The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-27


his presence SO imperatively commanding re-
spect was withal SO loving, SO thoughtful, 50
tender, so conhding, so motterly to her-ah.
twas hard to lose him, very, very hard.
Ana then the bitter thought ,c0uld come. and
bitter enough it was, certainly-spite all her eff.
forts to ignore it, and cry for Shame to her
heart-the bitter thought that her only friend
now was Jasper's mother, the proud the ha,,rh-
ty, who had scorned her, and was the entire
Hinc lilac lachrymae " of her lfe the prime
agent IN all her troubles. Had she not broken
IN ruthless upon her young love, and driven
sternly away her own loved son. to wander in
mad despair? Had she not parted Ruth and
Jasper, overlooking their love as thing of no
account, In comparison with the carving out of
her own prejudices? Had she not made bitter
enemies-so bitter that, to strike at her the
more surely, they had not serupled to take life.
and that life, too, the most precious to Ruth Of
any? Had Mrs. Jennings pride been less. and
her manners not so arrogant and overbearinp
would not Gilbert Congreve have been alive
now? Ruth loved her; true, but would this
love be returned? Would this kindness con
tinue? Could Ruth hope to please her? All,
these were bitter thoughts, and she was half
tempted to follow Jasper's example, and fee
away, anywhere, from the presence she so much
beside her at that dear, dead fathers grave ;.
had there, strong and fearless, supported against
her bosom the little weeping, trembling one .
had gently put arms about her, and called her
" daughter, In those tones of wondrous sadness
had caused gentle sympathy to flow out TO-
wards her IN such kindly channels, that Ruth
was gradually soothed cured of her startled
timldlty, and began rapidly to learn the lesson
that she needed" Trust"
Still, the lonesomeness, the dread, the weari-
ness, would come back, and at times the thought
OF fiight-aye, even of death itsef-were it not
for Jasper. But for his sake, she could brave
ALL She could say, with Juliet
III "Oh, bid me leap
From of the battements of Wonder lower.
VI walk IN iheVish ways bid me Turk
Where serpens are chain me with roaring bears
Or shut me nightly IN u charneI house -
Oer-covered quite with dead mems rat,ling bones
Nllh reeky shanks, and yellow ehapIess skulls:
Or DID me go into new-made grave
Al q hide me with a dead man in his shroud
IAngs that 10 hear them od, hare made me fyeobl,
AMI ictH do a. icithontJtar doubtn
when Mrs. Fleming saw how Ruth's thoughts
ran, she put forth her strength to conduct them
INTO more healthy channel. Calmly, for a
whlle, she land her own grief aside. and min
lstered to Ruth, watching her. studying her.
ana mastering the elements of her character
Allowing proper time for the first poignancy of
the chllds grief to wear itself out, she then
began to ceunteract the morbidness that sue
ceeded it, with successful mnistration. She
talked with her of Jasper, taught her of his
habits, showed her his favorite resorts. his
DOCKS, his horses, his dogs, his rod, his
gun drew her on into a frequent recital of
Their loves and courtship; made Mr.. Clas
SIC read TO them took her out into the air ;
taught her to look with interest at the things
hQr md n
ly treated her, that the bloom began to come
again to her cheek, and the smile to her lin
and, though she often went to sleep with ewes
that the tears had Redeemed, she oftener awoke
smiling from happiest dreams of Jasper Mrs.
Fleming sent forthwith for Mr.. Classics stock
OF flowers, from the cottage and gave that gen
uenian hint, to insist upon continuing his
botanic instructions, so that Ruth was speedily
deluged with technicalities concerning Pa
tianthes, FIftiitarid, Tdgetes, Ama,yiIieies
Rd'anculdceae, Pelaryonia CdlceoLorta. DC
and made very brave pretence to study the
genera OF ferns, and the morphoogical char
Flenling's love was her chief consolation.
and this love was untiring, so that. finally.
Ruth learned to sob out all her griefs on her
mothers breast, to bring to her mother for heal
ing all the little wounds of her heart, and to
learn from her some of that grand strength
WIN WHICH Sne endured. thus they went on,
both. reforming their noble souls towards the
periectest nobility, both developing more and
more, that large, womanly humanity which is
nearest the angelic of any human attributes.
Neither was perfect, but both learned to for
bear--which, / take it, is woman's difiicultest
task in her relations to woman. Mrs. Fleminp's
pride was not the growth of a day, to be cut
down like a mushroom, and leave no trace. But
the women helped each other on, the one ac.
curing strength to sustain, to other strength to
repress; and love linked them together in firm
est union. Gradually Jasper's mother became
aware of much soul and mind she had not sus.
pected in Ruth, subtiely hidden away beneath
the Surface of her passive nature, and it was
her delight to help forward the development of
this, to mature and perfect it, for her sons sake
Gradually, yet surely, Ruth awoke to just APP
probation of the noblcness of her chosen moth
cr, of the high, honorable, generous, loveable
soul that was hers, married somewhat by the
chill polarizer, PRIDE warped somewhat by pas
sion's riot, stunned somewhat into the apathy
of grief, but noble, high, honorable, generous
still, beyond any she had ever known, and
therefore peculiarly loveable.
To RE CONTINUED