Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-27

her needle, ~ have heard all about the school,
and that all the girls Of your age are going. 1t
grieves me that you cannot 60 too"
"Do not let that distress you, father" re-
turned Hester, but at the same time she turn
ed away her face to conceal the tears that would
start in spite Of herself "You know went
to school good deal before mother died, and
now must let the rest CO."
i III fear they will be disappointed too, for
Mr.. johnson must be paid; he has waited
already longer than I could expect. There is
a way by which you can 60, and pay for your
own schooling, if you choose, Hester. Mr..
Eldridge has raised quantity Of the finest fax,
and his wife says that as Jemima is going to
school, sheshall be obliged to hire it spun; and
| If you will spin forty yards Of table linen, you
may set your own price on the work"
| There was temptation for poor Hester, such
as she had never met with before She thought
of her ardent desire for learning, and the limit
ed means afforded for its qualification, and
then she thought of her young brothers and
sister. Henry, tall, sickly boy Of fourteen,
had never been more than year at school |;
with little more learning, he might get situa-
tion in a store, for he would never be able to
work. Jack, sturdy little fellow often, could
but just read; and little Molly was still in b-a-
| -k-e-r. And could she selfshly appropriate
the offered opportunity, while they were grow
ing up in ignorance? OIL Who can tell the
love of an elder sister for the dear ones be-
queathed to her care by dying mother?
Father" said Hester, in steady voice, Il
will take the spinning, but the children shall
go to school,"
! When Stephen Wilson rose up and kissed
the fair brow Of his first born, ere he blessed
her and bade her good night, he felt that one
treasure at least was yet spared to him.
Lonely, indeed, would have been the home
of the bereaved husband, but for the daughter,
who had grown up in the beauty of early
womanhood by its hearth, whose sunny smiles
SO often dispeled his gloom when cares pressed
heavily on his heart and whose sweet voice
cheered and consoled him.
The next morning Hester looked up all the
old spelling books in the house, and with many
kind words Of advice and encouragement, pre-
pared the children for school. They departed
in the highest spirits; and you must not sup
pose that Hester repined at her own lot, when
| tell you that closing the door upon her lone
illness, she wept long and freely. They were
natural tears which were soon dried in the
J light of a cheerful spirit
In a few days her task commenced, and
many blamed Stephen Wilson for permitting
his daughter to undertake it. in addition to the
cares ofthe family. They knew not the strong
affection, the yearning anxiety for the welfare
of her brothers and sister, which prompted and
supported her. Not household duty was
neglected; not one Of the thousand nameless
attenti ms 10 the comfort of her father omitted
but the board was as duly spread The fire shone
as brightly ont the clean hearth, and no children
were so neatly clad, or SO punctual at school as
those Of Stephen Wilson. II Hester's cheek
grew a shade more pale with such continued
cxertiop, she felt herself well repaid when, in
addition to the remarkable progress other bro
theirs, she had the pleasure Of hearing little
Molly read chapter in the Bible for the first
time, and knew that through her means the
hitherto sealed fountain Of eternal life was open
ed to the precious child. But, though anima-
ted by noble purpose, and never for moment
regretting tho choice she had made, Hester had
her trials and sore ones too, for a young girl.
Every morning, just as she had finished the
work Of the house, and was sitting down to her
daily employment Jemima Eldridge came by,
on her way to school, looking so fine, so hap
py-and Hester fancied that Of late she had
assumed airs Of superiority over her old friends.
AT night, too, Jemima was sure TO stop in,
Just to rest a minute; and some how OF other
she could talk Of nothing but the eschoolmaster,
his beauty, his learning, his genteel manners,
and interesting i'll health and how she could
not find out where he came from, OF anything
about him, mystery which greatly enhanced
his importance in her eycs-always ending
with pitying poor Hester's hard fortune in be-
ing obliged to stay at home. Twenty times a
day did Hester blush to find herself thinking
Of the schoolmaster, whom she had not yet
seen, and no wonder II she felt little flurried
when the children informed her that Mr.. Avery,
in his progress Of boarding round, J" would bo
their guest the next week. Il was new era
in the life Of Hester Wilson, for except her
father and the good old minister, she had never
spent an hour in the society of gentleman.
Not that Hester had not plenty Of rustic adj
mircrs, but certain dignity of manner had
compelled them to rest content with rendering
the homage Of their eyes. Notwithstanding q
natural grace that would have adorned any sta
ton, she was bashful to painful degree, and
would gladly have dispensed with the establish
ed usage; but it was not tsbe thought Of SO
she set herself resolutely to prepare for the re-
ception Of her expected guest The small par
lor, which in those days, even in better houses
than Mr.. Wilson's, was often used as sleep
ing apartment, was cleaned, the whitewashed
fireplace filed with evergeens, and the we'll
sized bed supplied with snowy linen. Two
whole days were spent in preparing for his
substantial entertainment, and "last, though
not least" in the scale Of importance, her slen-
der wardrobe was examined, and q good deal
Of womanly indecision manifested, as to which
Of her two best dresses was the most becoming,