Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-10-12
N1ISCELLA ANY.
A Picture of Life.
BY JANE L. ROUSE.

"Charles, come here
Slowly the boy approaches his mother,
when the latter gives him smart box at
the ears, adding: There, take that; and
now 20 TO work"
why, mother, what have done?"
"Dene, you have not done anything, on
ly set pouring over that old paper for an
hour"
But, mother, the chores are done, and
it is storming."
$50 under the shed, then and saw wood, y
And he went, the boy Of fourteen, dwaf-
ed alike in body and mind, the former by
hard labor on the farm, the latter by hard
words aud hard knocks" Poor boy and
this was the nephew that had so longed
TO see, for | remembered him as splightly
boy OF three years, all life and animation
and this was the sister that | had come so
far to visit, and this was my first observa-
| ton day in the family circle, for sickness
| had hitherto confined me to my room, where
all had been smiles and kind attention. MY
sister was some years older than myself,
but being cply sisters, we were much to-
gether, and had few if any secrets that we
1 concealed from each other, and for awhile
after we married, the one going toward the
rising, the other the setting sun, we had
| kept up regular correspondence, but the
cares of growing family and poor health
soon checked the letters, and at last they
ceased entirely. Once she had visited her
"old home and friends, and brought Char
/ lie, her first-born with her, a bright lad Of
three summers. Eleven years had passed
when | decided to make her visit and see
how she prospered in the far West. Sue
cess had crowned their labors, and to the
casual observer, nothing was wanting to
make life agreeable.
Three lovely girls wandered from room
10 room. Let us follow them to the sit
ting-room. The eldest threw down her
book, which, instead of reaching the table
as she had designed, fell to the floor. In.
stead of saying, Pick it up, my daughter,
the mother gave her quick slap on the
head which sent her reeling; and picked
il up herself Quiet was scarcely restored
ere another offender, for some slight cause
received box and an angry word, and thu:
the afternoon was spent | was in hopes
waited impatiently for the evening, but
alas it came all too soon. for as much a
my feelings had been tried through the day
they were worse tried in the evening. TIL,
candle was placed on the stand in the cen
tire of the room; the father, tired with hi
DAYS work in the woods, had leaned hi
T chair back against the wall and was alread,
snoring; the mother with her youngest il
her lap. oeking by the fire /; with m,
feet on the fender and nobody by the light
Charlie hunted up his paper (Which ha'
been tucked away and timidly drew HI
chair up TO the stand in hopes of fnishin
his story, but hark !. Come, boy. jus
move your chair back. and not make your
self quite so conspicuous" lie moved bac'
and soon slipped out of the room. and wa
soon forgotten by all but myself; but ofte
: in the course Of the evening did l wonde
where the boy was. About nine he cam
in, and expected scene, but no questio
was asked, and he passed on TO his room
I could not refrain from asking my siste
where Charles spent his evenings. "Oh,
she said, he generally E@o- over 70 th
other mouse; they take the Ledger, and a
ways read it aloud evenings. This, tller
) was the mystery; the boy could not llav
the privilege of reading at home, and wen
to the neighbors.
( felt sick, heart-sck, and longed for til
. quiet of my OWE home. But whole win
ter was before me, and something must b
j done. At last all had sought their pi.lo'
save my sister and myself; an unpleasan
t silence pervaded the room; | was thinking
how to begin; knew that my sisters hear
was in the right place if / could reach it
she asked me what ] was thinking about
: / told her i was thinking of our mother;
asked her if she remembered how tenderl
i and lovingly she reared her family-hoy
she sympathized with all our little imagina
! ry wrongs and troubles-how she taught u
to pray and sing. as well as read and work
low pleasantly we spent our evening:
: when mother would tell us some pleasan
story. or brother Charlie would read ih
: newspapers?
5 1t was erough, already she was weepinI
I on my bosom no promise was asked o
: given. but heard her 20 softly to her boy
room. and as she returned heard her muT
mur. " God bless him" and ! knew th
good work was begun. 1t was some tim
before all the little outbreaks we're dis
: pensed with, but a look was sufficient +
= : still the tempest. and ere spring, the tim
for my departure. had arrived. lovlie
and pleasaaier family could not be found
Z Charles accompanied me home TO finish hi
education, and he promises still to fulfil ID
r hope Of early years.-Lite Illustrated.