The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-10
HESTER GRAHAME.
One WOman's Life.

Every face is either q history or Q
prophecy" / think that my friend
Hester was both for studied 1t many
years since, and each year proves the
truth Of my reading.
Hester was born in a little wood.
c0lored house half. way up Red Noun.
| tain, in a town and country known to
all tourists. The father and mother OF
this child did not possess, to any con-
siderable degree, that thrift and energy
which characterizes most Yankee
farmers, for they were always in trou-
BILE. NobOdy's cattle had such genius
for running awayi no other fences
fascinated the wind to such an extent
as did theirs; and it was certain that
they were always little too late for
any good fortune that befell their
neighbors. They had been blessed
with many children; but, as Mrs. Gra-
hame said, "Nobody was SO unlucky
with their children as Job and her."
So, when little Hester was born, there
were but three boys left. If you were
ever in house where the article most
needed could never be found; where
the person most depended upon was
never ready; where the neighbOrs
knew much better than the parents
where the next meal was coming from,
you can form some idea of the influen-
ces that surrounded the childhood and
girlhood of which / am endeavOring
to tell you.
Schools and churches we're not so
common a. now; and by the time
Hester could walk the four miles that
lay between her own hill and the one
on whose top the schoOl-house was
perched, the poor, inefficient mother
had fallen into a decline, and before
the child could spell the word death,
the mother knew to its fullest extent
its wonderous meaning. Of course
there was no more school for Hester.
She must see to the hOuse-must
take care of her father and brothers;
and her natural quickness and energy
coming to her aid In the course of a
few months, she did far better than
her mother had ever done. So all her
daily work was dore well; but when
she looked down upon the lake bathed
in the glory of sunset; when she
watched the grand old mountains as
they threw off their robe of mist and
stood alone against the sky, there
came 1ohgihgs to that cbild's heart for
another, a broader life-one that should
be as beautiful as that smooth lake
as great and self-reliant as those move
less mountains.
They Were not altogether vague
yearnihgs either; for as the years gave
her strength and Judgment SHE saw
that she must sohfrite soiiie Way to
know rt5re, and so do more, than she
could now and the how to do it was
soon decided. One day, after the
housework was done, she. went out
and picked q basketf,il Of TIC large
raspber,tes that ciung to the sides of
the mountain. This time she did not
make them into pies, but walked to
the nearest village and tried to sell
them. L do not know about faint
heart never winning fair iadSi but
sure am I that faint heart never sue
ceeded i'll selling berries; and poor
little Hester Was almost, discouraged
as she knGekea at The tl6of Of sIib-
stahtiai-looking house and asked the
old gentleman who opened it the oft
repeated question. She thought he
was pleasant-looking; and while he
went to ask his wife, peeped timidiy
into the large entry, and then into the
room beyond--alrilost screaming with
delight as she saw long, deep shelves
lined with books, By-and-hy tbS old
gentleman aiid his wife caifie back,
and when the latter had examined
the berries, after the manner Of steady
conEluded 10 take them.
"Bht the prize, What Would the little
girl ask?f No one knew less about
the price than the little girl they |
might give her what they liked:
This amused the good man; and he
soon found Out that the child wanted
the money to buy book with; and
after a few more questions, he told her
that he was Mr.. Center, the minister,
and that he would pay her for the |
berries and give her book besides. |
Never child climbed Red Mountain |
with a lighter heart than did Hester |
that afternoon; the stern heights
above her seeming to smile their con-
as she held up the long
coveted treasure. Rut it must not be
opened until the supper was ready
until the dishes and milk-things were
Then down upon the broad,
Hat stone that served for doorstep she
spclltu Out tllc tit1c vi MI. Sc1tCl .
present. 1t was that old, old book,
The "Pilgrim's Progress" and not un-
i'll the long summer twilight was end
I'd did she lift her eyes from its pages.
It was hard work for her to read; she
1ad to spell many words; but still she
gathered somewhat of the meaning;
md before Saturday night she closed
he covers with tear as she thought,
Il have no more to read" When the
came, she thought if she
,ould go to the village for book she
,ould surely walk there to church; so,
upon one of her brothers to
her, they started, and,
,ery much to his establishment, Mr..
Jenter saw his little brown-eyed friend
Walk into his meeting-house.
After service he came and spoke to
Ter; and upon the next day his we'll
ed nag rambled to the foot of the
fountain, where Mr.. Center dis
and left the beast to his own
leasure while he climbed the rugged
athway you thought so picturesque
ast summer.
The child Hester had finished wash.
ng; so she sat down with him and
Did him some of her dreams and plans
he listening kindly, and promising '
} befriend her. OF course Hester's
lther did not object. Alas! Job Gra-