Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-04-12
THAT HORRlD CREATURE,

How we'll remember the time
when first my misshapen and
stunted body became a great ard
lasting grief to me ! / had not
minded it till then. At home l
was more petted and caressed. and
sometimes [ thought more loved,
than my tall, we'll formed and
handsome twin brother. And I
fancied it would be so every where
But when | was twelve years old |
was suddenly undeceived on that.
MY father and mother lived in
the country. Our nearest neigh
bor was mile away, and even
there there were no children, so
that my only playmate was Claude,
my twin brother. We were very
different always. Claude was a
slender, tail, fair.haired, blue eyed
boy. / was dark skinned, dark
eyed, dark haired, thick-set, and
short for my age even before that
terrible accident, when [ was
three years old: that left me as |
now am.
After that I was still more tep-
derly loved than before. There
was nothing too hard for Claude
to do for memo sacrifice too
great for him, if it would add in
the least to my comfort. No Won
der, then, that l did not feel my
deformity to be trial. Mother
taught US at home till [ was twelve
years old, as it was too far from
our home to the school for me to
walk; out at that time father moved
iuto village, and then it was de
cided that we were to attend
school. 1 shall never forget it
my first day at school. 1t was a
rainy dismal day, and the scholars,
with the curiosity IF childhood,
had gathered at the windows to
watch the arrival of the new
scholars. | don't know how it
was, but some instinct prompted
me to walk up the path behind
Claude, and as we neared the
door l heard one of the girls say ::
There, Milly, that's Claude Yer
non. Amt he splendid But oh.
MiIIy, just look at that 'horrid
creature with him Can ii be
that that is the brother he spoke
of p Claude heard it, too. | saw
his face redden and his fist clench.
Then he tnrned to me and his lips
qnivered as be said, Don't mind
1t, Ross. Father aud mother and
l will love you all the more. You
won't mind it, will you ?" | said
no, but did mind l.; and when. a
day or two later, l beard that same
girl say Il spelled that word wrong
on purpose. MiIly, so as not to
stand next that horrid creature," l
minded it more than ever.
But school and college days
passed, with their many, many Bit
ter trials, and we were mn. 1t
was seldom that | went into COM
pany, and when I did, the sneers
and neglect that I met with were
so hard for me to bear t.-at | al.
ways determined not to go again.
At first Claude overru!ed me, and
l went to please Kim; and then ]
met with one who did sneer at me
but was kind and gentle ever, and
| thought, seemed to enjoy my
coApany. So | went oftener
knowing 1 should meet her.
learned to look forward to those
meetings as my happiest moments
j had pever kept secret from
Claude before; but l felt that thi:
was something of which coult
not speak even to him. I loved
Lily, and believed she loved me-
At last. one day, | told her of my
love, and how did she receive it!
She laughed at me.
81 have pitied you" she said
II do pity you. can pity a hunch
back, but cannot marry one."
Oh ! this was the hardest blow
of all, and [ went home a wiser, a
well as sadder mah. Kindness
to me meant pity, not love. I
week or two after Claude came t,
me, his face radiant with happi
ness, as he said:
Congratulate me, Ross, Lii
Sheppard has promised to b
: my wife
II wish You all JOY, Claude.
!; said l; but L felt that | could no
stay to see them, SO l cam
away from home-came to th
quiet old farm bouse, away fron
my grief, or rather, as I know
away from my old grief, only t
find new one.
Farmer Quinn and his wife hav
. been very kind to me, and thei
. daughter, Hester Quinn, has ais
d been kind; but kindness to M
: means only pity. | have learne
!, to love Hestel-not as I love
: Lily, but with deep. deep love
that will never give place to ano.l
er. l shall not tell her of N
love. She shall have no chance t
l. laugh at my folly, in feeling a wis
2 2 that she should marry this sshorri
creature" | am going home.