Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-03-25

ing girl who is assisting Helen san
ford at the lower part of the table i
Clara's sister Harriet. She is now il
her fifteenth year, and is clearly de
velopng in character the effects o
the elder sisters instruction and care
Her brother Charles, too, is in thu
company. That is him standing upoI
a curious shaped mound, pointing on
its form and specializing upon Its or
lgin. Among his listeners is Lucy
Ashton, the daughter of the village
pastor, who, though standing farthesl
from the speaker, is not the least at
tentive of the number But where is
Edwa d Sanford? lie has been so
busy ince their arrival that we have
scarcely caught glimpse of him
| But there he is now, coat and hat off
sweating over kettle Of boiling syrup:
continually stirring it, and anx-
lously watching lest it should not be
properly candled for . desert on the
occasion. Near him stands "our Car
ric' with spoon and saucer, to test by
her judgement and taste the contents
OF Edwards kettle John and Richard
Stevens are fitting up the old swing
under the big maple, and little Alice
and Mary Grant are looking on, chat
ting all the while and in high glee at
the prospect of having the first swing
They are the youngest of the company,
neither having vet seen thirteen sum-
mers. Their sprightly yet amiable
dispositions render them both favor
ties throughout the village, although
Alice, from her fairy-like size, was
rather claimed as the pet one Of the
two. The dinner was soon prepared
and soon disposed of, and the mem
bess OF our party amused themselves
as their fancy inclined. Some betook
themselves to the swing, others again
examined the appendages about the
fire, while a few strolled away for a
ramble through the groves. Among
the latter were Charles Fisher and
Caroline Hastings, who were leisure
ly wandering toward an eminence al
most haIf-a-mile distant. Charley
having spent the three years last past
in an eastern city to perfect his edu-
cation, and having returned late the
preceding fall, had become less in
timately acquainted with Caroline
than with the other ladies in the COM
pany. His sisters, in their letters to
him, had mentioned Mrs. Hastings
arrival among them and their frequent
and enthusiastic encomiums on the
daughter, had prepared him to see. a
genteel, pretty girl; but in all the pic
lures which his fancy had formed of
her, the fact that she had grown zip
in a city. led him to, comnare her to
tected ladies he was accustomed to
meet in his daily rambles Which
picture our readers will readily sur.
mise was not very fattering Charles
had spent his boyhood in the coun-
try, aud country tastes and habits
were particularly cougenial to his
feelings. During his college course
he loved to reflect often and long upon
the many pleasures of his childhood
home, the little brook where in hol-
idays he used to fish, the groves
where he used to hunt rabbits and
phesants, the fields IN which with
his little sister Harriet he had gather
ed berries, and the openings and prai-
ries, from which he had so often gath
cred the bright spring flowers for his
dear sister Clara-all rose up in sweet
remembrance before him, and render
ed him impatient for the time of his
return. The effectionate and mother
" advice of that kind, elder sister, and
desire to show himself worthy Of all
the love and care she had bestowed,
preserved him from those many temp
tatIons which always beset, and often
destroy young men from the country,
while pursuing their education in our
large villages aud crowded cities.
His taste and habits had remained un-
changed, and be ardently longed to re-
turn TO the quiet enjoyments Of his
western home. His arrival had been
few days earlier than was anticipat-
cd by his friends at home. He had
fastened his return that he might be
in season to spend the Thanksgiving
with his early and dearest friends, and
by the greatest exertlon had reached
his fathers house the afternoon of the
dag preceding the one set apart for
that time honored and interesting OBJ
seryance. | need not undertake to
describe the greetings between the
kind father, the warm hearted sisters
and the effectonate son and brother,
and some time elapsed before Charles
noticed in the farther part Of the room
a lady whom he did not remember to
have before seen. Unwilling to en-
barrass the freedom of that family
meeting, she had quietly continued
her occupation, partially concealed by
the fall curtains of the window near
which she was sitting. The beauty
of her countenance and the ease and
grace with which she rose and recelv-
ed Clara's introduction to her brother,
delighted, while it confused him. lie
could not realize that the unvarnished
beiN3 DbluIC nun, NuO W a. rtoSlStlii =
his sisters in their preparations for the
morrow, was the Miss Hastings Of his
fancy. and he was almost tempted TO
expose the picture by begging pardon
for having formed it. lie was, how
ever, soon at his ease, and after briet
period Miss H., with true deliacy OF
feeling, took leave of the happy family,
lest her presence might check that ia
lniliar communion in which she proper
~ could not participate. After that
time Charles and Caroline frequently
met, but their intimacy, though famil
lar and kind character, differed 50 little
from what was common in that com
lnunity, that it attracted but little OBJ
servatlon. They did not, however
wholly escape the espionage Of some
of the mischief makers Of the village
Mrs Gadsby, who lived just back Of
Mrs. Hastings, and who had two