Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-01-22

t"V y uiliHSiVSf ilBhtti unu OflHHleF DtCulut
Ter state Of mind, and more aud more hope
ful her thoughts of the ultimate issue of
the impending lawsuit. When Hertha,
/ therefore, came in from her sisters, the old
lady having laid aside her portfolio for the
tangled yarnskein, and her state of mind
having begun to brighten with the decreas-
ing ENHANCEMENT, she said quite kindly to
Hortha:
! am winding now to spole for your weav-
ing, my dear Hertha; aud if You were but
as industrious as l am, it would soou be
ready
Hertba only replied, Good night, ," with
an unhappy expression of conntenance, and
crossed the passage to the second door
OF this she had the key She opened it
and went in. 1t was large room, in which
might be perceived the smell both Of smoke
aud damp. Ceiling, walls FIREPLACE all
showed evident want of repair There was
but little furniture and that Of the most
homely character; although in this as in
other things, the careful hand of woman
was observable A loom and two spinning
wheels stood in the room. Its only orna-
nent was little bookcase and few pic
lures, the work of Hertha. NJ. a deep re-
cess on the left hand but before we pro-
ceed to this we will say few words about
the two sisters themselves, who had spent
together here the best part of their youth,
who had here together laughed, aud to-
gcther wept, loved, and comforled each
other; spent their days in hard work, and
often lain awake through the night to read
| together the old heroic songs of history.
Hertha's favorite reading, or novels, which
were Ama's; together became enthusiastic
about grand IDEAS, laid out grand schemes,
nay even poured out their warm feelings
both in prose aud verse (but merely for
each other, because they possessed no 9th
er pubhc,) and then seen their youthful
dreams grow dim, aud their life change in-
to-thut which it was now.
Their mother died in giving birth to the
! youngest of her daughters. The two ell.
desr were then much younger. The moth
! er's illness, occaS Uned in great measure
from want Of happiness in her marriage,
had gloomcd the childhood of her daugh-
terS. After her death their fathers sister
came to take charge of the household. The
difference between the influence of the for
mer mistress of the family and the present,
was like that between soft, rainy Sum
mer, and a severe Winter Mrs Hard was
lady who exalted herself for her love OF
truth and justice, nor will we deny her
tn -se qualities; but she lad not love, and
therefore her view of things was never ell
tirely true; she could never see the whole
truth in any object which she condemned
and her judgment, was, therefore neither
| lifrl,f hui Il.
of reason.
Hertha was thirteen years old when this
lady came to live in tile family; she was at
that critical age, when the child awakcS
from her slumbcr & looks arOnnd her with
opened eyes upon the world; and when all
the necessities and queStioningS of the soul
burst forth tliirsIing for the light of dav.
Tie unusual, and therefore restless temper.
ament and faculties of the child were mis-
understood mscOustrned by Mrs Hard
She saw dangerous or altogether improper
tendencies in everything aud she consider
ed that truth and justice required her tc
represent to her father every fault and de-
liciency in it's blackest color, which she call
ell its true color that the young girl
might he punished in the severest manner.
Mrs. Hard believed thar she acted in this
respect as a model of cOnScicntiOuSneSS and
justice. The deeply sensitive and enthu-
SuStic girl, who saw her least mistake re-
presented us something monStrouS ;her most
innocent actions suspected; her best nten.
tionS often miSconSlrued TO the very oppo-
site; all her queStiOnings about deeper sub
jectS of life repulsed as needless inquiries,
and every expression of her young, aspr-
ing soul sternly repced, became at first
miserably unhappy, almost driven to des.
pair, and cast into state of perfectly chao-
tic darkness as regarded herself, her fellow
creatures, life, truth--everyLhing The ne
cesSity which there was in her own soul 10
pour forth love and reverence and which
instinctively turned toward those who were
her natural guardians, was receiYed by
them only with injudicious severity and in
ii spirit of worldly wisdom. She thought
at FIRST that they must be right, and she
herself wrong. But she saw her sister, the
gentle, aud, according to her Judgment, the
almost sanity Alma, condemned and Sc
verely treated also At this, her naturally
strong MUD released itself out of the slav
iSh depression which was otherwise gaining
the mastery over her and she overcame II
through love to her sister That light o.
which the gospel speaks. which lights ev
cry man who comes into the world, dilTuS
ell its Illuminating beams through her owl
conscience, to judge and condemn those wht
could unjustly judge and act toward that
angelic sister The light within her owl
conscience was strengthened aud awoke t,
a still higher life, by means Of the religions
instruction which she at this time, together
with her sister, and the young people in tn,
community where she dwelt, received
Aud although this might be imperfect, ane
fettered by the mere literal Interpretation
as.is generally the case, and although even
here her inquiries respecting ditlicult dog
mas were repuSed by the teacher with The
remark that, People must not ask ques
tiOns; that Reason must he subdued unde
the obedience of Faith; still, nevertheless
her naturally powerful instincts toward tn
highest iuslce aud the highest good, OH
talned by this means new words aud an in
creased strength. Armed with these, Sh
now turned herself toward those who hat
endeavored TO curb her aud her sister Sh
demanded higher standard of truth ant