Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-02-16

kind Of compulsion. But | can never feel pleasant
in her company and shall, therefore, keep her at a
distancss.'
A few days after this conversation, the lady
friend. who had talked with Mrs. Arnold, was sit
ting in company with Mrs. Lincoln. Converse
ton passed from theme to theme, when, at what
seemed a fitting moment, the lady said:
D you remembe this incident Of years ago2
You made q quotation frem a we'll known poet,
aud a little girl corrected you in q single word"
A flash of interest went over tho face of Mrs.
Lincoln.
Eyes, | %emember it WE'LL"
And what you said to herr"
al do; and as one cf the regretted things Of my
life. She was a dear little girl; sweet tempered
and inteiligent-but a little forward, aud apt to
put in a word now and then, in so mature n way,
that innocence on her part sometimes seemed like
fOrwArdness. Yes; l remember her correction, and
thatI lost temper, and called her Miss Pert and ]
don't know what else. / was sorry and ashamed
the neSt moment. That she felt it keenly I know,
for always after that, she was so cold and distant
that l could hardly get a word with her. But that
was twenty years ago. Her mother died while she
was still young, and she then passed from my OBJ
servation. How came you to know Of this2"
II had the story from her own lips" $50
"WhenH"
"only a few days SINCE" -s~
"And she carried the memory Of that hasty re-
5uke ranking in her heart ever sinceS"
There was q tone OF sadness in the voice Of Mrs.
Lincoln.
Ever SINCE" said the lady. ut hurt her SEMI
tive pride to a degree that made foFgetfulness i'm
possible; and hurts her STILL"
"Ah, if we could recall or hasty words, so as
to take away their power to do harm, what a bles.
sed thing it would be! But an impulse once given
cannot die. If it moves to do good, hap py are
they who set it in motion-if to evil, alasl alas!-
| set on evil impulse in motion, and it is hurting
still. But where is sbeH 1 must bring her, if
possible, into a better state of mind"
you have met Mrs. Arnold"
Mrs Arnold! Can it be possibleH Surely she
is not The daughter Of my old friend Mrs. Willis.
She is not the little Emily 1 have thought of so
many times, and always Hith a troubled memory
of heart"
"The same," was answered.
"And in oil these years sho has not forgotten
nor forgiven my fault. must have wounded her
sorely?"
"You did. Hers seems to be one of those
proudly sensitive natures into which all impress
sions 90 deeply. I.asked her why she kept her
self at such a distance from you. But she avoid
ed a direct answer at the same tint intimatiDg @
state of repulsion. / pressed for the reason, and
she gave il rather reluctantly, a%vering, at the same
time, that she had never opened her lips on the
subject in all her life 5efore-not even to her mo
ther,"
"Extraordinary! / could not have believed thai
an impression made on a chil1's mind, would re
main in such dis.inc'iveness and force through Sc
many years. What o lesson it isl"
81 wish it we're possible for you to get near her
Mrs. Lincoln, and let Der feel how kind a hear
) you have. She has admirable qualisks. And
! am sure that if this barrier were removed, 20,
would be fast friends" r
ooh, it must be removed" said Mrs. Lincoln
Now that / know of its existence, / will have nj
J, peace until it is level with the earth. 1t was m,
hands that builded it, and my hands shall tax
r down every stone of separation.
"There's a lady in the parlor," said the servant
coming to the door, of Mrs. Arnold's room. 'An
nOIS 10 a dlh Lo uAls uAFos AAuOiu " II a
and read the name of Mrs. Lincoln. she stood
for some time irressolute. 1t was on her lips
l. say-'Ask her to excuse me, l am engaged."-
And moreover, since her communication to a lrien
, who had Spoken. so favorably of Mrs. Lincoln, sb
n had felt less satisfied with herself. 1t did see,
10 like a vindictive spirit to cherish i'll will throug
70 so many years.
"Say that | will be down in a few minutes"
e 1t cost her an effort to utter this; but it was SAT-
e the meeting must take place. She sat in quite
disturbed state for some time, before venturing
e go down stairs. Then, with what self possessie
% she could assume, she went to meet the woma,
n who twenty years ago. wounded her so deeply tn
d the pain had not died out Of her consciousness.
The two ladies stood face to face, and hand
j. hand. The name of Mrs. Arnold had been spoke
rs warmly; that of Mrs. Lincoln. with an aim ost r
b. pellent GOODNESS. There was a few moments
10 silence. Mrs. Lincoln said E
"Your mother was my best friend. / loved b
as a sister. Will you for her sake, forgive Il
IN cruel words hath ur pride sent thoughtlessly fro
in my lips-words repented Of almost as soon as sp
a ken, and regretted many, many timesH"
at The voice Of Mrs. Lincoln trembled with Il
nj deep feeling that was in her heart.
er sob if l bad dreamed of their power to hurt
We deeply, l would have sought, years ago to repa
the wrong"
This was unexpected. There was no time
re- construct the barrier which Mrs. Lincoln b.
so suddenly thrown down. No time TO gather
the broken chain of ill-will and unite the links.
The tender and true in Mrs. Arnold's heart r,
pended. She was SO softened to tears. Her mot
er's name had touched, her like a talisman, RI
my best friend; I loved her as sister"
These words disarmed her.
Let the past be forgottsnt' she answered rel
lutely, as she closed her hand tightly on the ha
re that was ~claspiug hers. 20 .msts.
If Forgotten and forgiven both, my dear NJ
or. Arnold, SO that We may be friends in the true
n- ~ceptatioa Of the word. fMyfhearts even. Yitht
we recognizing you has been drawing towards J