Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-01-24
THE EVENING STAR.
THE wO SIST Err 5 .

Incidents of which may ne deemed hardly
worth relating after such lapse of time,
awakened a dek rec of interest a hundred years
aro in a principal seaport of the bay of Mas
sachueetts. The rainy twilight OF an autumn
day, q parlor on the second floor Of a house,
plainly furnished, ss be-eemed the circu'n-
stances OF its inhabitants. vet decorated with
curioeities from beyond the sea, and fe
specimens OF Indian manufacture, these are
the only particulars 10 be presented in regard
TO scenes and seasons. Two young and come
iy women sat together by the fir-side, missing
tnen mutual and peculiar sorrows. They
were the recent brides OF two brothers, a sailor
and a landsman, and two sue GEES We days had
brought ud!ngs Of the death of each, by the
chances OF Canadian warfare and the tempes-
tuous Atlantic. The universal sympathy er.
cited by this Sereayemant drew numerous
eondoling guests 20 the h3bitation OF .as Wi
lowed sisters Several, among thew was the
minister, had remained until the verge of the
evening, when, enc BY one, whispering maay
comfortable passages OF scripture, thr.t v,ara
answered by moro abundant tears, they took
their leave, and departed 10 their own hannv
homes. The mourEers, though not insersihsa
10 the kindness of their friends, had ysarre1 10
be alone. United as they had ~ en- by r.ls
tionship OF the living, and now nlS re closely 40
by that OF the dead, each felt 4 if vhatsyer
consolation her grief admitted ~ as To 10 found
IN the bosom Of the other THY joined their
hearts and wept together sile' ltly But afr
an hour ef such indulgence. me of the sisters
all sf whose emotion. were inf ueuced Nv nor
mild, quiet, yet not feeble haracter began 20
reeollect the precPpts of re signation aud ep,iu
rance which her pisty lad taught her when
she did not think to hee them Her nnisfor
tunts brslaes, rs eariies known, should earli-
Of duties; accordingly having placed the table
oeforr the IRE, and ranged y frugal neal, she
took the hand of her companion.
Come, dearest sister, YOU have not eaten n
norsel to-day" $! % said Arise / pray Won
and LEI US ask blessing on that WHICH Is pro-
yided for u.s.
permanent, iAHd the first pangs of her sorrow
had teen oppressed by shrieks and passionate
iansntatrCrs. She now shrunk from Mary's
words 3kt a wounded sufferer from the hand
that rev f~Vs the thTcb.
"Th e. Is TO blessing for me-, neither will I
ask H." cried Margaret, with fresh burst of
pSs1r Would il were His will that / might
never taste food more"
Yt- she trembles At these rebellious express
siors, almost as soon as they were uttered and
by|aegrPPs. Mary succeeded in bringing her
ffcser's mind nearer TO the situat on of her
ewn. Time rolled on, and the usual hour of
their repose arrived. The brothers and their
brides entered the marriage state with no more
than the slender means which then sanctioned
such a step, and confederated themselves in
one household, with equal rights 10 the parlor,
and claiming exclusive privileges IN two sleep
ing rooms contiguous 20 il. Thither the
widowed ones retired, after heaping ashes
upon the dying rmbers of the fire, and placing
q high lamp upon the hearth. The doors Of
both chambers were left open, SO that a part
Of the interior of each, and the beds and their
nnclossd curtain were reciprocally visible
Sleep aid not steal rpon the sisters 1T one and
ihe same time. Mary experienced the effect
often consequent uron grief quietly borne
and soon sunk into temporary forgetfuIness,
while Margaret became more disturbed and
feyerish in proportion as the night advanced
with rs deepest and stillest hours She Law
listening 10 the drops that came down in mo-
notonOus succession, unsWayed by breath of
wind. and nervous impulse continually
causing her TO lift her head from the pillow
and gaze into Mary's chamber and the inter-
mediate apartment The cold light of the
lamp threw the shadows of the furniture nm
against the wall, stamping them immoyable
there, except when they were shaken by
sudden flicker of the flame. Two vacant arm
chairs were in their old position on opposite
sides of the hearth, where the brothers had
wont to sit in young and laughing dignity as
heads OF families; two humber seats were
near them, the thrones of that little empire
where Mary and herself had exercised in love
apower that love had won. The cheerful ra-
dance of the fire had shone upon a happy cir
Gle, and the dead giimmer Of the lamD might
hayetteneritted their union now. While Mar
Earet sroaned IN bitterness, she heard knock
2tShe street door.
"How my heart would have leapt a, that
pound but yesterday" thought she, remember
ing the anxiety with which she had SO long
waited udlngs from her husband. 81 care not
for it now; let them bagone for will not arise -
But even while sort OF childish tretfuiness
made her thus resolve, she was breathing hur.
Tlediy and stralnlng her ears TO catch q reppti-
non Of the summons. 1t is difficult to be con-
WINGED OF the death Of whom we have
deemed another self. The knocking was now
renewed in slow and regular strokes anna
rently given with the soft end of a double fist
and was heard through several thicknesses of
the wall Margaret looked to her sisters cham
Der. AID beheld her still lying in the depths OF
sleep. She slightly arrayed herself trembling
between fear and eagerness as she did SO.
'Heaven help me:' sighed she 81 have
nothing lett TO fear, and Inethinks l am ten
times more coward than ever"
Selling he lamp from the hearth, she has.
tened TO the window that overlooked the streat
door. II was n lattice turning upon hinges
and having thrown il back, she stretched her
head a0lttie way into the moist atmosphere A
lantf m was reddening the front of the house,
and melting lis light in the neightorins puddles
while a drluSe of darkness overwhelmed every
object. 80 Inc window grated on its hinges q
man in a bICad brimmed hat and blanket coat
stepped from under the shelter OF the projecting
story, and looked upward to discover whom
his application had aroused. Margaret knew
him as friendly inn keeper of the town
"What would you have good man Parker y,
asked the widow.
Lack a. day, is il you, Mistress Margaret T.,
cried the nn.keeper. IL was afraid it might
be your sister Mary, for hate TO see q vanns
woman IN trouble, when have not a word Of
comfort TO whisper 10 her.
"For heavens sake, what news do Won
bring ~ screamed Margaret.
"Thsre has been Al express through the
town within this half hour" said good man
Parker, travelling from the westward iurisdc
ton, with letters from the governor aud coun-
Gil. He tarried at nay house 20 refresh himself
with q drop and morsel, and l asked him
what ndings on the frontiers. He told me We
had the better In the skirmish you " Ut Of and
hat thirteen men, reported slain, are well and
sound, and your husband among them. BE-
sides he is appointed one of the escort TO bring
the captivated Frenchers and Indians home To
the province Jail. / judged you wouldn't
mind being broken OF your rest, andEo step
ped over TO tell you. Good night"
30 saying, the honest man departed; and the
lantern cleaned along the street, n ingins 10
view indistinct shapes of things, and the frag.
ments of world, like order glimrnerine
through chaos, or memory roaming over the
past But Margaret stayed not 70 watch these
picturesque results. Joy flushed into her
heart and lighted II up at once, and, GREATNESS
and with winged steps, she flew TO the bedside
Of her sister She paused, however, AT the
door of her chamber, while a thought of pain
broke in upon her.
Poor Mary she said 20 herself "ShallI
awake her 10 feel her sorrow sharpcned BY nv
happiness No. l will keep it within my own
bosom Till the morrow
She approached the bed to see if Mary's
ei-eP was peaceful Her face was turlsd
partly upward 10 the pillow, and had been
hidden there 10 weep; but a look of motionIess
t0htentment was visible upon il, as if her
heart, like deep lake, had become calm be-