The weekly union record., 1864-08-06


YES know you've written hears Of letters
lovely letters | know they must be-but now
ST the very last to refuse to write the sdd7esses
You never expected 10 take that place Why.
Sophy. where were your ears in all oar prepar
stious J"
II Sophv Hamlin was firm, Ida Joeelyu was
hopeful aud persistent Again and again she
presented The case 10 lis mos pjteouS aspects
to Sophy, ,and at last departed with the words:
"l shall come in TO morrow night again. ard
shall expect you 10 have yielded Sophy; you
know ask it as personal favor. | should
never have accepted my past but for the belief
that you would be with me.
Sopby did no, reply. She kept on cool
steady face until Ida had departed, then she
went up TO her room and had a good cry"
II | tell YOU wha; she cried about. | am
afraid you will think nv Sophy very empty
beaded young lady; but have patience with
her, and with her story and do rot coudema
her ST first
Sopby Hamlyn cried these vexed bitter tears
becsuse-because she had 1nothias to wear
You look about the pretty room, the curtains,
the carpet, the vases. You uOte all the ndi
cations Of luxurious home. and you see Sophy
in her graceful morning attire, and your lip
curls disdainfully, and you comment severely
upon the weak and wicked eXaggeration OF our
girls Bat you cannot see the meaning of
everything at a first glance. Ida Jocelyn
would tell you that the HamlvnS were not rich
That Mr.. Hamlyu failed a few years ago and
had never been fortunate since. Not actually
poor. you know" the gay girl would 90 Oh !;
"only the Hamlyns can't give parties, and keep
a carriage, and Sophy don't have so much
money TO spend as she used"
This was all Ida Jocelyn knew about it.
And this was all anybody knew about it. but
the Hamyns themselves. When Ida Jocelyn
went there, and bad such nice pleasant after
noon with S0phy in that ''homehke house. as
she called il, she did not perceive that Mrs
Hamlyn looked tired and worn. she did not
know how very, very simply they lived; how
much they pinched ard strailened. She saw
only the pretty rooms Just as she had always
seen them, looking fresh and brighton The
years Of change were tCo few to turn things
shabby yet. And since that time, when Mr.
( Hamlyn went down, there had been no outward
difference in their surroundings. Why should
there have been? The house itself was Mrs
Hamlyns; and there were 10 rare pictures, no
statues OF great value to sell. So they lived
on amidst the same curtains, aud chairs, aud
carpets, but with only single servant 10 the
whole house. Mrs. Hamlyn had turned and
peced, and re made, with her own hands and
Sophy's help dress after dress, untl now poor
Sophy's wardrobe furnished nothing further !;
and Sophy, sitting there alone in her room
after Ida Jocelyn's departure, cried vexed and
bitter tears over all the vexatiou and bitterness
of this constant planning and pinching; over
the want that kept her from accepting pest
which could not but look aluriug to her.
So you see that although Sophy cried be-
cause she had nothing TO wear it was not
so much for the one dress lacking Tor the one
occasion, but for the constant wear and lear
of that poverty which hides lis Thousand cares
It's Illuminating aunOyaDCeS. lis petty details,
behind smiling m4-k k Il was for the necessity
that laid the limits - narrowly that new
dress even was impossible at this time. Ii
was for al this that the bitter. vexed te4s
came though the one dress was the Que dual
drop in the cup that set it overfowing.
Poor little Sophy! She was but human
Brave little Sophy. too as you would say. if
you knew how she kept replnlngs ont Of sight,
and almost out of suspicion; who Taught her
self much handiwork unknown before, and
showed bright face always to father, and
mother. and those three boys. Bur it was hard
about tie Fair. Oh, if She could only discover
some way to make her only silk dress present
able 1t was OF no use, DO use
"Ah me"' and she sighed YEARLY. Il an
too proud, suppose. but | cannot GO shabby
| shouldn't enj " it. | should have sense Of
unsuita bencsS."
She lies there with her tears, thinking,
thinking on the dismal prospect; wblle Ida
JOcelyn, never dreaming Of such thinking
] ma har brill nj. !
there are many such homes, where an outward
serenity is kept, and where you never suspect
the many, many cares that hide beneath those
who have known better days, aud who not
from vanity, hut from the EDUCATED taste keep
up the fair >embance. Is there much Sadder
suggestion in lie? But Sophy sees a rainbow
through her tears
There's Aunt Martba's things :" And with
this suggestion she slips from the couch, and
da>h,s out Of her room into far. dark corner
OF the attic, where lies that long forgotten chest
of relies. nearly century ago The camphor
wood has kept them intact. and Sophy drags
out hac brocade. with gIiStenng eyes 1t is
no great Il urishiDg pattern, but trim design
of star work. not at all outandish, Sophv
thinks and the color suited to her black hair
Only three days before the evening of the Fair;
but Sophy will undertake it. Fly, little fingers
over your pretty work. Ply, smoothly-shining
needle, to aid this busy remodeliug.
Ida Jocelyn, who came the next night, was
radiant al the success Of her persistence.
Two nights after she went into raptdres
over Sophy's toilet
/ Nv here did you get such lovely dress-so
strange, so piquant, and so becoming? And
that lace at your throat is au heir loom and
your hair all crimped and rolled into such
pretty pufs, and the dear little red rose to
crown lt-oh, Sopby, you look like little
msrchiouess. :.
Sophy bloomed like the red rose and laughed
blitbely at her success but She told no one Of
the heartache that preceded ii. Sopay never
told any one of her heartaches. First, because
she was too proud to make confdan,s OF her
/ girl friends; secondly, because she was too
/ generous to burden her already burdened
mother She sewed her heartaches into her
work, perhaps. Poor little Sopby! brave
little Sopby wera there any Of those gloomy
Z ii l. I mt ba hill