St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-24
Romantic Skettb.
From the Ladies' Repository for June.
DARK AND BRIGHT.
BY VIRGINIA T. TOWNSEND.

ELL JeruSha, what Is 1t
The voice was kind, almost to
tenderness, as the gentleman laid his
paper down and looked i'll the young
face bending over his chair.
I'll tell you what it is, Uncle Nat,
and you mustn't say no to me bc,
cause I've just set my heart on it, and
nothing else will make me happy. |
want to give NcwYcars party"
a Ncw-Icar's party, my child,
and only four days TO prepare for it
The things impossible"
NO it isn't, uncle nothiug's i'm
possible with me. I'll write the invi-
tations this very morning myself, and
when you go down town you can stop
into the conicctioncr's and order what
ever We'll need for supper. We must
have six kinds Of cake, besides cream,
and a pyramid of iced orange. Then
thercill be chicken salad and want
one large loaf for the center, with
'hoppy Nee- Year in gold letters, on
.top-something very unique and taste
fuI and | want"
"Thcrc, there, Jcruoha, interrupted
the gentleman with a comic grimacc,
spare me the enumeration. just
think what draft you're making on
my purse; It'll certainly collapse un-
der all ths--l believe the child really
thinks I'm made of money
NO, don't think any such thing,
Uncle Nat but Just think you're too
kind, and love me too much to refuse
any thing I've set my heart on. You
know you are
IL know you're an expensive little
bit of humanity, Jerusha, and | know,
too, you have the prettiest, sauciest
way of whecdling a mans dollars ont
of his pocket that ever woman had.
Don't | pity the man who has the mis-
fortune to be your husband 2"
THAT individual won't need your
sympathy in the least, assure you,
Uncle Nat, but about the party
Well, l suppose I shall have to
give you carte blanche for this time,"
and Jerusha Mott smoothed back the
hair thickly sifted with gray, and
kissed her uncle's forehead.
She was Just nineteen that winter,
and a brighter, gladder, heartier, and
more frolicsome creature hardly ever
sparkled along the somber hucs of this
world. And, alas her life was a
sparkle, too, hot dazzling corusca-
tion--not binding glare and glitter,
as many lives are, but CLEAN and a
sparkle.
1t was not her fault, though, and she
certainly was very much like sun
beam, making warmth and brightness
wherever she went but it was mourn
full to think how all the " fine posi-
bilities of her nature" lay wasted or
undeveloped what lack of depth
and carncstness there was ilrher life,
and how all the great, solemn truths
of responsibility and eternity hardly
won thought or consideration from
the young girl
In short, her whole existence was
like May-day, full of stir and glow,
and vitality but as all days are not
June's, as the rains, and the winds,
and the winter must come to the year,
SO too all lives, sooner or later, the dark
hours, and the storms, and the winter,
must come also.
Jcrusha Mott was an orphan, and
her unc!c's protcgt and pet He had
been widower for the last dozen
years, eleven of which she had lived
under his roof He had induced her
mother, who was his only sister, to
name her after their parent but her
friends softencd the rather harsh, old
fashioned Jcrusha into the bricfer and
more liquid Rusha !; although her
uncle always gave her the entire
name by which she was chrstened.
Mr.. Blanchard was a rich merchant,
and Rusha was his only niece, and his
one idol. There was no luxury that
his wealth or fondncss would procure
that was not freely lavished upon her,
and he was justly proud of his young
niece. She was not beautiful, but
there was an indescribable play and
light about her irregular features that
made her very fascinating, and there
was peculiar grace in the rapid
movements Of her small plump figure.
Poor Jerusha! she had lost her
mother when she first began to need
most her judicious guidance and train
ing and so she had come up into
womanhood, full Of pretty, graceful