Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-25
HELEN LATIMER /,

HELEN LATIMER.
Many summers ago, O youthful band cams
together upon the shores of wisdom, gathering
beside those pleasant waters sunlight for the
future, and pearls Of matchless beauty tc
adorn the mind. Two of the MANY ara before N,
now, in the varied phases of hope, bappiuess,
and grief. The one noble and manly, aspiring
and hopeful, his soul seeking to cast of the
letters OF passion and sense caught through the
vistas OF ignorance and wrong, elimpses of the
truth that should eventually enlig ghten the
world; The other a girl, Of seventeen, came
from beyond the far blue hills towards the set.
ung sun, her heart laden with love for the
love lavished upon few creations of the great
Artst, but gushing forth, full and free, till in
It's onward How il embraced all that the Godbead
had pronounced &" good"
80, Helen, you can never love me ?" said
the youth, rising to depart; "then let our
pathways separate, and as We go forth amid the
scenes OF lie, let US labor for the right beliey-
ing that our trials are necessary to the in.
hertance OF the kingdom and the crown. Nav
yon be happy, Helen. Farewell ~
Thus they parted; Helen knelt and besoupht
the Father, who had so tenderly guarded her,
to guide and watch over the Interests of her
friend, and direct her own footsteps in the
path of duty.
Edward Latimer returned to his room dark.
was the light that gilded his brightest visions
but IN that hour he made resolves, which gave
the form and pressure" to his noblest deeds
orphaned and alone! God pity such Re-
turning from the graves of buried love, darker.
lonelier seems the way before US, weak and
iraii the bonds that united us here; and as
heien looked about the vacant rooms as her
eyes teli upon :. the old armchair" beside the
stand whereOn lay the well-worn family Bible.
as she gaZed into the future, shadows deepeped
into the darkness, even as they had done upon
the falr bosom of the lake in her school-dsys
In these hours of loneliness, camo there not re-
membranes OF one whose youth dreams had
iaded at her bequest! nor a wish for the
guidance OF that spirit which had met her own
In earlier days! 1t might have been" Was
it strange, then, that amid the lowering clouds
Helen S chief desire was for an early Entrance
into that world whittier the loved had gomez
Weeks have passed by. In an eastern city,
surrounded by elegance and wealth, we fnd
the gentle Helen. A maternal uncle, who at
the home treasury had feasted while others
starved, one who rarely yielded to the call of
others, had welcomed her to his home. He
remembered again the golden haired sister of
his boy hood days, seeing the child of that sister
o homeless orphan, and his strongest sympa-
thies were moved. So the door of his heart urned
once more on its rusty hinges-a door which
many had sought to enter in, but had not been
able. And now the recipient of affections
choicest care, with every want supplied, how can
sne oe otherwise than happy. Aye, so she is;
yet in the past there is a path-spirit- path
leading beside new made graves, and anon into
pleasant fields, which memory often treads
Helen, not to be entirely dependent on the
kindness OF others, resolved to aid herself
Upon inquiry, it seemed advisable at present
TO teach class in drawing. Taking the names
OF her pupils the first day Of the term, she came
to bright eyed little girl, the smallest of the
group, who gave her name
Z" Helen l.. Latimer'
teacher.
Lowber," replied the little namesake.
And who gave you that name?r
My father, because he liked it so we'll -
Ah had she not met the gaze OF those dark.
speaking eyes in days that were past Did
not that cord, so long silent yibrate with Win
youthful life at the mention of name for wears
unheard?
Days weeks, and months passed by, enriched
by social pleasures, and improved amid tha
wondrous beauties Of art and nature and now.
the drawniDg-term has nearly closed pupils
meet for the last l. sson. Why will not Miss
Lowber continue to give instruction? Her clas,
snail De enlarged; her remuneration increased?
Nothing changes her purpose, so the eonection
OF teacher and pupil ceases.
Another spring-time gladdens the earth and
the home of Edward is the home Of Ellen.
How have the passing years dealt with him,
the hero of our humble tale, Ah his is the
experience of us all he had found life as il
ever is, interspersed with its Joys and sorrows.
Its rough places and smooth. By dipt of perse-
verance and industry, he had risen high in his
Profession, and even now had gathered Iaurels
which older heads might have proudly worn.
Alter finishing his studies, he married one
whose gentle ways and confding love had
won his heart. And, though he loved his home
with its mildly -beaming light, and wept with
cart broken grief when that light went ou',
Yet there were sympathies in his nature that
had never been meta love his soul which
had nO recipient; still he looked lovingly back
upon the past, fraught with cherished memories
of the departed, feeling that as the charms of
earth were fading, those of heaven grew strong;
yet, for his child and his fellow-men, he would
still live and labor.
Slowly the darkness wore away, but in the
light which beamed through the parted clouds.
he trOd life's paths with 6rmer step aud no.
bier purpose. Then came the resurrection Of
hope buried beneath the weight of years; then
came the joys so long deferred, tree of Life,
according to the promise, bearing earths
choicest fruits.
Father" said Helen, one day, looking up
from a wreath of flowers she was twinin9.
- father, did the same angels that carried
mother away, bring my new mother here? ?"
Why, my daughter?' asked her father
" L guess they thought they'd make us as
happy as we had been unhappy; don't you ?"
was her artless answer