The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-13

would never llvve thought for an instant of
making preparations for her coming in the
purchase of new furniture, or by any change
in the externals of her homo, All arrange
ment for the reception would have been in
her heart
Cousin Sally was disappointed. She did
not find the relative with whom so many
years of hor life had been spent in sweet
intercourse, rs she had hoped to find her.
The grlish warmth of feeling had given
place to Il cold worldlincss, that rcpcllcd
instead OF attracting her. She had loved,
and suffered much; had passed through
many trials, and entered through many
opening doors into rew experiences during
the years since their ways parted and she
had come to this old, dear friend, yarnins
for that hcart-intcrcourse- read TO-
getlcr of some Of the pages of their books
OF life, which s!lo felt almost as n neces-
sity. What interest had she for the mere
cxternals Of Mary's life? None! None !
And the constant reference thereto by her
cousin seemed like desccraton. Careful
and troubled about the little things of life.
she found the dear old friend of her eirlsh
days to whom she had come hopefully, as
to one who could comprehend rs in earlier
years, the feelings, thoughts and aspira
tions, which had grown stronger, deeper
and Of wider range.
Alas Alas f! How was the fine GOLD
dimmed in her eyes!
Dear Masy!" she said to her cousin,
on the morning Of the day that was to end
her visit-thcy were sitting together in the
little parlor, and Mrs. Cartwright had re-
ferrcd, for tho fo,tielh time, to the unshaded
windows, and declared herself mortified to
death at the appearance Of things" Dear
Mary, it was to sec you, not your furniture,
that came. To look into your heart, and
feel it beating against mine as Of old; not
to pry curlously into your ways of living,
nor to compare your house furnishing with
mo own. But for your constant reference
to these things, should not have noticed
particularly, how your house was attircd
and if asked about them, could only have
answered, 'Shc's living very nicely For
gsvc me for this plain speech, dear cousin
did not mean togive utterancc to such
language; but the words are spoken now.
and cannot be recalled"
Mrs. Cartwright, if not really ofl.ndcded.
was mortified and rebuked and these
states of feeling, united with pride, served
to give coldncss to her exterior. She tried
to be cordial in manner towards her cousin
TO seem us if she had not felt her words:
but this was impossible, for she had felt
them too deeply. She saw that the cher
ished friend and companion of her cirlhood
was disappointed in her; that she had
come to look i'll her heart, and not into the
attIring Of her home and was going away
with diminished affection. After years Of
divergence, their paths had touched; and
separating once more, she felt that would
never run parallel again.
A few hours later, cousin Sally gave her
parting kiss. How different in warmth
to the kiss of meeting! Very sad, very
dissatisfied with herself, very unhappy did
Mrs. Cartwright feel, as she sat musinp
alone after her relative had departed. She
was conscious Of having friend forever.
because she had not risen to the higher
lcrel to which that friend had attained
not in external, but in the truo internal
lfe.a
But sharper modification was in store
for her. The letter of her husbands friend.
i'll which lie had returned tile due bill for
one hundred dollars, fell accidentally into
her hands and overwhelmed her with con-
sternation. For that new carpet which had
failed to win more than few extorted
sentences of praise from cousin Sally Gray.
her husband had lost the esteem of one of
his oldest and best friends, and was now
suffering in silence, the most painful trial of
his life.f
Poor, weak woman! Instead of the
pleasure she had hoped to gain in the
possession of this carpet, it had made her
completely wrctchcd. While sitting al
most stupeficd with the pressure that was
on her feelings, neigbbor called in and
she went down to the parlor TO meet her.
qa. " What lovely carpet!' said the neigh
Dor in real admiration. "Whcre did you
buy it!" ssess
; SAT Martin's," she answered.
Had they any more of the same pat
terns" cnquircd tile neighbor.
"Tlls was the last piece"
{ The neighbor was sorry. 1t was the mos:
beautiful pattern she had ever seen; and she
would hunt the city over'but what she would
finAAi iother just like it., .ss