Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-04-26
q Yeautiful gtnry.
MY STEP MOTHER.


e | have but faint recoliections 90
my mother, as she died before wa
: four years old, leaving my brothe
e Clifton five years my senior--ant
|, myself to the care of an old womal
who was much attached to her, ant
E and who gladly consented TO leave
her lonely cottage in the village
that she might be my fathers house
keeper, aud our half nurse, hal
governess.
We called her Granny;and very kind
she was TO US in her way; nursing US
most teLderly when We were sick,
preparing little dslieacies fer US at
odd times, joining US in our plays,
and telling US stories by the dozen,
Of ghosts, giants, fairies, and little
boys who were eaten up by wolves
and bears for being naughty.
/ was a puny, sickly boy. SO l
did not 60 to school, but with Gran
uy's aid. learned to read and write;
and she prophesied that l would
make-a great man some day, if ]
would only have spirit enough, and
hold up nv head. All this | firmly
believed, and tried my best to follow
her advice.
Of my father We saw very little,
He was grave, stern man; and, very
much depressed by mothers death,
he plunged into an absorbing bust
ness, and was only at home 10 the
evenings, when we boys generally
forsook the silent sitting room
for the kitchen, there to listen With
orened eyes and mouths, to Gran-
ny's marvellous tales.
We lived quietly enough, having
few interests beyond our small place
Of ten or dozen acres, and an &C.
casional excursion TO neighboring
town. But a change vas coming.
1t was in November of the year when
| was nine years old and Clifton
fourteen-:he latter exultlng in the
idea of going to boarding school
in a month, and ! half crying before.
hand over my loneliness that my
father, who had been in the habit of
spending greater part of his time
i'll Philadelphia, bad a long conyer-
sation With Granny. When this was
ended, we heard the front door sim, /,
and saw my father, portmanteau in
hand, jump into the wagon and drive
furiously of, while Granny entered
our sitting room, her apron to ber
eyes, and sat down in the arm chair
rocking to and fro, and sobbing with
uncomfortable grief. Fearing we
knew not what, We clung to her side,
begging her TO tell Us whit had |
But it was some time
before she could speak to say that
my father had :old her her services
would be no longer necessary. as in
a week be would bring home a wife,
a young lady from the city, and in
the meantime be should not be at I
home.
"That should ever haved live 10
see the day" continued the old
woman, With q fresh burst Of grief,
"wben my own dear Miss Sarah
should be so forgotten and cast aside
for a rretty-faced chit of seventeen,
with city airs and graces, to turn the
house up side down, and lord it over
her darliDgs. Poor boys,poor boys,
what will become of you!'
How much longer she might have
gone on iu this way, cannot tell, but
She was just then called away to
the kitchen, leaving us in a state Of
indiscTibable terror; imagining that
all the cruel step-mothers in fairy
tales were 10 be united in OURS
Then long conversation ensued, in
which We debated whether she would
attempt to beat US, or turn US out
of doors to seek our fortune with
niece of dry bread and q bottle of
sour wine. / remember perfectly |
the picture / formed Of her, in which
she figured as large, stout woman,
Sith naughty air and loud voice,
who would fly about the house,
every thing, and making
every one unhappy generally.
I'll tell you what said Clifton,
a long breath, and plum
yipg bis hands manfully into his
pockets, sl'lI tell you what, Harry, !
hon that woman comes to take !,