The Morning herald., 1877-05-15
The 0liillrl Eatsr.
BY A PHYSICIAN.

"nocter Riyers, will ,you come to my
,lo n0e,s' 20 C. street. at 8 o'clock, this
.vening? .V9 Come, as if for a friendly call
onIv and do not betray an anxiety tor any
of,1, nv family. will indicate to you 81
=. isntiy y whom I wish you to notice-or, per
,. h"ns 7 had better not either. Judge and
nap0, pn,;ne each one for yourself, and tell me
tHa tha result of your Investigations, privately.
'''' ''' A. DE WOLFE"
suob was the purport ofthe note which |
roceived one morning, just as | was stepping
tbrouah th the hall, cane and gloves in hand,
w. W make nv daily round of calls upon my
M.t;ents. Coming from Mrs. DE Wolfe, q
frank. open hearted woman, who never III
her life before had any concealments or
mysteries, nv, | was rather puzzled; and, even
n nv arduous duties for the day, for it was
A. Aueu,t, and sickly year, I found myself
thinking of my evening engagement with
S01'T Promptly, ln at the time appointed, I
Knocked at the door of a pretty suburban
cottage, where Mrs. De Wolfe and three
daughters resided; and to which her only
son returned home 1t the regular college
vacations. =
found him at home, for it was now the
lonp vacation. He was pale, slender
volpg man, with an eye of fire, and rest
iess nervous appearance, which l attribut>
ed to the high pressure which the most
gifted of his class--the graduating class
had been subjected to that year.
The oldest daughter, Madeline, was .
study to me always. She was very tall,
with that superb beauty that reminds one
Of an Egyptian lily, so pure, yet 50 stately.
Her dark hair, thick and abundant, was
folded in rich, heavy bands, displaying the
shape of her remarkable head, and ended
in a large coil at the neck. Her counte-
nance was so pale that one might have sup
posed her sickly, had not the ruby redness
Of her lips and The brilliant clearness Of
her dark eyes, contradicted such an idea.
The second sister, Ada, was very differ
ent. She had soft, brown hair, and bril-
liant color in her cheek. She was much
smaller than the stately sister, and an oc-
casional cough interrupted her sweet and
musical tones, with apparently passing
annoyance to herself, and look Of troubled
anxiety from mother to sister.
The youngest sister was fifteen years Of
age; in height woman, but in manners only
aplayful child. She loved society, while
her sister painfully shrunk from it. While
they kept their choicest words for the few
who penetrated to their inmost souls, Aga
tha gave out hers to every passing acquain-
tance. Like the sweet brier, she difused
her fragrance upon all alike. No one was
proof against that warm, sunshiny nature
that gave out its affluence upon all who
came within its reach.
The widowed mother of these children
was pale, sensitive, lady-like woman-a
ftnd and proud, YET disappointed mother,
not from any deficiency in them, but from
the adverse fortune that had attended them
since the death of her husband. With
health so delicate, that half her suferings
would have excused almost any one from
performing any duty. Mrs. De Wolfe &C.
hieved miracles Of house keeping while
the three daughters went to give lessons in
drawing music ane the languages, earning
the support which she had no longer to
give them. ,>
scanned all these people with an earnest
and searching eye; but could positively
lind nothing upon which to base such
trouble as the note from Mrs. De Wolfe
implied. The daughters conversed upon
general subjects with taste and intelligence
and Arthur touched lightly upon recent af-
fairs at the college. Only the mothers
eye looked consciously anxious, yet never
directing or enlightening me by single
glance toward either of her children. was
puzzled, and my judgment entirely at
fault '' 80 -.
| should have said before, that this fam
lily were all distinguished for calm, Sc:
rene piety-a deep, but not noisy, religious
sentiment, the tone of which was ever pres
entt to others, yet without ever alluding to
,helr personal experience. While their
heads were all deeply concerned in relig-
ious things, their taste prevented them
1M9rclng the subject upon any individual
lr,eopIe felt their Beautiful faith and trust,
though rarely hearing any allusion to it
from their lips. '''
- Just before l was about to depart, in the
lu,l belief that the widows anxiety had
Inly magni6ed some trifing disorder, that
a .sa already disappeared, happened to
mention the subject of some new doctrine,
"nich @ was apparently gaining ground in
Ocety, and which threatened to explode
generally received opinion. H.
nj But you know ws managed all that, !"
Fad !, Arthur, earnestly. ..., =
r, Managed i'll how my young friend9'
as burst out laughing, bis pale students
.IS Iss co!oring with excitement, and wild
svas s,ssm lighting up bis previously serene
hat subjectv'' " ~ '' >'4 '' '' N'NS' -'''' 1' -
h.. a glanced at the mother. Her face at
ua' sIino moment expressed deep agonly. Mad
.;uS ;nS naa covered hers, Ada turned to the