Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-02-04

so H"hfE a. was RIilsu lGclluR Dul SUI
was so young-not out of her teens in truth
And then Katharine had TO welcome and visit
her new relatiyes-her husbands mother, ant
brother, and sisters. Her heart was overflow.
ing with love for them all, for she had none Of
her own and even before her marriage, she
had looked forward TO these new ties wish in
tense pleasure. But when the young wife ac-
tually met them, though their greeting was not
unkind, she fancied it was cold In this Kntha-
rine was mistaken; for when her mothcr-in-
law first kissed her cheek, and welcomed her
as Owens wife, n deep interest had sprung up
in her heart for the stranger. But Katharine
did not know this.
| Mrs. Thornton was an English gentlewoman
of the old school, such as exist in the hooks
where the manufacturing whirlpool has not
yet swallowed up and mingled the gradations
of ancient gentry, yeomen, and farmers. Dig
nifed reserved but not forbidding--kind to
the poor from nature and from custom-loving
her children with a deep but not openly-shown
| affection, the sole remaining tie OF long-wid-
owed heart--such was Owens mother. John
Thornton, her eldest son, the squire of the vii
lage, was the very opposite of his brother
bold, manly, rcckess--the best hunter and
best fox-hunter for miles round. Devoted to
these sports, he lived unmarried with his mother
and sisters at the hall. of these three sisters
we must know speak, for it was TO them that
Katharine chiefly looked for society and affec-
tion.
Miss Thornton, the eldest was what the
world despiteiully terms an old maid! She
might once have been handsome, but her youn-
ger sisters never remembered her otherwise
but as she now appeared-a gentle and lady
like woman of middle age. There had been
some shadow over her youth, Owen told his
wife-somc old and lost love but no one ever
spoke of it know. A broken heart is rare
blessings to old Time, the benevolent healer of
all sorrows, for the same And if some cold
ness was left in Elizabeth Thornton's heart
which gave slight tingc to her manners, it
was all that now remained her early sorrows
Agnes, the second, was one of these everyday
characters that are constantly met with
neither plain nor pretty, neither disagreeable
nor particularly winning; but Florence, the
youngest, was beautiful and accomplished
girl, and Owens darling sister. OF her Katha-
rine had often heard, and had longed to see
heri out wnen 'hey really met she was disap-
pointed. There was an evident constraint in
her sister-in-laws manner towards her. Flor
ence seemed to watch so eagerly every word
every action of her brofher's ,yifn and then
owen thought so much OF her Every new
ornament IN the house, or Improvement in the
garden' was tue resultof florence's state, until
the young wife become wearied Of hearing
Florence did that'" Florence did SO and so."
FOOLISH hatharine she was absolutely becom-
ingJealous while Florence, on herpar', though
OF sweet temper in the main, almost looked up
on her beautiful sster-in-law as "A rival.
now came various trihing vexations, which
Jared on the spirit OF the young bride, and Of
ten contracted her tair brow with irown, at
which she herself was the first to laugh and
olush when the Trivial cause That brought it
thither was past katharine had borne nobly
the loss Of parents, OF home, and many great
sorrows too heavy for one so young; but now
in the midst OF her happiness inndmcrable
minor things arose to annoy her. She was so
anxious that her sisters should love her; and
yet 1t seemed that they alwyas happened to
visit the rectory when its young mistress was
chaiited BY some household Disaster aud Ag-
mes looked grave, and praised English ways
ana habits in tone which made katharine's
Highland blood rush to her brow, while Flor
ence laughed at her, and Miss Thornton talked
OF patience and the beauty of gentleness of
temper And, in truth, this latter quality was
what Katharine sorely wanted. She was
high-spirited woman, OF strong, deep feelings
but she wanted that meek, loving spirit (which
eudureth all thingsi' and she felt too keenly
muse 'nan'e "oiue anu iooAS III "hich even
.ue 0eS' VI peopie WIZ d. 'ihes ihuu'ge, not
showing no" very oi''eriy some Oh 'hem ran
me- III 'ne "eno'y - ano'ne..
h"'haiihe oef'aihiy iofeu MIS- thornton
much peinapS more 'nah sne uiu her Sisters
II iiiien' oe 'na' sno WAS likeness 10 owen
:" "'' ,nos"o' i"'o anu now 'uuueniy' NJ"
''n"leu'a'eiy' uoes ."e ne"f' cling 10 sucn re-
sei"oiAnoe 10 Que oe'oveu' even when faceu
IN Pass'hg Stranger otiii hatharihe's sensl-
1--WE temper iahcieu tna' 'he reser'eu anu Sc
ua.e manner Oh MRS. Anorh'oh sprung from an
unioving neart'
womb io'e her u sne wouie let me
lnouRnt 'he young wiie many .ime' But
rear neither sne nor any OF them love me-