St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-04-18

down on the head which had nestled
itself up to his side.
"Yes, You have done a great deal
of real, substantial good, Sis"
al wonder when it was"
He silently reached ont his foot and
the daintily.embroidcred slipper there
of.
go, Leonard you arc making fun of
me !"
Not all then just remember how
you comb my hair whenever my head
aches, and mend my stockings, and
bring my slippers and gown every
night when come home, and are, in
short, the daintiest. dearest little sis
ter that ever man had"
Her eyes, looking into his, drank in
the sweet praise in way that fully
reimbursed the speaker, but she shook
her head when he stopped.
"That isn't real good, after all,
Leonard-not what that book means.
1t wouldn't be much to my credit if |
didn't do something for you, after all"
He stopped there, forestalling her
sentence.
"Now don't make mistake here,
which little girl just over her four
teenth birthday will be very apt to do.
It's in these little everyday cares and
ministrations Of life, that very much
of life's real, substantial good is ac-
complishcd. So, now, don't go to
bothering your little brain because
you haven't any great, heroic work
in life to accomplish. If God has need
of you, he will send the work at the
right time, and you must remember
that it is the silent night dews, and
the sof;-falling spring showers which
bring out at last the glory and com
pletcncss of the Summer, just as much
as the heavy storms and the long
rains
al will remember, Leonard, only il
seems very small work Pm doing
now," and her sweet, thoughtful smile
answered the sweet, grave one in her
brothers eyes. But, perhaps, the
time will come, as you say, to do some.
thing on larger scale. | shall wait
for it."
And patiently, little sister. Some
day you will see better than you dc
now, all the good you have done your
brother. Now kiss me, for | must b.
off," looking at his watch. ANY
thing down town to-day?"
No; you wouldn't be worth a six
pence at matching the beads for IN,
purse"
Not sixpence at any such fcmi
nine nonsense, making wry face, ant
he left the room, and Grace went t.
her music lesson.
Leonard and Grace Street had beer
orphans for half a dozen years theil
parents had died within six months o
each other; and though their child
hood had been nurturcd in the mids
of wealth and luxury, their father.
death left his children nothing excep
lifc-intercst in the house where the,
had been born.
Martin Street had always been re
garded as a wealthy man; and h
was till, in sudden commercial cri
sis, the weakness of one member o
his firm and the villainy of anothe
was brought to light.
The old merchant managed to pa,
= all his creditors, but losses by sea an,
: failures on land swept away his pos
sessions the excitement and disar
pointment brought on fever froU
. which he never recovered, and his dc
icatc and gentle wife followed him 81
, months later.
Leonard was twcnty-thrce then
thirteen years older than his sistc
and he had just completed his profes
sionai studies. He had many friend
for his fathers sake, and he had hop
t and energy which the loss of his prol
@ erty and the death of his parent
!. stimulated into great activity. SO h
4 continued to reside in the old hom
d with single servant, and his stron
heart sheltered there very tendcrly tn
y little sister who had 50 early bee
It thrown upon his love and care.
d 1t was very hard at first for I'll
5. young lawyer to depend solely upc
| his own resources, but the sharp Iii
s. cipline brought out the true manlines
of his character in the end. lie po
N sessed talents of no ordinary chara
h ter. He devoted himself with u
IS firing assiduity to his profession, al
N he rose in it steadily and in tl
,r course of six years, he was enable
" to surround himself and his sist,
with all the real comforts Of their o
7 home and as for the luxuries, Leo,
II ard Street had ceased to care for ther
Grace was like her mother al
20 perhaps because that sweet your
face was so much like that pale, 10
#. ing one over which the grass h
II stitched its coverlct of green, Leona
as Street looked on it always with fe
ing of solemn, yearning tendernc
al very much like that which faith
might feel for his mothcrless child.
is. CHATTER II.
"Why, Leonard, what is the m
Id ter ?" and she sprang up from /
drawing, her hazel eyes filled W
in anxiety, almost with terror.
ne And for the first time in his |
Leonard Street spoke angrily to
sister, as he waved her away do
c bother me, Grace, only let me alon
cir He threw himself down in his ar
ar chair by the fire, and the silver g.
lid light, aud the crimson gratc-light
IN full upon his face it was feariu
ed white, and the thin mouth was set
strange rigidncss of expression, a
lat the blue veins were thickly knott
on the broad, high forehead.
de Grace Street had covered as thou
mt blow had suddenly struck her, wi
,st she heard her brothers words.
ma sa. down by the table, and cove
- l. o.,o, ,,,,,l, hn,. h,nle. a,l kla l.,