The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-27
An Old Lady's Story.

My dears, it's a shocking story, and
sometimes l don't like even to think OF 1t.
But an old woman's telling won't make 1t
worse, and it may convey serious lesson
to some young ones, so I'll do what you
have so often asked-tell you all about 1t.
Perhaps, when you 60 up stairs to bed'
you'll be sorry you've heard it. You're
quite sure you won't eh? Well, you are
brave girls. all of you, to say so. Wheel
me little further from the fire, then, and
listen.
When l was young woman OF nineteen,
the loveliest girl l knew was my friend and
school-fellow, Kate Barton--I call her love-
ly because that's just the right word. There
are good many handsome and some beau
tiful faces that l should never think of ap.
plying it to. She had a countenance which
set all the men crazy ao out her, and which
have heard women praise enthusiastically,
for l needn't tell some of you, my dears,
that that stupid notion that silly men talk
and write about until they actually believe
| that we never see beauty in each ether
Isn't true, except OF very envious and
foolish women, and they are often sharp
enough in that particular. We are hard
| to please, perhaps fond of faut-fnding but,
whenever a really handsome woman enters a
room, all the rest know it, and generally
pronounce upon her claims with a great
deal more accuracy than the men do,
for NEST OF them are easily carried away
| by pretty face to almost any pitch OF ex~
| travagance.
I'll try to describe that OF Kate Burton.
| She had black, very black hair, worn plain
round her face. which was oval in shape,
and so fair in complexion as to be almost
pale, except when she blushed. and then she
looked her loveliest. Her eyes were hazel,
great, soft, lustrous eyes, sometimes lOOk-
ing as if they bad world of tenderness in
them, at others as arch and wicked as you
please. Her forehead was not high, her
nose had just enough curve in it to make it
aquiline, and, except in Landseer's pictures,
l never saw such mouth. There's one of
them called Lady and Spaniels"- you
may see it any day in the print.shops-
which always reminds me of her, only the
face is little too patrician and conscious.
Kate's most irresistible charm was her air
OF simplicity and frankness she would
look up into mans face as though perfect
~ unaware of the fascination OF her own,
and with, oh such smile that it went
straight to the heart, like delicious poi
son that worked and worked till it left its
possessor no rest or happiness out of her
presence. You smile, some OF you, as if it
we're fine triumph, and as if you would
enjoy it. All my dears, wait till you hear
| what came of it all.
You guess that Kate Barton was q CO.
quette. There are few Gerry pretty girls, l
am afraid, with plenty of admirers, who do
not become so praise and the having our
own way in everything, are great tempta-'
| tions, aud unless We are wisely brought up,
| and have the grace OF God 10 our hearts,
| (which is the best OF ali wisdom), they tend
| to harden US and to make US selfish We
| get unconsciously into bad haoit OF re-
| garding our own pleasure as paramount to
thatOt others; OF expecting everything and
| giving nothing In return, or at least no
more than what our humor or caprice dc
tates. OF all the dangers in this world. my
dears, that OF irresponsible power over the
happiness of others, is the most liable to
abuse, the most difficult of judiclous direc-
|
are uncharitabie in our judgments OF kings
and great people only consider their great
temptations. eGaa
| Kate Barton was no qusen, though she
ruled absolutely enough over her admirers,
and had perfect court OF them-more than
her uncle approved of, promise you, for he
was quiet old gentleman of comfortable
fortune, who had adopted her on the death
OF her parents, which happened when she
was too young to grieve about. i am quite
sure that was worse misfortune than she
ever supposed, tor | have observed that
children who have never known mother S
| care and tenderness are often less regardful
OF check or control than those happy ones
whose lot it is to know no such irreparable
deprivation. And Kate had hardly any fe-
male relatives, at least none near enough to
| give them the right to the assumption OF
authority over her. 4l -o 40iI
don't think she would have recognized
it had it been otherwise. She really loved
her uncle very much, and no wonder, for he
was one of the kindest, most easy tempered
of old bachelors, and as fond OF her as if she
had been his own daughter. Though her
tastes conficted with his-for she liked
balls, and company, and theatres, and plea
sure OF all sorts, and he was never so happy
as when among his books--he could deny
her nothing, and let her do very much as
she thought proper in the management Of
| the house and the inviting OF friends and ac'
r- - f.