The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-08-10

bankruptcy, which carried my father
: through the bar room to the grave,
and broke my mothers heart.
Ny only sister, older by some ten
years than myself, 1 scarcely remem-
bor, being but child when she was
discarded for marrying beneath her,
as my mother used to say, young
man who was nobody, and a mechanic
to boot.
On me, therefore, the resumptive
heir to the brown-stone front house,
and to countless thousands, were all
the PARENTAL endearments lavished !;
that is to say, my father sent me to
I the mos expensive schools, where I
learned to smoke cigars, ride on horse
back, decline without much stammer-
ing, the fine Latin declensions, and
speak Saratoga French, which no
Partisan could have, by any possibili-
ty, understood SO that, when rever-
ses came, 1 was fit for nohing but
jockey yet, with the innate shrewd-
ness off my nation, took, i'll prefer
ence, to the institution in the ascendant
| the rail. r
can't say I liked my new employ
ment, at least, 1 did not like it at first.
By degrees, however, custom blunted
the edge, and, in course of time, l al
most forgot my former self, and even
passed, without blush, my former
acquaintances on Broadway.
| 1t so happened that my route was
on'a branch road of one of the great
est railways that ever enriched the
country. or beggsred the stockhold-
ers; and that / took board with
widow remarkable for nothing parti-
cular, unless it be for pale, pretty,
rather sadlooking niece-an orphan
girl, who supported herself in dccency
and comparative comfort in exercising
her trade of milliner. ...
AT first there was but little sympa-
thy between the young lady and my
self. She was silent, reserved l,
talkative and forward. TO be sure
we met seldom. namely-at supper on
week days, and on Sunday only at
meals ; our pursuits on that day being
of an opposite character, for while l
was poring over the columns o: some
trashy Sunday paper, she attended
church, or Sunday school, in which
she was teacher.
One Sunday at dinner, Miss Kate
mentioned that the Reverend Doctor
Nj would preach in the after
noon at her church, and asked me,
with what l then construed into a
sneer, whether 1 would not like 10
hear him.
eff Miss Kate will permit me TO
accompany her." replied with the
Fifth Avenue bow.
"With the greatest pleasure ans
swered she, eagerly, slight tint of
the rose coloring for moment her
usually pale countenance.
/ thought / never saw her so pref
ty. In fact thought her very beauti-
ful; and believe me, my kind reader,
l think so still.
We did go / offered her my arm,
and can not account how it happened
that when that little neatly gloved
hand came, by n natural sequence of
position, within a few inches of where
popular error places the heart. al
most heard its beat, and am almost
certain Kate must have felt it, though
shH denies it to this very day.
As we entered the sacred edifce,
the organ was already swelling its
solemn notes, under the skillful hand
of tne performer 1 had not been in
Gods house since the change of my
fortunes. To be sure, at school l was
made to attend divine service twice OIL
every Sunday, and during vacations
my mother insisted OH my accompany
ing her.
"For," saia she, sit was so resp ct
able; and you must pay particular at
tention to the Reverend Mr. Softly's
pronunciation, it is so aristocratic."
But since then, as 1 had work six
days in week, L Thought 1 was en-
titled to q day study of the transcen-
dental works Of Sylvanus Cobb, Jr.,
and Co.
Yes, with all this. I was not ma
turally irreligious only, having been
taught to consider religion as mat
ter OF form, l shared with thousands
the most pernicIous sort Of heathenism
the care of my worldly welfare, to
the neglect of the immeasurably high
er interests of nv mortal soul.
But when the first words Of the
Episcopal service were uttered on
that to me memorable Lords Day,
when the son0rous voice of the Doctor
proclaimed to the congregation the
touching words, "The Lord is in His
Holy temple, let all the earth keep 81
lence before Him a gusb of mex
pressible tenderness and gratitude fl
led my heart; and now l remember
tor the first time to whom l owed my
preservation when, but few days be-
fore, our train met with an accident
by which several lives were lost,
while mne was saved. Then. | at
tributed it to no chance, now Il know
it to be the work of my Makers merci-
full providence.
shall not describe my sensations
during the service, and the eloquent
| sermon that followed. / shall not de-
scribe them, not because / fear to
worry my reader, but because these,
being of the Spirit, may be felt, but
cannot be spoken And when I in
cidently glanced at my companion
when 1 saw the sincere fervor of her
devotion, her face slightly flushed, her
lips gently apart, her calm expression,
her blue eyes confidingly. lovingly
lifted up toward heaven-I thought 1
never saw anything so lovely, so
angelic No! not even at cara
vansery- party on the avenue.
On our way home, we scarcely ex-