Year: 1860

Il IOION v ILL
What beautiful place! Just look out here
upon the lawn. How majestic is that fine
cid sbell tree ,; how pretty the match houses
and rows of white cabins! Oh I am very
sure all will be we'll with you hereafter; for
I will take care of you, and you shall soon
be as happy as the rest. My name is Nan
ME; you must call me cousin Mamie
Who do you room with ?''


Mary, these words again opened the
thood-gates of my heart. said that I loved
her better than any body else in the world,
except mother; and might I not room with
her, and sit by her at table and chapel ex-
ercises-walk with her and be with her all
the time? She let the straight clear heart
current have its course; even opened wide
its channel by patient strokes on my hair,
and kisses by whiles on my forehead. At
length she replied: 'You shall room with
me, but we must first 60 and make up the
loss to your roommate; and talk to Mrs
c. about it, We made the arrange
ments, and I was soon ensconced happily in
her little chamber; when she brushed back
my hair, bathed my eyes, and embraced me
as her 'little sister HELEN She then
slept to a side-table and took up small
china cup, which was filled with violets tied
in bunch like these. She touched them
all about to her face, as ifin them lay some
healing power; her lips stayed little while,
pressing their purple beauty; then tender
ly, caressingly, she took them out of the
cup.


"Here are some violets for you, HELEN"
she said, while her soul looked through her
eyes, still fixed upon the flowers. "Smell
them arethey not very sweet? They are
from bed just under my chamber window
at home. My sister and I cultivate them
together. She gathered this bunch the morn
ing I left her, and I brought them all the
way in this cup. They are still very odorous.
We always keep bunch ready on the man
tie at home, for any friend who may drop in
to see US, cherish this old custom it is
simple but suggestive. Violets are only
winter flowers, and need no hot-house coax
ing to nurse them into beauty. As such,
they are appropriate tokens of gratitude to
our friends, who brave the cold wintry winds
to step into our homes with an added enjoy
ment Hold up your chin, and let me put
this bunch on your apron"


[ was unwilling to receive flowers which
must have been so precious to the donor,
and began to say so-but she stopt me-


eyes," she continued, "they are yours
they will not die in vain here Their odor
is most delicately pure; surprising us ever
and anon with sweet feelings for which we
can give no reasons"


She pinned them up near my throat
near enough for me to lay my cheek upon
their cool-kissing petals near enough for
their odor to surprise me ever and anon
with sweet feelings which blended with,
and doubly beautifed my newborn love for
cousin Mamie Mary, from that evening
till now, the sweet feelings inbreathed from
violets into my better nature, are the same.
They still win me back to that evening, to
that hour for angels, and to mine who then
and there began her ministerings unto me,
nor ceased them for three rapid, beautiful
years. Mary, from that hour her influence
over me became perfect law, unerripg as
the law of nature. She cherished and loved
me as we'll as any glad, happy mother in all
the world could love her first born. She
loved me wisely, as earnest affection does
always blaming me when in error, and
pointing ever to the right. A look from
her would change an unkind thought into
a tear of penitence; word from her, only
whispered and free from passion as music,
subdued me till had no desire, save to act
nooly and purely, and therefore, merit her
love. l regarded her as being superior;
and she never for moment was forgetful
of me, though much older and wiser than
me; and in moral and mental culture the
equal and associate of the most gifted in
the school, Her presence made for me, the
music of the moments. She was my oracle.
She made study thing of joy. She call
ed up the spiritual and the beautiful from
all things wherein they dwelt. She linked
prayer and thanksgiving with life and love.
The Bible poetry was marvel of sublimity
and perfectness in all truth, when she read
and explained its teachings. Mary, the
religious serenity which characterized all
she did, together with her face, which 1
cannot describe as otherwise than haloed,
does often now penetrate long years and the
grave, and control my actions. Even so
wondrous is the power of pure personal in
huence.


"Such, Mary, was the guardian spirit of
my school days. To violets still belong the
sweetest feelings that are born of flowers /;
and, though now they will stretch back in
to the long past. and reach yearningly to.
ward the infinite heavens, yet their mission
is for her, and a joy forever. They wind
intricately and mysteriously about the soul ;
and it quickens and feels anew its immor-
tality. My own, precious violets '


"Helleu, when and where did she die;
and what of your last meeting?"


"Short questions, these, Mary, but they
fill my soul with mingled yearning regret
and tranquil Joy. She had remained at
school a resident graduate eight months,
when the sad intelligence of her fathers
death came, with messenger to take her
home. Alone in our chamber, she enfold-
ed me in her arms as she had done three
years before.


'Hellen,' she said, weeping, Il will in a
few hours be also bereft of this solace. To