The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-04-21
= Splendid Story.
THE BETTER CHOICE.
DY CLARA SYDNEY.

hooie VI hhuhJ a"'i ihoitSi bCuI
fondly.
The training of these brothers had
been such as taught them great re-
gard for the wishes of their parents
it was very great misfortune that
parents whose influence was so great
had not always exercised it to better
purpose.
NOW each of these young men, one
OF "num was called Leo, and the other
Cassius, loved, better than all others,
one young maiden. Neither of these
favored girls was very beautiful, and
neither was rich; one of them, the be-
loved of Cassius, was very poor; but
she was sensible, intelligent and re.
fined; and to Cassius she was the most
lovely being on earth.
Lee also loved his chosen lady as
much as he loved anything in the
world but himself. lie was the most
ardent and endearing of lovers When
lie was pith the light,eyed Mercy--so
was she called-and she loved him as
a deep.hearted woman seldom loves
but once. In her eyes he was the
most beautiful, graceful and agreca-
Bile being that was ever made. She
had no heart, no thoughts for any
other-hc was literally, as far as
earthly things were concerned, her all
in all. Her mother used sometimes
to warn Mercy that it is never safe or
we'll to love so utterly any mortal
creature; she told her child again and
again that God alone was worthy of
any beings whOle heart; but Mercy
could not recall her affections; she
could not stem their flow. When she
tried to reason with herself, in her
mothers way, if Leo crossed her sight
it was all over. Towards hin. with
resstess force swept every feeling
and emotion of her nature. Poor
Mercy she was, it is to be feared, an
idolator--and the punishment Of such
is indeed sore.
The brolhcrs were free from that
foolish and cowardly impulse--that
aiilIcts so many persons--to deny that
they love, and to shun all mention of
the object ofthat love, as if there was
guilt and shame in the thought. They
took great pleasure in talking togcth-
er Of Mercy and Anna. Each broth
cr was pleased with the choice Of the
other; which rendered things doubly
agreeable. Next to seeing and con
versing face to face with a friend,
comes the pleasure Of talking of that
friend to some one who values him.
Wo to that poor heart which, loving
unto the uttcrmost, must yet exert
itself, even unto bursting, to cover
and to guard from every eye what
still is struggling to break forth; what
rolls and towers like the restless sea,
stralnlng at every pore, and always
mourning-wo, wo, to that poor heart
But there were two beautiful young
hcircSScS who loved these brothers;
and when this fact came to the knowl-
edge Of the parents OF our heroes,
they called their sons to them, and
gave them an earnest charge to win
those loving hciresses for their wives
The advantages, for young men just
starting in life, of wealth and eleva-
ted position were fully set forth. The
ladies in question were of proud
family, in the very tOpmost rank of
American society, connected in vari-
Gus ways with the talent of the country
and with the leading men Of the
government. The pride and ambition
Of the young men were adroitly
touched, and upon their imaginatons
arose visions of palace-homcs, hosts
of servants, senatorial honOrs, and,
even they caught a glimpse Of the
Presidents chair making as though it
were sliding toward them with intcn-
tions Of going undcr them. Their
heads whirled, and the thought of
their humble and conliding little cot
tage friends event UNDER" as a plank
will go when struck by the keel of a
steamer.
. The influence of this parental har.
angue was visibly felt by both broth
ers. They did not visit Mercy or An
ma that evening, nor did they mention
their names one to the other. They
lay silently upon their pillows, the
sweet old dreams of love and faith
put to flight by the gaudy nutterings
of ambition, and the "greed Of gain.'
1t chanced that upon the next day
these brothers were out on the lake
fishing. There was with them a
widower; free-spoken, jolly.hcarted
sort of fellow; and he seemed very
| much inclined to interest himself in