The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-31
XIV.
Holo Ruth Looked at the anchor.
BY EDWARD SPENCER.

Hoo nun Looked at the anchor.
lcHArTER FIFTEENTH Concluded
Incompatible is the sweet sadness of Mrs.
Fleming's smile; sweet, because the honey
heart within is so full that it drps over the
lips sad not in pain. but because the bees have
roamed so wide over life's Hymettus that they
must needs have probed some bitter flower, and
dropped its little Homeopathic globule into the
well of sweetness. Mrs. Fleming, however, had
undoubtedly grown much older. One or two
deep lines traversed her forehead her calm
face had acquired certain fixed paleness !;
there was a decided stoopin her shoulders her
voice was not so strong nor SO clear, but trem-
bled very little and she had lost her queenly
gait, so that it could no longer be said of her,
"E. vera in eessu paint Dea."
But she was still very handsome, still Jasper's
mother, the incompatible.
Such were the two women, Ruth and her
mother, who went on their pilgrimage to the
craven anchor. Ruth had longed after it, and
for a sight once more of the dear old Cottage,
and a stroll down the fondly-remembered lane,
and glimpse in at the old school-house door
longed for these things with longing she was
almost ashamed to confess. And so, they had
arranged to 60 to the Cottage, and spend quiet
day or two there, before Jasper came home.
Everything they did now had some reference to
this coming home of Jasper. The reftting of
the hall, the rearrangemento of lawn and parterre,
the new books in the library, about which Mr..
Classic was still very busy even their own new
consultations with mantua- maker and milliner-
all were in loving anticipation of Jaspers COM
ing home. Jasper was coming home for love
and happiness They heard the wren chirrup
it from his box in the shrubbery, the meadow
lark fantasied upon the same theme in his carol
at dawn, and the robin warbled it to his mate
in the tall elms branches, and the mocker
gushed it forth from his naelodious throat, as he
danced from twig to twig in the waning twi-
light, Jasper is coming, Jasper is coming,
Jasper is coming home!" Oh reader, what
new world is this old earth to us, when we love
and are happy! What new splendor in the
sky, what new beauties in the field, what new
emblems in the flowers, what new voices and
rich prophecies in the zephyrs, and, alas, what
dread new portents in the storm blast. No por.
tentous storm-blast for them, however; their
happiness was unalloyed.
Together they went to the Cottage, and to-
gether they looked at the anchor
"Oh mother" cried Ruth, clapping her hands
for joy, believe in omens. He told me to
believe in them. See here, this is oar omen
notice how the sap has swelled the bark, and
here, where the knife cut deepest, see these dear
green and tender shoots, one, two three, oh SO
green and vigorous oh SO hopefully struggling
into life, growing upward lis an omen, dear
mother, promise, pledge let us accept it."
And then Mrs. Fleming, with great uplift-
ing of her heart, recalled to mind those Soytes
Iennysonia,aae in which she had INDUCED in
that dark hour of eliminating pride. Yes,
truly, aift5.
Back on hersefher serpent pride had curled;"
and she could truly say that in that moment
she had found
"Nc comfort anywhere .t