Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-09-02
GeneraI tHtsrcllanu.
From Godey's Lady's Book for September.
THE BACK CLOSET IN TILE SOIL

From Godey's Ladys Book for September.
THE BACK CLOSET IN THE SOUL.
ny vmoINIA p TOWNSEND.
1t was there but to find it you would have
to mount many pairs of winding stairs, -
and wander through goodly chambers and
columned halls, and far vistaed galleries, such
as made the soul Of Mary Hammond a man
sion Of grace and beauty; but in dark pas
sage. easily passed by" stood that dark
closet. and on its door was written that foul
and hateful name--Jealoasy Nobody sus-
pected this least of all she who bore it day
by day in her soul-boro IL through her
young, sweet life, so filed with kindly deeds
aud words that it was like box Of spikenard,
perfuming all the air about it.
Mary Hammond was an orphan, and she
had Just passed by her twenty-fonrth birth
day. Her father and mother had slept for
half dozen years in the little village Of Nav
wood. good, honest, God-fearing people who
had bcqueathed unto their children their un-
sulliod name and sterling virtues She was
not beautiful, Mary Hammond She had
not a single regular feature, and vet there
great charm about her face. The sweet,
tremulous mouth had such variety Of smiles
and the clear "switt glancing eyes corrob-
GRATED the mouth The forehead over which
lay the soft. smooth bands of hair, indicated
broad. hney-deyeloped "sphere of facul-
ties, and her conversation at once proved
its possession She had resided in the city
four years, and taught school in large pri-
yate seminary all this time, thus defraying
her own small expenses, and assisting her
only brother through college
Edward Hammond was not quite two years
his sisters senior. During his boyhood and
early youth he had been the victim o. disease,
which inhibited him from all the physical ex-
orcise and development that make up so much
of the Joy Of early youth, and his life was an
introverted absirocted one, his books and his
dreams forming his only pabulum But there
was viii and purpose in that silent, pale-faced
boy, as any one would have known by study
ing that sharply-cut but susceptible mouth
and the gray eyes that occasionally flashed
out Of them. Edward had his sisters style
of features, harder and more intellectual, for
hers were soltened and vivifed by wealth of
deep and active affections. He had a very
fbrous constitution, or it must certainly have
yielded in that long warfare with disease
which occupied the first twenty years of his
life. Then his constit. lion rallied, and slowly
there dawned on him the hope of entering
collego-the great dream of his life.
Edward had been his sisters idol. She
had responded with her warm, sympathetic
nature to the dreams OF his boyhood; she
had been his nurse, his comforter, his inspiror
through all those long, slow days of suffer /
ing, when he lay on the lounge in the sitting
room Of the small white cottage which had
been their home in haywood
Mary had taught school two years in the .
academy, when her pastor secured Edwards
entrance to college, through the aid of some
friends Of the former who offered him a situ-
alton as private tutor, for which the young
mans previous studies had qualified him
Mary also procured a situation in the city,
which enabled her so far to assist her brother
that he had graduated at college, and had
now nearly completed his professional studies.
And Mary Hammond was now proud and
happy sister-ay, more, beloved and loving
woman, the betrothed wife of Marcus Wood
ley, the son Of the rich capitalist on Wall
Street.
1t was strange Mary could hardly be-
lieve it, when the proud and hstidious man
first told her so, that his heart had turned
from all the dazzling and accomplished wo-
men who frequented his fathers palace home,
to the little soft-voiced school teacher. Mary
had called there occasionally to see his youn-
gest sister, her iavorite pupil, and so the
two were brought together. Mary Hammond
was very unlike all women that Marcus Wood
ley had met before, unlike them in her earn
est simple-heartedne in her high principles,
and her deep, even sense of human response
bility. Then her mind opened to him new,
fresh vistas Of thought and feeling from the
time he first met her, and she became to his
life like spring by the roadside, filling it
full of sweet songs and refreshment.
Marcus Woodley's family was an old and
proud one, and he was an only son and it
was not surprising that his parents and older