The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-08-26
MISCEILA ANY.
MINNIE LEWIS.
"Alfred, Alfred !"

"Alfred, Alfredo
But cousin Alfred had fallen asleep up
on the lounge, and kept on most indus
triously with my sewing some minutes
longer. At last premonitory move
ment of the head caused me to look up :
the great blue eyes opened.
".Alfred, want to inquire about Mr..
Morris: in your class, is he not?''
Whata Edwiae Morris, who 80 complete
ly turned your head at the Academy Ex-
hibition some two years sincei"
eyes, Alfred, the very same: yet you
do me injustice by your last remark,
though l was certainly quite enthusiastic
in praise of his literary performance, SUI
perior, as it was, to all others. But tell
me, does he not, as then prophesied he
would, bear the palm at Collegei"
"Hardly, Carrie, though he might
stand first in bis class. This is his junior
year. You will reccollect he entered in
advance, and as we are in different classes
and therefore as there can be no rivalry
between us, you will allow me to be an
impartial judge. Nature has done every
thing for him. There, it is a shame that
her regal gifts should be so abused a'-
And cousin Alfred began to grow excited
rose and walked out on the piazza, leav-
ing me for the time being to draw my
own inference and arrive at my own sum-
mary conclusion. Subsequently, how
ever, learned from him, that, with all
his intellectually, Edwin Morris was un-
fortunately possessed of either natural
or acquired tendency to dissipation: that
he was unprincipled, an 'ungodly fellow
to use cousin Alfred's own words, who
not only "drugged his nurse" with excl
ting stimulants, but gloried in the right
to do as he pleases, irrespective of the
voice of conscience of the law of God.
"Stll he is very fascinating, and gen.
orally popular, and therefore is his inhu-
ence the moro pernicious," said cousin
Alfred.
"But he has such splendid talents, and
he may reform. Is he not sowing his
"wild oats" just nowg'
Alfred shook his head and went into a
somewhat extended argument On the
hopelessness of any reform which was not
based on moral principle. l did not then
understand the application Of Whist |
laughingly styled his "orthodox theory"
and so the conversation ended. Tho
long vacation passed-Alfred returned to
Yale, and Edwin Morris, but for subse-
quent events, might have been forgotten.
M;riam-or Minnie Lewiston we al
ways called her Minnie-was my early,
my beloved friend.
l can speak of her truthfully, now that
the rank grass grows green upon her
grave, and none will accuse me of enthu-
siasm. Beautiful was she. O how sur
passingly beautiful she seemed to mel
Yes, that is her picture, but, daguerrotyp-
ed from painting, it does not do her
justice. Indeed no artist could transfer
the glorious, soulful, ever-varying express
sion of her sweet intelligent face. There
was something 80 gentle yet so strong
so tender yet so cheerful in her look,-it
had for others, strange power Of fasci-
nation. Minnie was some two years my
senior, and, though congenial, we were
disaimilar; in many respects so entirely
unlike that casual observer might have
been puzzled to discover the basis for any
friendship between us; but various are
its offices, and we were friends, the dear
est and truest friends. Wherein to her
was my ministration of affection. it would
seem egotism in me to reveal but |
was reserved and self-distrustful she
drew me out and revealed me to myself,
encouraged and inspired me with new res
olution, and was, in short, all that a
friend should be-faithful, constant and
true.
/ had known Minnie in c., long
before she came to visit me in my coun-
try home, and though not surprised, l
was delighted to witness the ease with
which she adapted herself to our rustic
life and habits. She was so happy, so
constantly radiant with enjoyment ready
for any adventure or any oceupation-to
rake hay with my brothers, to gather wild
flowers or to Chamber over the high, old
scraggy rocKs III Tue p"s,uie, ~" "nu
then giving forth from the highest one
some burst of mock eloquence, or some
Joyous song-note. "Such capacity for
happiness as my father remarked, had
our friend Minnie, what wonder that we
all loved herr /,
Some four years had flown by. l had
left home for a boarding school in neigh
boring State, and, busted with the rou-
tine of school duties, our letters at first
regularly, at length were interchanged
only at intervals Of many weeks. 1t had
been a long time since / had heard
from Minnie; never before had she neg
lected me so long. What could it mean
At last letter came: = "Forglve,
| dearest Carrie, that have delayed 50
long answering your letter. But when
l tell you that two weeks from to day !
take upon myself other duties, other new
and holy ties, you will not wonder. Yes,
dear Carrie, this is the last letter shall
write in my maiden name. / do not
like to think of it, but still l am happy,
very happy" And so the letter went on.
1t contained an urgent invitation to the
wedding. They were to 60 Immediately
to L., where Mr.. Morris was in practice.
Mr.. Morris! Edwin Morrisl Yes, II
must be the same, for / had heard of him
/ L. ~ n "a