The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-07-27
OFFICE IN HOoPER's BRICK
BIDDEFORD, ME-, FRIDAY
your brothers were his warm friends; that

you need not suppose anything more,
mamma. IL would not all have tho slightest
influence on met could not. Love comes
and goes whittier II will. II reasons we're as
thick as blackbcrrics, they could not create
love; and marriage is disgraccful without
love-that
.NIost sacred fire that burneth nightly
In living breasts
IL grant you, Anne; but remember that
same poetic oracle whom you have qioted,
also says:
Wonder Il Is to sec in divers minds
How diyersely love doth its pageants Hay
And shows his power in variable kinds
sNow believe that an affection far short
of-or rather far different from what you
would call loye-inay make tho basis Of the
happiest marriage. Do not you? said my
friend appealing to me, and trusting that as
her contemporary had arrived at her more
sober point of view.
confess my sympathies were with tho
daughter, but i compromised between the
opposing parties 50 far as to say, that ]
deemed love without reason perilous, reason
without love inadnissablc; and the only sure
basis, love sanctioned by reason.
Mrs. Rcyburn admitted that in theory |
was right, but she contended that there were
many notifications and aspects of love; that
characters were so various, and that liic
was so different in reality from what youth
pictured It; that she had seen 50 many differ
ent loves that 'hopcd all things, aad believed
all things, wrecked in the first year OF mar
rage that for her part, she would rather
her girls would trust to more rational and
calmer sentiment than that which made the
inspiration Of poetry and tho basis OF ro-
nance.
Il will tell you true story, girls she
said; "a 'lovc-story,' call it. Perhaps It
will rcctify some of your opinions. My
heroine was a friend of Miss rs well as
of mine. She knew Us well rs |, the
parties and circumstances, and will youc!l
for their truth, though indeed there is moth
ing 50 incredible rs to require u voucher.
"A Mr.. Ewing, the friend Of our parents,
died Immediately after some rcyerscs in his
business, and left his wife with large young
family, and an impaired fortune. Mrs. Ewing
took a small house, and let her best two
rooms to single gentlemen, who boarded
with her, and paid her libcrally-Mr. John
Sheafc. lie was singular man, this Mr..
John Shealc, but his singularitics were gmce-
ful and pleasing. lie was about thirty when
he first took possession of his rooms. Dear
Mrs. Ewing she used to say that he. gave
her no more trouble than a kitten, and yet
he had his peculiaritics. Though his rooms
were furnished with every convenience, and
elegance, he did not scruplc to let in all the
little Ewings-a perfect mcnaseric OF Wild
young things they were-and they might
wrap themselves in the bcdclothcs, pull down
the curtains, pile up the chairs, rattle down
the shovel and tongs, anything but touch his
pictures and books, and the little sinners,
like their unhappy proSenitors, were very,
apt to seize on tho forbidden things, and thcD'
they were driven forth from their paradise.
and the doors shut upon them. Sheatc would
try his best to look like thunderstorm, but
the sun always shone through the clouds,
and tho little wretchcs were wcather-wise
enough to know that no storm could gather
there, and though Sheafc had told them they
never should enter his room again, and Mrs.
Ewing, with her sterncst ace(poor Mrs. Ewing
il was Us difficult for her rs for her lodser 20
counterfeit wrath) assured them Mr.. Sheafc
was very angry indeed Before twenty.four
hours passed away, they had one by ono
stolen In, and were as lawlcss and uproarious
and rs welcome as ever. Shcafc had one
popularity that puzzled Mrs. Ewing to the
day of her dcath-Though ofaspirtso social
that in every relation in life he madc felt
what has been happily called fcllow-bcngism,
he had an aversion to being included in s,cial
arrangements. lie priced above everything
else his individual independence, and when
Mrs. Ewing would say, MIR. Shcaic, our
friends so-and-so, are going to have picnic
on Staten Island, or 'arc going to Lons-lsland'
or wherever the party Of pleasure might be,
and have promised you will join us.'--or
I'VE are going to have such u pleasant party
this evening all your fricnds--tlo come hOmc,'
he invariably replied, 'no--don't count on
met is not probable can be thero'-or
be here and finally perhaps at the very
moment they began to recover from their
disappointment of his not being with them,
he appeared among them, the very soul of all
their pleasures
Mamma, interrupted Clara Rcyburn,
'you said you were going to tell us love
story
80 am, my dear, and am just introduc-
ing you to one Of the parties.
That Mr.. Shcaic, mamma? Why you
said he was thirty years old !!
Yes, Clara, he was thirty-ivc, before l
come to the love part OF my story
'Oh horrid, mamma
Mrs Rcyburn proceeded:
.Mr. Sheafc was not rich, but no had an
easy fortune and few wants, and he continu-
ed 10 let it fall, like the quiet and pleasant
dcws of heaven, on the right and on the left.
There was no burden in his layors. For five
years he managed to make Mrs. Ewing live
in house rent free, of which he said he had
taken lease for bad debt, that he had
long ago given up as hopeless. Hc kept
servant. and secretly paid him double wages
for doing Mrs. Ewings work. He had always
some poor friend in the shape ofa French
dancing or music teacher, that he wanted to
to give little money to, and Mrs. Ewing
would particularly obligc him, if she would
allow the children TO take lessons of them, as
no did not like TO take money without an
equivalent. This was something like rcvcrs-
ing the old adagc of killing two birds with
ono stone."
You will easily perceive that such q man
in the course OF four or five years would so
involve himself with the concerns of family
as to become Indispensable to their happiness.
In this five years, Catharine, or Kate Ewing,
as we used to call her, had passed from the
awkward age of her fourteenth year.
oh, now the love story is coming 'cricd
Clara Reyburn.'
sAnd reason versus love- said Ammo.
Her mother smiled, and went on
'Kate was light-heartcd, happy tenn
pered young creature. She had been from
the beginning prime fayoritc OF Shcafs, but
for the last two or three years he had appear.
she was child he had been unlimited in his
bcnifcence towards her. Her room was filled
with his gifts, books and pictures. All her
books-the prettiest ofrosewood bookcases-
all wcro his rita. All her extensive masters