there gentleman who was introduced
TO me as Captain Presby, of Philadelphia
1t did not take me long to determine the effect
OF his visits [ saw Elinor blush, and [ al |!
ways saw him by her side 1t was under |
stood that they were engaged, and wished |
them in my heart prosperous voyage over !
theoften stormy seas of matrinony.
Captain Presby was man of wealth, and |
boarded at the Exchange Coffee House, then |
the first hotel in the city lie was wealthy, /
and seemed to have no other object in remain
ing in Boston than the prosecution of his suit
with Elinor Read. Mr.. Read and Chester
seemed pleased with the proposed match, for
10 man could have presented a fair
er promise of the future.
For about year and half he continued
to wait upon Eiinor, and the gossips had eeas-
ed to talk about it.
One day Chester Read came into my Office.
as he frequently did-it was the first day of
June, and shall never forget it in this world.
A single glance at his expressive face told me
that something unusual had occurred. y
volcano was in eruption within bis BOSOM
His eye was more truly the mirror Of his sonl
han that OF any man | ever saw 1t Was
bright and flashing now. It seemed to be
kiudled with preternatural fame. shall
never forget how he looked as be walked into
my Office with slow and solemn step, and
.ook a seat near the window. lie did not
greet me with his usual cordial salutation;
1either did he take up the morning paper and
'attle off a column of smart talk, as he was
wont to DO
A change had came over him. lie was
lot in a passion, as when in his violence he
aved and stormcd like madman. 1t was ,
lot mere abulition of anger that had come
,yer him, to subside like summer shower,
when the sun comes out to deluge all nature
With light and the sky scenes an hundred fold ;
,luer from the contrast with the black clouds
hat have enveloped it 1t was nothing Of
his kind that stirred the soul OF Chester Read
own in its deepest channels 1t was not
It which would evaporate leaving him penl-
ent and subdued
| was astonished at the change which had {
o suddenly come over him had seen him
he day before, rosy and blooming, the very a
icture of health To-day he was wan pale, 7
nd haggard, his flashing eye was sunk deep i
1 his bead, and his lips looked more like
cath than life.
/ felt sad and anxious as he sat there in a
,rrible silence He said nothing; he did not t
ven glance at me- Had l wounded him
%, an insult would have produced on him
attle os rage, and then blown over
Busyipg myself about my papers, did not 81
,nufe to disturb that tremendous silence 81
was a silence both terrible and tremen-
ous. He had not come to my Office for
othing, and an event of no ordinary circum- al
ance was about to occur
He sat, apparently sturred by the most ter
bic emotion. The muscles of his face were IL
and expanded, and his unusually
pressive features were dis6gured by contor- III
IN. [ waited patiently for the denounce- Sc