Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-25
% OLD HUNIDRUM 'aI
a Christ as story

II wonder what old Humdrum will give
us for Christmas present." said Nellie
| Hastings, as she twisted her curls before
the sittng-room mirror, and admired her
pretty face, as therein displayed.
| Don't Nelie,S' said her sister Agnes,
looking up from hersewing; "nicknames are
intensely vulgar, and it pains me to hear
our kind friend spoken of in that way"
kind friend, indeed" said the beauty,
saucily; ''what has he ever given us but a
few prosy sermonsw .'
| 20, Nellie, what should we have done
without his care for us 7 Think how cheap
the rent of this little cottage is made tor US,
and how many scholars he has procured for
you, and how well he pays me for the sew
ing. He is kind friend" and tears stood
in Agnes Hastings eyes as she spoke.
"Well, then, don't cry about it, SIS" and
Nellie gave her sister hasty kiss. 81
won't call him nicknames any more, If it
displeases you, and shall soon be inde-
pendent of his Kindness" with, a scornful
emphasis upon the last word. "There is
one of my tirosome brats at the gate now,"
] and she sauntered into the little parlor, TO
meet the music scholar coming up the
| garden walk, to take his lesson.
| You would scarcely have supposed the
sisters twins, had you seen them on the
dull December day that opens our story
| Nellie, tall, graceful, and brilliantly beau
tiful, was in the full glow of her youthful
beauty. her rich brown hair fell in profuse
curls round face with regular features,
clear red and white complexion, and lighted
| by pair of large black eyes full of fire
and life. Agnes, pale and thin, with a
somewhat sallow skin, hair brushed smooth
l,rk k.,O f.,x,s hnr f,n O,If frnf fhara ft,o
heavy coil at the back of her head, looked
at least five years older than her gay sister.
Both wore mourning dresses, but while
that of Agnes was heavy unbroken black,
her sisters was modified by white ruffles.
and trimmed prOfusely with glittering
bu2les. Another difference, more pitiful
than all, Agnes was deformed.
Five years before this dull December
night Helen and Agnes Hastings, then Just
seventeen years old, made their debut into
fashionable society as bellies and heiresses.
Beautiful, accomplished, and graceful,
daughters of reputed millionaire, they be-
came at once the center of the gay circle in
which they moved. They were motherless
from infancy, but their fathers sister had
filled their mothers place during their
whole existence, and still directed all house,
hold affairs. .'r..
one. Mr. Hasting was twin, and his sis
ter, born in the same hour with himself,
had never left him. One other child,
younger son, had shared their parents love,
but for long years he had been wanderer,
taking his share OF an immense family
estate, to travel in foreign countries, sending
home occasionally a box of curiosities,
dresses, fans, or playthings for his little
nieces, but otherwise Ignoring the existence
of his brother and sister.
AS have said, the girls became at once
bellies in the circle of fashion, and suitors
were not wanting, some attracted doubtless
by youth, beauty, and talent; Others prob
ably attracted by the reputed wealth of
MIR. Hastings. For two years the twins
reigned as queens, heart-whole and gay.
Agnes was something of blue, and had
been guilty ofpoetry. Helen added to her
beauty a wonderful talent for music, and a
superb voice. Cultivated to the highest
perfection by her proud father, her voice
richly deserved the fame it had acquired,
and few salons considered their visiting list
perfect where the beautiful young singer
was not guest. .I1 7u
From early childhood there had been
great dissimilarity in the characters of the
sisters. Agnes, grave, even reserved, was
fond of reading, something of an artist,
with great sweetness and gentleness of dis
position, and at sixteen n member ofchurch,
and Christian, sincerely trying to keep
herself "unspotted from the world" Nell
| lie, on the contrary, was dashing, lively
girl superficial in all studies excepting
music, full of animal spirits, and thinking
religion ''very nice for old people,"
Two years after their debut, the grave
Agnes was betrothed to a young lawyer,
1. opf f,l INf II
Votion to his beautiful betrothed, and head
that promised in time to win distinction in
his chosen profession. The engagement
was satisfactory to the relatives on both
sides, and preparations for the wedding
were commenced, when Agnes met with an
accident that crippled her for life. She
was driving out with her lover when the
horses became frightened, and, making
sudden plunge forward, threw her from her
seat into the road. Her injuries at first ap-
peared to be slight, but as time went on the
physicians found the injury to the spine
was twisting the figure to one side, and
making alimping, gait and a curved back
unavoidable. In the agony and horror of
discovering this Agnes dismissed her lover
| spite of his prayers and lprotestations, and
| then months of bitter repining proved that
even her Christian. spirit could sink under
| tion that reused instead of crushing her,
and restored faith, patience, and hope.
| Her father committed suicide, after periling
his own and his sisters fortune IN one
speculation, and losing all; and that sister,
| deprived at once of home, fortune, and the
| brother she idolized, in one short month fol-
lowed him to the grave. Nellie was fran-
| tic under this complication of grief, and
| Agnes, reused from her own selfish grief,
came out true and faithful in the storm
around her. -C8sp--.f..,t .f-...,. b. 49,.
Friends came forward to offer counsel
and assistance, and from the wreck of the
once noble fortune small sum was secured,
barely sufficient to clothe the orphans In an
humble style, greatly at variance with
their once splendid wardrobes. By the ad-
vice of their fathers lawyer, the girls left
the city and went to small country town,
where, by their needlework, they earned
| q support. iA ii .Hl II
Tuey had been but short time In their
new home when a stranger, a gentleman
past middle aye, came TO reside at G..
| IL was not long before he became acquaint-
/ ed with the young seamstresses, and in a
short time so won their confidence that he
became a fast friend. His means appeared
large, for he bought a cottage for HIMSELF
and two others which he rented, one to the
sisters. And large handsome stone man
sion, In process of erection, was soon known
| to be his future home. Having letters that
made him at once infLentialin G-------, he
used that influence to procure music schol-
ars for Helen, who. bore, the drhdgery of
sewing but badly, and himself kept Agnes
| busy on the most exquisite of shirts, coll
II..,o,di ruffa. at largo nricpg hut of the