Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-10
ESTHER THORNE,
BY MRS d.

busy housewife. entirely occupied Win pIoNlu- |
ing for the temporal wants Of her family. This !
world satisfied her and after she had accom- |
plished what she called a good days work, she |
knew no unSatisfed want, such as a mind united |
brings its posseSsor The GSly talent she val
ued was the talent for labor: and she mourned
increasingly over Esthers strong taste tor read
ing, as she was convinced it wonld only render
her worthless If persevered in. What could !
such woman know Of the quiet yet nteilec-
tual Esther, whose love for reading semed ever
unSatisfed7 Mrs. ThOrne, although she had
great pride in her boister0us sons, and d certain
maternal feeling for Esther, yet never seemed to
think she needed rest OF play, and was constant
Nv hurTying her from one task 70 another, Irom
morning till night
With an active, eager and naturally firm
mind forced into such UncOngenial ways. serious
evils followed to Esther's disposition. so strong
had been the hand Of parental authority over
her, that her native traits of character had never
shown themselves. She had a will strong even
to stubboruness; il had never yet been reused
| TO activity, but il caused her By degrees to
neglect her tasks, if not closely watched, and
steal away to indulge herself in her taYOTite
occupation. The chidings Of her mother too,
at her persistence in what she called Esthers
! idle ways, came at last % be sullenIy Bken as
matter of course.
/ As Esther had few books Of her own, she bor-
rUwed, and read unfortunately everything
| that could be found in Ler circle OF acqUaint-
ance; and among these there were, unfortunate
/ w. many romances of The old style, and as Esther
was too young 10 see the absurdity o! many OF
| these tales OF fiction, she drank them all in as
| truth She began by admiring the heToines, but
ended by making herself one, and by the aid Of
/ fancy placing herself in their positions.
Her natural reserve and lack OF intimate
| friends OF her own age strengthened this tel
! dency 30 much that she soon acquired the habit
! Of living in a world Of her own that she created
! in her own thoughts. Ia this world no one ever
| chided her. and there no labor; all was
made up Of lust such love and kindness as her
| heart veaIned for. Gradually ber thoughts took
one form. She was some day 10 meet, aud that
/ in no ordinary manner the hero of her dreams,
who was TO know her as she tanced she knew
/ herself and who would at once remove her from
| her uucougruial home 20 one OF his own, where
! in the sunshine of his affections, her chilled
| heart would expand, and life hencelOrth would
/ BE- one long day OF happiness. Then she was
| 10 have leisure to cultivate her taste for study,
and when the temptations to Trong-doing were
| removed, she was TO be 50 good
| This hero. Esther ever thought Of as one tar
| exceeding in beauty and excellence any person
she had ever seen; and she never once thought
OF the imprObability OF such person, II be even
! existed fancy such shy, honely person Is
herself it Irzysir agrrrsbiT vyriery 1T
her toilsome wsy OF ii- 10 build these air-cssteS
while doing the daily work she SO much de;est-
| ed that Esther never stopped TO question Wheth-
er it were a profitable kind Of employment or
not.
Thus passed year after year Of Esther's life
until shs attained the GEe of fifteen, when &
change tool, place in her circumstances. Her
mother suddenly died, and q sister Of Ar i.
came 10 preside over the household; who, being
| g woman of intelligence, AT once understood
enough of Esrhers mind 10 sympathize with
her, and il was through her iniuence thst Mr.,
Thone was induced 70 send her away 10 school
Here her zeal and perseverance were such, that
she soon stood among the best pupils, and she
found herself quite unexpectedly the object o.
both admiration and envy; and II some egOtism
mingled with the natural pride she felt at heI
progress, what wonder was ii
But the uegeclS of her yearly years, that Is
ther had so keeniy felt, had left TOO deep an i'm
preston on her sensitive nature to be easily
/ erased and Esther, though very much liked
still had no intimate friend, and remained plain
I and unattrsctiye. knowing herself 10 be gliteC
u mind, she gradually came TO despise the'littlt
arts Of dress that would have rendered her plain
D ness less conspicuous. Her lack Of kuowledg,
of the world also caused her 10 think herself bet
Ter than those who had fewer gifts OF the mind
' Her habit Of living in dTlamland had becOmj
fixed. She was satisfied that no common hus
, band could make her happy and as years passeC
> on after her rstUm home, and she saw one afte
| another oI her Young acquaintances marry an,
seem happy and contented. Esther smiled Will
( oontempt5t al their commonplace ideas Of life.
2 But al last Esther loved, and. and as man.
+ another woman has done before, she invested
the object of her choice with all the qualtie
d her ideal lover possessed. What she wished t
see in him, with the selEdeeeption of inexperi
+ enced love, she saw. To uninterested observers
d John Fielding was merely a sensible, good man
: but by no means brilliant, and who desplsed 70
y / nance or rather sentiment, with 9l lis h6aij
u L. was ,ute Glated at his success in winninl
the fastidous Miss Thorne and If be differe
9 from her frankly expressed thoughts Of wha
e married life should be- he did not think neces
q sary to tell her so aud 50 Esther married, 6Iml
. believing that she could now rest in the love he
y strong heart de=irEd
! nut, alas tor Esther she had fixed her hope
= on an unstable foundation. Her complete is,
20 latiOn in her early years from those OF her ow
| age, had not taught her how nearly alike sre Il
= | .aelilEs OF every WCH,an's Leart sn6 though
, herself alone in her longing for a more peTte,
'e union of sentiment than is usually found in ma
~ red life. nor did she know how many wOma
i must see the eilded visions of girlhood fsC
y away, aud stern realty HH up the picture, IL
Oh wears of womanhood, had failed to correct h
y falsely conceived ideas Of life, and consequent
'u after few mouths when Esther began to III
% that her husband was merely an ordinary mo
eu tai. and priced her as much for her h0use-kee
u ING Qualities as for her gifts Of mind, that
no loved his own vii better than be aid bars, al
" did net sNtifiEaie WhGt would give heT pieasm
as be did IN The days Of his wOOng, her hes
sunk back in dark disappointment, and she
Al, l,..el - 4 l..s
az and ceased to prize, she should his genui
ne affection because his actions did nat shadow
" forth as heT eaactiAg disposition require
~ When she found that She had not known h
rs wholly from the first, she charged him with {
so deception she had pracTiced on herself
Us Had Mr. Fielding died after Esther had leal
= ed to love him, and before her ideas had be
ioo rudely swept away, she would have incurred
81 him laithfully all her life but she could not
- him a. he really was and adapt herself 10 I
eH change To those who do not know how mu
III, womans life is OF tht affections, this story
.n1 have no meaning, for, outwardly, Esther
'iu' everything to make her happy home Of co
w fort and taste. and . husband Nho supplied
" wants cheerfuly, far as he knew them
i,ie who had not the gift to understand a woman
M morbidly sensitive as Esther.
1uS If he had known all the circumstances VIII
iis had conspred 10 form aAd strengthen her bal
- of thought, he mlgAL nave Ieasulie9 neI lnu
oP healthier tone Of mind; but he looked at thin
'll AT an entirely different standpoint trom Esthe
ngs tl4s Lf'saIf he conGl nor see yybv Est
was not so too; lac did not trouble himself alb
OBJ the matter at all, but went his way indifieTen
,rti- what he called Esther's iancies, while she
can turned 20 her old habits Of reserve, thinking
rior | self the most miserable of women.
ther Although she had now plenty Of books
trial leisure to pursue her iavorite studies, she
best TOO sick At heart to take pleasure IN them.
Esther's trouble was isnciful il was AT j
em. founded upon the natural feeling Of every
e Of mans heart to be loved ana CHERISHED.
7 in Thus passed away sewers! years SpenI by
the ther IN splfenly Smuggling Win he[ dlScon1
. as and not gwen could the children that cam
"A Of her chase away the dark cloud from her m
But all truly noble minds have ii self-rgh
. E,r nn,rnr which viii .nnnrr or later develone;