Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-05-12
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THE THREE SISTERS.

Oaorlelle, you should not stay out SO I
late alone.'
1t isn't late, sister dear, for a summers ,
evening. The church clock struck eight
just as turned into the little path across
the field
The first speaker, who was the oldest,
raised her head from her work, and look
iug at Gabrielle, said
For you it is too late. You are not
well, Gabrielle. Ycu are quite fiushcd and
tired. Where have you been 2
Nowhere but IN the village, Gabrielle
said.
She paused moment, then added, rath-
er hurriedly: /
/ was detained by poor sick woman
went to see. You don't know her, Je-
anna, she has just come here
And who is she? Joanna asked.
She is a widow woman, not yohng, and
very poor. She spoke to me in the road
the other day, and I have seen her once or
twice since. She had heard our name In
the village, and tonight promised. her
that you or Bertha would go and call on
her. She has been very unhappy, poor
thing. You will go, sister 2?
Certainly. You should have told me
net. You have walked too quickly home
on this hot night
Another lady entered the room Just as
Gabrielle was leaving it, and addressed her
almost as the first had done:
you are late, Gabrielle. What has
kept you out so long p
Joanna will tell you, Gabrielle answer
ed. Il have only been finding some work
for you, sister, and with a smile she went
away.
They were two stern, cold women-Jo-
anna and Bertha Vaux. They lived to-
gether-they two and Gabrielle-in dark
old-fashioned house, close to little vii
lage, in one of the southern counties Of
En64agd. It was 2 nrettY picturesqns vlstI
tagc az most hnglah vllisge2 arc, Wnv 1tS
tie clastess of white washed, rose-twined
cottages sprinkled through it, and little
rough-stone country church, covered to
the very top of the spire so thickly with
ivy, that it looked like green bower
Here and there were scattered few pleas
ant houses of the better sort, standing
apart in sunny gardens, and scentingsthe
air around with the smell of their sweet
flowers.
But the house in which Joanna and
Bertha and Gabrielle lived was always
gloomy and dark aud cold. 1t was a
square brick house, with damp, unhealthy
evergreens planted In front, upon which
the sun never shone-summcr or winter
the flags which paved the front of the door
aud the steps Of the door, were greened
over with cherries moss; and fungi grew
up in the seams of the pavement: The
windows, with their thick black, clumsy
frames, almost all faced the north, so tha
the cold, dark rooms were never Lighted
up with sunshine but looked even more
dreary in the summer time, with the emp
ty fireless CRATES, than on winter days
Yet the house seemed to suit well tn
tastes of the two elder Of the Misses Vaux
1t had stood empty for some years be
fore they took it; for its last occupier haC
committed suicide in one of the rooms
il was Just tae house for such thing II
have happened in--and the superstition
horror which the event created in tn,
neighborhood, coupled with the dark an
cherries appearance of the house, wer
the causes why it remained SO long unle
md so much neglected.
About six years ago, the Misses Vau
| come quite strangers to the village
!; in a short time, were settled as ten
of the lonely house. They wer
no women then-not more than thre
four-and-twenty but already grave
, ere, and stern. They dressed alway
/, mourning, and rarely was smile see
on their cold lips; but they spent the
time almost entirely in performing act
OF charity, in visiting the sick, aud in mi
king clothes for the poor. For miles roun
they were known and looked up to wit
mingled reverence and awe. But thei
was strange, soulless charity-more Ill
the performance of heavy penance than
acts of love.
There was a mystery about their ante
cedents. No one knew whence thev cam
or who they were; they had neither reli
tions nor friends; they lived alone in the
gloomy house, and only at long intervals
sometimes Of many months-did they re
ceive even single letter. They were ty
sad, weary women, to whom life seemed
bring no pleasure, but to be only a br
den, which it was their stern duty to be
nncomplainingly for certain number
years. ...
Gabrielle-the beautiful, sunny uatur
Gabrielle-was not with them when tn
first came 10 the village; but three yea