Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-05-27

the next day; Mr.. and Mrs. Franklin i'm
mediately left the city of c. for the
Western home awaiting them, and Martha
bade her friends long adieu write Of
ten, go and see mother every day till you
leave for school, for she will be SO lonely"
We're Ellen's hasty injunctions from the up
lifted car window, as the heavily laden train
moved slowly away.
The homes of Ellen and Martha were Sc
parated only by one street. They had
spent year together at distant seminary,
and from their opposite characteristics,
which led each to depend on the other, in a
measure, they were strong friends; but, as
yet their friendship knew only the sunlight
of prosperity.
Mr.. Wendell was as deeply immersed in
business as was his wife in fashion, but
Martha, Notwithstanding their rival claims,
had always rich. well selected stock of
clothing, and full purse, which we're sure
to command the attention ofboarding school
friends and teachers. She won friends easi-
ly, and her gay, lively manners gave her
pre-eminence among her schoolfellows, in a
social point of view. Ellen was three years
her senior, and with wealth of parental
love, care, and even discipline, she had un-
consciously gained lovely, self-reliant
character. Martha, less practical, growing
up amid luxury and ease, accustomed to re-
| ly on those about her for every want, had
learned useful lessons from this companion
ship At times she seemed almost the re-
fex Of her friend !; then the spell was thrown
off, and she was again the wild, laughing
child of Nature, setting at defiance all re-
straint or criticism, and losing the position
already gained in her REFORM" as she
termed it !; then a certain. irritahilitE Of
temper was a source of much discomfort,
which point had often been discussed with
Ellen, the latter always strongly encourag-
ing her to make the needed effort, whatcy
er cost was required.
Il wonder somebody never was in earnest
with me-" said Martha, in her last tonver-
sation before the wedding, when she playfully
desired Ellen to 'sshrive" her before her de-
parture, '.but Mother is always busted with
calls or shopping, and if convinced of the
error, why, must teach myself-but if O.
pen to conviction on all points, what a flood
of testimony would be offered for the doc
trine of human depravity." Her laughing
eyes overfowed with tears, for the concious-
ness of wrong was awakened in her heart
Ellen could but smile, too, as she repeat
ed the counsels of her own noble mother.
s'Uncle Phillip, he's at Yale now, you
know" continued Martha, s'always told me
[ never would be woman, at this rate, but
then he's real grave, and philosophical, and
l. III, .rb &lo 70
and his philosophy too. Aunt Harding,
however" and her voice grew tender. Il
love and revere; her life is a continual harvest
time !; yet she is constantly sowing, though
others see only the golden sheaves that bow
around her; that's in accordance with the
promise, isn't it? "a hundred fold reward in
this life, and in that which is to come, eter-
nal life ? But them" she added, in tone
| of bitter conviction, ssperhaps distance lends
enchantment to the view;;' don't believe
such garment could be made to fit me very
we'll"
| In little more than two years Martha
was summoned from school to her mothers
deathbed. It was brief, unexpected i'll
ness, for the death summons came to Mrs
Wendell in the height of her preparation for
a gay season at Cape May. Mr.. Wendell
was away on business, and came only in
time to witness the death scene and receive
the dyinga farewell It was an hour to be
remembered one in which the utter moth
ingness Of. earthly shadows becomes terribly
apparent to the awakened, tremulous soul );
but itwore away, and so did the sting of
its warning memory. The funeral succeed
led in due time, and subsequent arrange
ments of the fashionable world went on un-
interrupted.
Through the following months Mr. Wen
dell was sorely harrassed by the threat
ening aspect of his financial affairs. A
friend who had borrowed his credit, to a
large amount. became insolvent, and spe-
culation of his own promising large profits
had proved worse than failure. Creditors
became clamorous, large sums were due,
and to meet the demands everything passed
under the hammer of the auctioneer. Their
elegant house was struck off to former
partner of Mr. Wendell 5 who kindly told
him to occupy it until he could do better.
.'What shall we do now, Martha p said
Mr. Wendell, for the previous months had
settled upon his slender frame the infrmities
of years, and like creed shaken in the
wind" he leaned on his daughter lor counsel
and support.
Chill and dreary seemed the outer world
as the three sat together in dimly lighted
room, while heavy rain drops beat against
the windows, and moaning winds sighed
through the empty rooms. Tears fell for
the living and the dead. Mr.. Wendell was
lying in deep slumber, the effect of an o.
plate, Martha was pondering the efforts to
be made to improve their condition, and the
disappointment and cold words met, and
Lizzie, younger sister, was bussied with