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

My dears, it's shocking story, and
sometimes | don't like even to think OF IT,
But an old woman's telling won't make II
worse, and it may convey 8 serious lesson
to some young ones, SO I'll dc what you
have so often asked-tell you all about it..
Perhaps, when you go up stairs to ped'
you'll be sorry you've heard it. You're
quite sure you WON'T eli? Well, you are
brave girls, all OF you, to say SO, Whe9i
me little further from the fire, then, ana
listen
When | was young woman OF nineteen,
the lovellest girl l knew WAS my friend and
schoOl-ielloW, Kate Bart0n--I call her love-
ly because that's just the right word. There
are good many handsome and some beau
tliul faces that l. should never think OF ap.
plying it 10. she had Countenance which
set all the men crazy aoOut her, and which
have heard women praise enthusiastically,
i0r | needn't tell some OF yoa, my dears,
that that stupid notion that silly men talk
and write aaouL until they actually believe
it that we never see beauty in each other
isn't true, except OF very enyi0us and
foolish women, and they are often sharp
enough IN that particular. We are hard
to please, perhaps fond OF tauIt-fnding bu,
whenever really handsome woman cutters a
ro0A, all the rest know it, End generally
proi ouace upon her claims with great
deal more accuracy than the men do
| i0r mes! OF them are easily carried away
by pretty face TO almost any pitch OF eXs
| travagance,
nv To no sb.- ~ /. at
She had black, very black hair, wCrn plain
round her face. which Was oval il shape,
aud so tair in complexion as 10 be almost
pale, except when she blusLed. and then she
looked her !ovoliast, Her eyes were hazel,
great, soft, lustrous eyes, sometimes look
ing as if they had world OF tenderness in
them, at others IS 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,
| 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 Ier, only the
tace is little too patrician and conscious.
Kate's most irresistible charm was her air
OF simplicity aid 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 lett its
possessor no rest or happiness out OF her
presence. You smile, some OF you, as il it
were 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 Ueyy pretty girls,
am afraid, with plenty OF admirers, WHO do
not become SO ; praise and the having cur
own way in everything, are greaE tempta~
tions, and unless We are wisely brought Up,
and have the grace Of Geo IL OF, hearts,
(which Is the ctst Ct ali WisdOm), they t,ud
10 harden as and 10 make us selfish We
get unconsci0nsiy lllo q bad haolt o. re
garding our own pleasure as param~ unt 10
thatot others Of expecting every hing and
giving nothing IN return, Or at least 30
more than what our nunor or caprice dc,
tates. OF ali the dangers IN Lnis world M
dears, that OF irresponsible power over the
happiness of Others, is the most liable to
abuse the most difficult Of judIclous direc
ton. often think, in view OF this that W.
are uncharltabe III our Judgments OF kings
and great peOpIe-oniy consider tier great
temptations.
Kate Barton was no qu5en, though she
ruled Absolutely enough over her ~dmrers,
and had ia perfect court OF tuen-lnOre 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. | an quite
sure that was worse misfortune than she
ever supposed, Tor / have Observed that
children who have never known d mothers
care and tenderness are often less regardtui
OF check or control than those happy ones
whose lot it is to know no such irreparabe
deprivation. And Kate had hardly any ie-
male relatives, at least none near enough to
give them the right to the assumption OF
authority over her.
l don't think she would have recognized
it had it been otherwise. She really loved
her uncle very much, and no wonder, for be
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
ner nothing, and let her do very much as
she thought proper in the management OF
| the house and the inviting of friends and &C.