Year: 1861

Inc lfself snail, or the eagle imagine itself


blue lay1 Was it wrong that all this beauty


all this innate refinement, this taste, and men,


ta]ity, should pine and starve for want of that


appreciation for which We all pine and strive.


And if Jennie wept that her scant and faded


calico had drawn forth sneers, rs though it was


herself and not the accident of covering; and i


she wept that simple minded and narrow.


thoughted-girls carried themselves proudly land


won attention, while she slipped meanly into


by-ways, and shrunk from the observation


which was only cold and contenptuous, can we


blame her? She was woman with n woman s


beauty and a woman's power. But, alas? Jen-


ME was Gagged by circumstances, her jewels COW
cred by the dust of labor, her young life hidden
and dull. and sad.


Besides, an incident at the store had wounded
her severely and re-awakened her consciousness
of weakness and semi-degredation 1t was this
She had taken bundle of work t, the inspect
ing clerk, and thence had been directed to the
cashier with a ticket for her pay. On former
occasions she had suffered from curious and


wicked glances while passing clerks of differ
ent departments, as well as from peculiar tone


in which the cashier addressed her. To-day
she was either more painfully sensitive or the
glances OF admiration were more disgustingly
prominent; and the cashier, after fumbling as
long as possible, handed her the silver she had
earned with a careless but insulting remark
| A hand touched her arm, and kind voice said,
"Wait moment Miss, Dell" in SO assured and
| commanding way, that she involuntarilv
paused. The gentlemen stepped up to the
cashier, struck him smart blow un the side of
his face with the palm of his hand, tipping him
over, took the vacated stool at his desk, and by
the time the fellow had picked himself up, had
balanced his account and was ready for him
with the residue of his wages. Then leading
the fellow to the door by the arm kicked him in
the street. All this was done so coolly, with so
much ease and genilemanly decision, that Jen-
ME could take no exception to even the last act
| of the drama.
"My store will be safe to you in the future,
Miss Dell, but will not put you to the incon-
yenience OF bringing your work. | will send
a boy for it, and directing lad to take the H.
dy's blndle, Mr.. Brewer bowed Jennie out of
the store before she had time to cry or do any
thing more than 10 thank him with a glance
| which, breaking from her late indignation, was
a curious iEtermingling of pride and gratitude.
The incident had recalled for the hundredth
time terrible consciousness of her unprotected
situation, and she felt more keenly the utter
helplessness of poverty. Sometimes the blco of
proud ancestry dashed to her cheeks and throb-
bed to her temples; but the next moment the
womans s tears chased each other down her
cheeks.


Il an 50 Siiiu you u1Ne CoIDe Inner, L nave
been so very lonely and then | was fearful some
thing had happened.


The old man bent little and kissed the eyes of
his augbter-kissing The eyes was the mpha-
sis of his affection-and his lips were mostened
by tears which Jennie had unwittingly left
there in her haste to brush them away to meet
his coming step.


"What is this, daughter? CRYING my child?
You are not sick dear? Why, / thought brave
girls never cried, however dark the day might
be-" and with one hand on each shoulder,
the white haired man held the daughter at
arms length before him, gazing lovingly into
her eyes.
Not a trace Of sadness was in the beaming
face of the daughter how; SO, after meeting his
gaze laughinly tor moment, Jennie slipped to
his side leaned close 10 his shoulder, clasping
his arm in her hand, she said


"Oh, nothing of any moment, father. We
women have little foolish thoughts and troubles
of our own when We are left alone all day
But when father comes back again Jennie is
happy enough isn't shef" and the girl looked
into his face with so much of beauty, and smile
and Joy that the old man forgot the dew drop
which had dried on his lips. and went 10 Won
dering what made his daughter so happy, alone
and hard at work in that lonesome room all
day.


The father forgot the sadness the sooner for
the jewel of good tidngs which he was holding
tight in his heart, longed to give it to his daugh
ter, but wondering which is the most perfect
way TO show it. Whether to raise the lid with
n spring and permit the Koh-i-noor to flash
with its diamond brightness full in her face at
once, or TO lift the nd gently so that the loved
ones eyes might catch the brilliance, ray by
ray and beam by beam. While the daugter was
making the tea-kettle cover dance. and then
pouring spattering los water into the little black
teapot in the bottom ofwhich very few but very
nice leaves lay curled in fragrant exclusivenes
and concentration, the glad father thought the
matter over. While the torpid little leaves
warmed into inevitable expansion by the heated
flood, the glad father still continued to think it
over.


"You look tired father; have you worked hard
to-day?'


"Not very, daughter"


"Why. you are pale, father; you are sick, l
know"


1t is well that the girl dropped the plate from
her hand, though it went down with crackle
into Fragments for the old man was rolling out
of his chair. She was Just in time to save him.
Without a word, the daughter held him mo-
ment, till she could glance into his face, and
then with strength which she could always
command when aroused, bore him to the near
est bed and laid him there.


"Fatner! fatncr!


Not a word nor sigh of consciousness. Ien-
ME bathed his temples with water, rubbed his
arms, his chest, called on him, and wept. His
lips move.


'"what is it, father ~ and the daughters car
is close by the trembling lips. ...
al have heard. d."-iantly-" from,-Robert
fainter. Robert is-he is the voice is
too faint to be heard-lhe lips cease to move
the old man is dead. No cries of"Father. dear
father r. no chatting cf hands. no bathing fthat
calm, snow fringed brow will ever bring back
the soul now freed at last from its cherries i'm
prisonment ofeighty years.


Straighten the stiffening limbs. lone daughter;
close tighter the eyelids; he is gone. And the
secret hidden in that unfinished sentence-it,
too, is gone, and vainly will you try to fathom
its import. The blow was terrible one. Not
alone that this was her stay and companion
but her only support and her only friend. Now
she was alone. Alone.


When all hope of restoration was gone Jen-
ME stood erect a little way from the bed, her
head buried in her hands, and let the tide of
loss and loneness sweep over her. In that in
slant of time she drank the full cup and tasted
each and every ingredient. This made her
calm. Another nature might have sunk; she
was lifted. strengthened. All the energies of
her heart came into active lifc and now fearful or
quiet, busy or still, she was the same strong.
self-conscious woman she had ever been. She
was even stronger and more calm.
A quick step upon the stairs aad careless
rap at the door. 1t was the bright-faced lad
with a bundle.


"Mr Brewer says as how this is nicer work,
| and you may send back the other bundle"
said the little fellow, boy like, as he came alb
|