The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-05-30

Hours are golden links, Gods token,
Reaching heaven, but one by one,
Take them lest the chain be broken,
Ere the pilgrimage be dcne.
THE MANTLE OF BEAUTY.
81 pity Margaret, she is so plain" :"
Certainly, she is very plain; but,
then, she is so good"
Goodness is very well in it's own
way but a handsome face and fine
person will do more for girl than
goodness, was the reply.
''In worldly point of view, you
mean p
The first speaker did not answer
this remark. 1t suggested thoughts
not wholly in agreement with the
sentiments just uttered.
The subject of conversation was
the youngest of three sisters. She
was called homely by almost every
one; yet it is but fair to say that she
was too often seen as foil to her
handsome sisters, whose bright eyes,
regular features, rich compilations,
and free, graceful carriage, had won
for them the appellation of two beau
ties"
Parents are not always wise and
just. The fact of being father or
mother does not, as matter OF
course, lift person above his or her
natural weakness and defects of
character, or change materially the
old estimate of men and things
The mother of these girls was very
far from being wise woman,
and quite as far from being just
towards her youngest child
The beauty of the two elder sisters
she sought to increase by all the
available arts of dress while the
very plainness and coarseness of at
tire which she deemed good enough
for Margaret made the latter seem
homlier than she really was. Mar
garet, not being an ornamental ap-
pendage of the household, was made
useful While her sisters dressed
and saw company, she was at work,
and often for them. She felt the un-
just discrimination, and often cried
over it. when no one saw her; but
neither rebelled or complained.
II pity her; she is so plain. -
This was often said by those who
saw Margaret in contrast with hel
sisters. But it almost always hap.
pened, that those who had any true
knowledge with regard to her char
acter would answer-s'But she is sc
good"
There is beauty in goodness
That was her compensation. II the
outer garment was plain, the inner
form and true substance of her be
ing had g symmetry and grace be-
yond what the flesh puts on it's mos
envied perfection. And compensa
ton went farther still. The soul i:
in a perpetual effort to impress :
likeness of it's quality in the face, te
mold the features into an image o
itself. If this law was in favor o
Margaret, it was against her sisters
for, while she was living in self de
nial, both willing and doing right il
every relation, no matter how un
pleasant, they were cherishing pride
selfshness, vanity worldliness, env.
and ill. nature.
The time came, as years progress
ed, when it was no longer said, g:
pity her, she is so plain Not tina
any saw signs of beauty in her face
but it was no longer perceived a
homely. She did not appear in com
pany as often as her gay and bril-
liant sisters, who always had aroun
them circle of admirers but whe
she appeared, she did not sit alone
as once, nor SO often form the sui
ject of depreciating comparison
Persons who had kept aloof fror
her began to feel an attraction tina
I drew them to her side; and man
wondered how greatly she was, i
some things, superior to her NOR
snowy sisters.
There was a sphere of tranquiiit
about Margaret, which she felt b
every one who approached her. Th
repose of her manner did not brea
up easily, but to right sentiments an
feelings she responded with
: warmth Of expression that veile
: nothing of insincerity. In conve
sation,, where the subject was agre
able, thought would light up HI
countensnce, and play over it
manifold changes. 1t was singula
] ly mobile to the mind---answering
emotion; never concealing.
Time came when the two eld
sisters found themselves often le
!. attractive in company than tt
homely Margaret. Young me-
whose favor they desired to wi
were not unfrequently Indifferent
I. all their arts and blandishment
and yet, stranger still, as it appea
ed to them, so interested in Marg
60 ret, as to be emulous ofattention
IL ward her.
'rr 1t is not always that truth com
A. to ears.most concerned In hearil
ais it. Friends and neighbors see al
r talk about our personal defects, r
r. culiarlities, and hindering faul
"a though we see them not, and GO
be blindly indulging them to our 10
's and injury. Margaret's two efd
10 sisters still thought themselves bea
. tilul, winning, graceful beyond
fe comparison with their Cinderella,
Is .,L a. h,a o,;. 81 10