The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-10


low did almost every thing toward
making her what she afterward be
came; how he taught her, read to hel
and, more than all, saw what non
had seen before, and by-and-by thi
young girl would find in herself
power Of utterance that would plac
her high in the world of authors. Sh
has told me how sense of rest cam
to her through him; how his cam
ness strengthened her, and that hi
keenly-felt appreciation became TIN
dearest part of her life. And yet, clos
to womanhood as she was, she did no
dream that she loved Paul Brownlov
other than friend. She had read o
love and lovers; but it was granC
thing for poems and for plays, suitet
to gallant knights and courtly women
but it was altogether above her simple
life. And Paul saw it-saw that she
was as free and unrestrained in he
| intercourse with him as she woulC
! have been with a dearly-loved brother
and to his honor be it spoken, not by
word or look did he try to draw away
| the screen from the pure heart. He
could not marry her then (Oh, how ht
longed for the money he had thrown
away upon himselfD he had only his
brain and his hands; he could not
tell yet if there was force enough in
them to support himself; and Hester
herself was fastened at home, for hel
father had been growing infirm all the
summer. and now scarcely ever left
the house. 1t was very hard for him
to leave her there. He saw what her
life must be, and he lOnged to take her
in his arms and give her this rest and
leisure by his own toll; but he could
not do it then. "At least" he said,
II can wait one year before l tell her
this that she does not dream Of, So
one night he walked up the mountain
and tried to say his 'Good-by" simply,
as friends say it; but he made a poor
dissembler, and if Hester had not been
so unconscious, if she had not trusted
him so entirely, he never would have
kept the promise he made to himself.
He would have taken her little form
very close to his heart, and in wild
words, such as he, calm man, never
thought of before, would have tOldher
what she was to him. But her sim
plicity checked him; SO he only told
her that he would write her very often,
should send her books, and think of
her many times each day. He told
her how his letters and her answers
would pass through his uncle's hands;
then released the hands that had been
hidden in his almost ever since he
came, and pressed his lips to the brow
that he hoped would lie OH his bosom
for many year; then went away /;
and many white hairs mingled with
his dark locks ere he saw Hester
again. The parting was not to her as
it was to him; for she was young and
ignorant of the worlds ways, and
never thought but he knew best. He
said it was right for him to go; that
took away the sting for her; still she
was very lonely. She did not try to
disguise the fact to herself, and MANY
places whose beauty attracted her were
Stunned because they brought to her
so many memories of him. The letters
came and went, almost the only events
in her life. Tile minister was old and
feeble, and did not try to teach her
noW. so she worked ON by herself,
learning more each day than the stu
dent of many a college does in wear.
Her tact and diligence did much for
the farm; go that matters we rather
lookiii UP With then, when her Oldest
brother was attacked with fetef, and
after weeks of suffering died:
While she. was watching lin. her
old friend, Mr.. Center, died by reason
of years. and when she found time to
think, she nourned his loss deeply;
but not for many years did she know
that with him she lost the great bless
ing of Paul BrownioW's l3Te. Upon
the same day that Mr.. Center was
seized with paralysis, letter came
from Paul to Hester telling her that he
wss Obliged to go TO- France for a client,
that he was succeeding II his business
as he never dared hope he should, and
then in words as true and manly as
great love could make them, he told
her what she was to him, and be-
sought her, If she could indeed love
him, to wait afid trust i i'm until he
could take her to the home that would
certainly be theirs at last.
But Hester never received that let
ter. 1t was probably overlooked
among the mass of papers Mr.. Center
had accumulated; so that Paul waited
and waited, and still no answer. Then
from different Europeali cities he
wrote, and wrote again, without ever
one word in return, and by
and-by he thought her dead; and the
weary heart that man carried about
for many year proved how dear she
had been to him. have no power to |
tell you How Hester toiied and hoped !
through all the years that lay between |
her and the success which was at last |
given her. While hef father lived she !
knew she never lost sight of her aim;
and as, summer after summer, she I
taught the district school, She. denied |
herself dress and many little luSuries |
any other woman would nave called /
in order to buy good |
strong books that would help her to |
mold herself, until her character
should be somewhat in unison with |
Ill noble, beautiful things. She called
40 work beneath her. Any thing she
could find she tiiede ESf HANDS do,
md Withal there was not a better
laughter or sister in New Hampshire.
OF course there were moments of |
sadness, almost despair; but she noted
Gods discipline with the hardy ifioun-
ain pine TEAR her own door, and, $50
He deals with me; it is hard, but |
IAN bear il" Enll well she knew
hat she loved Paul BrOwnlow-that
came to her with tile sick-
less of heart that followed the cessa-
ion of his letters-but she did not re-
'ine, although her eye was very dim,
md her lip quivered painfully as she
ried to be brave, and tell herself,
That the love would be very blessed
God had given it. He could make up
or 1t wholly, entirely.
And so her beautiful youth passed;
nd when the infirm old father died
nd one brother married, Hester took
he other, who was partially insane,
ntO the city with her, and with her
rain and q few manuscripts atteinpt-
d to support herself and him, She
id not know how much her poems
nd stories were worth; but she could
ot help hoping that the words she
ad prayed over so earnestly, and felt
D keenly, would not fall entirely un-
oticed by her fellows. That city life
j too painful for me to write much of
you have ever haunted publishers
ffices, beseeching them to give Won
'ork, not for fame but for daily bread,
on can tell a little about it; if YOU
ave not done it, bless God that YOU :
ave no such bitter experience to re-
lember. AS Hester was unknown.
he sketches and poems, although ac-
,pted, were not often paid for. and y
hen she found no money came fro- =
lem, she procured sewing, and II