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

Two would return from q drunkeI
carpuse, and only arise the next morn
/ ing to betake themselves to a scene O.
their last nights degradation. That il
: not q pleasant time to remember; il
, makes the tears come to Hester's eyes
now when she recalls how earnestly
she used to pray for one quiet hour,
when, with Milton or Shakespeare. she
, could dream by herself. But 1 am
glad to say she did not neglect what
the selfishness Of others threw upon
her. She planned, she asked advice,
!. and in the autumn the barn held near
ly as much as when old Grahame
managed the farm. And there were
still leasure minutes, and every one
was improved, so that once a fortnight
she trudged down the mountain to her
teacher. Once, as she was reciting a
lesson, she chanced to look up, and
saw, sitting at the other end of the
room, q man whom she did not know,
and whom her teacher carelessly pre-
sented,a "My nephew, Mr.. Brown
iow," and then asked the next ques-
ton.
When the lesson was finished Paul
opened the door for Hester as he would
have done for any woman, she thank
ing him by little bend of her head !;
and before she had walked mile she
had forgotten his existence i'm the fas-
cinating pages of "MarmiOn." A deep
sigh, as she reached her own door,
told that she thought there was long
distance between the book and milk
ing the COW; but the smile never left
her face as she did all her work that
| night, for she was young, and youth
makes not much of stepping over the
line which separates fact and fancy.
| A few days after, as she was picking
up some chips in the dOor-yard, her
deep sun-bonnet pulled over her face
and her thoughts with Lady Glare,
voice at her sidestartled her by saying,
''GOod evening""
She looked up hastily, and saw Mr..
Brownlow. The "gOod-evening" was
returned and then the gentleman,
taking out a book from his pocket,
said, my uncle says you are fond of
reading and as l was coming this way
I thought would bring you some
thing new" e..-.
"Oht 1 am SO glad p' was the eager,
joyous cry; and Hester let fall the
chip basket, and, taking the book,
seemed completely absorbed in its con.
tents. a,
Mr.. Brownlow smiled. He did not
know what to make of this young
girl; but being patient man, he seat
ed himself upon a log and looked at
her.
Thirty-fivs yeats had passed over
Paul HroNtl0N S iead-yeafs In which
he had enjoyed more than most men
do in lifetime. Inheriting a large
fortuDe, lie had not known a single
ungratified want Until few months
before, ther he had trusted hi. prop
erty in a speculation that failed and
ruined him-if a man can be ruined
by losing his money. But he was no
weak boy to shrink and shiver at what
life gave him; 50 he entered a lawyers
office, .workea hsrd, ana the week he
was at Ills incie's Saw hifii admitted
to the bar-beginning at so late an
hour The struggle for fame and liveli-
hood Which many nieii earn; If they
earti 1t at all, before that tlnies
When he was a rich man many
mothers had paraded their daughters
before him, and rumor had many
times coupled his name with that OF
the reigning belle; but none of these
women had power to move him. In
deed, he had sometimes distrusted his
own ability to love. He had looked
around His quiet, luxurious library, !
with its old books, its fine paintings, |
and beautiful statues (every one of
which his own taste had collected in |
his foreign toursl and said that one
room had more charms for Him than |
any %oman's face, however beautiful,
or woman's heart, however loving. If
he had thought so when ease and lux
ury were his, how much mOre when
toll and poverty stared linn iii tie
face!
He was not great man, but he had
good heart, and that strong will and
patient perseverance which mean al
most genius. One quiet month he had
resolved to pass at his uncle's; after
that he would count each day as loss
that did not advance him long way
upon his upward road.
He was little interested in his
uncle's account of Hester, and her
earnestness as she, recited a prosaic
lesson in Latin Grammar upon that
first day of their acquaintance rather
pleased him. As have said, she did
not remember him long, but he watch
ed her climbing the mountain, eyes
bent on book, yet just as secure of foot
as a mountain goat, and could not
help smiling little to think that his
eyes would follow her so persistently.
He could not help thinking of her
long after the winding path concealed
her from his view; and in the two or
three days that interviewed between
she had lived it; she was no unmOved
spectator; in every deed and truth she
had acted her part in those deeds of
At length, with a half
smile, she resumed her rlOng-neglected
of fchip-picking, her quick
sense of the ridiculous telling her at
that particular moment how amusing
it was for a barefOoted girl like herself
to pass so much time amid the stately
revelry of palaces, with knights, and
high-bOrn danes for her companions.
Paul saw it too; and although she was
much too honest and noble to think
herself lowered by her surroundings,
he could not help plying her as the
quick blood crimsoned lfer cheek
when she saw him glance almost un-
at her bare, brown feet.
Timidly, yet most earnestly, for she (
was very thankful for the book, she
pressed him to stay and share their
supper of bread and milk, and, won
iering at himself, he at last consent
ed. Poor Hester, she has never for |
gotten how happy she was that father ;
md brother were sober that night. 1t
vas not the last bowl of milk he drank
n that little house, for month after
month went by, and still he dallied
It his uncle's; and when the autumn
anne he could no longer deny that 9
Hester Grahame's smiles and words &
we're the dearest things on earth to t
lin; and that to have and hold that
imple girl would be the most precious |
that life would give him. e
Cor the first time in his life he found q
part of himself which he could not a
Master. And how was it with Hester? 4
'he has told me since, amid tears even, h
hat first meeting and his call upon s
Ter he surprised his good uncle not a L
title by asking him if he did not wish j!
o send his pupil Hester some books. 1
Ir. Center replied that she came after o
er books when she wanted them, "
7hich reply made Paul ask, "How y
ften?" "When she gets time" was h
be answer; whereupOn Nj. Brown h
Nv thought he should do very kind n
hing if he carried her one. So the Il
/ have told you of, he start C,
d with volume of Woodstock, and W
uring the course of his hard walk Il