Montgomery County sentinel., 1877-10-12
= glea5ant Story,
DROWNED.

Lingering around the ruins of what
in my childhood was fair and stately
home, | was led to think of the change
full fortunes of all whom I had ever
known who were connected with it. |
had, in the short space of half an hour,
gone through with dozen remembered
histories of the family to whom | be-
longed | thought of the times, ever
since my remembrance, III which the home
seemed bright and happy-when the
roof-tree echoed with young and cheerful
voices, and the old lawn was alive with
gayly springing forms. And oh, how
nearly did these memories touch me
when | thought of three sweet sisters
who were my own chosen friends, and
whose paths in life promised to be of
equal brightness. Alas, for two of them
Jane, Alice and Eudora The names
fall lovingly from my pen, for they were
as dear sisters to me. | was nearest the
age of Alice; but Jane was only a brief
year older, and Eudora not year
younger, and the triAing difference made
no difference in our feeling, while Jane
seemed actually the youngest Of the four,
and bowed to our opinions and asked our
advice, as if it were really so. She was
30 fair, toe, so small, always reminding
me of Scotts Fenolla, in her airy, grace
ful ways; and, like her, too, she nearly
always was dressed in green her dress
seeming like the beautiful, soft, half
shining leaves of the Ethiopian lily, and
inclosing as fair flower.
Alice was pretty brunette sparkling
in conversation and rich in repartee, which
sometimes verged on the sarcastic, but
was instantly redeemed by kindly flow
Of feeling that made you love her even
when she had just wounded your self
love. Eudora was the sateliest of the
three. Queenly in look, lofty in feeling,
almost naughty in appearance, Eudora
claimed the respect and attention she
mcrlted. She was tho very soul of
honor, aud had quick sensibilities that
seemed, at times, to threaten her peace
too severely. Such spirits oftener feel
the stings of life more deeply than we
know, who only see tho naughty outside
that outside which is often "worn just
10 cover their tears"
We had left school together, aud were
enjoying the first delightful feeling Of
freedom consequent upon that event. -
We were together almost continually,
and | was but fourth sister, SO intimate
had we become. Ny friends father was
a Clergyman by professiona great scho-
lar, but sometimes considered by his brcth-
ren as not quite sound on certain essen
tial points This idea Of his laxness had
wonderfully thinned bis. congregation ;
but he made no effort to justify himself
in the eyes Of bis people. He had three
girls who must be provided for, and he
advertised for family pupils to repair the
income thus unexpectedly shortened. His
house was soon filed to oycraowing /;
and he was obliged 10 add new and
inexpensive wing to the old house, and
cut it up into dormitories, to accommodate
the influx Of scholars whose parents held
Mr. Helstones educational abilities in
such honor.
The boys lived wholly in the family.
There were twenty Of them mostly
bright, active lads, with a suporabund-
ance of animal spirits, mischiovous loye
of play and dread Of being criticised by
Eudora Holstone. TO Alice. the raw,
haf-educated boys were continual sources
of that unaccOuntable sarcasm which was
wreathed into her nature as the thornc is
wreathed with the rose---a part Of its
life, and not to be severed but by tear
ing it out foreibly, and leaving wound
upon the stem as incufable as It is deep.
Yet Jane and Alice were as sisters to
the lads, while Eudora kept up her
stately ways, and looked the criticism
which her father would not permit her
openly to manifest.
Sidney Winter came last. The house
was crowded, 80 tina; the girls were