The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-01-19
OUR WEEKLY STORY:
my SISTER mARaIE's SECRET.

have mover seen a more beautiful face
than my sister Margie's when she was eigh.
teen. I cannot describe her to you, for |
do not like to pick a sweet flower leaf by
leaf. eau only say a~rich, warm color
died her cheeks, a brilliant light danced
in her eye, aud her lips, red as the ripest
strawberry she found in the pasture, ever
curled with a smile.
Father named her Margaret after his
mother, but she called herself Margie.
When a baby, "Margaret, second child 70
Charles aud Martha Wilson," was written
in the Bible, but,Margie became the house,
hold name. I was ten years old when
Margie was born. Mother took the baby's
pink hand aud laying it in mine, said SOL
EMMY, q must leave her Faith leave my
sweet babe. | give her to you, and never
forget that she is yours, my daughter"
/ never did forget the Importance of that
charge committed to me. Father never
brought any one to gil mothers place,
and l had Margio to myself. Besides a
sisters love she gave me all that would
have been s:mother's. | never told her
she was to mind me; she always did as we
desired until-well, | will not anticipate.
When Margie was twelve, Mr.. Bolton,
the village lawyer, made me an offer of
marriage. He was a noble man. hon
ored him, and it may be I might have Low.
cd him but | could not make it seem
right to!marry and leave Margie. / think
father was pleased. When | see Judge
Bolton with his handsome sons, I think,
Faith Wilson, those joys we're not meant
for you; your children may never rise TO
call you blessed, but there are some who
will say, she has done what she could. a.
Margie had none Of my matter.of-fact
temperament. She possessed u vivid i'm
aginstiOn, when . child, played with i'm
agiuary people, filed the woods, the sun
ny slopes behind the house, the hooks aud
glades with the bright creatures ofherf au-
cy. We had a few fairy tales, %trausla-
tions from the German. These she eager.
'ly devoured, aud 50 gave shape to the
ideas that was filing her head.
As she grew older, air castles, which
she herself was to inhabit, took the place
Of her other cOnceits. Many a night when
the skies were cleaning with stars, she sat
on the low roof jutting out from our win
dow, and dreamed Of the gay world 10
which she would live one day. ale will
come for me, Faith'imy squire of high de-
gree, and bear me off to an elegant home
surrounded by all chat is beautiful, and
you will be our guardian angel" | can
not tell why, but it panied one to hear
her talk so. She would laugh at my So
Der face, and say, any mattcr-of.fact sis
ter cannot even breathe the air in which my
castles float"
Father and I we're anxious that Margie
should have better advantages for eduCa-
ton than our village Afforded, and yet we
could not bear the thought of sending her
away from us. She had q decided mus
ical talent, and we we're DESTROYS of cult.
waiting it. While we were making inquir.
les, some one told US that the rector in
the next town was increasing his income
BY receiving a few pupils into his family,
and his wife, an accomplished musician,
would give lessons to q limited number.
Arrangements were made for Margie to
study with Rev. Mr.. 0rmond, and take
vocal and instrumental lessons of his wife.
She was to remain with them until Friday
Of each week, when we were to bring her
home and have all the joy we could until
Monday. How long That first week Of
separation scanned. Margie's bird did not
sing, but hoped u%nsasily in his cage, jerk
ing his head from side to side. The ill.,
spiration Of his life, as of ours, was gone.
The pet kitten, missed the ~gladness Of The
house, took to rowing. The old clock that
We always thought had a pleasant way of
telling the hour, licked like a death knell.
Everything wore a forsaken look. I
could see father busted himself more with
his patients, but l could Rpd nothing to in
terest my loneliness. e
; Margie came back to US bright and hap.
Ply; she had seen something of the world
outside Of our home, and was charmed.
She told us she was not very much behind
the othera, and that her voice, u rich so.
prano, had been highly praised. "Father,
Faith" she said, her face glowing with
animation, ''this is u beautiful world we
live in, mean to attain to a p~ositiou in
i; ALI easy if one only is determined.
1 mean to have everything beautiful about
me-"