St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-08-25

one year more, and fitting myself fo
a teacher, fathcr!"
But isn't it a queer idea, child p
said Mr.. Truman. "Why, here's
Belle, out in company, and you-le,
me sce-you must be seventeen"
Eighteen, papa !" ventured Esther
" Eighteen, bless my soul how
time goes So YOU are eighteen
though who'd think it and now talk
about going away to school Non
sense, girl that comes of shutting
yourself up in your room and poring
over your books SO much No won
der you get queer ideas into your
head ! You've got book learning
enough, Esthcr--a great deal more
than Belle, I'll warrant only you're
shy, and don't show off. | wish you
would try and be more like your sis
ter.-cvcrybody makes a great deal
of her"
The girls heart felt sore under this
thonghtless comparison.
81 know Belle is the smartcst, and
quickest, and the most accomplished, y
she said, and prctticst, too, you
know, father while | am ugly as can
be. But Belle loves dancing and mu
sic, and people like to see her dance
and hear her sing but nobody wants
to hear me talk about the books | so
prize, and think might be useful
somewhere clsc-I know | might as a
teacher, if you only would not oppose
it, but consent to my going to school,
father"
"'A teacher - useful somewhere
else what's got into the girl ?
Why, Esther, don't you have enough
to eat, drink, and wear, in your fa-
thcr's house ?" laughed Mr.. Truman,
though half impressed by her earnest
ness. There is no need of any
daughter of mine going out into the
world and earning her own bread and
butter. No; guess you'd better be
contcntcd at home and try and enjoy
life with your mother and Belle, and
not get strong-minded, Esther J"
"Oh, don't say no, papa pleaded
the girl. You don't know how |
have planned everything! could
graduate in one ycar-and then have
"A school of my own, where could be
useful and feel independent. And be-
sides, | don't want to go to balls and
parties, | shouldn't enjoy them if
| did-and when | am here all alone,
| keep wishing for another and buster
life. If it's the expense, papa, you
needn't mind that-you know there is
the money my own mother left me
when | should be eighteen, and there's
more than plenty-you rcal let me go
away to school, papa?"
Hush, child |! " said Mr.. Truman ;
but it was not in tones of harshness
or denial. Shading his eyes with his
hand, a softencd expression crept over
Richard Truman's face. A vision OF
the dead swept before him underneath
his shading hand He drew down his
daughter to his breast and kissed her
forehead. He looked into her eyes,
and met the gaze of eyes long closed
under the coffin lid. In that hour
how much she looked like her mother !.
He wondered that the resemblance
had never so struck him before.
Aud then came sclfaccusing
thoughts. How soon had Esthcrs
mothers place been filled by another ::
how soon had the child of this second
union driven the child of his first love
to the rcmotest corner Of his heart
He recalled numerous acts, if not of
positive unkinduess, of careless neg
lcct, on the part of the new wife to-
ward Esthcr's child he recalled how,
i'll the new brood of children springing
up around him, he himself had grown
Indifferent toward his first
born how even Belle qucencd it, as
by right, over her senior sister, and
he had permitted, nay, tacitly en-
couragcd it ! And like quick pang
shot through his heart the thought
that, now, his own child would leave
his roof to find, othcrwhcrc, and in
other pursuits, the companionship de-
MED her there!
He felt the appealing glance of her
brown cycs-thosc large, strange eyes,
that now, kindlcd by purpose and hope,
looked brilliant and beautiful. He
another Esthcr's cycs-for
the first Mrs. Truman had been q frail,
delicate woman, whose chief beauty
lay in her wondrously soft and tender
eyes. All the fathers heart awakened :;
aud in that hour. when he first read
her nature, and though he would have
kept her with him, Richard Truman
could deny nothing to his child.
Drawing her within his arms with
more of tenderness than Esther ever
to have experienced be-
fore, be said, alt is my fault if my
child is glad to leave a home that has
been no home to her But it shall be
as she wishes you shall SO away to
school, Esther !"
Oh papa, it is not Mot-not that,
believe me u began the girl, earnest
Iy, her whole nature lcaping mp at this
of parental love, for
which she had hitherto So long vainly
SlHlcu. ION tfiIlk i Waut ~ ttdNc
you indeed | don't, but"
Perhaps at that moment the hearts
of the parent and child might have
been fully revealed to each other, to
DC closed no more, had not the sudden
opening Of the hall door, with gay
voices in the hall, betokcncd the re-
turn of Mrs. Truman and Belle, who
made their appearance, accompanied
by Ellis Loring, to find Mr. Truman
intent upon his evening paper, and
Esther apparently deeply absorbed by
a book on the parlor table.
So does habit-the strengthened
habit of years-encrust the heart with
its icy pctrilactions.
Who looking upon the two-the
careless, calm merchant, and the quiet,
shy girl, would have dreamed that the
loved of eighteen years before, re-
in his child, had been pressed
anew to Richard Truman's heart, or
that Esther's pale check and forehead
had flushed with crimson heart-tides
4 4 /. ! 4 /.