The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-09-25
a HEART HISTORY.

4 HEART HISTORY.
Loves antocrasy must form the
theme of my first romance from the
real; indeed, if the truth was known,
there are but few heart histories in
whose complication that troublesome
little sprite has not more or less in
terfered. Lucy, Willis, with that
bright sparkling eye of hers and her
sunny smile, shall attest the truth of
my words.
The proprietor of the great Willis
farm, which covers more than a hun
dred acres of the richest land in one
OF tue New England States, is n true
specimen of her stalwart sons, her
independent, industrious farmers-n
noble race, uniting integrity, sound
sense and high standard of moral
worth, under manners the most plain
and unpretending; keenly sensitive
for the public veal; hospitable, kind
and thrifty; not r-generous, vet
far removed from that selfish avarice
which would refuse helping hand
to those who would rise in the world,
If they had the means to start with,
or close their doors upon the weary
wayfarer, vagrant though he be. Of
this class is Andrew Willis.
a few words upon the domestic
economy of the Willis farm. Mr..
Willis is widower, and my little
heroine, Lucy, his only child. Peo-
pie wondered, as people will, why
such young-looking, hale, hearty
man as Andrew Willis did not take a
second wife; but, when asked about
1t, he always had two answers ready
first, he was too much hurried
about his teamwork to spend time
counting and marrying; second, old
Dinah, who had lived with his father
before him, though she was old, was
Q f1rst-rate manager; and Heaven for
bid he should unloose her tongue by
talking about bringing another Mrs.
Willis into the house. And 80, year
after year, Dinah stood her ground,
holding undisputed sway in kitchen
and hall. She looked upon the ath-
letic, six-foot Andrew Willis as a
mere child, "the boy" as she termed
him, when speaking to her cronies;
as to Lucy, she would have held her
IN leading-strings to this day, proba-
bly,, if Mr.. Willis had not sent her
from home to acquire more advan-
tages of education than the village
school afforded.
Lucy was bright, darling little
child, saying and doing thousand
witty things; and Mr.. Willis made up
his mind that she was perfect pro-
dizzy, even at four years old-parents
are pretty apt to imagine such things
so he determined, from the time
she could lisp her letters, that she
should have the best education his
means conld afford; and when, in
process of time, she came to know
more than the school master, lin
farmer Willis opinion,) he resolved
to part with his darling for little
while, that she might have the benefit
OF fashionable boarding-school. In
selecting the establishment of Mrs.
Lacy, situated some thirty miles from
Willis farm, he proved himself more
fortunate than many who send forth
their children to gather "apples of
wisdt m, but who return with
thistles."
'iAo Gnu vi TWO years, Lucy was
pronounced Finished" and returned
home. If her father thought her a
prodigy ut four years old, what must
he have considered her at seventeen,
for she had contrived to store away a
goodiy amount of knowledge in her
little head, even if she was mt times q
little Tightly. Yes, and notwith-
standing she must have been so hur.
ried at Mrs. Lacy's with her algebra,
and her history, and French, and
philosophy, she had somehow ma.
naged to commence Il little heart his.
tory of her own; bnt then she did
not let any one read it, not She
Farmer Willis himself never knew 6
word about this unbargained-for &C
complishment.