Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-05-27
CHAPTER LII

ger. Is.
CHAPTER III.
eve will talk no more at present of AIDE
leve' said the Shell, "as have much to tell
you of Mary Merton.
"The village where she lived was in a Sc
cluded part of the country. The o,u grey
church and modest parsonage stood upon the
brow of Il hill, from which you might see
large tracts Of meadow land, spotted over
with cattle of various kinds, and here and
there patches of corn fields A bright river
ran like band Of silver through the vale,
turning in It's course couple OF water-mIlls,
whose noise was pleasant to hear, rs it told
Of human life and industry. nthe distance
was a large wood, which stretching right and
left seemed to shut out the rest of the world
from this pleasant valley. The village itself
was composed almost entirely of cottages,
the female inhabitants of which gained a liv-
ing by selling pillowlace 1t was pretty
sight to see the cottarers-some very Young
some very old-seated at the doors of their
humble homes each with round pillow in
her lap, throwing about the bobbns, which
ratified mcrrilY under the busy fingers ofthe
workers Twice a week in the summer time
they would assemble in the parsonage orch
ard, and form circle round Mrs Merton
who read to them while they pursued their
labor. In the winter time they all met in the
school-room, on half holidays for the same
purpose, and thus there grew up between the
parson s wife and the parishioners a regard
and love for each other that produced the
happiest results Mrs Merton used her in
fiuence over her poorer friends to make them
Clearly and provident housewives, whilst
she derived great amounto happiness from
the aficctionate regard which all protested
for her.
''S>oon after Mrs Merton came to live at
Cherryvale, one of the cottagers brought
from the neighboring market town, where
she had been to sell her lace, two verv young
children, Of whom she had undertaken the
care. The eldest a boy, was named Ed
ward, and the other was called Rose. They
had lost both father and mother six months
before and their grandfather being Il com
mercal traveller, and much away from home,
had thought it better to send the children in.
to the country, as their health was very deli
cate. Mrs. Morley, to whose charge they
were coniided, was Il well-meaning woman
enough, but being ignorant of everything but
making lace, to which employment she de-
household duties, little Edward and Rose
We're left much to take care of themselves
They were so attached to each other that if
they We're separated for few moments their
anxiety was instantly perceptible. II the
day were fine, as soon as they had finished
their breakfast of bread and milk they wo'd
take each others hands and walk away to
some quiet band or corner Ola field, and, ma
king themselves toys of broken crockprv or
wild flowers, amuse each other for hours.
Sometimes they would stroll down the Green
lanes-but ever hand in hand--watc!inm,
with childish wonder, the birds tivin9 from
hedge to hedge; or Edward would gather
twigs of May-bossom or black berries Cor
himself and Rose--tur what one had the 9TH
err must share always. They seldom played
with the children in the village, and when
they did so, Rose and Edward would be sure
to sit beside each other, and very soon be.
come silent spectators of the sport, whatever
it might be. Not that they were sulkv Or III
tempered children, but they seemed to be OF
such timid natures they were happiess when
alone. They never laughed as merry chill
dren laugh; but they would often look at
each other, and smile, and were happy in
their quiet, gentle way. 1t was impossible
for them to escape the notice Of Mrs. Merton
who endeayored to form an intimacy with
the two orphans; but, kind rs she ever was
and a general iavorite with little people, il
was some time before she could overcome the
shyness Of Rose and Edward
"Do YOU not like mc?' said Mrs. Merton
after trying in vain to make the cl,iilre,
cheerful.
80 yes" replied Edward you talk 10 Ii.
rs mamma used to DO.
"And you loved your mamma said Mrs
Merton.
'''The children looked at each othcr ans
then Sneaking together said, es, yes! very
much
And is that why you are not merrier =?
asked Mrs. Merton.
Il don't know said the boy, 'hut MANN;
was i'll 50 long; and we were left alone 81
long: and nurse ALWAYS told us to be YER,
quiet, and again he looked in his little sis
ter face for moment and then kissed her
["Ah, dear ones; you who have happy
homes without one absent face be good ant
grateful, and believe in the love which seek;
to guide you j
"Mrs Merton now understood why the
children were SO fond of solitude and BEN:
more to make them love her. 1t is seldom
that kindness and gentleness fail to make al
impression on the Young; and very soon I'd
ward and Rose came to the parsonage ever,
day; and though they loved each other ~
much as ever, seemed happier when Mrs
Merton was with them. When they were
quite at their ease with her, Mrs Merton
laugh; them to read and write, and both Ed
crossed rapidly Mr Merton also took grca
interest in them; and as he had no children
OF his own, proposed that they should live en-
tirely at the parsonage. Their grandtathe;
readily gave his consent, and for some year,
Edward and Rose lived very happily with
their kind friends, repaying the care Destow
ed upon them by affection and diligence Al
the end of this time Mrs. Merton had a Sc
we're illness. For some days it was thought
that she would not recover, and when She
did SO it was only partially, for SIZE could nc
longer walk about, but was Obliged to be
drawn in q garden chair propped up bv pill
Elows Edward would let no one else perform
this duty but himself, and Rose never ief,
the poor invalid except when rest was abso-
lutely needed for her.
ut was this period that Achieve, neglected
and forgotten by all her admirers and ne
quaintances, (for she was without true
friends, thought often of the kindness of her
cousin Mary, and resolved to visit Cherry
vale, in order TO be near the only one upon
wause attentions she could rely 1t was not
that her misfortune alienated those whom
she used 10 call her friends, but. finding
that she no longer attracted admiration, she
bad become more oyerbearing aud captions
in her manners and conduct, until everyone
avoided her. Her time was chiefly employ
Ell aboat her idol, upon which she bestowed
increased attention--dressin. it in the rich
est materials, and employing every art to
hide the scar upon its face, occasionally be
Eeyins that she had concealed its blemishes,
but learning. often very painfully, that she
had deceived herself. Her anger would then
return and render her SO ridiculous that