The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1860-11-10
G4e SlortB Garolinian.
FAYETTEVILLE, N. c.
Ny DAUGHTER MINNIE.

MY DAUGHTER MINNIE.
A few years ago-well it is not less than forty
my little home-iock was led, in the matter OF years
by daughter Minnie--a pretty name, l always
thought Minnie was good child and being the
first-born, was half maternal in her management OF
the later coners even down to little pigeon, tht
latest and of all.
/ The picture of Minnie is just as fre1 In my mem
ory though the forty years which have sinmered
and evaporated since had been weeks instead. But
it is a fathers eye that looks over these years al
Minnie, and cfe beauty may be half faney-a sort
of afectiona Illusion. Those we love transpa
| rent, yo,=isr tN4-,ye who love them look through
:at, It'd sear asd then imagine it is surface tint
and surface-light of which we are thinking.
| This much | know, Minnie the best, most
affecti"nate, snf widest of of those
spirited but industrious lit tie creatures upon whose
enterprise and tact the greatest and strongest of
will nvoluntarily lean.
Minnie, sball want five or six brcadths in this
sklr~' her 1nottsr would say.
hol Looking up xh jnst little knitting of the fore
Il think five will do mothcr; and five it was.
| can hear, the voice of Min aie's mother-she
has been gone twenty yeaIs dear heart calling
| from the head of the stairs
minnie! Say--HIinae!'
what, mother ?"
"What shall we have for dinner to-day.'
You are tired, mother; lets have a little ham
| and some eggs. with some peas from the garden,
and bread" That settled the bill of fare
And so 1t was through the livclong day for in
al! the domestic polity Minnie. though only prime
minister, possessed fully regal power,
At tins time-this forty years ago--I was. of
course in the prime of life and full of the cares and
rrsponSibllt es viii, c ter and cling to cnes man
hcod- was largely engaged in active business, re-
saw a large family coming up about me--from ali
of which my natural postveness and force of char
ter re ceived more or less strengthening.
One night, when the last candle had been kim
ShrEH oil I,1Sb
xietv of tore,
"Hu. band, feel uneasy about Minnie"
Minnie? Why, what's the matter: is she sck?'
'No she isn't sick but
But what, wife -
''Wly, Munie isl mean she seems to be
We'll, IN afraid she lil> Jc nmy Brun'
Jenny Br'ln! Shcdbetter not" And leaped
to the foor and walked to the window Jenny
Brun and or Minnie. "a pretty match -
II was afraid you would be disturbed dear; but
don't take it too much to heart. husband l dare
say put stop to it And mOtherly SObS
| came from the pillow.
Put a stop to it! guess will Jenny Brun
and our Ninuie!-I guess will put stop to it,
And who was Jenny Brun? young men of
some TIVE years residence in the neighborhood, of
good habits so fap as knew, but altogether and
diametrically opposed to my taste to my ideal of
manliness. I had always worshippcd business tact
f. boy and Ia a ,n through m nuaberlsss s ssnSG af
culties to a position Of influence. That which was
found in my nature when young, was thus nourish-
cd ana rooted through all the a1teT-ycarS or
gle. rpcning into triumph
The young of a literary turn Of mind ;
had taught in an academy; was writer, it was
suid for or two periodicals. There was an air
Of sentiment about him, in his looks and manners,
which came precisely within the scope of my
tempt. had known it in otlcrs-in strong busi-
ness men--this utter contempt for the least posi-
bic manifestation of scntlmcnt for those unthrify
fellows who have never an eye for buslnes but
hang upon the skirts of thought clasp imagery, and
ride upon rhythm You may see it now every day
in commercial houses. 1t SPRINGS think. from the
absolute anita gOniSn of fact and farcy-of the f@u
! which do the pages of the leiger and those
which illumine the lines Of the poet. The MUSES.
frowncd on me" said a German poet ''for keeping
account books" Undoubtedly. Nor is the knight
of the balance sheet less intocrant toward those
miserable fellows whose entire sto k in trade can
be stored within very little cavity just behind the
frontal bone.
and preventing the adoption of most violent meas
ures. Even when I had formally SURE euaered to
her superior discretion. ] chafed by times like a
bear in harness If wife had not been almost
Rarey in tact | should ,inly have broken into
plnngines even sooner than did.
Minnie was taken one day into solemn conference
by her mother with only pussy in the doorway as
audit; ct But the child, though she blushed very
much, moved abb ut fl, N t and tsre pieces
of paper into bits, declared that she was heart whole
yet--''as why shouldn't she b>?-for Jenny brnn
had never said word to her which any man might
not have said to any maiden.
So wife and got easy again.
But what should | see evening at twilight
while sauntering out under the shadows of my own
grove OF forest oaks not FAR from the house. but two
figures fitting slowly hither and thither anon the
dr tant trees Like a knave as was, sat on the
ound and watched them Watched then me- vouSly,
ga1lnel lv, till saw Jenny Brun give Minnie a kiss
on her lips and look lovingly after her she slip
ped away.
| was reclining uron the sward by her path.
Determined to meet and confront her there, | sat
ard watched her Coming
Ceatalnly Minnie's face never wore that express
sion before 1t was not gleeful. but it radiant
ana her eyes, Which were bent the ground, and
hence only visible as she came very me, had
a light and depth that l never before She
passed me; SO utterly the child absorbed in her
emotions
Minnie" I said. in tone that startled myself
scarcely Y less than the child
"Oh' and she spranr from the path as thoue h
'he soune had been alattle among the grass.
raised myself SLOWLY very slow when
very aIigry-and standing sttfy before her glow
cred down into her eyes-Mnnie's bca utiful living
eyes-wlth st"rness which had never failed to
terrIfy- But the child, though she .rembled like all
aspen at first, brought her fthers spirit the
cue, and IN the strength Of love and innocence, look
ed INTO her fathers angry face at length with per-
feet composure.
l must not repeat the words that followed: they
shall never be written and would to God they had
never been spoken.
Minnie had given him her heart and would give
him her hand. How could she help il? Even her
fathers anger should not prevent her fulfilling her
word tor was not Jenny Brun worthy, and was
not her fathers anger unreasonable and unjust =
All this sne saiu to me with deep composure c1