The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-01-05
NY aTEP.MoTHRR.

] have but tRlDt rccOlIectiOnR OF my
mother, as she died before was four
years old, leaving my brother Clifton
five years my senior-And myself to the
care Of an old woman who was much at.
tached to her, aud who gladly consented
n leave her lonely cottage in the village
that she might DO my fathers house
keeper, and our halfnurSe, half gOvcrness.
We called her Granny; and very kind
81 Q wan 10 u 10 her way; nursing az
most tendcrly when We were sick, prepa.
ring little dclicacirs for US ut odd times,
joining us in our plays, and telling us
stories by the dUzen, OF ghosts giants,
fairies, and little boys who swere eaten up
by wolves and bears for being very
naughty.
was a puny, sickly boy, so I did not
60 to school-but with Granny'S aid
learned to rUad aud write and she prOph.
eSied that l would make Q great man
sOmc day, il I would only have spirit
enough, and hold up my head. All this
! firmly believed, and tried. NY best to
follow her advice.
or my father We saw very little. He
vas grave, -stcrn man, and very much
depressed by my mothers death, he
plunged into an absorbing business, and
was only at home in tho evening, when
We boys generally forSooE the silent sit
ting room fr the kitchen, there to listen
with open eyes and mouths to Granny's 's
marvellous tales.
WO liTed quietly enough, having few
inteI csts beyond our small space Of ten
or dozen acres, and an occasional ex-
cursiOn to the neighboring town. But q
change was coming. 1t WAS In the No.
veMbcr Of the year when was ninc years
old and Clifton fourtcen-ths latter cx.
ulting In the ilca Of going to boarding.
school IN about month, and half cry
ing beforehand over my own loneliness -
that my father, who had been in the hab.
It lately Of spending great part Of his
tiSnc in Philadelphia, held long convcr
sation with Granny.
When this was ended, We heard the
front door siam. and saw my father, port
mantcaU in hand, jump into the wagon
and drive furiOuSly off, while Granny Sn.
tered our Sittine<oom, apron to her eyes,
and set down in the armchair, rocking to
aud fro, and so6bing with uncomfortable
grief. Fearing. we knew not what, we
clung to her side. brgging her to tell us
what had happened. But Il was some
time before she could speak 20 say that
my father had told her that her services
would be unnecessary In 9 week he
would bring home wife-a young lady
from the city-aNd in tho meantime he
should not hG at home.
It that ever should hAvc lived to sec
the day, :. continued tho old woman with
a fresh burst Of grivf "when my own
dear Sarah should be forgotten and cast
aside for a pretty faced chitof seventeen,
with city airs and graces, to turn the
house upside down, and lord IL over lIer
darlings. Poor boys poor boyS-what
will become Of you ="
How much longer she might have gone
on In that way l cannot tell, but she wds
just then called away to the kitckeu, kav.
ing US in state Of indeScribable terror,
Imagining that all the cruel step mothers
in fairy tales were to be united In ours.
Then long conversation ensued, In which
We debated whether she would attempt to
beat us, Starvc US, or turn uS out Of uOors
to seek our fUrtuncs with q piece Of dry
bread and bottle Of SOUR wine. re-.
member perfectly the picture ! formed Of
her, in which she figured az large stout
woman, with naughty air and loud
vOlcO-whO would fly about tho house,
changing everything, and making every
one unhappy generally.
"l'll tell you what." said Clifton, draw.
ing long breath, and plunging his hands
manfully into his pockets, IN tell you
what, Marry, when that woman comes to
take mothers place, We must just put up
our spunk, and show her that We won't
bc tyranized over; if she goes to work to
make us drudge and slave, VIC must show
her whether she isn't mistaken in her no.
tions-there now u
fully coneurred with nay brothers
opinion. Old Granny, Gar from trying to
| subdue these feelings, rather encouraged
them by her undiSguised pity and regret;
50 that-short as was the time-we were
FULLY prepared not only to thwart, aud In
cvesy possible way ,lisObey, but absolutely
to hate the young creature who was 80
soon to take upon herself that vow which
would make hIr our mother.
At length the day arrived. Granny,
with streaming eyes, went round the
house putting the finishing touches to the
preparation. and .wiping off imaginary
dust from the fu niturv; 'for," she said,
"thc new mistress should find it in as
much order aS her own dear mistress
Sarah had always kept it even should it
pevcr be. SO again. She said she would
not stay to see a Stranger at the head Of
her mistress table. So when the rocka-
way went to the depot, she drove away.
Clifton felt too manly to cry, and 70
tried to whistle, but the.s0und would not
come SO he stopped. put his hands into
his pockets and looked out Of the window.
| tried to emulate his c0inpOsure; to dash
back the tears that kept binding my eyes,
and to swallow down tho lump that kept
rising in nv throat and choaking me
thus we both sat silent in the recess ol
the window. looking Odt On the Novens.
Der mist. ..,.
II had been a very drcary day. The
wind, moaning ~ only November wind
can, had dritlrd piles Of dead leaves tc
and fro for the rain to paaAsr ceaselessly
upon. But now, as tho night shut in,
the wind had lOlled TO calm, and the
raiH ceased to fall, and thick mist en-.
shroudcd everything. Il seemed to pen.
eITatC. our very sOIls as We sat there look.
ing into the gathering darkness. The
siltiug.room looked very bright il con.
traSt. The blazing wood fire cast warm
glow over the oil mahogany furniture,
making the silver caWaIpsticks which
stood 0H the little round table 10 iront ol
the chimney sparkle brilliantly. and rest
ing loveingly, as thought, on my moth.
er's arm chair that stood on the opposite
side Of tho tirs-place. Ny feelings did not
agpee with It's cheerfGlncsat and I turned
t0.the YiNdow again.
Now We plainly heard wheels. upon the
road. Clifton Straightened- himself. and
looked rigidly at the brOken branch Of
the linden tree. Tho sound came nearer,
then stopped, wO know, At the gate then,