Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-08-31
Nobody.

Nobody.
"By the way, Bell, what has become
Of that pretty little May Burling, with
whom you used to be intimate %
"Why, Clarence, I dropped hel
long ago."
'Indeed! what objectionable offense
did she commit :"
''Never any, that I am aware of
but you know one cannot visit every
body, and all of my friends are distin.
guished. They have some decided tai
ent. There is Louise Bradford, who
is Thorough musician she plays equal
to any professor. Julia Leeman is an
artist she paints splendidly. Harriet
holland is o brilliant conversational
Susan Everett is an authoress she
writes the sweetest poems and prettiest
stories that ever read"
"And what Of Leonora Hicks-what
is her talent 2" @ arf
81 do not know that she has any
that is very conspicuous but then sic
is an admirable girl-you know tina,
she is worth eighty thousand dollars. .
"Oh," said her brother, in tone
which slightly discounted his sister
"And Mary Wilson %
81 should not think any one need
ask concerning her. She is o splendid
creature the most beautiful girl tina,
l ever saw. l always want her at my
sociabies for the sake of embellishing
them. Did you ever know handsomel
girl, Clarence?"
81 have seen girls whom admire
more; would as willingly marry stone
image as Mary Wilson. She looks
like piece Of finely chiseled marble
and possesses about as much life and
animation as a polished block. Little
May Burling is much more to my taste. u
''Why, Clarence, no one ever con.
sidered May Burling pretty. She was
nice little thing but what of that
So are q hundred others /; but one can
not visit them all. May has neither
beauty, wealth, nor accomplishments
She cannot draw, she cannot write, she
cannot; in fact, she is perfect No.
body.
Just then a servant entered with g
card from visitor, and interrupted the
tete- between the brother and
sister.
Clarence Milford had been absent
from his home for a space of -four
years and returned to find the changes
that are usually wrought within so lone
a period Of time }; his friends were
scattered-''soms to the bridal, some
to the tomb" His sister, whom he
had left young, light-hearted school
girl, had gone into society, and boast.
ed that the circle contained none but
the gifted. She was a girl Of good
natural endowments, had been we'll ed.
uca:ed, and was still pursuing various
studies with so much order, and such
total neglect Of all feminine employ.
mens, that her brother thought her fasI
conjealing into an intellectual iceberg.
About q month after the above con
versation, Miss Isabella Milford was
taken seriously ill a neglected cold
led to fever ; and for eleven long weeks
the young lady could not leave her pill
low. AT first her friends were assidu-
Gus in expressing their regret, and in
making enquiries after her health, &C..
&C., but none came to lay aside thei,
bonnets, and to set beside the suffering
girl to smooth her pillow, or to cadence
the tones of their gay voices to suit
the weak, aching head. And the ply.
sicians soon forbade the admission OF
morning callers.
Poor Bell How she longed for a
mother, or a sister, or some friend who
was not fashionable F.; or was not taken
up with her music, her painting, Or her
writing, that she could not find time to
pay o little attention to the sick ! And
there stole strange yearning into he,
heart for her cast-off friend May Bur-
ling.
One day a note was handed into her
room written IN a pretty delicate hand.
Bell was too i'll to open it, so her broth.
err broke the seal and read it.
"DEAR BELL Il heard, the other
day, that you we're very sick I; too i'll
to leave your room. l cannot tell you
how sorry it made me feel; it set me
thinking Of the time, Bell, when We
were so dear to one another when we
were like sisters ; and long to come
right to you and forget there has been
any estlangement. know net how you
nay be situated, but | think it must
be very hard to be real sick and have
no mother to nurse you. II you need
me, Bell, or even if you do not, but
are alone, please let me come in just as
you used to do.
Your old schoolmate,
May BURLlNG."
In reply to this, Clarence wrote with
Bells consent -
"NIss DURLNG:-My sister being
too i'll to address you, desires me to