The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-07-29

part have noticed, all my life. that gen.
Tie and kindly people are ALWAYS turned
TO account, and rarely treated with con-
) sideration; while your ill-tempered and
) sharp-worded people are waited upon
with alacrity, and have their own way
pretty well in the world.'
"Dear aunt, the doctor told Won wba,
he did, in order to induce you to keep
calm and quiet, so that you might have
the greater chance of cure"
"Cure |" replied the other BITTERLY
You know that if my heart is diseased,
there is no cure for the illness. You
know that when you say cure, you simp-
~ mean prolongation of my life."
Dear aunt, is not that something?"
"Noi life is not worth the having when
1T has to be courted like shy girl"
Alter pause, the aunt continued 1:
you are silent again."
"Because fear, dear aunt, to excite
you if reply to what you say"
MY child, | prefer any answer to 81
lence, when l ASK question, or even
when do not request silence. Now. I
ask you. is life worth having if it is a
burden"
II do not KNOW" replied the young
LADY; but am at loss TO understand
how life can be a burden, unless one is
in perpetual pain. We can SO tighten
our lives"
"lla! an underhand sermon, 1 per.
celve-a lecture concerning human SYM
pathy, and love, and imitation of q high
example"
"My dear aun t, you distinctly asked
for my opinion. give it, in sheer ebe-
dience to your wishes. LIDO think-my
mother taught me to think so-that life
without love-love of some kind, which
involves self sacrifice, is not worth hav-
ing"
"Bah ?" replied the elderly lady, as
| she lay upon u sofa, for go to bed she
would not. "Do you know that most
love. matches turn out to be failures; and
that rs rule, the man who beats his
| wife has married her at an early age, for
| what he and she are pleased TO call
| Lowell"
"Dear aunt" replied the younger la
dy, "pray understand me. 1 am quite
| certain that when mere boy and girl
marry, they come together like children,
often jangle like children, and live
wretched life until death parts them.-
But probably all that is the very result
of the absence of that love which, YOU
say, led to their marriage. The very
young may fancy they love; but doubt
whether they do. have no doubt, that
when the wife is woman wnen she mar
ries, and the husband is a man, that
ther only chance in happiness is in low
ing each other"
"Dont you think little riches helps
them ?" asked the elderly lady.
'No doubt aunt. 1t is very certain
that poverty may wear out the affection;
but 1 think would rather be poor, and
see my love wear out, than be rich, and
never have any love to wear. Oh, to live
without love is so wretched, aunty! 1
would rather die"
"Pray, do you lover"
"Oh, yes"
"Who?"
"oh, if you refer to any particular
person, aunt, may say do not love.
But on the other hand, try to love eve
rything l see-the little flowers, the
skies, the laughter of the little children,
the cackling of gossiping old women. l
find something to lovein oil these things;
and do you know, aunt, l am at times
wonderfully happy, ana this happiness
is only marred by one thought"
"Let us hear what the thought is?"-
said the aunt, gravely, but with no
change in her voice, no softening in its
tones.
"Tine runs away so swiftly. When |
spring comes, watch the leaves grow
ing into the darker green of summer,
and yearn to keep the spring with me.
When tho summer leaves are beginning |
to brown, / love the summer more than
ever; and when, in autum, the leaves
como raining down, can't even bear to
tread upon them. Why, even when tine
winter is waning, 1 am brightly sorry
for it, and almost pity the ice. Yet am
very glad to see the spring again, and
welcome every season in its turn"
The elderly lady had by this time
raised herself vpon one elbow, and was
shading her eyes with her disengaged
hand.
"Annette, you have never spoken to
me in this way before"
"Because, dear aunt, you have never
give me the opportunity, And, aunt, do
YOU mark what you have homer"
"What have done?"
"Called me Annette"
"Annete is your name"
ayes, which my mothergave me- but,
when you brought me home, you said
YOU would have no fancy names' ana
Won re.christened me Ann, All through |
these years you have never called me
Annette until this sweet summer after
noon."
nAbp' said the elderly lady, grimly
smiling: 81 suppose that is because the
doctor has at last convinced me tha' l
have heart p
The young lady was silent again.
$50 vou love no one in particular, An
nette-I mean Amir
"No. aunt; how should I? l see no
one, and go no nowhere"
"Is that rsproachf" -.
"By no means. Have not said l am am
bannv? How could L be happy; ana
have repreaches to makeF'