The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-15
by HARrHA RUSSELL.

NEW ENGLAND GIRL.
by NATrHA RUSSELL.
Y CHAPTER ".
Two words leeed, OF praying we remember;
ANA al mdllshts hour OF harm,
oar Father looaing upward the chamber,
We cay. soIly of q charm"
}nd all voices 'aat address her,
Softer s"c sen yery word,
~ As II snea.lg oR bird
have faith that shall succeed" said +.
to me, few days since, as we spoke Of
training of his little boy, 4" for l strive to
ep constantly ID mind the wants and wishes
my own childhood"
And is it not because We forget or ignore tbs,
z. we so often fail in our teachings Tn r. t Il,
sSSN aildren, to 60 p -,
way S.Trru sssss enc ICY STEP '' iorboar
and strengthening, is no slight thing He
can do it, need not fear &c fail. He has
md all the sweet human affections on BIS
Mas that it should be so rare Who,
ng back to his childish days, does not
Aber the underlined yearnings, the honest
20 W w BOOu atIu DC gOOC-du now
hey were checked and chilled by harsh
or misconstructions or made to seem u
kerry by the practical unbelief Of those
md him.
aid try to be good after Olies death. did
TO be good, but it was the parable of the
q over again. There was the good seed
By his feeble hand, there was the ground.
incapable Of bearing good fruit, and there
~ the tares, too; and in that cold ungeuial
p<mosphere, under the constant narrowing Of
Sally Hunts unhappy temper, what wonder that
~ tares choked the good seed, and the ground
enained unlruitful?
j did not forget Oliver-night after night. |
Fent to sleep with his little Bible and the Whale
Book pressed to my cheek Mrs Hunt had
burned my q Twin Lambs but it was easier
to do this than to be good; and gradually grew
discouraged, and lost all hope Of being so-al-
most all desire.
Sundays were my holydays. While Ollie lived,
he had been wont to read to me, to tell me
stories, or teach me TO spell out words; but
after he was gone, they were very lonely and
miserable days. 1t was so tiresome trying to
spell out words al alone, and | could not look
at the pictures forever
Mrs. Sally used to spend the day in cleaning up
the house, reviewing her drawers and bundles
of pieces, bags of stockings, &c and putting
things :" to rights generally, as she termed it,
She never went to meeting; but Il occurred TO
.xe 10 ask her if | might not. So. with that
fIhildish attempt at diplomacy which betrays
&c object at the very outset, began one day
Eng.
!" Yes, when she's . mind Ter
|s. Why dont.y6u 90 with hcr.2."
= : Because, | haint got no se2Ra and I'm not
"a good as Nance Sgnith any da.. ana rs able
20 have a seat Il had ny just righial"
III She was netting seine for the Gshcrmeg at
the Cove, and her needle few like lightning.
May not | go some timer" | asked. after
pause. She turned sharply around, with
Who put that notion into your head 2"
Like all people OF her stamp, she was exceed.
ingly a. )pns aud suspicious.
"N1b dy, mann. Ollie used TO talk about
Il, and ish he could 90. think he'd Ike to
hare bgo. May not 2"
II guess you'd better-and have up pray
ers IL you are gettin' so mighty good and pi-
nou1 "a better mind and take rather shorter
~ on that towel. A pretty fgare you'd
wine ter meetin'-not a shoe to your
nor decent rag to your back. They
IT let you into the house."
d not believe it. Had not Ollie always
ne that God did not mind what clothes
Re wq&2 Why should the people Of his
had 40 shoes, for the town made provision
u for one pair per year-for winter 1t was
Lay now, and mine were sadly worn, but had,
'a biue and white calico dress-the one | had !
ff,0 l.,
bonnet with the bit Of limp black Grape upon It, +
with 6ch Mrs. Smith had trimmed it->for my
grand ather's funeral. | took Mrs. Hunts
words for permission, and determined to 90.
Bat, somehow, did not like to say anything
morXabout 1t before her; so. after washing .
Inys very nicely in the pond, one Sunday
mo- g, went to my garrett and spent nearly
all morning IN curling my short locks and
try on my dress, before the little bit of look
IN ess In the box which | had inherited
al Ollies treasures.
ily for me- Tom Hunt had arrived the .
e before; and, IS usual, there was some /
e between him and his mother | think, (
e. Aat i heard, that he wanted her to sell I
and, finally, they went of down the I
led to the pasture. Then, improved .
hurried On my things, and took I
woman that remembers her childhood I
appreciate the temptation An old /
OF Mrs. Sally's, that was spread over
en blankets IN my room, and slipped /
out the door. Here made one more |
% my toilet-Mrs. Barnes's little girl !
-~orn howers in her bonnet when she came /
nth her mother about the weaving-why should .
not L? There were some hall dozen lilac bios .
SONS upon the stunted bush by the front door
and gathered one, and pinned it on my bon
metz then l struck across the fields with Quick /
steps
Z The bell for afternoon service had cesseG 80
ring before | entered the village and. seeing /
NO one about the door Of the church / was I
airaid to go in, and loitered by Olliss grave,
for the graveyard, as is customary IN sorce of
our country villages, lay within the shadow of
the church.
At length, | saw o man going toward the
church-door, and hurried forward to enter with
him. He did not see me, and | followed him
in and up the centte sise. Ny bare feet made !
no noise, but the mans boots creaked as none
but the boots of some respectable country gen
tleman can; and, although the minister was at
prayer, the majority of heads, particularly among
the youthful portion of the congregation, were
turned to see who entered, and then remained
fixed upon me II establishment.
Some smiled and whispered, and two or three
girls in the side gallery Uttered out aloud. |
The mar entered his slip, shut the door, and
then, becoming aware Of his follower, stared at
me in blank surprise. ! felt my cheeks grow
hot with shame and modification, and Just as
/ was turning to run away, 2 young boy opened |
the doorofa slip on the opposite side of the aisle,
and lady who sat within reached forward, and, |
taking me by the arm, drew me in, and seated /