Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-30
BEssY's TWO THANKsGIyINGs.

The day before Thanksgiving, 1859,
Mr.. Sears drove his mother up to the
little Mountain House, about twenty
miles from town. They told the neigh
bors they were going to look at the late
change of foliage in the hills; but the
old lady knew very well that she was
being taken to inspect her future
daughter-in-law, and her son knew that
she knew it. They were people, how
ever, who never dribbled talk on seri-
ous subjects. George Sears had not yet
asked Elizabeth to be his wife, and if
his mother did not approve of her he
thought he would never ask her. Moth
ing, not even his happiness, should
come between his mother and himself.
But she could not help paying homage
and affection to Elizabeth! She wasso
sincerely devout a girl-his mother was
strict in her religious opinions she was
intellectual, simple-mannered, gentle,
unaffected, and the most unselfish hu-
man being alive. When Mrs. Sears
saw how the girl had sacrificed her life
to the care of that morbid, h%ypochon-
driac old father, she must regard her
as a household saint. George would
have added her beauty as a recommend
ation-it certainly had its due weight
with himself; but Elizabeth made so
light of it, as other worldly advantages,
that he was ashamed to show how much
he valued it.
They arrived at the Mountain House
in the forenoon; and after his mother
had warmed herself he proposed, with
a painful attempt at carelessness, that
they should walk over to his friend, DIR.
Hoyt's. 81 know that Miss Hoyt has
procured a nurse for her father to-day,
that she may have a holiday with US.
She has SO few holidays, poor thing!
She will ask us to dinner, no doubt, and
have a little feast; and it will be a real
Thanksgiving for her."
Ell hope she WILL" said Mrs Sears,
SCI am very hungry, to tell the truth
George was not at all afraid that the
dinner would not satisfy even his moth
er's critical eye. Elizabeth had drilled
herself in all housewifery, from princi-
Pile. Indeed, as they walked through
the forest to the Hoyt farm, he could
not think of a flaw which his mother
could find in that Admirable Crichton
eof O woman. Yet he was silent and
anxious, with a vague sense of discom-
fort and alarm. Mrs. Sears, on her
part, felt a matronly sympathy for the
4imid country girl, about to be put on
view, who was, doubtless, trembling
with anxiety and, perhaps, mauva,se
honte.
Just at that moment she caught sight
of a pale, thin young woman, sitting
under an oak reading. Her face was
delicate and purely cut, with a peculiar
expression of calmness, of distance
from surrounding objects upon it; just
such a face as belongs to many of our
readers-pious, refined American wom-
en- in villages or the country who have
passed the first flush of youth.
ooh! you are here" cried George,
joyously. smother, this is Miss Hoyt,"
bringing the hands of the two women
he loved best together. The old lady's
etrembled a little; but Miss Hoyt's was
quite firm and cool. She smiled cor
daily, and brushed the leaves from the
old log, for her guests to sit down.
"I find the air and scenery of the fall
more elevating to my thoughts than
those of any other season." she said;
60 and, therefore, I spend every posi-
BILE minute out of doors. Though,
really, we ought to keep the mind as
open to religious emotion from one
natural influence as another, L know"
looking at Mrs. Sears.
"Upou my word, 1 thought
about it. You brought your book to
help Nature, I suppose"
eyes. Limitation of Christ / set
aside certain hours daily, i~nexorably,
for determination; and I find old
Thomas a Kempis my severest guide to
the weaknesses and falsity of my own
motives. Pardon me-" coloring slight
ly, "I did not mean to introduce that
subject. When religion is dragged into
conversation the effect upon my mind
always is to make me express opinions
from hearsay, not from my W expe-
rience."
Mrs Sears did not saw what the eff