Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-02-18

than have and fear the place which heaven de-
siZned should be the safest refuge, the dearest
spot to the wOrld-wealieh, worId.troubcd. to
be approached with eager steps aud longing
hearts; the one oasis amid All earth wide des.
ert, where the never ccasing springs Of love and
peace and happiness should ever be found.
The house TINT the young girl shrank from
entering bore no appearance Of poverty or dis
comfort On the contrary, ii was q large, fash.
ionable brick house, with cheerful lonkiLg win.
tdews,-irto which the suutight smiled, and
with doors Of ar inviting aspect.
| Annie Rathburn had in that house step
mother, n step-sistcr, two haIf.sisters, and u
halfbrother. Why was there aught for dread
in that fact? We will answer. Since the time
the widow Hartley entered that house US its
mistress, the wife Of Mr.. Rathbnrn and step
mother to his only child, the latter had been
an object Of envy and d,iiEc TO the lady: and
as her pr'judccs were strong. and her dispo-
siton arbitrary, the nartvrdom Of the child
Annie commenced; nlt by blows or harsh Ian
guagr, or the deprivation Of any Of the luxu.
lies to which the child wa, accustomed. She
was too polite for that, aud regarded the nlin.
ion Of the world too highly 10 hazard that: hut
by cutting salcaslns, wounding the Child in
the tcndrrrst points, and the vel more effective
weapon Of ridicuIc, BY willfu mi,understand.
ing and artfnl misrepresentation to her father,
thrrebY niirnalins from hcrrin q great -If,eHn-
urc. her fathers affection.
Had Annie Rathburn been Of weak char.
actcI or humble disposition, She had been
crushed long ere this, into the submissive
thing Mrs. Rathburn wished. with no will Of
her own but the rcsolutc, high spirited child
seemed unconquerabc. Her step-lnother some.
times became discouraged, and regretted that
since she could not conquer her, She had not
rather cndeavorcd to manage her bv urtful
tattcry and pretended affection but the time
ior that had ioiig since gone by.
Surely Mrs. Rathburn might have been sat.
i>ficl Her work was apparent enough. Annie,
from gadSomr, warm.heartcd, impulsive,
GENEROUS child, had BECOME proud, cold un-
social! sympathizing girl OF eighteen.
Mas one watIt .laee IN -tltt,ie hear;
yet, however and her little half brother, W lille.
had crcpt into it. He was only six wears old,
and had been an invalid almost from his birth
IA little, helpless cripple. He was the only
one Of the children who rcscInbled her father
in features or disposition and beautiful was
the affection existing between Annie and this
Child he depending almost entirely upon her
for his p!caSures-shc ever tctdrry minister.
ing unto him. twas the wonder Of the family
that Of them all, Willie cared most for cold
quiet Annie, aud was ever happy when She
! was with Lin. But it was only when alone
with him that Annie manifested the least ten
derncs>; bat ah-ah well might he persist in
saying he hnt~ sister Annie loved him"
Lilly, the youngest child, was four wears old,
Eva Just bursting into woinanhood, and Edith
Hartley few months older than Annie
Both Edith and Eva were radiantly bcauti-
fnl, strongly resembling their mother in fpa-
turc as well as in mind. The former was vain,
selfish and unieeling; but she seemed so ar.
parcntly amiable and artless, and was so bril-
liant, and could render herself 50 agreeable, it
was dil'icult at first to read her true character.
Eva was less artful; and was kind and pleasant
enough when her wishes were not thwartrd,
but i'll iltcmpcrcd and unreasonable otherwise.
1t may we'll be believed, that with their moth.
or > cXanp,c and training, they did not assist
in making Annic's home pleasant to her.
AnncS position was scarcely altered by her
fathers death, three years before our story
opens. He was an easy, un,uSpicious man,
and his wifi. had long swaycd him completely
hy her superior art and stronger will. He
trusted her completely; and before his death,
made 10 separate provision for the children !;
but, by his will, both they and his conSidcra
bic property were lett to her sole guarInnshp
Now, AS before, Annie was treated as one
apart from the family. In the frequent family
consultations, she was never consulted. Al
th'ir arrangements we're made without the
slightest reference to her wishes or convc.
niencc. She was in every way made to feel
her isolation. Now, Ms before, there was 81
lent contest going on between her stcpmothcr
and hcrSclt-Shc Struggling braycly though
quietly for her rights, the former to withhold
them. The contest was unequal, but il Annie
was sometimes apparently subducd, she was
never conquered
There was an additional reason why Annie
was unwilling to return home this particular
day. She expected to find there Mrs Lothrop
an old and valued friend of her fathers, who
had written three weeks before that she was
coming To make them long ,>it, and that on
her return, she should invite one Of the young
ladies to make an indefinitely long visit
The widest hopes had been raised in Mrs
Rathburn bosom by the reception Of this let.
ter for Mrs. Lothrop was possessed of an
enormous fortune, without single relative in
the world, save grcat-ncphcw, who was also
her to large property, n much as any reas
enable man need wish to have. Her grandson
and destined heir had died three years before
What so probable then, as that She was about
to choose an hcircss to her wealth, and had
thought-as it was proper she should think =
Of the children Of her most valued friend
She certainly must have some particular OBJ
.jcct in proposing this visit at this time, when
she had never visited them before. though Of
ten urged to do SO. Mrs Rathburn had never
seen her.
Thus Mrs. Rathburn reasoned; and She de
tcrmincd that either Edith or Eva should be
the future hcircSS.
Great were the preparations made for the
expected gucSt-for Mrs. Lothrop's nephew
Mr.. kirkwood, was to accompany her, and
many the hints given to Edith and Eva CON
ccrning their bearing to both-ior Mrs. Rath
burn had her designs on both aunt and nephew
From childhood Annie had heard of Mrs
Lothrop. She had been charmed with the va.
riouS stories told of her great -hcartcdncSS and
ccccntricity, and cherished the most exalted
opinion OF her character; but much as she
would have liked to see and know her under
other circumstances, the knowledge Of her
Stcp-mothcr 5 designs made her apprehend that
the visit would be productive of too much un-
happiness and modification to herself in her
Step-mOther's fear that she might find favor in
the eyes Of her fathers friend, 10 desire it.
Slowly, therefore, she assembled the steps
The trunks yet in the hall, the unusual hustle
that prevailed, and confused murmurng Of
voices, admoni>hcd her that the expected
guests had arrived.
When she entered the parlor, a short time
after, Mrs. Rathburn said: "This is ANNIE"
in tone that told her at once she had been
the subject of nruvious sconyprSatiOn-and che