The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-01-02

EsEMng, ana sthk slendefer store Of Z
complishments, and whose mild exec,
tioa Of the Battle of Prague had bee
looked upon by herself aud. parents { |
1a masterpiece Of musical Il lskill, unit
the mastery touch of her pale relatire
fingers had brought such sounds; out lltt {
the ancient piano as had never, befotr
been heard in that part of the countr,
f. Long and long would the couatr
girl sit listening to her cousins playip1,
or to her Cousins singing, or wonder
ing at the, to her, amazing extent o
her cousins knowledge: She did No
envy her attachments it would hav,
bored Katy to death to have made eve,
an approach to them; but she wonde,r,
ed-sbe admired, exaggeratiug in pro
portion to her own ignorance. He,
simple admiration amounted to rever
ence; she regarded 'Adriaua as a: supe
rior being, somewhat incomprehensible
much to be admired, slightly to be ia
awe Of, yet to be loved, yet to be pitied.
1t was a cozy old-fashioned parlo,
the two were sitting: in: now; the mar.
row windows on one side were partly
open to let in the lazy brcezes Of July,
and partly shaded to keep off the burn.
ing rays Of the MONDAY sun. If you
looked through them you would see 4 a
trim garden, whose formal beds were
hedged with high box borders. This
garden was divided from bayfield, byy
a sunk fence. If this bayfield, had
not been peopled with busy hay-mak-
:ers, you might havo expected to see
deer in it, so park-like an appearance
did several fine clumps Of trees give to
it, and SO deceptive was the gentle rise
which prevented the hedge that bound
ed it from being seen. Beyond this
gentle rise stretch field and wood for
many a mile, till they met with q boun.
Diary in a faint blue line of hills. Or
posite the windows that commanded
this view,a smaller one, with asweet-
briar rose twining over it, looked into
katy's neat poultry yard. The we'll.
polished mahogany bookcase that filed
an ample recess was large enough to
have contained treasures of literature,
but its glass doors were lined with green
silk, and moreover were kept carefully
locked, SO that the curious public were
quite unaware Of + its contents. The.
piano Of ancient date stood at one side,
surmouuted with still more ancient CHI
ne vases; opposite was a wide dimity
covered sofa; whilst well-stufed chairs
We'd In gorgeous patterned :chints, with
the wreaths and punches of wonderful
flowers worked upon corpulent foot
stools and narrow ,ottomans; and over
the mantlcpiece hung specimen of
Mrs. Da1is's early skill in needle-work,
with her maiden name, the title Of the
piece, and the date of its completion in
large letters and figures underneath.
1t was the meeting Of; Isaac aud Re-
bekah. The eyes.of the patriarch and
those ofhis intended were relieved with
shining black beads, which had been
considered at the time ID = most inge-
nious device for imparting a life-like
expression to the countcnances :; and
the earrings and other adornmeuts
which Eliezer had lavished on his mas
ter's bride were wrought with beads Of
gold and divers colors. The narrow
gilt frame was somewhat tarnished, but
was nevertheless still guarded with yel-
low gauze, as thing: precious iii the
eyes Of its comely artist and so it was ;
to her its original lustre had never been
dimmed, and, looking at it she recalled
the time whensshe ! bright, rosy girl,
sat stitching at the large embroiderine
frame, and each stitch ssrved her now
as the pleasant date Of some old men,
ory.@ r. - s'ssszz '
"1t was 10 hay-making time, juss
such q day as this" said Mrs. Davis,
"that I put the finishing touch into
Eliezer's tutban. I mind we'll think
ing it was just the color Of the sky.s
All, its little faded now; you must
look after the blinds, Katy, aud see
that; they are always down in the mid.
die Of the day. Girls fingers" contin:
ued Mrs: Davis, blandly, contemplating
her chef d@wvre, "were more industri-
Gus than they are now when would
girl nowadays think of, beginning such
a piece of work as that !? oil in tent
stitch toov' : =
"Why, as to beginning it, mother"
said Katy, "oae might easily think Of
doing that; the finishing would, be the
difficulty. But girls had not 30 much
to learn in those days as they have now
50 there was more time for sewing and
stitchiig."~ 81: ss<a . = .
"Ay, indeed, there's" too much learn.
ing, and fretting after things that one
cant understand, in these times ; and
! don't see what good comes Of it.
Where's y tho use Of learning French,
tor instance, if yon are never going to
France (which | hope Katy never
will. When you've the happiness to
be born in e country Ike this, where
QUO is Comfortable, what need is there
to 60 out of it to be uncomfortable p
and Enghnd's the only place where
things are At all .home.like, I believe.
There's 10 goad tdLbe 'got from foreign
counties, dears. Alb, You know moth
ing about Buonaparte that va long
before syour time; 7 can but Just re.
member the fright Ne Wea were! !al,lin about
him,and how my 2sisAs locked the
bedroom doors at night, and ran great
chests against thu to Keep out. tie
Fred0h if there should be an inyp,ion
whilst NO we're asleep. There lr scan Sc
no good "a the sountry be belonged "a
that's certain and if there's no GOOD
IN France, whore the god in the Ian.
guage. 4 was against my will tia,
Katy ever took any French lessons. = ! ]
.Bat I did not learn much, mother,
and I'm afraid Two forgotten Sc ri
nov, saia Katy, half apolo stieally.
II s. Vsl, ehild, thsrs'' ! sonS q mt II
2 d