The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-22

WHICH required shii rhtner tnal strength eno
his strength was in the mean lime increasing
rapidly. Besides, there was certain magical
charm about Herman's nature, which tended to
make every one who had goo side turn it to
him instinctively. With him, ne rough were
gentle, and the bfszen mode,s; and, though
this led him in his after life SpSorm too favor
able judgments Of his kind az first, and thus
sometimes to be disappointed in the end, it
certainly was, in his early days, q merciful
tempering of the ~ind to the sh6rn lamb. He
went on rapidly and prospvrously through
school, college, and the law school; while his
great facility saved him time enough for dab.
bling in drawing, modelling, aud verse.making,
in all of which his efforts were crowned with q
moderate degree of success while they contin
ued, which was usually so long IS be had some
favorite companion in them, and no longer.
The only marked incident in bis history, he.
tween his recovery and majority, was the desth
of his father. Mr.. Arden was struck with ap.
oplexy at his desk, and went, in three days,
from the contingencies to the narrow house.
His children were dutifully as sorry for him as
theycould be-but that was not 80 sorry as
they might have been. He had been too busy
in trying to make them rich, to spare any time
for making them happy. Happy they lad
been but it was in one another, and not in
him and happy, therefore, they continued
without him. He had never been intimate
with his children. There we're no mutual con-
solations, reoicings, condolences, or counsels, 10
remember, and to miss when he was gone. All
Claras few little perplexities and troubles had
been shared between {" Ned and Nurse ;" all
Herman's, little and great, between "mamma
and Clara" and as for Edward, he never ap-
peared to have any, little or great. They had
hardly seen their father through their childhood,
except at their meals, and then be was usually
tired, and seldom spoke, except 10 enforce upon
them the old fashioned monastic rule of silence
at the table. When they grew older, and he
would willingly have heard their conversation,
the habit CT silence and constraint before him
had become too fixed to be easily broken. He
did not know howto draw his daughter out
and his Oldest SOD was purs uing his studies at
college, and afterwards at Paris. He felt his
loneliness on his own hearth sometimes, but az.
cribed it chiefly to his widowhood. If he suffered,
he betrayed it only by increasing gravity and
sternness; if his spirits rose, By going more to
his Club. Thus, though most upright and
well.intentioned man, or perhaps, to speak
more correctly, most free from i'll intention,
and in money matters very indulgent parent,
even, to his children he lived little beloved, and
died little lamented by them, and left with them
a memory which, instead of being cherished
source of tender, elevatng, and grateful feeling,
was a briar in their conscience, which it was
relief to cast from them because, though
they had no unflial words nor deeds to reproach
themselves with on his account, they could not
but acknowledge to themselves that they had
said or done very little to give him pleasure.
Edward and Clara moved on towards middle
life, side by side, gracefully, graciously, and
harmoniousy, with merry mutual understand.
ing, that if they could ever find fellow pilgrims
whom they liked better than one another, they
should part at once; but that had not happen
ed, for the pet quality of each appeared to be
certain quiet elegance in living, being, and
doing, and that each of them possessed emf.
nently, and beheld possessed in an almost un-
excelled degree by the other. As to their
moral and religious code, it was much like that
of Constance, with two additional clauses in
serted, while it was forming, by the early cares
of Sally, which decreed that they should read
the Bible on Sundays, and go to church twice
on that day, if the weather was IS good as that
which did not prevent their walking and riding
through the other days of the week, which
clauses had supplement- which probably grew
out of the observance of them, to the effect that
one ought to do any good Office to others which
came in ones way, that could be done without
putting one's-sef much out of ones way. In
what is called the religious sentiment, Clara
abounded, and Edward was not deficient; but
it was only another item in their long list of
Injuries. Their practice, it must be owned,
was much better than Constance's, both be.
cause their tempers were, and because they had
had home to grow up in, AID some kindly
domestic influences to grow uh under, and to
serve as conductors outwards Cor their general
human sympathies; but the example of Mrs. |
Arden the third had certainly not tended to
attract them msgnetically to the devout life.
Edward was by this time physician He
had as much employment as he wanted among
the rich, which was little, and as much as he |
wanted among the poor, which was usually |
none at all. He did not care to be reused from |
his downy slumbers by night, to soothe the ex-
aggerated alarms of indisposed "exiles of Erin"
in Broad street, nor, by day, to have conquered
combatants, with broken heads, borne in by |
their EXPLANATORY friends {" an surely ny in |
hcb-nailed shoes over Clara's hall carpet, into
his very-welLappointed library. He baited no
trap, therefore, for such miscreants, by putting
sign in either of his windows. His fathers
doer plate only, left undisturbed, or his servant,
if he was out, told his friends of his wherea- |
bouts; and when they were not very well-nor
very ill-they sent for him. No expense had |
been spared in his education. he was a. skill. |
full as want of experience would let him be !;
and the beauty of his person, voice, and move.
ments, made his presence seem as appropriate
as that of fruit and flowers in luxurious sick.
room.
Clara kept house for him with goodly corps
OF servants under her, ordered the dishes, and
played the pieces, which her brothers liked
best. She read little, embroidered much,
went shopping with full purae, and seemed to
herself and others to possess q lot most envia-
bly, fall of indulgences and void of duties. She
went to balls and parties, made calls, had din
when she could got enough good