The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1863-08-25
CHAPTER II.
LAUNCHED.

CHAPTER II.
LAUNCHED.
The march of improvement had not been Sc
rapid in those DAYS. We we're two weeks Jour
neying over a distance which, in the present
time, can be accomplished in two or three days
An uninteresting journey to me, terminating Il
famous old town in Kentucky, which, for con
venience, I will name Westville, svlisre my
mother placed me at a boarding school, have
a vivid picture of the immense schOOl-roOm as
saw it first, with its rows and rows Of desks, and
the four great stoves, cred hot, " at one Of winch
l had stationed myself, counting tle5lesks and
the rubbers at the black boaris and ageFlook-
ing sums that we're left thereon 81 ny
head with GeOmetrieal fgures, aH4 eadius mot
toes and proverbs, names and initial 4etters,
written in pretty school girlish hands, such as,
knowledge Is Power, +" "a man Is known by
the company he keeps" 'eThe world belongs to
the brave" Lucy White, D. L. Now, if it
had been n. D., or A. NJ, or F. S. A, I could
have imagined this pleasant joke, but my eve
almost Immediately falling upon another name,
"Susie Brown and -" my mental vision
cleared. On the margin Of the pages of my old
school books was similar writing, and recalled
a dear little blue-eyed boy in Baltimore who had
Dcbu NY eSCulb " ulftll4hN DdElltz5s anu DlDle
panOramas and the Saturday matinee. / see
myself standing there like one in dream.
Presently the door opens, and bevy of girls,
without noticing, rush by me to door on the
opposite side Of the room, nailed upon which is
q great plaeard WhereOn is written in plain,
handsome, unmistakabble writing, the New
Rules. ! noticed that each girl, in her turn,
reads, and that each girl, in her turn, lifts her
hands and gives two or three little shrieks; and
l hear such exclamatiOns as "abOminablel'' and
''prepOsterousw and / entertain pity for them,
until / observe that each newcomer does the
same, and then, joining the group At the farther
stove, becomes as merryas they, and conclude
this is q mere form that the girls go through
with for their own private amusement. Alter
a while they converse in a somewhat subdueH
tone, and through the furtive glances cast to-
ward me, I know myself to bethe all-absorbing
topic, and my deep mourning cause of great
speculation. / stand apart, not caring fig for
their opinion. However strange this may seem,
it is, nevertheless, quite true. 1t might have
been owing to the fact that boys were alWays
my chosen playmates, or that never had a SIS
ter. AT all events, the favor Of these girls was
a matter of total Indifference to me. ! hugged
myself with a sense Of miserable isolation, and
began to wish myself elsewhere. thought of
nv kind teacher in Baltimore, and fell to won
derng if could ever love as well the tall, stern
looking lady who met my mother and in the
parlor, and from that to cORjecturing as TO who
the parsonage, aud what her office, who bad con
Quoted me to that great room. Then stared
out Of the window at the cedars, looking very
pretty in their first snowy hangings, and only
knew from the louder talking and more frequent
laughs, that the number Of the group at the
stove had been greatly increased, and they were
as unmindfnl OF me as had been Of them but
I listened to their voices and said softly to my
self who should like in time; andWhile mused
thus hand was laid on my shoulder, and the
Young girl who brought me hither said: "You
will please return with me, Miss" and led me
back to the parlor, where my mother and the
Preceptress awaited me.
I glided into my mothers outstretched arms
and laid my head upon her shoulder. That was
ALWAYS nv movement when troubled. As long
as could remember, I would rush to her Just
so, and that was the end of my sorroRs; but
now remembered how pale and i'll she looked
and that it had panied her to see me so sad, and
1 composed myself and slipped out Of the hold
of her dear arms and stood quietly at her side.
While she spoke to me glanced, from time
to time, at the tall lady opposite, and noticed
that the whole expression of her face had
changed those hard lines about the mouth dis
appeared, and a soft, sweet expression crept
there instead, and lay in her eyes, too, when she
raised them; and 1 was reminded Of sunset
glow over a winters sky, "reminiscences Of
bright sunny skies, and "yerdure clad" Nature.
Ny mothhr was saying to me, or, more cor
rectiy speaking, she was endeavOTing to say to
me, very. gently: "Egie, I have trial in store
for my little girl" and her lips trembled and
her eyes were cast down; ga trial, a test Of my
little girls affection for me- if she Will bear with
patience our separation. Egie, dear / have
seen fit to place YOU at this school through the
week. You and 1, who have never parted, will
be separated from Monday morning until Friday
evening. But / will remain at Mrs. Wilson's.
The time VII not seem long to you, dear; due
attention 20 your studies will hasten it.
She paused and looked down into myeyes with
the olden gaze of unfathomable tenderness, and
I think she discovered the rebellious spirit ris-
ing within ne, for she said, in tones that we're
pierced with pain, "Y our own good has been
nv object in placing you here as bOarder. But
I will be near YOU, and YOU will come home
every Friday night You and l, who have never
been separated, mt st part now. Still we viii in
time learn from this habit of regarding our
selves near one another in our separation, Ger
tain comfort, perhaps, in the parting that must
be-"
1 think she would rather have said less.
believe she thought her hidden meaning was
clear 70 my dIScernllg eye anu quick ear. Still
I think she felt it a duty to approach nearer
subject that was painful beyond endurance to
both, and she would have spoken at more length,
but some well concealed feeling made it diff
cult task indeed. was struggling with myself
my innate selfshness This was all new to me
But she who knew me so well knew it was the
best way. Knowing my own disposition / see
it clearly now as she did The idea of being a
day scholar in this strange school had cost me a
sleepless night or two, but this was unbearable
I let fall tear or two, but was not prone to
weeping, as my sex commonly are" An evil
spirit rose up in me. ] looked up again into
my mothers face, and the old smile that she
wore for my sake was sitting there calm, serene.
God knew what agony of soul it obscured from
my passion blinded vision. l cried out " She
does not care for memo one loves me. I want
70 diel ] want to diel Only my father loved
me Of all the world, and he is dead I" / threw
myself upon the floor, and sobbed and moaned
lassionately, but / shed no tear. I cried aloud
that my re0ther hated me and hated her; that
she brought me there to strangers and LEFT me,
now that father was dead, and there was nc one
10 take my part. When my passion subsided,
lay weak and helpless. A servant was called to
carry me IN Stairs, offered 10 resistance. ]