Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1860-11-15
NUMBER As
A Picture of Life.

CHARLES, come here IL
Slowly the boy approaches his mother,
when the latter gives him smart box on the
ear, adding,
+" There. take that !. now go to work %
Why, mother, what have done?"
" Done, you have not done anything, only
Set poring over that paper for an hour"
But, mother the chores are done, and it
is storming."
Go under the shed, then, and saw wood !"
And he went, the boy of fourteen, dwarf
ed alike in body and mind. the former BY
hard labor on the farm, the latter by hard
words and hard knocks. Poor boy /! and
this as the nephew 1 had so longed to see.
for | remember him as o sprightly boy of
three years, all life AMI animation and this
was the sister had come 80 far to visit-aud
this was the first observation day in the fam.
lily circle, for sickness had hitherto confined
me to my room, where all had been smiles
and kind attention. My sister was some old
er than myself, but being only sisters we
were much together, and had few if any Sc
crets that we concealed from each other, and
for while after we were married, the one
going towards the rising, the other towards
the setting sun, We had kept up regular
corrssp ondence, but the cares of growing
family and poor health soon checked the let.
ters, and at last they ceased entirely. Once
she had visited her old home and friends,
and brought Charlie, her first born, with her,
bright lad of three summers. Eleven years
had passed whom decided to make her q
visit. and see how she prospersd in the far
west. Success had crowned their labors, and
to the casual observer nothing was wanting
to make life agreeable.
Three lovely girls wandered from room to
room. Let us follow them to the sitting
room, The eldest threw down her book,
which, instead of reaching the table, as she
had designed, fell to the floor. Instead of
saying, Pick it up, daughter" the mother
gave be- quick slap on the head, which
sent her reeling, and picked it up herself
fender for some slight cause, received box
and an angry word, and thus the afternoon
was spent. was in hopes that such scenes
were not common, and waited impatiently
for the evening-but, alas it came ell too
soon, for, as much as my feelings had been
tried through the day. they were worse tried
in the evening. The candle was placed ON
the stand in the centre of the room /; the faith
er, tired with bis days work in the woods,
hadleaned his chair back against the wall
and was already snoring; the mother, with
her youngest in her zap, rocking by the fire
| with my feet on the fender, and nobody by
the light Charlie hunted up his paper,
which had been tucked away, and timidly
drew his chair up to the stand, in hopes of
finishing his story but bark Come, boy,
just move your chair back, and not make
yourself quite SO conspicuous" He moved
back, and soon slipped out of the room, and
was soon forgotten by all but myself; but
often in the course of the evening did won-
der where the boy was. About nine he came
in, and l expected scene, but no question
was asked, and he passed on to his room.
could no: refrain from asking my sister where
Charles spent his evenings. "Ohp she
said, " he generally goes over to the other
house; they take ths Ledger, and always
read aloud evenings" This, then, was the
mystery the boy could not have the privi-
lege of reading at home, and SO went to the
neighbors.
! felt sick-heart-sick and home-sick-and
longed for the quiet of my own room. But
whole winter was before me, and something
must be done. At last all had sought their
pillows save my sister and myself; an un-
pleasant silence pervaded the room / wac
thinking how to begin; / knew nay sisters
heart was in the right place if could reach
it; she asked me what was thinking about;
! toid hss was thinking Of our mother !
asked her if she remembered how tenderly
End lovingly she reared her little family
low she sympathized with all our little im-
sginary wrengs and trout bles--how she
taught Us to pray and sing, as well as read
and work-how pleasantly we spent our
evenings. when mother would tell US some
story, CT brother Charlie would read the
newspaper.
It was enough; already she was weeping
On my bosom no promise was aske ] or giv-
en-but heard her 20 softly to her boys
room, and % she returned / heard her MUIR
muT, " God bless him." and knew the good
work YVES began. It was sometime before
all the little outbreaks were dispensed with.
but look was sufficient to still the tempest.
and ere spring, the time for my departure
bad arrived, lovlier and pleasanter family
could not be found. Charles accompanied
me home to fnish his education, and he
promises still to fulfil the hopes Of early
years.
AFTER THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH On the