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diff --git a/43229-0.txt b/43229-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f758ea7 --- /dev/null +++ b/43229-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5115 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43229 *** + +Transcriber's note: + Spelling and punctuation inconsistencies have been harmonized. + Obvious printer errors have been repaired. Paragraph breaks, + as they are in the book, have been retained. Italic text has been + marked with _underscores_. + + + + +THE HAWTHORN. + + [Illustration: THE MOTHER'S JOY.] + + + + + THE HAWTHORN: + + A + CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S + PRESENT. + + MDCCCXLV. + + NEW YORK: + J. C. RIKER,--129 FULTON STREET. + 1845. + + + + + WEST BROOKFIELD, MASS. + C. A. MIRICK, PRINTER. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +We call our little book "THE HAWTHORN." We chose the name +of a blossom for our young readers, in preference to that of a gem, +because the cold glittering beauty of the latter has little in common +with the affectionateness, and beaming freshness of the young, to +whom the nature of flowers seems more analogous. + +When the young man came to the blessed Saviour to inquire as to +eternal life, he bade him keep the commandments, and being told "all +these things have I observed;" it is then recorded that, "Jesus +beholding him, loved him." We know too, that he "loved little +children," for he "took them in his arms," in token of tenderness; we +infer that he loved the flowers likewise, for he said, "consider the +lilies of the field;" and we find the most beautiful illustrations of +the Divine precepts of Jesus borrowed from the kingdom of flowers. + +What wonder then that we should love these delicate creations; +and that when we wish to appeal to the young and the trustful, the +hopeful and the good, we should seek these, for appropriate utterance. + + "They tremble on the Alpine height, + The fissur'd rock they press, + The desert wild with heat and sand + Shares too, their blessedness; + And wheresoe'er the weary heart + Turns in its dim despair, + The meek eyed blossom upward looks + Inviting it to prayer." + +Thus it is, my dear friends, that we present you, not a Bouquett, +which, however tasteful, and however beautiful, might still confuse +you with its many significations; we present you not a Gem, to remind +you of the brilliancy of mind, that may yet be unsympathizing, and +bewildering, but a simple flower, one, from a paradise of freshness +and beauty. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Page + + Frederick Ormsby, ELIZA LESLIE, 9 + + The Rustic Wreath, MRS. HUGHS, 28 + + The Storm, MRS. HUGHS, 38 + + The Mysterious Picture, ELIZA LESLIE, 57 + + The Father's Pride, MRS. CHILDS, 71 + + The Pet Lamb, MRS. HUGHS, 72 + + The Clean Face, ELIZA LESLIE, 99 + + Le Loup et L'Agneau, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE + LIGHTS OF EDUCATION, 100 + + The Christmas Visit, MRS. HUGHS, 111 + + The Little Girl and her Kitten, 132 + + The Quilting, ELIZA LESLIE, 133 + + The Little Runaway, J. W. S., 155 + + The Souvenir, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE + YOUNG AMERICANS, 157 + + The Mother's Joy, MRS. CHILD, 172 + + The Percevals, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE + LIGHTS OF EDUCATION, 173 + + Child left on the Sea Shore, MRS. SIGOURNEY, 185 + + The Eagle of the West, 187 + + The Launch of the Frigate, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE + YOUNG AMERICANS, 196 + + + + +EMBELLISHMENTS. + + Page + + 1. Frontispiece, Engraved by NEAGLE, + + 2. Ornamental Title-page, " ELLIS, + + 3. The Rustic Wreath, " NEAGLE, 28 + + 4. The Father's Pride, " KEARNEY, 71 + + 5. The Pet Lamb, " KEARNEY, 72 + + 6. The Clean Face, " NEAGLE, 99 + + 7. Le Loup et L'Agneau, " NEAGLE, 100 + + 8. The Little Girl and her Kitten, " KEARNEY, 132 + + 9. The Little Runaway, " STEEL, 155 + + 10. Child left on the Sea Shore, " STEEL, 185 + + + + +FREDERICK ORMSBY. + + +Mr. Ormsby, a gentleman residing in the city of New-York, took his +family to West Point, to spend a week of unusually warm weather at +the close of spring, and to see his nephew Gustavus, who had been +a cadet at the Military Academy for near three years, and who was +a boy of a very different disposition from Frederick Ormsby, being +spirited, manly, and of a most amiable temper. Frederick, whose age +was almost thirteen, was not entirely devoid of good qualities; but +he was idle, rude, mischievous, and took the greatest delight in +frightening and tormenting every one about him, particularly his +sister Madeline. + +Gustavus, having obtained permission to visit his uncle and aunt at +the hotel, devoted all his leisure time to them; and being one of the +cadets that act as assistant professors, and are therefore exempt +from military duty, it was in his power to accompany them on all +their walks, and to show them every thing on West Point worthy the +attention of visiters. These walks would have been delightful, had +not Frederick caused much annoyance by his vexatious tricks, and +(to use his own expression) by planning frights for his mother and +sister. Reproof affected him only for a few minutes, and even during +their short voyage in the steam-boat from New-York, his father more +than once regretted that Frederick had not been left at home. + +Their first walk was to Washington's Valley, so called from having +been the head-quarters of the illustrious commander-in-chief. On +their way thither they visited the German Flats, once the encamping +place of a great number of Hessian deserters, who came over to the +American army while it lay at West Point. These fields, formerly +a desert of stones and weeds, are now in high cultivation; and at +their farthest extremity, where the wooded heights run out into the +river, is the cemetery, shaded with old cedars, and ornamented with +an elegant monument of white marble, round which are buried the few +cadets that die here. + +The walk from the German Flats to Washington's Valley, is +delightfully cool and shady, being cut through the forest. The trees +meet across the road, while their tangled roots project in the most +fantastic forms from the banks on each side, and between their +branches are seen at intervals the waters of the Hudson glittering +far below. + +The house, for ever memorable as the temporary residence of +Washington, is a mere cottage; but under its low roof heroes once +met, and plans were discussed, whose results we are now enjoying. It +is surrounded by locust-trees, at this season resplendent with their +conic clusters of beautiful white blossoms; and a clear brook murmurs +through the garden, seeking its way to the river, whose waves roll +gently in, washing the smooth grey sand that lies in front of the +valley. Immediately behind this classic spot, ascends the mountain +called the Crow's Nest, the longest and highest of the chain, that, +extending along both shores of the Hudson, appears to inclose it on +every side, giving it at West Point, the form of a lake from which +there seems to be no outlet. On the opposite, or northern shore, +rise the wild and barren mountains of Fishkill, far beyond which +lie the fertile plains of Connecticut. Looking up the river, the +view is terminated by the town of Newburgh, at ten miles distance, +with Polipel's Island in front, and a fine range of country behind; +the Chemungo mountains (a branch of the Catskills) closing the long +perspective, their vast blue forms faintly visible on the remotest +verge of the horizon. + +Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby, with Gustavus and Madeline, took their seats +on one of the numerous fragments of rock that are scattered over +the sands at Washington's Valley; and while they were admiring the +prospect, Gustavus (who was skilled in revolutionary lore) reminded +his uncle and aunt, as they cast their eyes down the river, and +looked toward the plain, of the ball given there by the American +officers to their French companions in arms, in honour of the birth +of the Dauphin. For this purpose, there was erected on the green an +arbour of immense length, constructed of laurel-branches brought by +the soldiers from the hills. This rustic arcade was illuminated by a +multitude of little tin lamps, which have been kept ever since in the +public store-house, and which are still used with great pride at the +balls given by the cadets. On this occasion, Washington led off the +first dance with the lady of General Knox. + +Frederick, who had no taste for such conversation, soon rambled +away, and amused himself by throwing stones at some ducks that were +paddling in a brook at the entrance of the woods, returning now and +then to the party at the river side, and soliciting Madeline to join +him. + +"I am sure," said he, in a low voice, "you will find it much more +amusing to ramble about with me than to sit here listening to tales +of the old war." + +"Indeed," answered Madeline, "I am always glad to hear as many tales +of the old war as I possibly can, provided that there is nothing in +them shocking or disgusting, and no particulars of the killing; and +my father says that no person of good feelings or good manners will +ever detail the horrors, the real sickening horrors of a battle, in +presence of females. But I will go with you, if my mother will give +me permission." + +Mrs. Ormsby's leave was asked and obtained, and Mr. Ormsby cautioned +his children to be absent but a short time. + +Frederick took his sister toward the woods that stretched down to the +water's edge, a little beyond the cottage, and they were soon out of +sight. + +In a short time, the little party that remained on the sands, +were alarmed by a succession of violent shrieks, accompanied by +another voice laughing loudly; and looking up the river, they +perceived Madeline alone in a little boat, drifting out from behind +a projecting point of rock, and evidently in great terror, while +Frederick stood on the shore leaning against a tree, and ridiculing +her fears. They all ran to her assistance, Gustavus foremost, and Mr. +Ormsby supporting the trembling steps of his wife. + +Suddenly a steam-boat, on her way down from Albany, came round the +stupendous head-land absurdly called Butter Hill, and emerged into +sight with thick clouds of smoke issuing from her chimneys, her +wheels throwing up volumes of foam, and her prow dashing aside the +water with a velocity that seemed irresistible. The shrieks of poor +Madeline redoubled when she saw this tremendous machine coming on +with a force that apparently nothing could stop, and threatening, in +a few minutes, to overwhelm her little boat, unnoticed and unseen. +Frederick was now terrified himself, and he called out to his sister, +"Oh! Madeline, what have I done! The steam-boat will run over you. +She will be upon you in three minutes." + +"No, no," exclaimed Gustavus, "do not be frightened, Madeline. +The boat is too far off; there is no danger." "We will get you +immediately out of the way," cried her father, "but they will see +you from the steam-boat, and avoid passing too near you." "Where is +the rope," asked Gustavus, "by which this little boat was fastened?" +"Here, here," said Frederick, "round the stump of this old tree. I +proposed to Madeline that we should go and sit in the boat which we +found at the water's edge. And as soon as I got her in, I thought +that just for fun, and to set her to screaming, I would cut the rope +with my knife and let her float off. I supposed she would drift down +to the place where you were all sitting, and I only meant to frighten +her. I knew that somehow she could be got out of the boat." + +In the mean time, having lengthened the rope by fastening to it all +their pocket handkerchiefs and Mrs. Ormsby's long shawl, Gustavus +took one end in his hand, (the other being fast to the tree,) +and jumping into the river, swam to the boat, by which means it +was immediately hauled in to the shore, and in a few moments the +affrighted little girl was safe in the arms of her parents, mingling +her tears with those of her mother. + +Mr. Ormsby's indignation was so much excited, that he declared +if there was time to reach the wharf before the arrival of the +steam-boat, Frederick should be put on board, and sent immediately +down to New York. This, however, was impossible, the boat being now +close at hand; and as Frederick appeared very penitent, and made fair +promises of never again being guilty of similar conduct, his father, +at the intercession of Gustavus and Madeline, consented to pardon +him, and for the remainder of the day he behaved perfectly well. + +On the following afternoon, they set out on a walk in another +direction, and Frederick, who had been very good all the morning, was +allowed to accompany them. + +They went first to the Moss House, constructed, at his leisure +hours, by the French cook at the hotel, and entirely the work of his +own hands. He had opened a path through the thick woods, (hitherto +in this place an impassable wilderness,) and carried it down the +declivity of a craggy hill that descends to the river. This path, +though narrow, steep, and winding, was neither rugged nor dangerous, +and the trees interlacing their branches, formed an impervious shade +across it. At its termination was a little garden, surrounded on +all sides by a high wall of rough stones piled one on another, the +interstices filled up with earth from which various wild plants were +growing. This wall was overhung with masses of the forest grape-vine +and other woodland shrubbery. The miniature garden was laid out in +walks and heart-shaped beds, and planted with flowers, among which +were lady-slippers, pinks, and convolvuluses. In one corner stood +the moss-house, made of cedar branches, trimmed and cut of even +length, filled in between with earth, and covered all over with a +thick coat of the rich and beautiful moss that abounds in the woods +and on the rocks of West Point. The door was open, and inside was +a sort of settee, also of moss, and a little table made of twisted +vine branches. In the garden near the house, was another rustic seat, +or bench, the back formed of small boughs, curiously interwoven. +Innumerable birds had taken up their residence near this charming +retreat, and enlivened its dark shades with their brilliant colours. +The oriole darted from tree to tree with his splendid plumage of +orange and black, the blue-bird fluttered about in azure and purple, +the yellow-hammer far surpassed the tints of the brightest canary, +and the cedar-bird displayed his beautiful pinions of the richest +brown, delicately pencilled at the edges with lines of fine scarlet, +while the little humming-bird hovered over the flowers, and looked +like a flying gem. + +The Ormsby family next visited the monument erected by the cadets +in commemoration of the gallant Kosciusko, who crossed the Atlantic +to take a part in the American contest for independence, and who +afterward so nobly, but unsuccessfully, defended the rights of +Poland, his own ill-fated country. The monument is a fluted column of +white marble, on a broad pedestal, simply inscribed with the name of +Kosciusko. It stands near the ruins of Fort Clinton, on the eastern +side of the plain, and on one of the lofty and abrupt heights that +overlook the river. + +They then descended to Kosciusko's Garden, a picturesque retreat half +way down the rocks. Here, while with our army at West Point, the +Polish officer had been accustomed to spend a portion of his leisure +hours; and he had embellished the wild and rugged spot by planting +it with lilacs and rosebushes. The cadets, with the surplus of the +money subscribed by them for the erection of Kosciusco's monument, +have facilitated the descent to this romantic and interesting +retreat, (which was before almost inaccessible to ladies,) by causing +to be made a long flight of stone stairs, firm and convenient, but +sufficiently rude to be in unison with the surrounding scenery. These +stairs, winding down between the rocks, lead to a beautiful grassy +platform, backed by a lofty precipice of granite, which the hand of +nature has ornamented with wild flowers that creep along its ledges, +and shrubs and saplings that grow out from its crevices. Under a +willow which droops on the level beneath, is a fountain bubbling in +a basin of white marble, sculptured with the name of Kosciusko, and +surrounded with flowering shrubs similar to those planted by the hero +of Poland. + +On the northern side of this beautiful spot the rocks are broken +into the most picturesque masses, and shaded with forest trees +of infinite variety; their foliage at this time displaying the +liveliest tints of spring. The wild grape-vine clasped its crooked +and wandering branches round the mossy stones, and scented the air +with its fragrant blossoms; and the woodland honeysuckle threw around +the sweetest odours from its clustered flowers of the most delicate +pink. In front a shelf of rock projected over the river, whose clear +blue waters glided far below, reflecting in their calm mirror "the +headlong mountains and the downward skies." On the opposite shore +rose the highlands of Putnam county; and Gustavus explained to his +aunt and cousins, that in the year 1779, all the heights nearest the +water had been crowned with batteries and covered with tents, the +American army being encamped on both sides of the river; and that on +the eastern bank, a short distance below West Point, is the house +occupied by the traitor Arnold, and from which he made his escape +when apprised that Washington was informed of his correspondence with +the British general. + +Mrs. Ormsby cast her eyes down the precipice that impended over the +water, and beautiful as it was, being tufted with shrubs and trees to +the very bottom, she turned away her head, and said it made her dizzy +to look at it. They then sat down on one of the benches, and Mrs. +Ormsby spoke of the strange and unaccountable fancy, said to be felt +by some people, who, whenever they venture to the verge of a height, +imagine that they feel an irresistible desire to jump down. "Mother," +said Frederick, advancing to the edge of the rock "I feel that desire +at this moment. I shall certainly jump in an instant. I shall be down +directly." + +Mrs. Ormsby turned pale, and desired Frederick immediately to come +away from the precipice. "My dear," said Mr. Ormsby, "do you not see +the laugh lurking in Frederick's eye? He only intends to frighten us. +Can you suppose he has really any idea of leaping from the rock? No, +no--though he delights in terrifying others, I am well convinced that +he will never do any thing to hurt himself." + +Gustavus then told of a soldier's wife, who, a few years since, +(being, as was supposed, in a state of temporary derangement,) +wandered in the night to these rocks, and falling over the precipice, +her mangled body was discovered next morning, lying almost in the +river. + +Our little party then returned to the fountain, and Gustavus being +provided with a leather drinking-cup, they all tasted the water. +They stood there conversing for a considerable time; and when they +turned to go away, they found that Frederick was not with them. They +looked all around, but he was not to be seen; and when they called +him, there was no answer. "Where can he be?" exclaimed Mrs. Ormsby, +in much alarm. "I fear he has really fallen down the rocks. You heard +him say that he felt that unaccountable inclination we were talking +of." "But," said Mr. Ormsby, "I did not believe him, and neither +should you. We know Frederick too well." + +His father and Gustavus called Frederick loudly, but no answer +was returned, except by the mountain echoes. The terror of his +mother and sister was extreme. "Frederick!" exclaimed Mr. Ormsby, +"Frederick--you surely hear us,--reply immediately." "Oh! Frederick," +cried the mother, "if you really hear us, answer at once--put an end +to our fears--how can you keep us in such agony?" There was still +no reply. "Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Ormsby, "if Frederick yet lives, can +he allow me to remain in this dreadful state of fear and suspense? +Frederick, Frederick--this moment answer your mother!" + +Mr. Ormsby's persuasion of Frederick's safety now began to give way +to alarm, and Madeline trembled and cried. Mrs. Ormsby sunk, nearly +fainting, on the bench; and while her husband brought water from the +fountain and endeavoured to revive her, Gustavus, who knew every +recess of the rocks, explored them in search of Frederick. He shortly +returned, and said in a low voice, "Compose yourself, dear aunt, I +have just had a glimpse of Frederick. He is safe, and not near the +precipice. He has concealed himself in a sort of cavity in yon rock +near the stairs, though the space is so small that I wonder how he +got into it. He must have coiled himself up with some difficulty." +"Do not let us go thither to seek him," whispered Mr. + +Ormsby. "He shall not have the gratification of jumping up and +laughing at us." Mrs. Ormsby and Madeline, finding that Frederick was +really safe, endeavoured to calm their agitation; and Mr. Ormsby and +Gustavus began to talk of other things. + +After sitting a few minutes longer, "Come," said Mr. Ormsby, in a +loud voice, "we will now return; and as Frederick's concealment will +not produce so great an effect as he supposes, he may sneak out of +his hole and follow us at his leisure." + +They left the bench, and were ascending the lower flight of stone +steps, when a violent scream startled them all, and it was repeated +with sounds of the most terrible agony. "Those screams are close by," +exclaimed Madeline. "They came from the place in which Frederick is +hidden," said Gustavus. "Another of his foolish jokes," said Mr. +Ormsby. "Oh! no, no," cried Mrs. Ormsby, "those are the screams of +real suffering." + +Gustavus and Mr. Ormsby then sprung to the cavity in the rocks, +and saw Frederick on the ground, wedged into a most uncomfortable +posture, and sprawling out his hands with a gesture of the greatest +terror, exclaiming, "Oh! take it off--take it out--take it away!" +"Take what?" asked his father. "Oh! the snake--the snake!" cried +Frederick. "It is crawling down my back--it _must_ have a nest in +this hole." Gustavus had by this time got his hand down Frederick's +back, and was feeling for the snake. At last he drew out a small +lizard, and held it up, to the great relief of Mrs. Ormsby and +Madeline, whose terror had been nearly equal to Frederick's. + +"Let me see it," said Frederick. "Is it really a lizard? How cold +and slippery it felt, and how disagreeably it crawled down my back." +"And you had not courage," observed his father, "to put your hand +over your shoulder, and take it out, but you lay there screaming like +a baby." "I was afraid it would bite my hand," said Frederick. "And +would you rather it had bitten your back?" asked Mr. Ormsby. + +"It must have fallen upon you accidentally from the rock above," +remarked Gustavus, "and slipped down your back without intending +it, for these animals are too timid to crawl voluntarily, and in +day-time, over a human being." + +"I suppose," said Frederick, "I shall be told that this is a just +punishment for frightening my sister yesterday morning, when I set +her adrift in the boat." + +"Most assuredly," replied Mr. Ormsby; "and you have given us another +proof that those who find the greatest pleasure in terrifying others, +are, in general, very easily terrified themselves. To take delight +in giving pain, is cruelty; and courage and cruelty are rarely found +in the same person. However, we will not have our excursion to West +Point spoiled by any more of your mischievous and unfeeling tricks; +therefore I shall send you down to the city in the first steam-boat +that comes along this evening, and to-morrow morning you may go to +school again." + +Frederick was much mortified at the punishment in prospect, and +earnestly besought his father to allow him to remain; but Mr. Ormsby +said to him, "The pain you feel at being sent home, is nothing to +that you caused your mother and sister when you tried to make them +suppose you had fallen down the precipice." + +"But I will do these things no more," said Frederick. "So you said +yesterday," replied Mr. Ormsby, "after cutting the boat adrift with +your sister in it." + +"Dear father," said Madeline, "did he not suffer sufficiently for +that, when he believed that a snake was crawling down his back? Pray +let him have no more punishment on that account." + +Mrs. Ormsby, who was the fondest of mothers, now interceded for +Frederick, and her husband at last yielded to her intreaties, and +allowed him to remain, on condition of the best possible behaviour +during the remainder of their stay at West Point. + +After stopping on the plain to see the evening parade of the cadets, +and to hear the band, the Ormsbys returned to the hotel and took tea. +The night being perfectly clear and dry, and the moon at the full, +Gustavus proposed to them a visit by moonlight to the ruins of Fort +Putnam. + +Ascending the steep and rocky path that leads up the side of the +mountain, amid the deep shade of the woods, that resounded with +the croak of the tree-frog, and the rapid and singular cry of the +night-hawk--they emerged into an opening where the moon shone +brightly down, and arrived at the entrance of the fort--whose ruins +are scattered over a large space of ground, now covered with grass +and wild flowers. They looked into the arched and gloomy cells which +once served as quarters for the garrison, or receptacles for military +stores; and ascending the eastern rampart by a few narrow steps of +loose and tottering stone, they looked down upon the whole extent +of the plain lying far below them, with its gardens and houses, on +whose windows the moonbeams glittered; its extreme point terminating +in a ledge of naked rocks, running far out into the river. They saw +a steam-boat coming down, all cast into shade, except the sheets of +flame that issued from her chimneys, and her three lanterns sparkling +far apart, their brilliant lights reflected on the water; after +turning the point, her form was distinctly defined, as she crossed +the broad line of moonlight that danced and glittered on the silent +river. + +Gustavus then conducted his friends to the western side, where the +shattered walls of the old fort run along the utmost verge of a +perpendicular mass of rock of a stupendous height. Mrs. Ormsby and +Madeline shuddered as they looked over the broken parapet into the +abyss beneath, the bottom of which is strewed with stones fallen from +the lonely ruins; and Mrs. Ormsby kept Frederick carefully beside +her, and held him tightly by the hand. + +Just then the sound of the fifes, and the drums beating tattoo, +ascended from the plain, and our party returned to the other side +of the fort, that they might hear it more distinctly. Every note +was repeated by the echoes, and the effect was that of another set +of musicians playing immediately beneath the mountain. It being now +half past nine o'clock, they turned their steps downward; and after +proceeding a little distance they missed Frederick. "Another of his +tricks," said Mr. Ormsby, "this time we will take no notice." + +As they proceeded they heard the most dismal groans. "Frederick +again," said Mr. Ormsby. "Incorrigible boy! let us, however, walk on; +when he finds that he has failed to frighten us, we shall soon see +him running down the mountain. Twice in one day is rather too often +to make us believe that he has fallen down the rocks. I wonder he +cannot think of something new. To-morrow, he shall certainly be sent +home." + +They walked on till they reached the foot of the mountain; Mrs. +Ormsby and Madeline again feeling very apprehensive as to Frederick's +safety--though Mr. Ormsby said he had no doubt he would soon overtake +them, or that perhaps he would strike into another road, and be at +the hotel as soon as they were. + +This, however, did not happen; and after a while, finding that +Frederick did not appear, his father became really uneasy, and Mrs. +Ormsby and Madeline were exceedingly alarmed. Gustavus had taken +a hasty leave, and left them when they reached the plain--being +obliged, according to rule, to return to his room in the barracks +before ten o'clock. + +Two officers who were at the hotel, volunteered to assist Mr. Ormsby +in searching for his son; and they went back to Fort Putnam, where, +as they approached the entrance of the ruins, the groans again were +heard. Guided by the sound, they approached the east side of the +parapet; and looking over, perceived something moving among the +branches of a cedar that grew half way down. "Frederick!" called Mr. +Ormsby. This time he was immediately answered. "Here, here," cried +Frederick, "I did really fall down this time, without intending to +frighten any body." + +They went to him, and found that the cedar tree had saved his life by +catching him among its branches and holding him there; but that in +the fall he had severely strained his shoulder. The pain, added to +his fright, and to his total want of presence of mind, had prevented +him from trying to get out of the tree; and he could do nothing but +lie there and groan, being really very much hurt. + +He was extricated and put on his feet again, and the two gentlemen +assisted Mr. Ormsby in conveying him down the mountain. "Now," said +his father, "had you not been so much in the habit of raising false +alarms, we should have stopped at once when we heard your groans, +and had gone in search of you; and you would not have been obliged +to remain so long in the tree, and to have suffered so much before +you could be relieved." "Oh!" said Frederick in a piteous voice, "I +feared I should have been obliged to lie there all night, and perhaps +die before any one came near me. However, it is fortunate I did not +fall down on the side where the precipice is, for I should certainly +have been dashed to pieces among the stones at the bottom." + +When Frederick was brought to the hotel, his mother and sister were +much shocked on finding him in such a condition. His shoulder was so +swelled that the sleeve of his coat had to be cut open, as it was +impossible for him to draw his arm out of it. He suffered great pain, +and it was a week before he was well enough to be taken home; during +which time he made many resolutions of amendment. + +In conclusion, we have the satisfaction of saying, that this last +lesson was not lost on Frederick Ormsby; and that he ceased to derive +amusement from exciting pain and terror in others. + + ELIZA LESLIE. + + + + +THE RUSTIC WREATH; + +OR + +THE GLEANER. + +BY MRS. HUGHS. + + +"Come, papa," said Cecilia Beldon, "come and sit down beside Louisa +and me, in this arbour, and tell us something about England. You have +described St. Paul's Church, Westminster Abbey, Blenheim Castle, +and a great many other fine places; but we want to hear something +that will give us some idea of the manners of the people, and the +impressions that were made on your mind by the appearance of the +country generally." + +"That is a request that I shall be very glad to comply with to the +very best of my power," returned the father, as he seated himself +between his two daughters, and put an arm round the waist of each; +"but it will not be a very easy task to give you an idea of scenes so +very different from any thing that you have ever seen." + +"Well, try at any rate, papa," said Louisa; "describe things as well +as you can, and we shall, at all events, get a few ideas, though they +may not, perhaps, be equal to the reality." + + [Illustration: Painted by W. F. Witherington. Engraved by J. B. + Neagle. + + THE RUSTIC WREATH.] + +"True. Then to begin. It was the middle of September when I landed +in England; but unless you had experienced the monotony of a sea +voyage, you could form little conception of the pleasure with which +I exchanged the continuous prospect of the 'dark blue wave' of the +Atlantic, for the bright and gay scenes which England presented. You +know I had left our own dear land at a time when, of all others, +it appears to the least advantage; for the fervid heats of a July +sun had scorched every blade of grass, and a long and distressing +drought had given an almost autumnal tint to the foliage of the +trees. The few inhabitants, too, that remained in the city, looked +pale and languid, and crept along the streets as if deprived of all +the energy that was requisite for the performance of the business +of life, and wishing for nothing so much as a comfortable place, to +rest on the brow of some mountain, and a portion of Rip Van Winkle's +power of forgetfulness, that they might sleep away the sultry hours, +till the moderated sun, the cool and bracing nights, and the clear +pure air of the autumnal months, should again give life a zest. But +when I arrived in England, all was life, activity and bustle in the +towns; the people were fresh, ruddy, and animated; while the humidity +of the atmosphere had preserved the bright tints of vernal beauty +over the country. Few things in the world, perhaps, present a more +strikingly beautiful picture to the eye than an English landscape. +The graceful undulations of the country--the deep rich verdure that +overspreads the ground--the high cultivation that every where meets +the eye, and speaks of industry and wealth--the gothic edifices, +telling tales of former times--the country seats, which display at +once the elegance and taste of their inhabitants; and above all, the +neat cottages, which impart a truth most delightful to the benevolent +heart, that comfort, and a considerable portion of refinement, are +enjoyed by even the lowest ranks, are all points of beauty which are +particularly striking to an American traveller; for they unfold a +train of new ideas to his mind, and he at once realizes all the fairy +pictures, the outlines alone, of which, he had before been able to +trace; and for the first time in his life, he becomes fully sensible +of the magic of Shakespeare, the richness of Thomson, and the graphic +paintings of Cunningham. Nor did I find the English people less +interesting than the landscape. My letters of introduction placed me, +at once, in the most delightful society, where, if it had not been +for the little girls whom I had left behind me," added the father, as +he pressed his daughters closer to him, "I might have been in danger +of forgetting that I was not at home." + +"But I always understood, papa," interrupted Cecilia, "that the +English were exceedingly cold and reserved in their manners." + +"They have that character amongst their neighbours, the French, +who, you know, carry their ideas of politeness to perhaps rather an +extravagant height; but such they did not appear to me; nor have I +ever met with an American traveller, that had had an opportunity of +seeing English domestic manners, who did not bear willing testimony +to their frankness, refinement, and hospitality; indeed, there is +a cordiality in their manner of receiving a stranger, that is an +irresistible evidence of their sincerity. + +"A gentleman, in whose house I became early familiar, told me one day +that he was going to take his wife and children the following morning +to have a day's ramble in the country, and kindly invited me to +occupy a seat in one of the carriages; and you may be sure I was much +pleased with the opportunity of peeping at the beauties of nature, +amongst a happy group of children, some of whom, from a similarity of +age, as well as other circumstances, often reminded me of yourselves. + +"For the first half hour after we had set out on our little journey, +the presence of the 'American gentleman' rather checked that buoyancy +of spirit, which the suppressed smile, the half whisper, and the side +glance showed was waiting only for a little better acquaintance, to +burst out with the most frolic gayety; nor was it long before a few +well-timed inquiries, and a happily applied anecdote or two relative +to the scenes of this country, removed the embargo under which their +little tongues had lain, and in a short time, their mother and I +became the listeners, instead of the talkers, of the company." + +"This is the birth-day of these two," said the mother, who seemed, at +length, to feel it necessary to make some apology for the volubility +of the party, and pointing, as she spoke, to two lovely little girls, +who were twins, "and as this treat is given on the occasion, their +father and myself are disposed to make it as complete as possible, by +allowing the whole party unrestrained indulgence in the pleasures of +talking; an enjoyment, which, I suppose, as you have children of your +own, you can form some idea of." + +"Are your daughters fond of talking?" asked a fine, open-countenanced +girl, about ten years old. + +"They are, indeed. They will not yield the palm even to you, in that +respect, I assure you." + +"I should like to see them. Why did you not bring them with you?" +asked another. + +"If they were here," said one of the little twins, "I would give them +some of my pretty flowers. Are they fond of flowers?" + +"Oh! certainly; but they have not an opportunity of cultivating +them so much as you do here, for the excessive heat of our summers, +and the severity of our winters, are particularly unfavourable to +flowers. Besides, you must know, my little girl, that mine is a +very young country, and my countrymen have hitherto been too busy +in draining marshes, felling forests, and extending the boundaries +of civilization and government, to think much of what is purely +ornamental." + +"How can America be a young country, mamma?" asked the other twin +sister. "I thought the world had all been created at one time." + +"Julia, can you explain that difficulty to your sister?" asked their +mother, of one of her elder daughters. + +"I suppose," replied Julia, colouring at being thus called upon, yet +speaking without hesitation or awkwardness, "the reason of America +being called a young country, is because it is only about three +hundred years since it was discovered by Columbus; and before that +time, it was only inhabited by savages, who knew nothing of building +houses, or cultivating the ground, or any of those things." + +"We had a great deal of conversation of this kind, which proved the +children to be both intelligent, and accustomed to think and inquire +for themselves; and the time went over so pleasantly, that I was +quite surprised when the stopping of the carriage announced the +termination of our ride. The farm house, at which we stopped, was a +neat, substantially built stone house, with a pretty green, enclosed +by well painted white rails in front, and a large garden at one side, +surrounded by the same kind of enclosure, and proving, by its clean +walks, its neat well weeded beds, and the variety of flowers and +vegetables which flourished in it, that horticulture was considered +a part of the owner's business. Though we arrived early, the cattle, +which had been collected for the purpose of being milked, in the +neat well paved farm yard, were already dispersed, the business of +the dairy despatched, and the cheese made; but we were just in time +to see the wholesome breakfast of bread and cheese and milk, set out +for the troop of reapers, whom we saw in the distance, following each +other with beautiful regularity, cutting down the ripened grain, and +binding up the sheaves. On the summons for breakfast being given, +the whole group, with good humoured, though noisy hilarity, hastened +to the house; and I, whilst astonished at their number, which was so +much greater than I had ever seen engaged in a similar way at home, +was amused with the variety of young and old, grave and gay, and male +and female, which it exhibited. I was surprised, however, to find, +that even after the reapers were all assembled round the breakfast +table, the field which they had left was still covered over with +a great many stragglers, who appeared to wander about without any +definite object in view, whilst the master, with his stick thrown +over his shoulder, strolled about amongst them, as if his work was +not yet suspended. Upon inquiry, I found that these were gleaners, +a race of beings of whom we know nothing in this country, except +through the poets; and my imagination instantly taking flight at the +name, I hastened to the field, not doubting that I should find a +Ruth, or a Lavinia, to fill the only corner that was now vacant of +the brilliant picture before me. For a long time, however, creeping +age, and infant hands, were the only objects which met my view, and +I was about to leave the field, disappointed that no 'form fresher +than the morning rose' had met my view, when, turning to a remote +corner, a being attracted my attention, whose loveliness would +require the pen of a Thomson to describe. It was a young female, who +had laid an infant, of which she was evidently the youthful mother, +upon the bundle of corn which she had just gathered, and left it +under the protection of a faithful guardian, a large dog, which still +kept watch by its side. I conjectured, that the infant had been +asleep when first laid there, but it was now awake, and was tossing +about its little hands and feet, and crowing in great glee, highly +delighted with a flower that it had accidentally caught in its little +hand. The mother had, probably, come when the reapers left the field, +to take her breakfast of bread and milk, which was in a basket near +her, as well as to look after the safety of her child; and finding +it so happy on its rural bed, she had allowed it to remain there, +whilst she, with a mother's vanity, amused herself with ornamenting +its little hat with some of the ears of corn that she had just +gathered. I do not know that even Thomson would have described her as +beautiful, though certainly, 'a native grace sat fair proportioned on +her polished limbs,' and the sweet expression of maternal tenderness, +which beamed from her eye, and illumined her whole countenance, +would have afforded ample scope to his descriptive powers. I stood +riveted to the spot, and gazed on this interesting young creature +and her child, both as lovely as poet's dream, or the flower that the +traveller sees springing from the arid sand of the desert. I took my +pencil and endeavoured to sketch the group, with the farm house and +the village spire in the distance; not however, for myself, for the +picture rests on my mind in more vivid colours than ever were spread +on painter's palette, but with the hope of giving you some faint idea +of the loveliness that had so much seized my own fancy." + +"Ah, papa," said Louisa, archly, "I see, though you are always so +anxious to keep us from setting much value on personal beauty, that +you admire it as much yourself as any body does." + +"You must remember, however, Louisa," returned her father, "that +what I have spoken of, is that most delightful species of beauty +which is expressive of high moral qualities; and this depends not on +regularity of feature, or perfection of form, but on that which is +infinitely superior to both, good and amiable dispositions. Where +the mind is pure, the thoughts elevated, and the sentiments liberal +and kind, a pleasing expression will be found to pervade the most +rugged set of features that were ever bestowed upon a human being. +Besides, this species of beauty is highly improvable, for as the mind +becomes cultivated--as it takes a wider range among the works of +nature, and a deeper interest in the happiness of its fellow-beings, +and the cultivation of its own powers, the expression of the face +will become more refined and elevated. The chief beauty which struck +me in the English gleaner, was that of expression, the expression of +a kind and amiable heart, and the light of moral goodness illumined +her countenance: and it is that species of beauty alone, my dear +children, for which I am anxious to see you conspicuous." + +"But, papa!" exclaimed both the sisters at once, as their father now +rose from his seat, "you must not leave us so soon, we have not heard +half enough about England yet." + +"I have spent as much time with you as I can spare at present, but +will take an early opportunity of indulging myself in retracing some +more English scenes, many of which were as new, though few more +interesting than the Gleaner." + + + + +THE STORM. + +BY MRS. HUGHS. + + "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, + And waste its sweetness on the desert air." + + +"Will you come to our house, and help Jenny, for my mother is very +ill?" said a little girl, in the feeble accents of childhood, whilst +she knocked at the door of a cottage. The voice was weak, but it +uttered tones, which, though they may sometimes be heard with +indifference by the inmates of a palace, never fail to find a ready +way to the heart of the humble cottager. "What sound is that I hear?" +said the mistress of the lowly dwelling, as the voice of the child +roused her from a sound sleep; "was I dreaming? or did I really hear +a voice?" + +"Will you come to my mother, for Jenny thinks she is dying?" +continued the little girl, as she again applied her hand to the door. +Convinced now that it was no dream, the benevolent cottager started +from her bed, and opening the door, exclaimed in a tone of surprise, +"Why, Sally, is that you?--Here, all by yourself, in the very dead of +night!" + +"My mother is so ill that Jenny could not leave her, and she had +nobody else to send to ask you to come and help her." + +"Come John, get up directly!" said the woman, rousing her husband, +who under the influence of a previous day of hard labour, had slept +too soundly to hear what passed. "Get up! for you will very likely +have to go for the doctor. And come in, Sally dear, till I get +something on me, and I will go with you in a minute." + +Very little preparation was necessary, and in a few minutes the +kind hearted woman hastened to the house of sickness, accompanied +by the little girl, and followed by her husband, who though no less +willing, was much less able to throw off the lethargic influence of +sleep, and trudged after the nimble feet of his wife as if scarcely +conscious whither he was going. As the distance was very short, he +had no time to get fully awake, before the little Sally opened the +door of her mother's house and ushered himself and his wife in; but +on entering, a sight presented itself to their view that instantly +roused every feeling of the soul to pity and commiseration. On a +humble bed, in the corner of a very humble apartment, lay stretched +the form of her to whose assistance they had been summoned; not, +however, either writhing with pain or burning with fever, but cold, +stiff, and lifeless; whilst a bowl stood near, which told at once, by +its contents, that the rupture of a blood vessel had produced the sad +catastrophe. By the side of the bed knelt her daughter, a girl about +sixteen, who, "struck with sad anguish at the stern decree," seemed +to retain little more of life than the corpse, the hand of which she +grasped between hers, whilst her eyes were riveted on the motionless +face, with an expression of the most heartrending agony. Grief wears +a variety of forms, according to the nature of the mind of which +it takes possession; but it assumes no appearance that imparts so +immediate a sense of its intensity to the heart of the spectator, +as that silent and speechless sorrow that finds no relief from +utterance. In vain did the benevolent neighbours endeavour to rouse +the poor girl from her trance of wo; the stroke had been so sudden, +so unlooked-for, and was so appalling in its nature, that poor Jenny, +though she had been long familiar with adversity, seemed ready to +sink under it, without a single effort to resist its overpowering +influence. + +"Jenny! dear Jenny! don't take on this way!" said the humane +neighbour, whilst her husband raised the almost insensible girl from +her kneeling posture by the bed-side, and placed her on a chair. The +little Sally imagining, from the stillness that prevailed, that her +mother had fallen asleep, had kept at a distance from the bed-side, +lest she should by any means disturb her; but now beginning to wonder +why her sister should thus be the chief object of anxiety, she had +crept softly forward to investigate the cause, and set her eyes, for +the first time in her life, on the features of death. The sudden cry +which she gave, was the first sound that reached the heart of the +grief-stricken Jenny; and as the weeping child ran toward her, she +opened her arms, and clasping her to her bosom, wept over her in +all the luxury of sorrow. Her compassionate neighbours knew enough +of the human heart, to judge it best to leave her to herself; and, +therefore, summoning some other of their friends to their assistance, +they busied themselves about the various offices for the dead, and +left poor Jenny to the undisturbed indulgence of her wo. But Jenny's +grief was too intense to allow her long the relief of tears, and she +sat, almost motionless, clasping the little Sally in her arms, who +had soon wept herself to sleep, and waited till she was permitted +again to throw herself by the side of her lifeless parent, and watch +over the remains of what she had so fondly loved. This indulgence was +all that she desired, and all of which she was capable of partaking; +and she sat watching the body almost without either speaking, or +moving, till the moment arrived when it was to be deposited in its +last silent mansion. Then it was, that the poor girl felt that she +had indeed lost her beloved parent for ever. Whilst the lineaments +still remained before her view, on which she had so long delighted +to gaze, even though they were cold and motionless, she felt as +though she had still something to rest upon; but when these too were +taken away, when the very shell which the soul of affection had +once inhabited, was removed from a world in which she herself was +still to remain, she, for the first time, became sensible of that +total destitution of soul that is felt after the loss of those we +love. Happily, however, for poor Jenny, she was forbidden, by the +calls of imperative necessity, to indulge in unavailing sorrow; and +the exertions that her forlorn situation demanded, proved the most +effectual balm to her wounded bosom; and gradually, a meek submission +to the will of Him to whom she had been taught from her earliest +infancy to bow in humble confidence, superseded that bitter anguish +which had at first swelled her heart almost to bursting. + +The parent, whom Jenny so deeply mourned, had been left a widow some +months before the little Sally was born. She had two children then +living; Jenny, who was at that time about nine years old, and a boy, +five years her senior. The mother had, before her marriage, been an +upper servant in a genteel and respectable family, and had acquired, +in consequence, a degree of cultivation superior to the situation in +which her marriage afterwards placed her. The chief ambition of her +heart was to keep her children under her own eye, and to train their +infant minds to religion and virtue. But William, her boy, who was +fourteen at the time of his father's death, soon began to be anxious +to do something for himself; and, as the surest and shortest means +of attaining that desirable end, he had fixed his mind upon the sea. +In vain did his mother remind him that the salt wave had been the +grave of his father, or endeavour to impress upon his mind the many +anxious days and sleepless nights he would thus impose upon her; he +saw no other means half so likely to enable him, in the course of a +few years, to provide for her and his sisters, and to relieve her +delicate frame from the hardship, which it was so ill calculated +to bear, of labouring for their subsistence. "Besides, mother," +remonstrated he, "I have no other chance of seeing the world, but by +being a sailor, and I could never be happy without seeing some of +the strange countries that my father used to tell me about. And you +know, too," continued the generous boy, looking as he spoke, at his +elder sister, to whom he was exceedingly attached, "by the time that +I am out of my apprenticeship, Jenny will be almost grown up, and +with the wages I can then earn, and your good management, we shall be +able to give her some good schooling, and keep her at home with you; +for she is too pretty and too delicate to go to service." Jenny was +indeed beautiful, even at that early age, and every year, as it added +to her height, increased also the grace and loveliness of her form. +Her features were regular, her complexion not only fair but almost +transparent, while her bright auburn locks hung in luxuriance about +her face and shoulders. But it was not in the symmetry of feature +or the grace of form, that Jenny's beauty was centered. It was the +inward harmony which presided over all, and gave to her full blue +eyes an expression of the most touching sensibility, that made her +an object so delightful to look upon: and her mother felt, as she +gazed upon her, that she must perform her own duties ill indeed, +if, even without any higher advantages of education than she could +herself give her, the lovely bud, as it expanded into maturity, did +not become a flower worthy of being transplanted into the most highly +cultivated garden. + +William went to sea, and his mother had all the satisfaction that a +mother's heart can enjoy, of hearing his master express, at every +return of the vessel, the highest approbation of his conduct. Thus +supported and comforted by her children, she laboured incessantly but +cheerfully for her own and their support, at first as a seamstress; +but this sedentary occupation being unfavourable to her constitution, +she afterward rented a small cottage to which was attached a garden +of considerable extent, which Jenny and she managed to cultivate +themselves, with the aid of very little hired assistance; and, +from the sale of the produce, she contrived to make a scanty but +respectable livelihood. Time thus rolled on, Jenny had completed her +thirteenth year, and her William was within a few weeks of being out +of his time. But alas! William was away, and many weeks, nay months, +had passed over without his having been heard of. Again and again, +had she gone to the owners to inquire after him, but in vain; no +tidings had been received of the vessel since she had left the port +at which she had taken in her lading, and had sailed homeward bound; +and though the usual length of the passage was that of two or three +weeks at furthest, above thrice that number had elapsed without any +tidings of her having been received. + +The poor widow had, on the evening previous to her death, again been +at the owner's on the mournful errand of inquiring after her lost +boy, and had again returned disappointed and dejected. She had, on +her way thither, been overtaken by a heavy shower of rain, which had +wet her clothes quite through. She had paid no attention, however, +to the circumstance; for her mind was engrossed with the thought of +her child, and though Jenny, on her return home, used every means +in her power to prevent her taking harm from it, a cough, to which +she had always been subject, and which at that time was worse than +usual, soon showed how much injury she had received. In a violent +paroxysm of coughing, she had ruptured the blood-vessel that put +so sudden a period to her existence, and left poor Jenny alone and +destitute in the world,--alone except the little helpless being, +whose dependence upon her seemed only to make her situation still +more deplorable. Jenny's mind, however, was one of those which, +though tuned to every gentle feeling, yet possessed a native strength +which rose in proportion to the pressure of misfortune; so that, as +she looked upon little Sally, and considered that she was now, in +all probability, her only earthly protector, she felt a tenderness +almost parental rise within her, and she determined to resist every +inclination to selfish indulgence of her feelings, and exert every +energy for the support of her little orphan sister,--the posthumous +heir of poverty and sorrow. But let not those who are surrounded +by plenty, even though mourning the loss of some beloved relative, +imagine that they know the difficulties of the task that poor Jenny +had to perform; nor yet those who though pressed by the hard gripe +of poverty, have yet some remaining friends from whom they have a +right to claim the tender balm of sympathy; for of these comforts +poor Jenny was equally destitute, and she found herself standing +alone in the wide world, poor, friendless, and forlorn; deprived of +"every stay save innocence and Heaven." It is true, some faint hope +still played about her heart, that her beloved brother--her kind, her +affectionate William, might yet be restored to her; but every day, +as it passed over her head, made that hope more faint, till, like +the hues of its own bow, which gradually fade into ether, it died +away by degrees in her bosom; and at length scarce a tint remained +to give its colouring to the mental horizon. Still, however, she +bore up and struggled against the despondency that threatened to lay +hold of her mind; and even though grim want seemed ready to stare +her in the face, her steadfast spirit, relying upon the goodness of +that superintending Power, that is ever ready to be a father to the +fatherless, looked up to heaven with a confident hope that she would +not be forgotten. "Will He," she would say, as she watched the fruit +ripen, or the seed germinate, "will He who takes care of all these +things and gives them the nourishment which they require, turn a deaf +ear to the cry of his orphan children? It cannot be! That little +bird," she continued, "is pouring forth its soul in thankfulness and +joy, though it has no stores laid up for to-morrow, and I too will +trust to the same protecting Power." But from what source to-morrow's +fare was to be derived, poor Jenny could form but little idea. Autumn +was now far advanced, and the produce of their garden had become +very scanty, whilst the expenses attendant on her mother's funeral +had entirely exhausted their small store of money; so that when the +little Sally complained of hunger, and begged that she would give her +something to eat, she put the last morsel of bread into her hands, +totally at a loss to conjecture whence the money was to be derived +that was to purchase more. "Why will you not eat any yourself, +Jenny?" said the child, as she eagerly devoured the dry morsel. "I +am sure you must be hungry, for I have not seen you eat any thing +to-day." "I do not want to eat," replied Jenny, forcing herself to +speak in a cheerful tone, though she felt at the same moment that +the coarsest food would be to her a most delicious repast. "Is it +because there is no more in the house?" asked Sally, whose mind, +for the first time, received the idea of their scanty provision. +Jenny was silent. "There is more bread here than I want," said the +child, breaking, as she spoke, the piece of bread that she had before +declared was not half so much as she could eat. "Take this piece, +Jenny, I don't want it, and I am sure you will like it after you have +tasted it." + +Jenny had watched, with a dry eye, her little sister devouring their +last morsel of food, whilst she herself was suffering under the most +importunate demands of hunger; but this tender sympathy in the child, +and her willingness to give up a part of what she so much needed +herself, brought a flood of tears to her eyes. "He, who feeds the +young ravens when they cry cannot let such sweetness and innocence +suffer for want of food," said she inwardly, as clasping the child in +her arms, she bathed her cheeks with her tears. "Don't cry, Jenny," +said the affectionate little girl, as she wiped the tears from her +sister's eyes with her little apron. "Don't cry. Indeed I don't want +any more just now, and I dare say you will get another loaf before I +am hungry again. And who-knows but William may come back, and then we +shall have every thing that we want? You have not been at the owner's +lately, Jenny, to ask about the ship," continued the child, anxious +to divert her sister's mind from the sad subject of her reflections. +"Why don't you go, Jenny?" + +"I am afraid there is little use in it," answered her sister in a +tone of despondency. + +"But try, Jenny, just try once more, and perhaps good news may come +when you are not expecting it." + +"Well, we will go now," returned Jenny; "and," added she, "there are +a few plums on the old tree that we will take with us, though they +are not half ripe yet; and perhaps we may get somebody to give us as +much for them as will get bread enough to keep us from starving at +least one day longer." A little basket was soon filled with the plums, +and they set out, once more cheered by that hope which seldom totally +forsakes the bosom of youth and innocence: but, on arriving at the +owner's, Jenny was surprised to find all in a state of confusion. The +servant that came to the door was evidently much agitated, and on +Jenny's making her accustomed inquiry if any thing had yet been heard +of the ship, she was told by the girl that a letter had, a very short +time before, been received by her mistress, informing her that some +wrecks of the vessel had been cast ashore, and some of the sailors' +chests, among which was one bearing the name of William Anderson; and +that there was every reason to believe that all the crew were lost. +Here then was a fatal blow to all the fond hopes that Jenny had so +anxiously cherished; and her affectionate brother, on whom she had +relied for support and consolation in the hour of affliction, had +himself found a premature and watery grave. The servant's sympathy +was too powerfully excited for the distress of her mistress, whose +husband had filled the double station of master and owner, to leave +much to bestow upon poor Jenny; so that, after giving her all the +information in her power, she turned from the door, leaving the two +orphan sisters to themselves to mourn over their share of this heavy +calamity. Jenny turned her steps homeward, with a heart bowed down +with affliction, and was only made conscious of where she was and +whither she was going, by the questions that Sally occasionally put +to her. "Look at that black cloud, Jenny," said the child, "I never +saw such a cloud before. Do you think we can get home before the rain +comes on?" Jenny looked up and saw that the sky had indeed a most +portentous aspect; but the gloom that surrounded her only seemed to +be in unison with the state of her mind, and she almost felt rejoiced +that nature did not wear the appearance of gladness, whilst she felt +that all was darkness within. "Isn't that thunder?" asked Sally, as +a deep and distant murmur rolled round the horizon. "And there is +lightning, and there is another flash," continued the child; "Oh! I +wish we were at home." Jenny saw the lightning and heard the thunder, +but she heard and saw almost without being conscious that she did +either; for her mind was absorbed in the idea of her beloved brother +having been exposed to a storm, such as that which was approaching, +accompanied with the additional horrors of a tempestuous ocean. A +violent gust of wind now swept past them, and the thunder which, only +a moment before, had rolled at a distance, burst over their heads +with a noise which seemed to shake the very ground on which they +stood; whilst the clouds brooded around in almost midnight darkness, +or only parted to emit flashes of lightning, that, for the instant, +illumined every object. + +"Oh! Jenny, what must we do?" cried the little Sally, shrinking +with fear, and putting her hands to her ears to shut out the noise +of the thunder. Jenny put her arm round the neck of the child, and +pressed her tenderly toward her, as, looking up at the forked shafts +which flew across the skies, she inwardly breathed the prayer that +he who rolls the thunderbolt and sends the lightning forth, if it +was his pleasure that they should either of them fall beneath the +stroke, would in his mercy let them sink together; and not leave one +remaining, the helpless or wretched survivor of the other. + +Jenny perhaps never looked more beautiful or interesting than she +did at that moment, as she stood turning her back to a storm which +she no longer felt the power to resist, her arm passed with an +almost maternal tenderness round the neck of her orphan sister, +who seemed to rest against her as if assured that she was under +the care of a protecting angel; and her fine eyes raised to heaven +with a mingled expression of steadfast faith and humble submission. +"My mother! my dear William!" she faintly uttered, "perhaps these +shafts of lightning are sent as the messengers of our re-union." As +she said this, a voice seemed to be borne along on the wind, and +she almost fancied that she heard her own name pronounced. "It is a +wild thought," she continued internally, "but I could almost imagine +that William's voice is in the wind, and that he is calling me to +join him and our blessed mother in the regions above." Again the +voice sounded in her ear, and again, and again--it grew louder and +more distinct--what could it mean? Was she already in the region +of spirits? or were those angelic beings really permitted, as has +sometimes been imagined, to revisit this world and hover over those +whom they had loved on earth? As she asked herself the question, she +turned round, but what words can express her feelings when, on doing +so, she beheld, hastening toward her with all the speed that the +violence of the storm would permit, the beloved brother whom she had +believed to be the inmate of a watery grave! Her mind had been strung +to too high a degree of agony, and she was too much exhausted from +the want of food, to bear this sudden revulsion of feeling without +sinking under it. She uttered a scream, and made an attempt to rush +forward, but her limbs became powerless, a film came over her eyes, +and she would have sunk on the ground, had not William reached her +in time to receive her in his arms. So deep was the swoon into which +she had fallen, that there was time for her to be conveyed to a house +that was at no very great distance, before her consciousness again +returned to her. When it did, she started up, and looked eagerly +around, as if to assure herself that the object she had seen had not +been a mere vision of the imagination; but she was soon convinced +of the happy reality, for her eye immediately rested on her beloved +William as he stood trying to still the cries of the little Sally, +who could not be convinced that the insensible state in which Jenny +lay was not equally hopeless as that which she had first witnessed at +the time of her mother's death. + +A copious flood of tears now came to Jenny's relief, which she was +permitted to indulge for a considerable time without interruption, +and then her brother led her gradually on to speak of their mother, +and describe the particulars of a death of which little Sally had +already informed him; after which, he proceeded to satisfy her +curiosity respecting himself. It appeared that a long continuation +of high and contrary winds had kept the vessel buffeting about +the ocean for many weeks, till at length a storm, too powerful to +be resisted, had driven her on the coast, where she soon became a +total wreck. Happily for William, however, he had been so fortunate +as not only to save his own life, but that of his captain also, +who had become so completely benumbed with cold and long exposure +to the storm, as to be totally incapable of assisting himself, and +must have been an unresisting prey to the angry waves, had not the +generous youth determined to try to save him, even at the most +imminent hazard of his own life. After many difficulties and dangers, +he succeeded in gaining a footing on shore for both his captain and +himself, but it was a considerable time before the former was able +to proceed homeward; but when he was, they hastened on in the hope +of preceding the news of their misfortunes. The letter, however, +giving an account of the portions of the wreck which had been washed +on shore, on a part of the coast at some distance from that on which +they had landed, had arrived a short time before them; indeed, they +had reached the captain's house only a very few minutes after Jenny +and her little sister had left it, and William had lost no time in +hastening after them. "We have weathered a heavy gale," said he, +after he had given his sisters this account, "but it is all over +now; and what is better, our captain declares he will never go to +sea again, but will give me the command of the new vessel which he +is going to have built. He says that I saved his life, and he is +determined to prove a father to me in return." + +"Oh! my mother," cried Jenny, clasping her hands and raising her eyes +in thankfulness to Heaven, "why are you not here to enjoy this happy +moment!" + +"And why should you not, my dear girl," said the lady into whose +house Jenny had been carried, and who had listened with great +interest to the conversation between the brother and sister; "why +should you not believe not only that she sympathizes in your +happiness, but that her views of the great scheme of Providence are +now so enlarged, as to render her capable of perceiving that, what +we here call evils, are as mere motes in the balance, when put in +competition with the great sum of happiness which awaits the virtuous +hereafter? Upon the benevolent plan on which all creation is formed, +the petty distinctions of rich and poor, high and low, on which we +are apt to place so much importance, will soon be lost in the grand +and comprehensive distinctions of virtue and vice; to which standard +alone, all will be brought, and which may at once place the humblest +peasant above the proudest monarch." + +"Yes! yes! Jenny," said the young sailor, "we know that whatever +storms may beset us, we still have a never-failing Friend, always at +hand, who will steer us to a safe harbour at last. So come, my sweet +lilly and my pretty rose-bud," added he, taking a hand of each of his +sisters, "cheer up, my girls! for, though the winds still blow and +the skies frown, by the blasts of poverty, at least, you shall never +more be assailed, as long as your brother's arm has power to protect +you." + + + + +THE MYSTERIOUS PICTURE. + +TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. + + The following extraordinary story is declared by the authoress, + Mademoiselle Vanhove, to be strictly true in its leading + incidents. + + +Madame Dorival was the widow of a distinguished French officer, +who had died in the service of his country. Finding it difficult, +without the closest economy, to support her family genteelly on the +pension allowed her by government, and being anxious to secure an +independence for her children in case of her death, she was induced +to open a boarding-school in the vicinity of Paris. The assistance of +her two highly accomplished daughters, Lucilla and Julia, made the +employment of female teachers unnecessary; but she engaged the best +masters for music, dancing, drawing and painting, and the fashionable +foreign languages. Her establishment was conducted on a most liberal +scale, and each of the twenty young ladies who became her pupils had +a separate apartment. + +Among these young ladies, was Josephine Vericour, who took lessons +in miniature painting, with the view of exercising that branch of +the art as a profession; the circumstances of her family being such +that it was necessary to educate her, in the prospect of turning her +talents to a profitable account. + +Her imagination being deeply impressed with this object, she thought +of it nearly all day, and dreamed of it at night. That she had much +natural talent for drawing, was unquestionable; but she was only +fifteen, she was not a prodigy, and in every thing she had as yet +produced was to be found a due portion of errors and defects. With an +ardent ambition to excel, Josephine was the victim of a painful and +unconquerable timidity, and an entire want of confidence in herself. +She had attempted likenesses of all her school-mates, one after +another, and was disheartened and discouraged because none of them +were perfect, and was overwhelmed with mortification when she heard +them criticised. The remarks of the gentleman who instructed her, +though very judicious, were often so severe, that she was frequently +almost tempted to throw away her pencil in despair, and she never +painted worse than when under the eye of her master. + +One morning in the garden, she was struck with the graceful and +picturesque attitude in which two of her companions had unconsciously +thrown themselves, one of them, having put her arm round the waist of +the other, was pointing out to her notice a beautiful butterfly that +had just settled on a rose. Josephine begged of the girls to remain +in that position while she sketched them on the blank leaf of a +book. Afterwards she made a separate drawing of each of their faces, +and then transferred the whole to a large sheet of ivory, intending +to make a picture of it in the miniature style. But she determined +to work at it in her own chamber, at leisure hours, and not to allow +it to be seen till it was entirely finished. In six weeks there was +to be a private examination, at which premiums were to be awarded +to those who excelled in the different branches taught at Madame +Dorival's school. Seven of the young ladies were taking lessons +in miniature-painting, all of whom, in the eyes of the diffident +Josephine, possessed far more talent than herself. Still, she knew +that industry, application, and an ardent desire to succeed, had +often effected wonders; and she was extremely anxious to gratify her +parents by obtaining the prize, if possible. + +In the retirement of her own room she painted with unremitting +solicitude, but, as _she_ thought, with very indifferent success; and +one afternoon, more dissatisfied than usual with the result of her +work, she hastily took the ivory from her little easel, and put it +into the drawer of her colour-box, which she consigned to its usual +place in the drawer of her table. + +Next morning, what was the surprise of Josephine, to find her picture +standing against the easel on the table, and much farther advanced +than when she had quitted it the preceding evening, and the faults +which had then discouraged her, entirely rectified. She tried to +recollect if she had really put away the picture, and her memory +recalled every circumstance of her shutting it up in the drawer. But +she had no recollection of having previously corrected any of the +errors; indeed, she knew that she had not, and the only way in which +she could attempt to solve the mystery, was to suppose that some one, +with the intention of exciting a laugh at her expense, had come into +her room during the night, taken out the picture, and re-touched it. + +She mentioned it to no one; but the next night, to guard against a +recurrence of the same trick, she arranged every thing in the neatest +order, locked up her picture in the secret drawer at the bottom of +her colour-box, and placed it under her bolster. + +But her astonishment was redoubled, when awaking at an early hour the +next morning, she put her hand under the bolster to feel for her box +and found it gone! She ran to the table, and saw there the colour-box +lying beside the picture, which, as before, was leaning against the +easel, and evidently much improved. She thought that it now began to +look beautifully, and she could not withdraw her delighted eyes from +contemplating it. + +Still she felt persuaded that it was all a trick, for which she +should pay dearly when an explanation took place. She was afraid to +touch it again, lest her own inferior pencil should destroy some of +its beauties; though at the same time she remarked a few trifling +defects, which she had not been conscious of when painting at it the +day before. But rather than run the risk of spoiling the whole, she +preferred leaving these little imperfections as they were. Sometimes +she thought of showing it to her governess and to her master; but the +time of the examination approached, and the temptation of keeping the +secret was very great. + +However, she could not resolve to paint at the picture that day +herself. Before she went to bed, she took the precaution of placing a +chair against her door, which had the bolt on the outside only, the +young ladies not being permitted to fasten themselves up in their +rooms. + +She lay awake for a long time listening, but heard not the slightest +sound, and after a while she fell into a profound sleep. When she +awoke in the morning, the door was still closed, and the chair +standing just as she had placed it; the picture was again on the +easel; some mysterious hand had again been engaged on it, and all the +faults had disappeared, or been altered into beauties. + +Josephine stood motionless with amazement. When her bewildered +thoughts settled themselves into a distinct form, regret was her +predominant feeling. "What shall I do?" said she to herself. "I fear +this mystery if I allow it to go on, will end in something very +vexatious; and yet it may be only from motives of kindness that some +unknown person steals into my room at night, and works at my picture +with a skill far surpassing my own. Since I did not mention it at +first, were I now to relate this strange story, I should lose my +character for veracity, as no one, I am sure, would believe me." + +She painted no more at the picture, but put it away as usual. That +night she placed her washing-stand against the door, laying her soap +on the edge, so that if moved, it would fall, and having gone to bed +very sleepy, she soon closed her eyes in her usual deep slumber. In +the morning, the washing-stand was still against the door, the soap +had not fallen, the picture was once more on the easel, and--it was +finished! + +At the breakfast-table she stole inquiring glances at the +countenances of her school-mates, but none of them looked +particularly at _her_, and none of them averted their eyes from her +gaze. All seemed to think only of the examination. + +When she returned to her room, she drest herself for the occasion, +and wrapping her picture in her pocket-handkerchief, she joined her +companions, who walked in procession to the principal school-room, +according to their rank in the class. All the instructors were +assembled. After being examined in several other branches, the +drawings and miniature paintings were produced. When it came to the +turn of Josephine, she blushed as she presented her beautiful picture. + +Every one was astonished; it was so far superior to any thing she +had done before, particularly the finishing. The young ladies from +whom she had sketched the figures, being present, every one was +struck with the fidelity of the likenesses, painted, as they were, +chiefly from memory; and great praise was given, not only to the +grace of the attitudes, but to the easy and natural folds of the +drapery, and the clearness and beauty of the colouring. There was +also the novelty of two figures on the same ivory. + +The superiority of this little picture was so manifest, that there +was no hesitation in awarding the first prize, which was a small +silver palette, to Josephine Vericour. But to the surprise of every +one, Josephine showed no indication of joy at this signal triumph. +She looked round on all her companions, seeking to discover the +one who had painted the best part of her picture for her in the +night while she slept. She fixed her eyes steadfastly on Julia, the +youngest daughter of Madame Dorival, who possessed in a high degree +the charming talent of miniature painting. + +Josephine, who had heard Julia commending her picture, said to her, +"Miss Julia, you may well admire your own work. I have not merited +the prize, and I will not accept of praises which belong only to you, +to your skill in miniature painting, and to the kindness of your +heart." + +Julia protested that this language was unintelligible to her, +and begged Josephine to explain herself. She did so, and the +enigma seemed still more incomprehensible. Julia positively denied +ever having seen the picture before Josephine produced it at the +examination. In vain did Josephine detail all the circumstances of +its mysterious progress. Her statement could not be reconciled to +the rules of possibility, and they began to think that her mind was +affected by intense application to her picture. The prize, however, +was decreed to her, in spite of her reluctance to accept it; and when +the examination was over, the young ladies got together in groups, +and talked with much feeling of the symptoms of mental derangement +which had manifested themselves in the unfortunate Josephine. + +For a few weeks after the examination, Josephine allowed her +paint-box to remain with those of her companions in one of the +school-room closets, and painted only under the direction of her +master, and during the time of her regular lessons; but though there +were marks of daily improvement, the miniatures she now attempted +were inferior to the mysterious picture. + +Being anxious to try again how she could succeed in the solitude +of her own apartment, she there commenced a miniature of herself, +which, if successful, she intended as a present to her mother. By +the assistance of the large looking-glass that hung over the table, +she sketched the outline of her features with great correctness, +and after she had put in the dead colouring, (as the first tints +are called,) she put away her work for that day, and went to Julia, +whom she told of the new picture that she had just begun, and of her +anxiety to know whether her nocturnal visiter would again assist her +in completing it. + +"Dear Miss Julia," said poor Josephine, "let me entreat you to have +compassion and tell me the whole truth. If you have any private +reasons for not wishing it to be generally known, I solemnly promise +to disclose it to no one. Tell me how you always contrived to enter +my chamber in the night without disturbing my sleep, and how you have +been able to paint so well by candlelight?" + +"Miss Vericour," said Julia, "you surprise me extremely by seeming +to persist in the strange belief that I am the unknown person who +painted in secret on your picture. This mystery must be solved; and +if you find it so difficult to believe my word, you must assist me in +discovering the truth. Place nothing to-night against your door; do +not even latch it. Put away your painting apparatus as usual, and go +to bed, and to sleep if you can. I have thought of a way of detecting +the intruder, who, I suppose, must of course be one of the young +ladies. When she is discovered, she shall be reprimanded, and made to +give up her part in this strange drama, so that your perplexity will +be at an end." + +Josephine acquiesced with joy, and minutely followed the directions +of Julia. All the young ladies went to bed at nine o'clock, but +on this night it was long after ten before Josephine could compose +herself to sleep. When every one in the house had gone to bed and +all was quiet, Julia Dorival placed a taper in a small dark lantern, +and proceeded with it to the passage into which Josephine's chamber +opened. There, seating herself on a chair outside of the door, she +remained patiently watching for more than an hour. No one appeared; +the clock struck twelve, and Julia began to grow tired. She was +almost on the point of giving up the adventure, when her ear was +attracted by a slight noise in Josephine's room. + +Julia softly pushed open the door, and by the light of her lantern, +she saw Josephine dress herself in her morning-gown, walk directly to +her table, arrange her painting materials, select her colours, seat +herself before the glass, and begin to paint at her own miniature. +But what was most astonishing, she worked without any light, which +Julia did not at first remark, having her own lantern beside her +in the passage. She entered the chamber as softly as possible, and +placing herself behind Josephine's chair, she looked at her as she +painted, and was astonished at the ease and skill with which she +guided her pencil, asleep and in darkness. + +Julia Dorival was twenty years old, and with a large fund of general +information, she was not, of course, ignorant of the extraordinary +phenomenon of somnambulism, and of the most remarkable and best +authenticated anecdotes of sleep-walkers. But among all that she had +heard and read on the subject, she recollected none more surprising +than the case now before her. She knew, also, that persons under +the influence of this singular habit should never be suddenly +awakened, as the shock and surprise have been known to cause in them +convulsions or delirium. She therefore carefully avoided disturbing +Josephine, and gliding quietly out of the room, she looked at her for +some time from the passage, and then gently closing the door, she +left her to herself and retired to her own apartment. + +Next morning, Julia excited great surprise in her mother and sister, +by informing them of what she had seen. They agreed to witness +together that night this interesting spectacle, and of course, not to +mention a word on the subject to Josephine, who, when she innocently +inquired of Julia the result of her watching, was answered that she +should know all to-morrow. + +They were much affected at the idea that this young girl's earnest +and praise-worthy desire to excel in the art which was to be her +future profession, should have so wrought upon her mind, even in the +hours of repose, as almost to achieve a miracle, and to enable her to +prosecute employment with more ardour, and even with more success, in +darkness and in sleep, than in the light of day, and with all her +faculties awake. + +At midnight, the three ladies repaired with their lantern to the +chamber door of Josephine. The sleep-walker was putting on her gown. +They saw her seat herself at the table and begin to paint. They +approached close behind her without the smallest noise, venturing +to bring into the room their lantern; of its dim light, Josephine +was entirely unconscious. They saw her mix her colours with great +judgment, and lay on the touches of her pencil with the utmost +delicacy and precision. Her eyes were open, but she saw not with +them; though she frequently raised her head as if looking in the +glass. + +Somnambulists see nothing but the object on which their attention is +decidedly fixed; yet their perceptions of this object are ascertained +to be much clearer and more vivid than when awake. If addressed, +they will generally answer coherently, and as if they understood and +heard; and it is possible to hold a very rational dialogue with a +sleep-walker. But when awake, they have no recollection of any thing +that has passed during the time of somnambulism. + +Julia ventured to speak to Josephine in a low voice. "Well," said +she, "my dear Josephine, you know now who it is that paints in the +night at your pictures. You know that it is yourself. Do you hear me?" + +"Yes." + +"Does my presence disturb you?" + +"No, Miss Julia." + +"But to-morrow, Josephine, you will not believe what I shall tell +you." + +"Then it will be because I do not remember it." + +"Will you write on this piece of paper something that I wish to +dictate to you?" + +"Most willingly." + +Josephine then took up a lead pencil, and wrote these words as Julia +prompted her:-- + +"Midnight.--Talking with Miss Julia Dorival, and painting at a +miniature of myself. + + JOSEPHINE VERICOUR." + +Julia took the paper, and prepared to retire, cautioning the young +artist not to fatigue herself by painting too long. + +"Do not fear," replied Josephine, "I always return to bed as soon as +I begin to feel weary." + +The three ladies left the room on tip-toe, as they had entered it, +their minds wholly engrossed with admiration at the phenomenon +they had just witnessed. Next morning, Julia had some trouble in +convincing Josephine of the fact, but the certificate in her own +writing was an undeniable evidence. As there is something strange and +awful, and frequently dangerous, in the habit of somnambulism, no one +wishes to possess it; and Josephine was anxious to get rid of it as +soon as possible, even though it enabled her to paint better than +when awake. + +She would not trust her painting apparatus in her chamber at night, +and she dismissed all thought of her miniature from her mind as +soon as she went to bed; and was consequently enabled to rest there +till morning as tranquilly as any of her school-mates, all of whom +were much amazed when they heard the singular explanation of the +Mysterious Picture. + +This explanation once given, Madame Dorival prohibited its becoming a +subject of conversation. Josephine made vigorous efforts to conquer +her timidity in presence of her master, and in a short time she was +able to paint as well under his inspection as she had done when alone +and asleep in the gloom of midnight. + + ELIZA LESLIE. + + + + + +THE FATHER'S PRIDE. + + + There's mischief in thine eye, young boy! + Thy lip has a saucy air-- + And the winds breathe on thee health and joy, + As they stir thy golden hair. + + No sorrow flings its shadow o'er + Thy baby heart and brow! + And never at a palace door + Was prouder imp than thou! + + Prythee, don't raise thy little hand, + With such a lordly air! + For pussy laughs at thy command,-- + And Carlo doesn't care. + + Ah! pretty one! thou'rt very bold, + And pompous in thy stride-- + How dost thou know, at four years old, + Thou art a father's pride? + + When manhood comes, thou wilt be gay-- + But not as now--ah, never! + For now to-morrow seems to-day-- + Thyself a boy forever! + + Sweet babe! would I again could be + As innocent as thou-- + With heaven's pure ray, so calm and free, + Upon my heart and brow! + + [Illustration: H.W. Pickersgill pinxt. F. Kearny Sc. + + THE FATHER'S PRIDE.] + + + + +THE PET LAMB. + +A TALE. + +BY MRS. HUGHS. + + +One cold bleak morning, in the latter end of March, before winter +had quite determined to resign his tyrannical sway, though he had +occasionally permitted a few soft breezes to woo the opening buds of +the willow and the horse-chestnut, and scatter a few of the earliest +spring flowers over the fields, Farmer Early happened, on his way to +the place where his labourers were at work, to pass a field in which +he had a number of sheep. Two or three times, as he proceeded along, +by the side of the fence, he thought he heard a very feeble bleat, +and stopped to see if there was any youngling in need of more aid +than was in its mother's power to render. For some time, however, +he looked in vain, but at length the sound became more distinct, +and soon guided him to a corner of the field, where he discovered a +sheep lying stretched out on its side, and a lamb, evidently just +born, lying near it. He hastened immediately to the aid of the little +complainer, and found that the mother was stiff and cold, and that it +was itself nearly dead, for its feeble frame had been exposed to +the cold bleak wind and occasional falls of snow, without having any +tender mother to protect it from the withering blast. He immediately +took it in his arms and returned home, though with but little hope +that any thing that could now be done for it would be of any avail. + + [Illustration: W. Collins Del. F. Kearny Sc. + + THE PET LAMB.] + +"Here, Sally! Sally!" cried he, as he entered the door of his own +house, and immediately his eldest daughter came forward, on hearing +the summons, "I have brought you something to be kind to. Here is a +poor little lamb that has lost its mother, and you must try to supply +the place of one to it: I am afraid it will be impossible to save +it, but you must see what you can do." Sally, whose heart overflowed +with tenderness toward every living thing, took the little trembling +creature in her arms, and summoning her little sisters to partake +of the pleasing task, and indeed to share the fatigue which she was +herself but ill able to bear, she immediately began to prepare a bed +for it by the fire, and to warm some milk for it. + +"Do you think it will live, Sally?" said Peggy, as she stood by her +elder sister's side, "do you think you can keep it from dying?" + +"I hope so," answered Sally, holding the warm milk to its mouth as +she spoke. + +"I won't let it die," said Kitty, with great earnestness. "Will you, +Sally?" + +"Not if I can help it." + +"And if it lives, won't you let me feed it sometimes?" added Peggy, +"and won't you let it be part mine?" + +"Yes, it shall be part yours, and you shall help me to take care of +it." + +"And when it can walk, won't you let me take it out and teach it to +run about the green?" + +"I rather think it will be more likely to teach you to skip," +returned her elder sister. + +"I can run about already," said Kitty, and as she spoke, she gave +several bounds across the floor to prove the truth of her assertion. + +"What will you call it, Sally?" asked Peggy. + +"I think we must call it Croppy, for you know how the little lambs +crop the short grass. How glad I shall be if we can rear it. I never +had a pet in my life, and a pet lamb, of all things in the world, is +what I shall like the best." + +"You always said I was your little pet," said Kitty, looking up in +her sister's face with an expression of disappointment. + +"And so you are," answered Sally, kissing her affectionately; "but +Croppy, if it live, will be a pet to all of us." + +"And it will live--I know it will," said Peggy. "Only see how much +better it looks, now that it is warm, and has got some good milk." + +The fact was, that little Croppy very soon began to show signs of +the good effects of the kind treatment it had received; and before +the day was over, it could stand, and in a few days more it began to +trot about, and was very soon able to commence the business of giving +the little girls lessons in running. And here we shall leave him for +a while, to give a short account of the family in which he was now an +inmate. + +Farmer Early's family consisted of Sally, whom we have just +introduced to our readers, and who was fifteen years old, George, who +was about one, and Tom, who was rather more than two years younger +than she. Besides these, there were two little girls, Peggy, who +was seven, and Kitty, five years old. They were all rather pretty +and very pleasant looking children; but Sally and George were the +most conspicuously interesting, both in appearance and manners. +George was of a more serious and thoughtful cast than boys of his +age generally are. He was active, and always willing to do any thing +in his power to assist his father and those around him; but these +duties fulfilled, his chief delight was in reading, and he would sit +for hours together on the top of a box in the garret, whither he was +in the habit of going for the sake of being out of the noise of the +other children, and would devour with the greatest eagerness the +contents of every book on which he could lay his hands; and a strange +mixture, it must be confessed, it had been his fate to get hold of. +He had read "The Whole Duty of Man;" "Gulliver's Travels;" "Cook's +Voyages;" "Pilgrim's Progress;" two or three odd volumes of some of +the Waverley novels, which he had bought for a few cents a piece at +an auction in the neighbouring town, when sent there on an errand; +but of all the treasures of which he had ever become possessed, +and which seemed likely to have the most powerful influence over +his future character, was the Life of Franklin, which he likewise +purchased for a few cents at an auction. Eagerly, nay, greedily, did +he read this interesting little volume. And when he rose from the +fascinating task, and recollected that he, who had become one of +the most distinguished philosophers either of his own, or any other +country, who had been a negotiator with kings, and had done more, +perhaps, for his country than any other man, with the exception of +Washington alone, had once been a poor, portionless, uneducated +boy; and that all the attainments, all the honours of which he +afterwards became possessed, were entirely the fruits of his industry +and economy, he drew himself up with a noble feeling of pride and +emulation, and said, "I too, perhaps, may some time or other be +a great man; for every body has the power of being industrious, +economical, and good; and I never can be much poorer than Franklin +was when he first entered Philadelphia with only a dollar in his +pocket, and when he went and bought a two-penny loaf and made his +dinner off it." + +George had not derived his love of reading from either his father +or mother; for though respectable, they were very ignorant people, +and were much more disposed to regret the disposition of their son +to spend his time, as they conceived, so unprofitably, than to +attempt to supply him with the means of indulging his prevailing +propensity. He was not, however, without one affectionate and +sympathizing friend, who delighted in aiding him in every laudable +undertaking, and joined with interest in all his praise-worthy +pursuits. His sister Sally was, like himself, gentle, affectionate, +and thoughtful. She was not so great a reader as George, for, indeed, +the instruction that she had received had been so very limited, and +she had always been kept so constantly employed in assisting her +mother in the household work, and in taking care of the younger +children, that she had never learned to read with sufficient facility +to make the employment agreeable; but she delighted to listen to +George's accounts of the books he had read, and was always ready to +add her mite to the small stock of money which he was able to save +for the purchase of more. Fondly, too, would she encourage all his +ardent aspirings after knowledge and virtue, and all his sanguine +anticipations of future eminence; for to her he could breathe out +his thoughts almost before they were formed in his mind, conscious +as he did so, that they would meet no repulsive check, no chilling +reception, to nip the embryo blossom, and prevent its ripening into +fruit. There was yet another circumstance which served to unite this +affectionate brother and sister in still closer bonds. Sally had all +her life been exceedingly delicate, and as she advanced in age, that +delicacy evidently rather increased than diminished; and there was +no one of the whole family that showed so much consideration, and +so tender a sympathy for her weakness, as her brother George; and +the grateful girl never seemed to think she could make a sufficient +return for such kindness. + +We have spent so much time in dwelling on the characters of the +two elder branches of farmer Early's family, that we can spare but +little more for the others; nor, indeed, is there much required; for +Tom was, like other boys, active, playful, and careless; fond of +guns, and dogs, and horses; priding himself upon managing a horse +better, and shooting a partridge with truer aim than any boy in +the neighbourhood; and as to the little girls, they were like most +children of their age, sometimes troublesome, but more generally good +and engaging, and always interesting to their parents and sister, +who repeated their sayings, and watched their sports with pride +and pleasure, and persuaded themselves that they were the smartest +and prettiest children that were ever seen. Had the little Kitty, +however, been at all less delighted with their new inmate, Croppy, +than she really was, she might, perhaps, have been a little jealous +of the attention which he gained from the whole family, but more +especially from Sally, who, as she said, had never before had any +living thing that she could call her own; and as it soon learned to +know her voice, and would come bounding at her call from the furthest +point of the common before the door, or would trot by her side to the +dairy, anxiously looking for his usual allowance, she almost wondered +at herself for the fondness which she felt for it. "It is very silly +of me, I know, to be so fond of this little creature," she would +sometimes say, as she mused over her little pet; "for though he likes +me better than any body else at present, I know very well that any +other person who took the same care of him would just do as well for +him, and I should be forgotten directly; but yet he seems as if he +loved me, and it is so delightful to be loved, that the attachment of +a little dumb animal makes me feel happy." As Sally was thus musing, +her hands were occupied with tying together a number of wild flowers +which the children had just brought from the woods, and forming them +into a wreath. + +"What is that for?" asked Kitty, who had sat looking on so earnestly, +that she had been insensible to the many challenges which Croppy had +given her to a race over the common. "Who are you making that for, +Sally?" + +"You shall see," answered her sister, and immediately she called +"Croppy! Croppy!" and in an instant, Croppy, though he had been +almost out of sight at the moment of her calling, was again at her +side. Sally hung the wreath round his neck, but was obliged to tie it +so tight that he could not reach it with his mouth, or the display +of Sally's taste would soon have been in vain. "Now keep quiet, +Croppy, and do not spoil your garland before George comes home from +the field, because I have dressed you up in honour of his birth-day. +Now be quiet, good Croppy," continued she, as the little creature, +less gratified by being so ornamented, than worried by the unusual +incumbrance, tried, by rolling himself on the grass, to disengage +himself from it. + +"Oh! here comes George," cried Peggy. "I'll run and meet him, and +bring him to see Croppy before his birth-day dress is spoiled." But +at the same moment a voice was heard, calling in an angry tone, +"Sally! Sally! how can you think of setting there on the damp grass, +when you have been so sick all day! I know well enough how it will +be--you will get cold, and will be laid up instead of helping me +to-morrow with the washing." Poor Sally rose in an instant with a +feeling of self-condemnation at her own carelessness, but her heart +and eyes, at the same time, filling at the manner in which her mother +had upbraided her. As she returned to the house, she met George +hastening to admire Croppy's finery; but he had heard his mother's +rebuke, and seeing the large tears standing in his sister's eyes, +Croppy was immediately forgotten, and turning round with Sally, he +devoted himself the rest of the evening to cheering and amusing her. +"It only wants a few days now, Sally," said he, seeking, in the +subject the most interesting to himself, the most probable means +of amusing his sister, "it only wants a few days now to the time +of my going to school. Father has promised me a month's schooling +before the harvest begins, and another when it is over; and if I am +diligent, I can learn a great deal in that time. Oh, how I long to +begin! I dream about being at school every night; and I always think +that I am learning something that compels me to study very hard, and +I am always so glad, because I think then I am learning the way to +be a wise and good man. Franklin had very little more schooling than +I shall have had by that time, and as to money, he was as poor as I +am, every bit; for when he first came to Philadelphia, he had only +a single dollar in his pocket, and yet you see he got to be a very +great man." + +"Yes," said Sally, "but he had to study and work very hard for a +great many years first." + +"To be sure he had," returned the brother with animation; "but then +so can I work, and so can I study; I am not afraid of either. Did not +I walk ten miles yesterday, when I went that errand for the squire, +because he said he would give me a quarter of a dollar? and here it +is," he added, taking the money out of his pocket, and looking at +it with great complacency, "and I mean to get up by day break in +the morning, and go to buy a book with it that I saw the other day, +and that I want to read; I can get it, I think, for a quarter of +a dollar. And I'll tell you another thing, Sally; I expect by the +time I have finished my month of schooling, you will be a great deal +stronger than you are now, and then I can teach you every thing that +I have learnt, and we shall be so happy--shan't we, Sally?" Sally +smiled assent, but it was a languid smile, for the ardour of her +youthful mind was checked by the enfeebling influence of disease. + +The next morning Sally felt very forcibly the ill effects of her +imprudence in sitting on the damp grass the night before; and though +she still recollected the severe manner in which her mother had +reproved her, she could not but be conscious that the reproof was +deserved. This made her very unwilling to complain, though she rose +with a severe pain in her side, a burning fever in her veins, and a +cough which was always troublesome, but was now more than usually +distressing. Determined, however, not to complain, and anxious, +if possible, to conceal her indisposition, she prepared to assist +her mother in every way in her power; and though she felt it would +be impossible for her to stand at the washing tub, she washed and +dressed her little sisters, prepared the breakfast, and did a variety +of offices equally useful, and was in hopes it would escape the +observation of every one, that what she did was performed under the +pressure of more pain and debility than usual. She was assisted in +this concealment by the absence of George, who had not, at breakfast +time, returned from the town to which he had gone for the purchase of +the book of which he had spoken the evening before; for had he been +present, his watchful eye, she well knew, would soon have discovered +the oppression under which she laboured. Breakfast, however, was +entirely over before he returned, and when he did come, he only +stayed to eat a piece of dry bread and take a drink of water, a kind +of fare which would at any time have been sufficient to satisfy +him, but which he had now become extremely fond of, since he found +that Franklin ascribed so much of his alacrity in business, and his +facility in study, to his adherence to that simple diet; and then +hastened to assist his father in the field. Sally sometimes almost +persuaded herself that her little pet Croppy saw and understood that +all was not right with his young mistress; for instead of frisking +about the common as usual with the little girls, he kept almost +constantly trotting by her side, every now and then rubbing his +little head tenderly against her, and appearing quite happy when she +stooped down to pat his head and speak to him in a tone of kindness. +Yet even this slight indulgence seemed almost more than she had +either time or spirits to bestow, and the continual repetition of +Sally do this, and Sally do that, kept her incessantly occupied till +late in the afternoon, when the chief of the business being over, and +she too much exhausted to support herself any longer on her feet, +had just sunk upon a seat, and was patting the head which Croppy had +come and laid on her lap, when her father and brothers returned from +the field. "Sally," said the farmer, in a tone of reproach, "you sit +patting that lamb as if there was nothing else to be done. Come, +girl," he continued, taking up a milking bucket as he spoke, "get +your bucket, and let us go and milk the cows." George, who, at the +moment his father spoke, had taken up his newly purchased treasure, +and had got half across the room on the way to his private retreat, +cast a glance at his sister, and perceiving in an instant that she +was ill, he threw down his book, and saying, "Sit still, Sally, for +I am going to milk this evening," he took the bucket and hastened +after his father. Sally's heart glowed with affection and gratitude. +She had always loved her brother, but never had he been half so dear +to her as at this moment. "Croppy, you must love George for being so +kind to your mistress," said she, addressing herself to the lamb for +want of a more sympathizing auditor, "you must love George for my +sake;" and she watched for his return, impatient to let him know that +she understood and felt his kindness. + +At length, the business of milking over, George again appeared, but +no longer with the glow of animation on his countenance with which +he had returned from his day's labour, nor yet with the spirit and +alacrity with which he had left the house on his office of kindness. +"Is he sorry now, that he went?" thought Sally, as she examined his +countenance. "Has he begun to think what a great deal he might have +read in the time that he has been milking?" "Why don't you go to your +book now, George?" asked she, as she saw that, after disposing of +the milk bucket, her brother placed himself at the end of the large +table, on which he put up his arm, and rested his head upon it with +a look of great distress. "Why don't you go and read now?" again she +inquired; "there is nothing to hinder you now." + +"Because I don't want to," answered George, in a tone very different +from his usual cheerful, good tempered voice. + +"George, come here beside me," said Sally, tenderly, for she began to +feel alarmed at the expression of her brother's countenance. + +"Oh! I can't," returned the boy; "do let me alone, I don't want to +speak." + +Sally's eyes filled with tears. "He is vexed at me," thought she, +"for he thinks I am always in the way of his improving himself." +George got up and moved towards the stairs. "You are leaving your +book behind you, George," said Sally, glad to think that he was going +at last to his favourite employment. + +"I don't want it," he replied; "I am going to bed." + +"George, do tell me what is the matter before you go; are you sick?" + +"No, I am not sick, but I don't want to talk; so do let me alone." +So saying, he went to bed, and Sally soon after retired also, but +not to sleep. Uneasiness at the sudden and unaccountable change in +her brother's manner, added double violence to the disease which +was throbbing in her veins; and after a restless and sleepless +night, she attempted to rise in the morning, but finding herself +entirely unable to do so, she was obliged to lay her head again upon +her pillow. "Aye, this is just what I thought would be the case," +said her mother, who coming up to see why Sally had not made her +appearance, found her too ill to sit up; "I told you what you would +bring upon yourself by playing and idling your time away with that +little useless pet lamb of yours." Mrs. Early did not mean to be an +unkind mother, but she, like many other people, had an unfortunate +manner of showing her affection, and generally vented the uneasiness +which the sight of her daughter's indisposition occasioned, in a tone +of reproach, for which she had not always so much cause as on the +present occasion. + +"I know I was wrong, mother, for sitting upon the grass," said Sally, +mildly, "but say no more about it, for it cannot be helped; and ask +George to come up and see me." + +"George has been out at work these two hours," replied her mother, +"and here am I with all the ironing to do, and every thing else to +attend to, and to nurse you into the bargain." + +"No, indeed, mother, I don't need any nursing," returned the poor +girl, who, though convinced her mother did not mean any unkindness by +this manner of speaking, was yet unable to repress the tears which +filled her eyes and forced themselves down her cheek as she spoke. +"Only tell Peggy to bring me up some water to drink, and I want +nothing else." + +"Aye, it's fine talking. But do you think I can have you lying sick +in bed, without coming to look after you? And I'm sure I don't know +how I'm to find time to do it, and to do all the work besides. But I +will send Peggy up with a drink for you, and will come up myself as +often as I can," added the mother, as she closed the door after her. + +When left to herself, Sally's mind dwelt continually on the thought +of George's melancholy the night before, which she was sure was +still unremoved, or he would never have thought of going to work +without first coming to inquire after her. Anxiety to know the cause +only increased the longer she dwelt upon the subject. In vain did +her little sisters try their utmost efforts to amuse her, for which +purpose, even little Croppy was brought up stairs, and introduced +into the bed room; she looked at it with pleasure, and gave the +little girls strict injunctions to be kind and attentive to it +whilst she was unable to be so herself; but again her mind recurred +to the recollection that something was amiss with her favourite +brother; and this idea, much more than the bodily pain that she +suffered, made every hour appear like two, till he came home to his +dinner. At length she heard her father's voice below, and knowing +that George was in all probability there also, she knocked down for +her little attendant Peggy, and desired her to ask George to come +up and see her. He came immediately, and the moment Sally saw him, +she perceived that the same expression of melancholy remained on his +countenance. + +"George," said she, in a gentle, affectionate voice, as he came +toward her bed-side, "I wanted to see you, to know if you have +forgiven me." + +"Forgiven, you, Sally! what had I to forgive?" asked he, in a tone of +surprise. + +"For being the means of keeping you from going up stairs to read last +night." + +"Oh! Sally, you surely do not think that I was angry at you for being +sick?" + +"No, not angry at me for being sick, but angry at me for having made +myself sick by my own imprudence, and so keeping you from the only +enjoyment you have." + +"And don't you think, Sally, that I would rather help you than read +any book whatever?" + +"I know you have always been very kind in helping me, but still what +made you so sorrowful when you came in from milking, if it was not +that?" + +"It was not that, at any rate," answered George. + +"Then what was it? Do tell me, George, for I know there is something +amiss, and I cannot tell what it is." + +"It is nothing that you can help, Sally, so keep yourself easy, and +get well again, for that will sooner bring back my spirits than any +thing else." + +"George, do tell me what is the matter. I am very sick, and it only +makes me worse to think of your being so sorrowful, and I not know +the cause." + +"Oh! I am not sorrowful," returned George, endeavouring to speak +cheerfully, "I am only disappointed, but I shall soon get over it; +for my father told me last night whilst we were milking, that he has +had so many losses this season, both in sheep, and cows, and horses, +that he will not be able to send me to school as he had promised to +do." + +But though George began his speech with an assumed cheerfulness, he +was unable to keep it up; and as he pronounced the last words, the +tears, in spite of his utmost efforts, filled his eyes, and were +about to force themselves down his cheeks, when the voice of his +mother calling him from below, checked their course, and he hastened +down stairs to obey the summons. + +"Tom, Sally wants you to go up stairs to her," said Peggy, in the +evening, when the family were all assembled to supper. + +"Wants me!" said Tom, in surprise. "What does she want me for? She +surely does not expect that I can read to her, or talk to her about +books, as George does." + +"I don't know, but she said I must tell you to come up and speak to +her." + +Tom went up stairs, but when he came down again, though questioned by +all around about the business for which he had been sent, he refused +to gratify their curiosity; but after eating his supper in silence, a +very uncommon circumstance for him, for he generally had some exploit +to recount that he had achieved with his gun, his horse, or his dog, +he took his hat and went out, without making any remark about whither +he was going, or what he was going to do; nor on his return was he +any more communicative, though the curiosity of all was considerably +excited about the nature of the business he had been upon. + +In the mean time, Sally's illness increased in so alarming a manner, +that even her mother ceased to talk about herself, and was anxious +only for the health of her child. + +The poor girl, as if conscious that her sufferings were only a just +penance for the imprudence of which she had been guilty, uttered +no complaints, though she tossed about the whole night in all the +restlessness of a burning fever, and was, by the time that day-light +arrived, so ill, that George was despatched in haste for the +physician from the neighbouring town, whose arrival was waited for +with an impatience that only those can understand who have known what +it is to watch by the side of a beloved one, and count the minutes +till the sufferer is relieved, and strength is given to their sinking +hopes. + +"What can George be about?" said the mother, looking out of the +window, and straining her anxious eyes in hopes of catching a glimpse +of him as he came across the common; "he never was so long on an +errand before. He surely might have managed to come back himself +before this time, whether the doctor could come with him or not." + +"Keep yourself easy, mother," said Sally, gently, who was the only +one that was not impatient, "I am sure he will come back as soon as +he possibly can." + +"Peggy, run along as far as the stable yonder, and try if you can see +any thing of him," added her mother, "and come back directly and tell +me if you do." + +Away went Peggy, followed by the little Kitty, and having caught +a sight of her elder brother, was about to do as she had been +ordered, and hasten to the house to announce the intelligence, when +her curiosity was excited, and her steps arrested, by the sight of +another object, for whose presence she was unable to account. "Why, +who can that be that is coming along the road with Tom? I declare it +is Ben, the butcher's boy. What can he want here, I wonder?" At that +moment Tom was heard calling Croppy! Croppy! and in an instant Croppy +came bounding across the common to meet him. George, too, had arrived +at the same time from an opposite direction, and eagerly inquired +what he wanted with Croppy; but the next moment, like a stroke of +lightning, the truth flashed across his mind, and, throwing himself +down by the side of the lamb, he clasped his arms around its neck. +"I know what is the matter--I know it all," he exclaimed. "Sally is +going to sell Croppy, for the sake of paying for my schooling; but +its innocent life shall not be taken away for any such thing. I can +read and teach myself, and Croppy shall not be killed." + +"Hush, George, give over making that noise, man. Don't you hear +mother calling you? Get up, I tell you, and don't make such a rout +about a lamb; it's not the first lamb that has been killed, I am +sure." + +Peggy now caught the alarm, and bursting into tears, she ran to the +butcher's boy. "You must not take Croppy away. Oh! you shall not kill +our dear little Croppy," she exclaimed, pushing the boy back with her +little hands as she spoke, while Kitty, scarcely able to understand +the meaning of what was going forward, and anxious only to show +kindness to their little favourite, had got some water from a bucket +that stood near her, and was trying to coax the little creature to +drink. But Croppy, as if conscious of the fate that awaited him, was +insensible to all her solicitations. At this moment, the sound of +horses' feet was heard, and the next, the doctor rode up to them, +and struck with the expression of grief on George's countenance, and +with Peggy's distress, inquired what was the matter. The story was +soon told. "Oh, cheer up, my good boy," said he, addressing himself +to George, whose sensibility and anxiety for improvement struck him +with equal admiration, "keep yourself easy, for the lamb shall live, +and you shall go to school into the bargain." So saying, he gave the +butcher's boy a piece of money to reconcile him to going back without +the lamb; then turning to George, he assured him that he would take +the expense of his schooling upon himself, and that instead of a +month, he should stay a year, or more, if he found that he continued +to set as high a value as he at present did upon being furnished +with the means of improvement. "And now," added he, "I must go and +see after this kind sister of yours, whose health I shall be doubly +anxious to restore after this proof of her amiable and affectionate +disposition." But though he was on horseback, George was at the house +before him, and was making his way immediately to Sally's room, when +he was stopped by his mother, who met him, and, in an agony of +tears, told him that Sally was too ill to be spoken to. Disappointed +at not being able either to express his gratitude for the proof of +affection which she had given, or to make her a sharer of his own +happiness, he sunk down on a seat, and waited the return of the +doctor, whom his mother now conducted to the sick chamber. After +waiting a long time, he at length heard the sound of his footsteps on +the stairs, and his voice, as he spoke in a soft tone to his mother. +George fixed his eyes on the face of the physician as he entered the +room where he was, and endeavoured to read in it what he thought of +his patient, but felt afraid to inquire. + +"May I go up now?" asked he, in a timid voice. + +"Yes. Go up, she is anxious to have you with her, and I am sure I +need not tell you to pay her all the attention in your power." + +George did not wait to make any reply, but was, in an instant, by +Sally's bed-side. But how great, how alarming, was the change that he +saw in her from the time that he had last left her! + +"Sally! dear Sally, I am come to thank you," said he. Sally raised +her eyes and smiled on him affectionately. "How kind it was to give +up your little pet to pay for my schooling. But, though I am going to +school, you will still have Croppy to be kind to." + +"Croppy will not be taken from me, but I shall soon be taken away +from him. George, I am going to leave you all very soon." + +"Oh! Sally, don't talk that way," said George, in a tone of extreme +agitation. "What has the doctor been doing to frighten you so?" + +"The doctor has not frightened me. He told me that he hoped he should +make me well again, but I know better; I know that I am dying; but I +am not frightened, for I know that I am going to a kind father. I am +sorry to part with you all, especially you, George, but it must be, +and we shall meet again soon." + +"Oh, don't talk about dying, Sally," cried the afflicted boy, the +tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke, "don't talk about +leaving us. I cannot bear to think of parting with you." + +"George," said Sally, and an almost heavenly expression brightened +her countenance as she spoke, "you have read a great deal, but your +reading will be of little use if you have not learnt to know that +it is our duty to submit with patience to the will of our Heavenly +Father. I like to be with you, and am sorry to think of leaving +you, but I know we shall meet again, and then there will be no more +parting. But we will talk no more about it now. Mother is coming, and +I don't want to distress her." + +George looked at Sally, and tried to persuade himself that she was +mistaken in imagining herself so ill. But the more he examined her +countenance on which the indelible stamp of death was already +impressed, the more he was convinced that she was right. From that +moment, he scarcely quitted her bed-side, but watched over her, read +portions of the scriptures to her whenever she was able to listen, +and even prayed with her. Her composure and benignity were gradually +communicated to his mind, so that though the one of all the family +who was the most fondly attached to her, he was the only one who +could view her approaching death with sufficient calmness to be +able to listen to her when she talked about it. Short was the time, +however, that he was called upon to exercise this self-command, for +the vital torch was nearly extinguished, and her short, but innocent +life, was nearly drawn to a close. George, whose affectionate offices +seemed to become more and more grateful to her as the time approached +nearer when she must resign them altogether, had sat up with her all +night; and her mother, toward morning, was prevailed upon to go and +take a little rest, under the assurance from Sally, that she did +not need any thing that her brother could not do for her. Just as +her mother left the room, the first beam of the morning sun glanced +through the window. "Put out the lamp, George," said she, "and draw +back the window curtain, that I may see the sun rise. It is the last +time that I shall ever see it rise, and oh! it is a glorious sight. +I should have been glad, if I had been permitted to live longer, +for this world is beautiful, and I wanted to see you a wise and good +man, but that I hope you will be, though I am not here to see it; and +always remember me, George, and think how dearly I loved you. Raise +me up a little, and put the pillows under my shoulders--there, that +will do. Oh! George, I can't see! Take hold of my hand." George took +her hand, she pressed his gently; and he watched, scarcely venturing +to breathe, lest it should prevent him from hearing her words when +she should next speak. But gradually he felt her hand relax from +the pressure of his; he looked at her lips, but they were still; he +put his face to her mouth, but no breath escaped from it; all was +motionless. He was conscious that she was dead, but so sweet, so +placid was the repose into which she was sunk, that he was unwilling +to stir, lest he should destroy the heavenly feeling. How long he +thus hung over her, he was himself unconscious; but when, at length, +he was interrupted by the entrance of some of the family, he left the +room, and hastened into the open air, as if unwilling to mingle the +hallowed feelings which pervaded his mind with the more boisterous +grief of the other members of the family. + +Violent grief, for such a death, George felt to be impossible; +and though he never ceased to think of her loss but with the most +affectionate regret, his sorrow was so blended with the conviction +that the change was a happy one for her, that it soon softened down +to a holy and tender remembrance, which served only to stimulate his +mind to virtue and piety; and the sweet proof that she had given so +short a time before her death of her affection for him, made him +cherish with grateful pleasure the recollection of the Pet Lamb. + + + + +THE CLEAN FACE; + +or, + +THE BOY WASHED BY HIS ELDER SISTER. + + + Oh! why must my face be wash'd so clean, + And scrubb'd and drench'd for Sunday, + When you know very well (as you've always seen) + 'Twill be dirty again on Monday? + + My hair is stiff with the lathery soap + That behind my ears is dripping; + And my smarting eyes I'm afraid to ope; + And my lip the suds is sipping. + + They're down my throat, and up my nose-- + And to choke me you seem to be trying. + That I'll shut my mouth you needn't suppose, + For how can I keep from crying? + + And you rub as hard as ever you can-- + And your hands are hard--to my sorrow; + No woman shall wash me when I'm a man-- + And I wish I was one to-morrow. + + E. LESLIE. + + [Illustration: Painted by Scharp. Engraved by J. B. Neagle. + + THE CLEAN FACE.] + + + + +LE LOUP ET L'AGNEAU. + +BY THE AUTHOR OF LIGHTS OF EDUCATION. + + +Soon after the dreadful massacre of the white inhabitants of St. +Domingo many years ago, a French family came to settle in Baltimore. +With a small sum of money, saved from the wreck of a large fortune, +they purchased an acre of ground, about a mile from town, with a +stone house built on it; over which they contrived to spread a +foreign appearance, by thatching the slanting roof of the porch in +front--latticing the small windows--and hanging out a nightingale +in a wicker cage. The family consisted of a gentleman and lady, a +nephew, and an infant daughter, with the domestics, the faithful +adherents of their master's adverse fortune. After some time, Mr. +Leroy obtained a small salary in the French consul's office; Madame +Leroy worked stays; the servant woman (Pauline) made cakes, and sold +them at market, or in the park on _field-days_, to the followers of +the military assembled there. The man (Antoine) cultivated West India +vegetables; but when Pauline was away, he added all the work of the +house to his own occupation; and could cook, wash, and iron, better +than herself, though he never scolded half so loud. Little Susette +was a sweet creature; with bright laughing black eyes, and of a +lively, courageous temper. Her cousin was not so; whether the horrid +scenes he indistinctly remembered in his own country, or the little +sympathy he found in another, tended the most to depression and fear, +I know not; but Louis was pensive even to sadness, and timid almost +to feminine weakness. These qualities, so injurious to his future +prospects, might have been overcome, since they did not appear in +the feelings of his early childhood, had he been left either with +his family, in the peaceful enjoyment of his own little pleasures, +or found associates, who would have enlivened and encouraged by +kindness and protection. But the only boy who sought his society, was +the least likely to benefit him in this respect. He was the son of a +wealthy brewer, whose residence was near Mr. Leroy's, and his name +was Michael Redman; commonly called Mike, and sometimes Red Mike. +This boy was the usual companion of Louis, from beyond the Falls to +school, and back again. Strange, that nothing should grow out of such +constant intercourse, in a free country, but wanton oppression and +slavish fear; because the ready invention and quick perception of the +little Frenchman excited the envy of his unintellectual companion, +though he affected to despise all the delicate endowments of that +mind, which he kept in bondage by the exercise of his savage strength +alone; but this reduced Louis to the most degraded state of slavery, +till at length he became subservient to his tyrant's purposes on +every occasion; would I could say of good _or_ evil, where all was +evil. On Michael's youthful countenance already were impressed the +marks of fatal passions; and every day the traces deepened, the +shadows darkened. This was more perceptible, whenever his forbidding +face appeared in opposition to the lovely, innocent countenance of +Louis Leroy; and then so remarkable was the contrast exhibited, that +any one would have been struck with the truth of the application, +when an old French gentleman, who usually came on an evening to share +Mr. Leroy's frugal supper, of bread and salad, exclaimed on seeing +the two boys together--"Voila, le loup et l'agneau." (Behold, the +wolf and the lamb.) Well might he say so, and the transactions of two +days will prove it sufficiently to the reader. Little Susette had +been ill, and was ordered regular exposure in the open air. This was +not so easy, considering the constant occupation of the family; but +Louis carried her in his arms all about the place, whenever he was +at home, till she recovered, and then she soon grew too stout for +his nursing; so one day, when Pauline was gone to attend a parade in +the park, Antoine was spreading out beans and okras at the back of +the house to dry, and Madame Leroy was finishing a pair of stays, +Louis took the baby in his arms, and carried her under a shady tree; +when sitting down beside her, he began to contrive in his thoughts a +proper coach for her. + + [Illustration: Printed by W. Mulready R.A. Engraved by J. B. Neagle + + THE WOLF & THE LAMB] + +As soon as he had drawn out the plan in his head, he set about the +execution of it with his hands; and by the labour of a few Saturdays, +and the sacrifice of a little money that his teacher had given him +for some service in the school, he made her an elegant carriage, +which he painted with yellow ochre, and emblazoned with his uncle's +coat of arms, as he thought he remembered it on the old family coach, +belonging to three generations of noblesse in St. Domingo. He had +put the infant in her fairy vehicle, and was drawing her toward the +house, to show it to his aunt, when Mike Redman appeared. "Hurra, +Louy, what have you got there? It looks like a frog in a pumpkin +shell." The comparison was not unapt, when he only saw a small head, +and two little fat hands, peeping out of a yellow box. "Come, tumble +it out here, I want you to go a-fishing, and this wagon will do to +carry them home in." "Oh, no, Michael, that is little Susette's." +"Oh, never mind, she's able to trot about well enough on her own +stumpy legs; but the fish have no feet to walk." "I will bring +Antoine's basket." "No, you needn't, this thing here is a great deal +better; and we'll keep it for that always. So hurra, Miss Susan, +clear out, and run as fast as you can." Saying this, he took the baby +from the carriage, and stood her on the ground; upon which she did +not cry, but remained looking in his face, with a mixed expression of +surprise and dislike, and never offered to stir; Louis, who at the +moment was more afraid for Susette than himself, agreed to go with +Mike, if he would wait till he carried the child in. Satisfied with +his conquest so far, Redman remained; and when Louis returned, they +set off,--but this poor boy could not recover the mortification of +sacrificing the toy he had made, with such ingenuity, for the use of +his little cousin, and with which he thought he should delight her +parents, for the portage of Mike Redman's fish: yet, even this was +not so painful a sensation, as he felt, when forced by his companion +to catch worms, and bait the hooks with them. At the commencement, +indeed, he was so much overcome, that he sickened to faintishness, +upon which Michael showed so much feeling, as to throw a hat-full of +water in his face; from which it descended in streams to his breast, +and making his clothes thoroughly wet, promised to add ill-health to +the other evils of his constitution. When the boys were returning +home, Mike said, "This is a prime thing, Louy--this here wagon, I'm +going to keep it, to carry things always; you can easily get another +for yourself, if you want." "No, Michael, I cannot, I have not more +money." "Oh! well then, you can do without--as you did before you +made it." "But, little Susette, she cannot do without it, because +she is sick." "Sick--not she, I tell you--she's as stout as any +little pig, so you must make her walk." "Oh, no, Michael, she is too +little, she cannot walk such a great deal." "To be sure she can--it +is the very thing for her; why, she'll grow as round as one of them +tubs yonder in our yard, if you let her ride; so, I'll keep the +carriage for that; and, look here, Louy, since you're so clever at +these sort o' notions, I want you to make me some arrows. You must +get me a dozen done by Saturday--that's the last of our holidays, +you know--and then, if I shoot any birds a _Sunday_, I'll give you +one or two for your supper." "I do not want them, Michael, I would +prefer you let them sing on Sunday."--"Well, I don't want to give +you any birds, if you prefer _go without_--but you must make me the +arrows at any rate, and if you don't have them ready, when I call for +them, you'll be sorry." What Mike Redman wanted with a dozen arrows +and a baby's carriage, I leave to the consideration of those young +people, who have witnessed in their companions a premature acuteness +in ways of traffic; which discovers itself in the sale, or barter, of +all the small wares they can beg or borrow: I omit the other word, +so commonly united with these two, because, I trust, that at this +period, when education has extended moral influence so far, there is +not one, in the whole circle of boyish transgressions, to whom the +application of such a word would not be a false and shocking libel. +The characters of children then, perhaps, were less attended to; and +certainly Mike Redman's parents, though they fed him plentifully, +and clothed him fashionably, could never have instructed him in the +slightest principle; since he did not give without reluctance, to the +poor boy who assisted him materially, a few little fishes to help +out his miserable dinner, or scruple to take from him a toy that had +cost him three days' labour, and the money that otherwise should +have purchased him a new jacket, (which he sadly wanted,) to procure +pleasure for his infant relative. + +When Louis entered the room, where the family usually assembled, he +found the old French gentleman had come to dine with them; though +there was nothing on the table, but a dish of okra or gumbo soup, +a salad, and an omelette; to which, however, were soon added, +through the quick hands of Antoine, Louis's contribution of fish; +and surely round any richer board, there was not then assembled a +more striking picture of "the sublime and beautiful:" a Christian +philosopher cheerfully resigned to the changes of fortune, and his +lovely companion, with faithful affection, smiling while she shared +his fate. There was so striking a resemblance between Madame Leroy +and her nephew, that many persons supposed they were mother and son; +and as he was the only child of a beloved sister, that escaped the +general death, she loved him as if he had been her own. Mr. Leroy was +also related to him in the same degree; his brother having married +the mother of Louis,--had this not been the case, however, he would +have been fond of him for his wife's sake. He loved every one that +she loved, and herself more than all. Little Susette had forgotten +her coach, or resigned to its loss, was making smiling faces over her +soup as she drafted it from her plate to her mouth, by half spoonfuls +at a time. Poor Louis almost forgot his hardships, under a cruel +task-master, when he sat down to his temperate meal, with so good +an appetite; while the pleasant jests of the gay old gentleman were +relished by all the party, with that better philosophy of the French +school, which teaches to make the most of the simplest pleasures, and +which, I am afraid, few but her own scholars have learned. The next +morning Louis arose early, to perform his allotted task, which would +have been easy enough, even had he been less expert. His aunt, whom +he did not inform that this labour was involuntary, and from whom he +had constantly concealed all the other impositions of Mike Redman, +gave him a dozen large pins to tip the arrows with, and Antoine cut +him the most suitable wood. But light as the task was, his spirit +now rebelled at this slavery, and whispered "Be free," so with a +revolting soul he finished the arrows. But Michael, whose father +had taken him to the country on Saturday, could not call for them +before Monday, when they were to go to school. Louis had a satchel +made, ready to carry his books neatly; but Mike, whose mother never +thought of making him one, was obliged to carry his as well as he +could without, and he now threw them down with his cap and gloves, to +examine the arrows; little Susette, who was playing in the yard, with +a tin cup, and with which she had been making music on the stones, +now began to look at the books, and with the usual destructiveness +of infancy to the works of literature, she tore some of the leaves +out. When Mike had put all the arrows in the quiver, except one, he +turned round, and seeing the condition of his books, he flew at the +little creature in a rage, as if he would tear her in pieces; and +so verify his title to the name of a wolf. The cowardice of Louis +at that instant vanished; he sprang forward, and seized the young +savage by the collar, while his faithful little dog caught hold of +one of the straps of Mike's trowsers. This gave the infant some time +to escape, and with terrifying cries she ran toward the house. Her +mother came to the door in dreadful alarm, when seeing her nephew +closed up against the garden gate, by the powerful shoulders of Mike +Redman, (who had his hands clenched,) and the little dog howling at +his feet, in extreme pain, she called, in the agony of fear, upon +two men, who were looking out from the brewery yard, at the boys' +affray, to separate them. "Be aisy, Casper," said one, "and let the +boys fight it out, I'll jist step over and see the Frenchman clear +o' the fence." "Put I'll see de Frenchman clear o' Mike, Patrick; +mine hearts, de poy wouldn't stant no chance at all mit him." With +these separate intentions, they both sallied forth, and approached +the combatants. Pat released the Frenchman, but Mike, resisting the +interference of such authority, was knocked down by the German; who, +as an excuse for himself, when he was called upon by Mr. Redman to +relate the whole transaction, offered this:--"In my country, de poys +are prought up to mind the sayins o' pigger people." Mr. Redman, who +was not himself an unjust man, admitted the apology, and soon after, +considering, perhaps, though it was then too late, that he did not +properly control his vicious propensities, while he exposed them to +continual increase in the contaminating sphere around him, he sent +Michael to school at a distance from home, and recompensed his little +neighbour, by many acts of kindness, for the cruel oppression of his +son. When I asked the person, who told me this story, what became +of the two boys in after life, he said, Michael Redman inherited a +large property, which he soon spent; after this he went to sea; and +I would, probably, never have learned his final fate, had he not +been announced in the newspapers, some years after, with an _alias_ +to his name, among a number of men who were executed for piracy. In +process of time, Louis Leroy married his young cousin Susette; and +proved, through a long course of years, his filial affection to her +parents. He contrived to add to his small patrimony by several useful +inventions, which were patented in the state. He reared up a numerous +family, with the same frugal and temperate habits that he had been +taught, and under the same roof which had sheltered his own boyhood; +while all the other habitations that had risen around him were +constantly changing their owners and inmates. Behold the just end of +"Le Loup et L'Agneau." + + + + +THE CHRISTMAS VISIT. + + +"Come hither, Emily," said Mrs. Osman to her daughter, a little girl +about six years old, who had just returned from school; "Come hither, +for I have something to tell you." + +"What is it, mamma? Have you had a letter from papa? and is he coming +home soon?" + +"No, that is not it, though I hope your papa will now very soon be +home again; but it is that your friend, Mrs. Cassy, has just been +here, to invite you to spend the day with her on Christmas day, to +meet your friend Julia." + +"Oh! delightful, how very kind Mrs. Cassy is!" said the little girl +with great animation. + +"She is, indeed! And though the object of this invitation is to give +Julia a treat before she leaves the country, which you know she will +now soon do, as her mamma has sent for her, to return home with her +uncle who is to set off in a few days: yet it will, I am sure, be +quite as great a pleasure to yourself; for though Mrs. Cassy has no +children of her own, you know how much pains she always takes to make +her house pleasant to her little visiters." + +"Oh, yes! I remember the last time we were there, she had a large +baby for us, that she had dressed herself. And it had a beautiful +frock and cap, and a pair of socks, just like those that my little +sister Emma wears; and we played at its being sick; and then Mrs. +Cassy made a scramble of raisins and sugarplums, and a great many +other good things, and we had such fun in picking them up! Oh! it was +delightful. I hope you will let me go, mamma!" + +"Yes! upon one condition." + +"Oh! I know what that condition will be. It will be about my tickets +for good conduct." + +"Yes, you are quite right. You know, Emily, your great fault is +idling. You are apt to spend your time idling when you ought to be +attending to your lessons. But if you get----" + +"A ticket every day for good conduct," interrupted the little girl. + +"Yes! I am sure you will not receive a ticket for good conduct unless +your lessons have been properly attended to, and your behaviour in +school has been such as it ought to be; and therefore your going +to Mrs. Cassy's must depend upon your tickets for good conduct. It +only wants two days to Christmas day, and if you can bring me a +ticket each day for good conduct you shall go: but if not, you must +be content to stay at home. It is a very short time for you to keep +watch over yourself, so that if you fail, I am sure even your friend +Mrs. Cassy herself will not think that you deserve to partake of her +kindness." + +"Oh! if it only depends upon my getting two tickets for good conduct, +I am sure I shall go," returned the little Emily, clapping her hands +with pleasure. "Let me see! This is Monday evening; there is only +Tuesday and Wednesday; and on Wednesday we shall have school only +half the day; so that I shall have to watch myself only a very short +time." + +"True, Emily, it will only be a very short time, and therefore the +terms on which your going depends are not, you see, very severe; +but yet that time, short as it is, may be of great service to you, +as every time you try, you do something toward forming a habit of +attention; and besides, if you succeed, you will both please me, +and prove to your friend Mrs. Cassy that you know how to value her +kindness." + +"I will go directly and learn my lessons for to-morrow," said Emily, +and taking up her bag of books she hastened into a little back +parlour, in which she was in the habit of studying her lessons. For +some time she kept her attention very steadily fixed on her work; +but just as she had taken her geography and opened her map to trace +the boundaries of North America, a lady who frequently visited her +mother, and who sung very well, began at that moment in an adjoining +room to sing a song of which Emily was very fond. The little girl +had a very good ear for music, and was so exceedingly fond of it, +that it was with great difficulty that she could keep her attention +fixed upon what she was doing. Over and over again she was on the +point of leaving her lessons, and going into the parlour where the +musician was; but she recollected how soon it would be bed-time, and +how little time there was whilst the mornings were so very short, to +learn any lessons that had been neglected the evening before, and +determined to persevere; and clasping her little hands, and laying +them on the book before her, as if to hold fast her resolution, she +repeated, North America is bounded on the north by the Arctic ocean, +on the west and south by the Pacific ocean, and on the east by the +Atlantic ocean. It is true that as she repeated this, and found +answers to the rest of the questions which were contained in her +lesson, her feet beat time against the chair, and her head moved in +unison, whilst she sometimes found herself trying to make the words +of her lesson accord with the measure of the music, as she spun out +the words eighty-five degrees of north la-ti-tude, yet still she +contrived to keep her mind fixed upon what she was doing till she had +impressed it on her memory, so as to be sure of being able to call it +forward, when required, the following day. "Now I know all my lessons +perfectly," said she, as she replaced her books in her bag: "I am +sure of not losing my ticket to-morrow on account of my lessons." +So saying, she hastened into the other parlour, but the music was +over, the lady was gone, and the room was empty. Emily, however, +was seldom at a loss for means of amusement, and she skipped about +the room, singing "I'll be a butterfly," as if she were indeed that +light and airy creature of pleasure. Satisfied with herself for the +resolution that she had exercised, the rest of the evening was spent +in more than even her usual cheerfulness, and she laid her head down +upon the pillow with repeated resolutions of attention the following +day. When the little girl opened her eyes the next morning, it looked +so gloomy and dark that she very willingly persuaded herself it was +too soon to rise, and had just turned over to compose herself for +another nap when the clock struck eight. In an instant she was out +of bed. She had only a single hour in which to dress herself, to eat +her breakfast, and go to school; she had not, therefore, a single +moment to lose. Yet a strong temptation assailed her, for on a chair +by her bed-side lay a small paper parcel, directed to her, which on +opening she found to contain a cap, that her friend Julia had made +for her baby, and which had been sent to her after she was in bed +the night before, and placed by the servant near her bed-side, that +she might see it as soon as she rose in the morning. "Oh! what a +beautiful little cap," exclaimed Emily. "How sweet my baby will look +in it. I must try it on directly. But no," added she, recollecting +herself, "I must not stay to try it on now or I shall be too late +for school, and then away goes my ticket for good conduct at once." +And with an effort of self denial that would have done credit to +a much older mind, Emily put the tempting cap into a drawer and +hastened to finish her dressing. Her breakfast was soon swallowed, +and she was in the school-room before the school bell rang. "I think +now I am safe for to-day," said she, "only I hope Julia will not be +in one of her funny humours and try to make me laugh." To the credit +of our little heroine, however, though Julia was in a funny humour +and did frequently try to make her laugh, and though Emily's gay and +even volatile temper was ever ready to receive a lively impression, +yet still she succeeded in keeping herself so far within bounds +as to escape reproof, and she returned home in the evening with +the wished-for ticket. "Here it is, mamma! here it is!" cried she, +running to her mother, and holding out the testimony of her good +behaviour. Her mother took the ticket, and congratulated her upon +having got over half the time successfully. "More than half, mamma," +returned Emma, "for to-morrow will be only half a day, and I have +very few lessons to learn to-night." + +"I am not sure that you are any more safe on that account, Emma," +replied her mother, "for you know I have often remarked to you, that +you generally prepare your lessons the worst when you consider them +the easiest; as then you are apt, from the idea that they can be +learnt in so very short a time, to put them off until you have no +time for them at all, instead of learning them first and amusing +yourself afterward." "But I will not do so to-night," said the little +girl, and away she went directly to study them. And fortunate it +was for her that she did so, for she had scarcely finished the last +thing that she had to learn before her friend Julia came to play with +her. She could now, however, play with safety, and the rest of the +evening was passed in amusement. The new cap was tried on and found +to fit beautifully, and the baby was dressed and undressed, put to +bed and taken up again; declared to be very sick and obliged to take +medicine; taken out to visit; sent to bed for being naughty; and, in +short, passed through all the vicissitudes of a moderate life-time +before the friends parted for the night. + +"It is eight o'clock," cried Emily, capering about the room, half +dancing and half jumping as she spoke; "I am safe for to-day, and +I have only till twelve o'clock to-morrow, and then I shall get +my ticket, and then I shall be safe; and then I shall go to Mrs. +Cassy's." + +"And then," rejoined her mother, "I hope you will have learned how +much better it is to work first and play after, than to play first +and run the risk of the work being neglected altogether." + +"Oh! yes, mamma! I intend to remember that in future," said the +little girl, and away she went to bed, singing as she went, to a +tune of her own making, + + "How pleasant it is at the end of the day, + Of no follies to have to repent." + +"Emily!" said her mother, rousing her little girl from a sound sleep, +as she spoke; "Emily! Do you know it is nearly eight o'clock?" + +"Oh! it is time enough, mamma," said Emily, starting up as she spoke; +"it struck eight o'clock before I was out of bed yesterday morning; +and yet I was in the school-room some minutes before the bell rang." + +"But if you trifle in that way, it will be nine o'clock before you +are out of this room," continued her mother; as Emily, taking hold +of her little night-gown, instead of a frock, began to practice +her dancing steps. "You see, my dear, you have yet only got your +stockings and shoes on; so, at this rate, it will certainly take you +more than an hour to finish your dressing." + +"Oh! indeed you are mistaken, mamma, you will see how soon I shall be +out of the room," and roused to recollection by this remonstrance, +the rest of her dressing was very quickly finished. Her breakfast +too was despatched with equal rapidity. "Now I am ready," said she, +starting from her chair, and putting on her little brown beaver +hat as she spoke; "and now for my coat; but stop," she continued, +throwing her coat carelessly over her arm; "I have not my bag: Where +is it, I wonder? Oh! I remember! I left it in the piazza when I went +to look what sort of a morning it was;" and off she went, dragging +her coat, which still hung over her arm, after her; and on the piazza +she found her bag, mittens, one of her books, and slate, all lying +as she had thrown them out of her hand, to run after some trifle +that had at the moment attracted her attention; but as she took up +her bag with the intention of putting her book and slate into it, +her favourite kitten, which had followed her to the piazza, running +after her coat as it dragged after her along the floor, now caught at +the bag, and tugged and scratched at it, as if it had been intended +entirely for its amusement. This was too congenial with Emily's own +frolicsome disposition to be resisted, and there she stood, at one +moment drawing the bag away, and the next throwing it back again to +the sportive little animal. And we must be permitted here to pause +and describe our little friend, as she looked while thus engaged. It +was one of those fine mild mornings, which of late years we have so +often witnessed in the very depth of winter, and the sun, which had +just risen, sent forth his beams to gild the landscape behind her, +defining her figure more clearly by the contrast. To the eye of fancy +and affection, that rising sun might have been thought to represent +her whose orb like his own was just rising; and though a few mists +yet obscured the bright rays of mind which had already begun to +beam, yet no one could look at the face, which, though not formed +according to any of the acknowledged rules of beauty, was bright +with innocence, animation, and happiness, without feeling assured, +that as it gained its meridian heights, it would shine forth with +pure, unclouded lustre, and prepare the way for a clear and glorious +evening. Though Emily, as she thus stood, presented a picture that +a painter might study, it was but of short duration, for whilst she +yet played with her favourite, the clock struck nine, and at once +recalled the little girl to a recollection of her folly. "Oh! what +shall I do?" she exclaimed. "It is nine o'clock, and I am not ready. +Get away, kitty! do not come near me again," she continued, as the +kitten, which had received no warning from the stroke of the clock, +still tried to catch at the strings of the bag whilst she was putting +in its usual contents; "get away! for if you had not come near me, I +should not have staid so long. I should not have been tempted with +any thing else. Oh! how hard my coat is to get on this morning. I +cannot tell what is the matter with this hook and eye! it will not +fasten. Yes! now it is fastened and I must run." But though poor +Emily did run, and put herself into a most violent heat; and though +she went into the school-room puffing and blowing, the words, as she +entered, of "Miss Emily Osman--you are too late," told her at once +that all chance of visiting her friend Mrs. Cassy was over. + +A few tears chased each other silently down her cheek, as she took +her seat at her desk, and for the rest of the day it was little +effort to poor Emily to be silent and attentive. Julia tried a +thousand ways to excite a smile, but in vain; for the idea that she +had not only deprived herself of so much pleasure for the morrow, but +had disappointed her mamma and appeared ungrateful to Mrs. Cassy for +her kindness, weighed on her mind, and every now and then filled her +eyes with tears. "Do not cry, Emily, I beg of you," said Julia, as +they returned home together, after the school hours were over, "I am +quite sure your mamma will let you go to Mrs. Cassy's, after all. I +feel quite certain of it, for you know this is almost the last day we +have to be together; and I am sure she could not find in her heart to +deprive you of the pleasure for such a trifle." + +"No! my mamma never changes her mind after she has promised me any +thing," said Emily, "and I am glad she does not, because it always +makes me sure that if I am good I shall get the reward I expect." + +"Oh! well, but she may change her mind just about such a little +trifle as that, after all," returned Julia. + +"I am quite sure she will not," was Emily's quiet reply, and the +friends parted, as their roads now lay in different directions. +As Emily entered the house, she felt almost ashamed of meeting her +mamma, and she blushed at the idea of the reluctance which she felt; +but she soon found that, for the present at least, she was saved +the pain of seeing her, for she was told that a very short time +after she went to school, her mother had been sent for to a very +particular friend, who was dangerously ill, and that she was not +yet returned. Emily always thought the house very forlorn and dull +when her mother was not in it, but now that she was out of spirits +herself, she felt it more so than ever, and she hung about listless +and uneasy, and unable to enter into any of her usual amusements. +She tried to sing, but her voice was husky and out of tune. She +began to practise her steps, but it was impossible to dance without +music, and Emily that day had no music in her soul. She took out +her baby, with the intention of amusing herself with it, but it +brought to her recollection the pleasure she had expected to enjoy +in playing with Mrs. Cassy's baby the next day; and she put it +aside, and forgot that she had expected entertainment from it. Even +her little kitten, which, from its fondness for play, seemed to be +so nearly allied to herself, played with a ball of cotton, or ran +after its own tail, round and round the room, in vain; for Emily +only recollected that it was it that had tempted her to the neglect +of her duty in the morning. "I wonder when my mamma will come home," +said she to herself, as the short winter's day began to draw to a +close. "I wish she would come that I might see her, and hear her say +that she forgives me, and will not punish me any further than by not +letting me go to Mrs. Cassy's. I hope she will not look grave at me, +for that will be worse than all. I wish she would come that I might +know at once what she would say. Oh! perhaps that is she," added the +little girl, starting up and running to the window at the sound of +the door bell; but it was too dark for her to see who it was, and +she was returning to the fireside, when the room door opened and the +servant brought in a letter, which he said was for her. "For me!" +cried Emily, in great surprise; "who can have written to me? I never +received a letter in my life from any body." A lamp, however, was +lighted, and the letter opened, which proved to be from Julia, and, +after spelling and puzzling over it for a considerable time, Emily at +length made out the following epistle: + + "My dear Emily, + + "I have just heard that your mamma is not at home; and I wanted + to come round to you, but my aunt would not let me. But I have + sent you the ticket for good conduct, which I got to-day, and + you may call it your own. It will not be cheating, you know, + because you did behave very well at school, and then we shall + meet at Mrs. Cassy's to-morrow, which will be delightful; for + you know it is almost the last day that we can be together, + before I go away. + + "Your affectionate friend, + + "JULIA." + +Julia, who was nearly two years older than Emily, had written this +letter with much more ease than her friend could read it. She, at +last, however, succeeded in deciphering it; and, after having made +herself fully acquainted with its contents, she took the ticket which +was enclosed in it, and putting it very carefully by, as deliberately +put the letter into the fire. From that moment Emily's face began +gradually to brighten, her voice became less husky, and though she +did not jump and skip about as she was in the habit of doing, yet she +ceased to stretch and yawn, and wish the evening was over; and her +countenance, though more thoughtful than usual, was expressive only +of composure and satisfaction. The return of her mamma, which she +had sometimes wished for and sometimes dreaded, now appeared to have +become of less importance to her, so that on finding, by her usual +bed-time, that she was not yet come home, she went very contentedly +to bed, and was soon wrapped in a sound sleep. Her first object, on +waking in the morning, was to ascertain whether her mother was yet +returned, but finding that she was not, she prepared to spend some +more hours alone. Emily, however, though a very little girl was able +not only to read, but to understand what she read; so that she could +easily find amusement from the variety of little books with which +her mamma had supplied her; and this made the morning pass over very +comfortably, till about twelve o'clock, when she began to feel very +anxious for her mother's return. It seemed a long time since she had +seen her; she did not remember, ever in her life having been so long +absent from her before, and she sighed and wondered when she would +come. At length she heard some one open the front door, and come +along the entry; and her little heart began to beat at the idea of +meeting her mother. The door opened, but instead of her mamma, Julia +entered, very prettily dressed, and evidently prepared for her visit. + +"Why, Emily!" she exclaimed, as she came forward, "not dressed yet! I +expected to find you ready to go." + +"Go where?" asked the little girl. + +"Why, to Mrs. Cassy's to be sure. Where else could I mean?" + +"You know I am not going to Mrs. Cassy's." + +"Why not? has your mamma found out that the ticket was mine?" + +"I have not seen my mamma since yesterday morning. She has never been +at home yet." + +"Then why are you not going? You have no need to wait for her to give +you leave to go, when you know she said you should go if you could +bring her a ticket for good conduct, each day; and you can show her +one when she comes home." + +"Yes! but not one of my own." + +"Yes! it is your own, for I have given it to you." + +"But it is not gained by my own good behaviour." + +"But you deserved to have one, for you never behaved better in +school, in your life, than you did yesterday morning. You only lost +your ticket for being a very few minutes too late, and therefore, +it will not be cheating at all, to tell your mamma that you behaved +well." Happily, however, for Emily, there had been so much pains +taken to impress upon her mind, from her earliest dawn of thought, +a nice distinction between truth and falsehood, that she was not to +be deceived by this false reasoning of her friend, whose mind having +been less carefully guarded, had adopted the error, so common with +young people, that equivocation is not falsehood. Julia imagined +that she would be as unwilling to tell an untruth as Emily herself +could be, but she did not consider that a habit of equivocation is +as obnoxious as falsehood itself, to that nice sense of honour, +which can alone preserve the mind pure and untainted. She had not +been taught, with sufficient care, to know, that, though she told +a part of what was true, she was yet equally guilty of the crime +of falsehood, as long as what she said was dictated by a wish to +deceive. Emily, though so much younger, had, therefore, arrived at +much greater maturity in the art of reasoning, and had imbibed, even +at that early age, an ardent love of truth, and a keen contempt for +the meanness of deceit; and she replied, in a quiet but steady voice: +"Though I did behave well in school, I should still be cheating, +if I made my mamma believe that I got a ticket for good behaviour, +and that would take away all the pleasure of the visit;" and, as +she spoke, she took the ticket from the place in which she had +deposited it, with the intention of giving it to its right owner; +but, whilst she held it in her hand, the parlour door opened, and +Mrs. Osman entered the room. The moment Emily saw her mother, the +recollection of her own fault rose to her mind, and checked the +pleasure with which she would otherwise have welcomed her return, and +the constraint of her manner was immediately observed by her watchful +parent. "What is the matter, Emily, my dear?" asked she anxiously. "I +see by the ticket in your hand, that you have succeeded in gaining +your promised reward, and yet you do not appear to be in your usual +spirits." Emily's countenance became still more agitated, whilst the +colour of her face and neck, the skin of which readily told, by its +varying hue, the different fluctuations of her feelings, proved that +a severe conflict was passing within. To allow her mother to remain +in the error of supposing the ticket to be her own, was impossible: +yet how was she to explain the fact of its being Julia's, without +exposing the fault of her friend? for she knew that her mamma's +first question would be, "what had she to do with Julia's ticket?" + +"What is the matter, my dear?" again asked the anxious mother, "is +there any objection, which I am ignorant of, to your going to Mrs. +Cassy's to-day?" + +"Mamma, I have no right at all to go," replied Emily, almost +trembling with agitation as she spoke. + +"Why not? You got your ticket yesterday I see." + +"No, mamma, I did not! This is not my ticket." + +"What ticket is it then? for I have all your others." Emily was +silent, and her agitation increased to a degree that was very painful +to observe; but Julia, who possessed a mind, which, though some +noxious weeds had been permitted to spring up in it, was yet adorned +with the rich and beautiful flowers of generosity and affection, saw +and understood her distress, and determined to relieve her even at +the pain of exposing herself; and therefore said, "I will tell you, +ma'am, all about it; for, although it was not very good in me, it +was so very good in Emily, that I know you will reward her for it." +She then related the circumstance of the ticket very simply, without +attempting either to excuse or extenuate her own conduct, though +she did full justice to the integrity and honourable behaviour of +her friend. Whilst Julia was speaking, Emily watched her mother's +countenance with an expression of great anxiety, and the moment she +had ceased, she turned to her and said, in a timid and supplicating +voice, "Mamma, do not be angry with Julia!" + +"As Julia is now to be so short a time among us, Emily, I will +take no further notice of her conduct, but will leave it to the +animadversions of her own breast," replied Mrs. Osman, gravely. + +"But you will let Emily go to Mrs. Cassy's," said Julia eagerly. "You +will surely, Mrs. Osman, reward her for behaving so well." + +"I hope, Julia, that though Emily is so young a child, she yet knows +too well that it is her duty to be honest, to expect any other reward +for being so, than that which she has already secured to herself." + +"But it is so trifling a fault that she lost her ticket for," +remonstrated Julia. + +"It was indeed a trifle, and her having so very nearly succeeded this +time, gives me hopes that she will be wholly successful the next +time." + +"O! yes, I am sure, ma'am, if you will let her go to-day she will be +more careful the next time." + +"I am of a different opinion, Julia," replied Mrs. Osman, smiling; +"and believe that this lesson, which I now hope will be of service to +Emily as long as she lives, would be lost entirely, were she not to +suffer the punishment for her fault that she knows it deserves." + +"But ought she not to be rewarded for being good too? and if she is +not allowed to go she will have no reward at all." + +"Oh! yes, I shall," interrupted Emily, who read, in her mother's +countenance, the approbation which she felt of her conscientious +conduct, "I shall have reward enough." + +"Yes, Emily," replied her mother, "you will have the best of all +rewards, a self-approving mind; and I should be sorry to weaken its +effects by seeming to think that any further reward is necessary +for your having done your duty." But Emily showed that she did not +consider any thing more necessary to reward her for the part which +she had acted, and she saw her friend go to pay her visit to Mrs. +Cassy without a sigh; for though exceedingly sorry not to accompany +her, she felt an inward consciousness of having acted properly, +that made every thing appear cheerful and pleasant around her. The +day passed delightfully, therefore, though no particular pains were +taken to amuse her; for her mother was afraid, if she indulged in +any extraordinary expressions of approbation, she might lead her +little girl to imagine that she had performed some wonderful act of +virtue, instead of having merely done her duty. What Emily had done, +however, had been done purely because she knew it to be right, and +not for the sake of admiration or reward. The approbation of her own +conscience was all that she required; and, with such a companion, +she felt no difficulty in spending a delightful Christmas day. Her +voice, when she sung, had never, to her own ear at least, sounded so +well; nor had her feet ever before fallen so lightly on the floor, as +they did when she skipped about; and as to her little kitten, though +it had brought her into trouble, it was now forgiven, and they ran +about the room together, as if trying to show, by their light and +sportive movements, how graceful and beautiful a thing is the union +of childhood and innocence. + + M. H. + + + + +THE LITTLE GIRL AND HER KITTEN. + + + Indeed ye are a happy pair, + Thyself and darling treasure-- + With little heads unvexed by care, + And hearts brim full of pleasure. + + Which spirit knows the least of grief, + 'Tis very hard to say,-- + The kitten jumping at a leaf, + Or she who joins the play. + + Ye both are frisking, giddy things-- + A play-ground earth before ye, + Where hours pass by with silken wings, + And fling no shadows o'er ye. + + I wish it thus might always be, + My guileless little one:-- + It makes me sad to look on thee, + And think what change may come. + + Then freely pour thy young heart out, + And take thy fill of joy-- + I love to hear thy merry shout, + And see thy blest employ. + + + [Illustration: Drawn by W. Sharp Engd. by F. Kearny + + THE KITTEN.] + + + + +THE QUILTING. + + +"Only think, Charlotte," said Marianne Glanvil, on entering the +chamber where her sister was endeavouring to get through a warm +afternoon in August, by lolling on the bed in a loose gown,--"Susan +Davison has just been here with an invitation for us." + +_Charlotte._--And pray, who is Susan Davison? + +_Marianne._--The daughter of farmer Davison up the creek. We met her +at Trenchard's the day we were obliged to drink tea there. + +_Charlotte._--I wonder how you can remember their names, or +theirselves either: I am sure I do not know one of these people from +another, and I never wish to know. + +_Marianne._--But this Susan Davison is really not so bad. She is +diffident enough, to be sure, but is rather less awkward and uncouth +than the generality of country girls. + +_Charlotte._--To me they are all alike; I do not profess to +understand the varieties of the species. + +_Marianne._--Well, I was going to tell you, that after a sitting +of half an hour, Susan Davison, as she rose to depart, uttered an +invitation to her quilting to-morrow. + +_Charlotte._--And what is a quilting? + +_Marianne._--Now, I am sure you must have heard of quiltings. It +is an assemblage of all the females in the neighbourhood, for the +purpose of quilting, in one afternoon, a whole patch-work bed-cover. + +_Charlotte._--I shall certainly not go. I never quilted any thing in +my life, and I hate the sight of a patch-work bed-cover. + +_Marianne._--But my father and mother were in the parlour, and +promised at once that we should both go. + +_Charlotte._--How vexatious! Was it not enough, after being educated +at the most genteel boarding school in the city, and accustomed only +to polished society, to be brought to live at this remote place, +where my father has thought proper to purchase an iron-foundry, +but we are required also to be civil to the country people, and +interchange visits with them? I almost think my father intends +being a candidate for the assembly next election, or he never would +take the trouble to make himself agreeable to the farmers and their +families. + +_Marianne._--You know, he thinks it is always desirable to be popular +with our neighbours. + +_Charlotte._--That is what I shall never be, unless my neighbours are +popular with me. + +_Marianne._--Now, for my part, I like very well to astonish them by +the elegance of my dress, and by my various accomplishments. I am +going to put my lace sleeves in my new palmyrene frock, purposely to +wear at this quilting. + +_Charlotte._--It is well worth your while to take that trouble, when +the worst dress you have is too good for such company. I shall do +quite the contrary, to let them see how little I care for them. + +_Marianne._--Then you will displease my father. + +_Charlotte._--Is it necessary that he should know it? I am sure my +mother will never tell him, and for her own part, she never opposes +us in any thing. However, if I must be at this quilting, I shall take +care to make the time as short as possible, for I will go late and +come away early. + +_Marianne._--Susan Davison said, she hoped we would be there by two +o'clock, which I suppose will be the usual hour of assembling. + +_Charlotte._--Two o'clock! Go to a party at two o'clock! Why the wild +Indians could not be more uncouth on such an occasion! + +_Marianne._--I doubt whether the wild Indians have any quiltings. But +go we must, as my father and mother at once accepted the invitation +for us. + +_Charlotte._--How unlucky that they happened to be present! + + * * * * * + +The next day, between one and two o'clock, the Miss Glanvils saw +numerous young girls ride by on horseback, on their way to Andrew +Davison's which was about two miles from the iron works. "Now," +remarked Marianne, "these poor girls must have hurried to get their +dinners over before twelve, that they might have time to be drest and +mounted by one o'clock." + +"But why," asked Charlotte, "do they all wear striped linen skirts +with silk bodies and sleeves?" + +"Oh!" replied Marianne, "you surely know that those are their +riding-skirts; a sort of petticoat made of thick homespun linen, +which they tie on over the skirts of their silk frocks to keep them +clean while riding." + +"You seem to be well versed in all their ways," said Charlotte, +contemptuously. + +It was five o'clock, however, before the Miss Glanvils were ready to +set out for the quilting, as Charlotte took her usual afternoon's +nap, and Marianne occupied two hours in dressing; arraying herself in +her straw-coloured palmyrene with lace sleeves, and ornamenting her +hair (which was a mass of curls) with a profusion of yellow flowers +and gauze ribbon. She put on all her jewels, and sewed her white kid +gloves to her lace sleeves, which were confined at the wrists with +three bracelets each. She had embroidered silk stockings, and white +satin shoes, and threw over her shoulders a splendid scarf of various +colours. This dress she had worn at a boarding school ball, shortly +before the family removed into the country. Nothing could be a +greater contrast than the appearance of the two sisters as they got +into the carriage; for Charlotte persevered in going to the quilting +in a pink gingham, her hair merely tucked behind her ears with two +side combs. + +Their mother slightly disapproved of both their dresses, but as soon +as they were gone thought of something else. + +In a short time the Miss Glanvils arrived at Andrew Davison's, and +found the quilting going on in the vast stone barn, which had been +put in order for the purpose. They were conducted to the barn by +young Davison, the farmer's eldest son, who had assisted them out of +the carriage, and were met at the entrance by Susan, who received +them with much respect, as being the two greatest strangers of the +party. The guests were all sitting round the quilting frame busily +at work. They looked with some surprise at the two sisters so very +differently habited, but no remark was made, even in a whisper. + +Charlotte declined taking a chair at the frame, saying, she knew +nothing about quilting, and seated herself in a most inconvenient +place at the head of the quilt, very much in the way of a young girl +that could not draw out her arm in consequence of the vicinity of +Miss Glanvil, who saw that she incommoded her, but made no offer +to move. Marianne, however, advanced to the frame, and dislodging +three or four girls, who rose to make room for her and her immense +frock, which was flounced far above her knees, she took out of her +reticule an elegant little ivory work box, and laying down beside it +a perfumed and embroidered cambric handkerchief, and a tortoise-shell +fan, she most pompously set to work with her gloves on. She found +this way of quilting very inconvenient, and as her gloves could only +be taken off by ripping them from her sleeves, she begged, with an +air of the most condescending affability, to be excused from the +quilting; and then removed to a seat beside her sister. Charlotte +threw herself back in her chair, and putting her feet on the bars of +another, sat drumming with her fingers on the quilt and humming a +French song. + +The other guests, though they all had too much civility to stare as +steadily as the Miss Glanvils expected, stole occasional glances +of surprise and curiosity at the sisters; one so overdrest and +affecting so much condescension, the other insulting them by coming +in dishabille, and setting at defiance even the most common rules of +politeness. + +There sat at the quilt a very pretty young girl, with her dark hair +curling on her temples in natural ringlets. She wore a white muslin +frock, with a worked cape, and a broad pink ribbon on her neck, +which was beautifully white. Her figure was very good, though rather +plump than otherwise, and her cheeks had the bloom of roses. She +seemed to be acquainted with all the company, and talked pleasantly +and sensibly to every one, without any air of superiority, or any +affectation of graciousness. She quilted assiduously and neatly, +and assisted with great skill in the various operations of rolling, +stretching, and pinning the quilt. The sisters did not distinguish +and did not ask her surname, but they heard every one call her Fanny. + +Shortly after the arrival of the Miss Glanvils, the two younger +daughters of farmer Davison, on a signal from their sister Susan, +went to a table which stood in a corner of the barn, and removing a +cloth which had been lightly thrown over it, disclosed several large +custards and three sorts of fruit pies, peach, plum, and apple. +The pastry being already cut up, was very soon transferred to as +many plates as there were guests, every plate containing a piece of +custard and three slices of pie, one of each sort. + +These plates were handed to the company on small waiters, by Jane and +Mary Davison, while Susan remained near the quilt and invited her +guests to eat; every one being expected to taste all the varieties on +their plate. The Glanvils exchanged significant looks. + +"Is it puff-paste?" said Charlotte, speaking for the first time, and +touching a piece of pie with the point of her knife. + +"I believe not," replied Susan, colouring, "none of our family +understand making puff-paste; but I know mother did her best to have +this as short and crisp as possible. Please to try some of it." + +"I thank you," answered Charlotte, coldly, "I am very careful of my +teeth, and I am afraid to risk their coming in contact with hard +substances." + +She commenced on a piece of the plum pie, but pointedly avoided the +paste, eating out all the fruit, and conspicuously laying aside the +crust. Marianne, however, found the pastry so palatable, that she +could scarcely refrain from eating the whole that was on her plate, +and she was not surprised to overhear the young girl they called +Fanny, praising it to another who sat next to her. + +The presence of the Miss Glanvils evidently threw a restraint on +the whole company, except Fanny, who, to the great surprise of the +sisters, appeared perfectly at her ease all the time, and not in the +least awed by their superiority. + +"Who can that girl be?" whispered Marianne to Charlotte. + +"Some vulgar thing like the rest," answered Charlotte. + +"I do not think her vulgar," said Marianne. + +"I know no reason for supposing her otherwise," rejoined Charlotte. +"You know the proverb, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' See how +familiar she is with all of them. She knows every one of their names. +She must have been born and brought up with them. By their talk she +has been here since two o'clock." + +About sunset the quilt was completed. The chalk-marks, and the +clippings of thread, were then carefully brushed off; a dozen +scissors were employed in ripping it from the frame, and two dozen +hands afterwards spread it to the full size, and shook it till the +lofty roof of the barn echoed the sound; which sound brought in near +twenty young men who had been lingering about the barn-door for the +last half hour, none of them having courage to venture within, except +Susan Davison's two brothers. They were all clean shaved, and in +their best clothes; some even had their hair curled, and the Miss +Glanvils now found occasion to whisper and titter at the costume of +the country beaux, particularly at their very fine waistcoats. + +Soon after, one of the little girls came to announce that supper +was ready, which intelligence was repeated by Susan to the Miss +Glanvils; and her two brothers now came forward, each with a low bow, +and offered their arms to conduct the young ladies to the house, as +they had been previously tutored by their sister. The Miss Glanvils, +however, took no notice of the offered arms, and the young men, much +abashed, walked silently beside them. Fanny, escorted by the old +farmer, who had accosted her at the barn-door with great cordiality, +joined about midway in the procession, and they all walked to the +house, where supper was set out in the largest room. + +The table was of immense size, with at each end a waiter, containing +an equipage for tea and coffee; Mrs. Davison presiding at one and +Susan at the other. The centre ornament was a roast pig, flanked by +dishes of stewed fowls, and the rest of the table was covered with +plates of pound cake, gingerbread, short cakes, doughnuts, rusk, +preserves, apple-sauce, fried ham, cream-cheese, and sage-cheese; +there being always four plates of each particular article, that a +share of all the various good things might be within the reach of +every one at table. William and Thomas Davison, assisted by several +others of the least bashful and most alert of the young men, stood +behind the chairs with waiters in their hands, and helped the +females; their father being the only man that took a seat at the +table. + +The Miss Glanvils sat together in solemn state; Marianne carefully +employed in defending her finery from the expected inroads of the +various things that were handed about in her neighbourhood; but very +much inclined to eat heartily of many of the tempting viands that +were before her, had she not been checked by the disapproving looks +of her sister. + +It was with difficulty that Charlotte consented to be helped to any +thing, and uniformly after tasting it laid each article on the side +of her plate, as if unfit to eat. After she had taken a sip of tea +she drew back with a look of horror, and declaring it to be green +tea, and that she would not drink a cup of it for the world, she +pushed it away from her as far as possible. + +She then requested some black tea, but unluckily there was none +in the house; and Mrs. Davison, much disconcerted, apologized in +great confusion, saying, that as black tea was not used in the +neighbourhood, she did not believe there was any to be had at the +store, or she would send and get some. She then asked if Miss Glanvil +would take a cup of coffee, but Charlotte replied that though +extravagantly fond of coffee in the morning, (always drinking three +cups,) she could not possibly touch it at night. + +"Did you never drink green tea?" asked the farmer. "Certainly," she +replied in a disdainful tone, "I drank it always till black tea +became fashionable." + +"Then," said the farmer, smiling, "if you have been drinking it all +your life till very lately, perhaps you might, if you were to try, +make out once more to swallow a cup of it on a pinch, and be none the +worse for it." + +Charlotte looked much displeased, and sat back in her chair, +obstinately determined not to touch the green tea. Of course all the +Davison family felt and looked extremely uncomfortable, and they +would have been glad when the Miss Glanvils finally rose from table, +which they did shortly after, only that the rest of the company +thought it necessary to follow their example, and the feast prepared +with so much care and trouble was concluded in half the usual time. +The female guests were conducted to an adjoining room, while the +supper table was cleared away and then re-set exactly as before for +the young men. + +Singing being proposed, Fanny was invited "to favour them with a +song." She consented at once, and inquired which of her songs they +would have. The simple and beautiful Scotch air of the Bonnie Boat +was named, and she sung it with a sweet clear voice and excellent +taste, though no attempt at ornament. The Miss Glanvils exchanged +glances and whispers. + +The two young ladies were then respectfully requested to sing. +Charlotte refused at once, declaring that it was impossible to sing +without an instrument: but Marianne, eager to display her knowledge +of fashionable music, complied readily, and gave "Una voce poco +fa," with what she considered wonderful execution. As soon as she +had finished, Charlotte perceiving that the company, though greatly +amazed at first, had become much fatigued by this unseasonable +exhibition of Italian singing, and that it had not given the least +pleasure to any one, ill-naturedly proposed to her sister to try +"Di piacer," which she also got through, to the great annoyance +of the young men who had long before come in from the supper room, +and who were certainly not of a class to relish such songs as are +unintelligible to all but the initiated. + +A black man now appeared with a fiddle, and took his seat in one +of the windows; there was a reinforcement of beaux, and the Miss +Glanvils found that a dance was to be the next amusement. Marianne +remarked, in a group of young men that had just entered the room, one +of remarkably genteel appearance and extremely handsome. "Charlotte," +said she, "look at that young gentleman in black, talking to Tom +Davison." + +"I see no _gentleman_ in the room," replied Charlotte, "and I do not +know Tom Davison from the other clowns." + +"Oh! but this, I am certain, is really a gentleman," said Marianne, +"I wish he would ask me to dance." + +"What!" exclaimed Charlotte, "would you actually join in a dance with +these people? Could you stand up with them and give them your hand? +And above all things, would you make one in a _country-dance_, for of +course they know nothing about cotillions?" + +"Yes I would," answered Marianne, "with such a partner as that young +gentleman in black. And then, when they see _my_ French steps, how +ashamed they will be of their own shuffling and prancing." + +Just then, Tom Davison, observing Marianne's eyes fixed with evident +approbation on the stranger in black, brought him up and introduced +him to her as Captain Selman; and on his requesting the pleasure of +dancing with her, she immediately consented with great satisfaction. +Tom Davison then, with a low bow and a look of much embarrassment, +ventured to make the same request of Charlotte, who refused with an +air of such unequivocal contempt, that the youth determined in his +own mind to leave her to herself for the remainder of the evening. + +The musician made three scrapes on his fiddle as a signal for every +one to take their places. "Of course," said Marianne, "we go to the +top," and Captain Selman led her to the head of the country dance +that was forming, while she lamented to him the sad necessity of +being obliged to join in such a dance, saying that she must depend +on him to give her some idea of the figure; and adding that he would +find her an apt scholar, as she was always considered very quick at +learning every thing. + +The musician gave a loud stamp with his foot, and then struck up +New-Jersey; but observing that Charlotte stopped her ears in horror, +Marianne begged of her partner to go and ask the man if he could not +play something less barbarous. The man replied that New-Jersey was +the dancing tune he was most used to, but that he could play the +Morning Star and Fisher's Hornpipe quite as well. Marianne said that +she had heard her mother speak of dancing these things when she was +a girl, and therefore she was sure they must be abominable. + +At last, after much sending of Captain Selman backwards and forwards, +and proposing tunes which she knew the poor fiddler had never even +heard of, it was ascertained that he thought he could play "The +Campbells are coming," having _catched_ it, as he said, the last time +he was in town. + +Captain Selman undertook to instruct the company in the figure, which +he did with great good humour, and they actually learnt it with a +quickness that surprised Marianne. She went down the dance exhibiting +all her most difficult steps, and affecting a wonderful gracefulness +in every motion. However, when she got to the bottom, suspecting +that this display had not excited quite as much admiration as she +had expected, she professed great fatigue, and threw herself into a +chair, declaring she could not dance another step; and knowing that +in consequence Captain Selman could do no less than stand by and +converse with her till the set was over. + +"I do not see Susan Davison dancing," said Marianne, "she has been +sitting all the time beside my sister. She is rather a pretty girl; I +wonder none of the young men have taken her out." + +"I made my bow to her soon after I came in," replied the Captain, +"but she declines dancing this evening, alleging that, being in her +own house, she is unwilling to take a place that might be occupied +by one of her friends." + +"I suppose," said Marianne, abruptly, "your next partner will +be the young person they call Fanny, as she is certainly rather +well-looking. There she is, about the middle of the dance, with a +broad pink ribbon round her neck. Indeed, though my sister is of a +contrary opinion, I should be almost inclined to think this Fanny +something of a lady, only that she is so sociable with these people. +To be sure, I have tried myself to be affable this evening, but +I find it such an irksome task that I believe it will be my last +attempt. Now it seems quite natural to this said Fanny, which proves, +as my sister Charlotte says, that she is in reality no better than +the rest. We think she must be the daughter of one of these country +store-keepers, and that she has now and then had the benefit of a +fortnight's polishing in the city, while her father was buying his +spring goods." + +Captain Selman smiled, and was going to reply, when Charlotte joined +them, saying in a most peevish voice, "Marianne, do you intend +staying here all night? If you do, you must stay by yourself. I have +just heard our carriage drive up, for I charged William to come for +us early, and I am dying to get away." + +Marianne, who would willingly have stayed longer, was about to +remonstrate, but finding that the Captain had escaped from her side, +she felt less reluctant to go. Charlotte made her exit without +ceremony, but Marianne purposely loitered till the dance was over, +that she might make her departure the more conspicuous, and produce a +great effect by her elegant manner of taking leave. She then walked +up to Mrs. Davison, and overwhelming the good woman with curtseyings, +bowings, compliments and flourishes, she left the room, accompanied +by Susan, to the chamber in which their shawls and calashes had been +deposited. + +They were put into the carriage by Tom Davison, as his last effort +of civility. And it was resolved next day by the family in council, +that the Miss Glanvils should on no future occasion be invited; for, +as Mrs. Davison remarked, they held their heads quite too high, and +their airs were unbearable. + +As they drove home, Charlotte, in the most unqualified terms, +expressed her disgust at the quilting-party, and every thing +connected with it. Marianne acknowledged that the whole concern, as +she called it, was very ungenteel, but still not quite so bad as +she had expected. She said that in her opinion Captain Selman would +be presentable even in good society, and expressed her surprise at +finding an officer at a quilting. + +"Pho," said Charlotte, "he is only a militia captain, of course." + +"No," replied Marianne, "I am very sure he is no such thing. If he +were a militia officer, he would undoubtedly have come to the party +in full uniform, booted and spurred, with epaulette, and chapeau and +feather, his sword at his side, and his sash spread out over his body +as broad as possible, and pinned up in a peak before and behind, as +I have heard my mother describe their costume. No, no; this officer +is in the regular army, and from something he said, I know he was +educated at West Point." + +"Well," said Charlotte, "I doubt his being a man of fashion after +all. I observed him, after he left you, speaking familiarly to that +Fanny as if they were well acquainted. However, he did not seem to +ask her to dance, but he paid that compliment to one that sat near +the door, a poor bashful-looking girl, the worst dressed and least +attractive in the room." + +The next day but one was Sunday. The church, which was about three +miles off, had been shut up, undergoing repairs ever since Mr. +Glanvil had removed to the iron-works, but it was now again opened +for worship, and the Glanvil family all repaired thither in their +carriage. On this occasion, Charlotte was as elegantly drest as +her sister; for having satisfied her perverseness by going in +_dishabille_ to the quilting, she determined now to astonish the +congregation by a great display of finery at church. + +As they passed up the middle aisle, the eyes of the Miss Glanvils +were attracted immediately to a handsome pew near the pulpit; in +which pew they saw Captain Selman, accompanied by Fanny, and an +elderly gentleman and lady, both of remarkably genteel and dignified +appearance. The two sisters, at the same moment, pulled each other's +sleeves significantly. They thought the service very long, and as +soon as church was over, Marianne asked her father if he knew the +occupants of the pew that was lined with blue moreen. He replied, +"They are the governor and his family. They have been travelling all +summer, and only returned last week. I called yesterday to see them +as I passed their house, which is about five miles from ours." "Is +it possible," exclaimed Charlotte, "that Fanny can be the governor's +daughter!" "Is Captain Selman the governor's son?" cried Marianne. + +"No," replied Mr. Glanvil. "The governor's name, you know, is +Milford. Captain Selman is the son of Mrs. Milford's first marriage, +and Miss Fanny Milford is his half-sister." + +At the church-gate the governor's carriage was waiting beside Mr. +Glanvil's, and Mr. Milford stopped with his family to introduce them +to Mrs. Glanvil and her daughters. The Miss Glanvils looked much +embarrassed. Charlotte was ashamed that Miss Milford should have +witnessed her unamiable behaviour at the quilting, and Marianne was +shocked at recollecting the freedom with which she had talked to +Captain Selman of his step-sister. Their confusion was so evident, +that the Captain and Fanny, when introduced to the Miss Glanvils, +avoided making any allusion to having met them at farmer Davison's. + +But little was said on either side, and the disconcerted sisters were +glad to take refuge in the carriage. + +On their way home, Charlotte expressed her surprise at the +condescension of the governor's family in deigning to be on visiting +terms with the farmer's. + +"And why not?" said Mr. Glanvil. "Andrew Davison is a good citizen, +and a respectable, sensible and worthy man; and his children, +though he has wisely forborne to make any attempt at giving them +what is called a fashionable education, are by no means coarse. The +old-fashioned plainness of decent country people is not vulgarity; +and if they are ignorant of the conventional forms of city society, +they generally make amends by having a large share of that natural +civility which springs from good feeling; and it is easy in our +intercourse with them to avoid imitating such of their habits and +expressions as are at variance with our standard of refinement. As +fellow-citizens, their rights are the same as ours, and, like us, +they call no man master. Not one of them would bend his knee to any +monarch upon earth. + +"Governor Milford has lived in this part of the country nearly his +whole life, and is, of course, acquainted with all the old settlers, +of whom Andrew Davison is one. And he has very judiciously brought +up his family in the mutual interchange of civilities with all +his respectable neighbours, knowing that nothing is ever lost by +cultivating the good opinion of those among whom our lot is cast." + +"I suspect, after all," said Charlotte, ill-naturedly, "that the +governor's affability, and that of his children, originate in the +expectation of securing the votes of farmer Davison and his sons at +the next election." + +"You are entirely mistaken," replied Mr. Glanvil. "Governor Milford +and the Davisons, though old friends, are of opposite parties. They +did not vote for him at the last election, and he has declined being +a candidate for the next." + +Next day, the Glanvils were visited by the governor, with his wife +and daughter. Captain Selman did not accompany them, having set out +to return to his station. Mr. and Mrs. Glanvil were not at home, but +the young ladies overwhelmed the Milford family with civilities; +Charlotte, in particular, was absolutely obsequious in her attentions. + +Upon farther acquaintance, they found that Fanny Milford had been +educated in the city, and was quite as accomplished as either +of themselves, though she had too much good sense to make any +unseasonable display. Her example was not lost upon Marianne, who +improved greatly by occasional intercourse with this amiable girl. We +wish we could say the same of Charlotte; but pride is of all faults +one of the most difficult to conquer, as it is seldom found except in +persons of weak understanding. Sensible people are never offensively +proud. + + ELIZA LESLIE. + + + + +THE LITTLE RUNAWAY. + + + Down in the glade, where nibbling sheep + In verdant pasture stray, + A little boy was seen to keep + His weary-footed way. + + A faithful dog, his fav'rite guard, + Protects the youth from harm, + A Robin dear his steps retard, + So playful on his arm: + + Sweet little boy of rosy smiles, + In health and beauty drest, + A few fond friends their duteous toils + Pursue, to find thy rest: + + Thy infant head knows not the care, + That bears them anxious on; + Through meadows wild, and sunny air, + To seek where thou art gone. + + The vernal fields are daisied o'er, + With life the hawthorns teem; + The busy bee with flowery store, + Hums in the sultry beam: + + But thou--so active in thy play, + From parents absent far;-- + Heed'st not the meddling cares of day, + Nor what _their_ sorrows are. + + 'Tis thus, thought I, in childhood's morn + We think creation ours; + From sport to sport, our night is borne, + Like butterflies on flow'rs: + + But when parental cares come round + In manhood's riper years, + The loveliest pleasures most abound + When hope succeeds our fears. + + J. W. S. + + [Illustration: THE LITTLE RUNAWAY. + + Drawn & Engraved by J. W. Steel] + + + + +THE SOUVENIR. + + +It was the afternoon of Christmas eve. The weather was delightfully +mild for the season, and the sky without a cloud. The streets of +Philadelphia were unusually crowded, and the whole appearance of the +city was gay and animated. The fancy stores were resplendent with +elegant ribbons, laces, scarfs, and reticules, and the shops for +artificial flowers, made a display which rivaled nature in her most +blooming season. It was a pleasing spectacle to see so many parents +leading their children, all with happy faces; some full of hope, and +others replete with satisfaction; some going to buy Christmas gifts, +others carrying home those already purchased. Mr. Woodley went out +with his two boys to choose little presents for them, regretting +that Amelia, his eldest daughter, was obliged to remain at home in +consequence of a severe cold. + +They soon entered a toy-shop, where Charles made choice of a toy +representing William Tell directing his arrow toward the apple on the +head of his son, who stood blindfold at a little distance, and, by +pulling a string, the arrow took flight and struck the apple off the +boy's head. This Charles called a very sensible toy, and his father +bought him also a box containing little wooden houses, churches, and +trees, which could be so arranged as to form a village. + +Oswald, who was long since past the age of toys, selected, at a +neighbouring shop, a very pretty and curious little writing apparatus +of the purest and most transparent white marble. It looked like a +very small vase, but it contained an ink-stand, sand-box, wafer-box, +a candlestick for a wax taper, and a receptacle for pens: all nicely +fitting into each other, and so ingeniously contrived as to occupy +the smallest space possible. + +"Oswald," said Mr. Woodley, "you have chosen so well for yourself, +that I will leave to you the selection of a present for your sister +Amelia." Oswald thought of many things before he could fix on any +one that he supposed would be useful or agreeable to Amelia. She +had already a handsome work-box, a bead-purse, and a case of little +perfume bottles. For a moment his choice inclined to one of the +elegant reticules he saw in a window they were just passing, and +then he recollected that Amelia could make very beautiful reticules +herself. At last, he fixed on a Souvenir, and wondered that the +thought had not struck him before, as Amelia drew very well, and was +an enthusiastic admirer of fine engravings. + +They repaired to a neighbouring book-store, where, amid a variety of +splendid Souvenirs, Oswald selected for his sister one of those that +he considered the most beautiful, and had the pleasure of carrying it +home to her. + +To describe the delight of Amelia on receiving this elegant present, +is impossible. She spread a clean handkerchief over her lap before +she drew the book from its case, that it might not be soiled in the +slightest degree, and she removed to a distance from the fire lest +the cover should be warped by the heat. After she had eagerly looked +all through it, she commenced again, and examined the plates with the +most minute attention. She then showed them to her little brother and +sister, carefully, however, keeping the book in her own hands. + +"Amelia," said Oswald, "I know a boy that would be very happy to +examine this Souvenir. He has no opportunity of seeing any thing of +the kind, except by gazing at the windows of the book-stores." + +AMELIA.--And who is this boy? + +OSWALD.--His father, who has seen better days, is an +assistant in our school, and the boy himself is one of the pupils. +His name is Edwin Lovel. He has a most extraordinary genius for +drawing, though he has never had the means of cultivating it to any +extent. He is a very sensible boy, and I like him better than any +one in the school. His mother must be a nice woman, for though their +income is very small, Edwin always makes a genteel appearance, and +is uniformly clean and neat. He is also extremely handsome. All his +leisure time is devoted to drawing. He first began on the slate, when +he was only four years old, and had nothing else to draw on till he +was nine or ten. Now, he saves what little money he has, for the +purpose of buying paper and pencils. He has no box of colours, but +draws only in Indian ink, which he does most beautifully. He never +likes to see any thing wasted that can be used for drawing, and is +even glad to get the cover of a letter. + +AMELIA.--You remind me of the French artist Godfrey's fine +picture of the Battle of Pultowa, which he drew, while in prison, on +the backs of letters pasted together; using, instead of Indian ink or +colours, the soot of the stove-pipe mixed with water. + +OSWALD.--Well, Edwin Lovel is not quite so much at a loss +for drawing materials, for he has a cake of Indian ink and four +camel's hair pencils. He draws with a pen beautiful title-pages, +decorated with vignettes, for his copy-books and ciphering-books; +and the boys pay him for ornamenting their writing-pieces. He was +for a long time very unwilling to take money for those things, but +we finally prevailed on him, though with great difficulty. He passes +most of his evenings in drawing; that is, when he has any candle +of his own, for he will not, even in the pursuit of his favourite +gratification, cause the slightest additional expense to his parents, +who find it very hard to live on his father's small salary. + +AMELIA.--What an excellent boy he must be. + +OSWALD.--Last Saturday afternoon, I thought I would go for +him and take him to see some very fine pictures which were to be sold +at auction on Monday. The door was opened by a half-grown black girl, +(their only servant,) who was probably not accustomed to admitting +visiters, and, therefore, knew no better than to show me at once up +stairs to Edwin's chamber; a very small place, perfectly clean, but +furnished in the most economical manner. There was no fire in the +room. Edwin was sitting at a little pine table with his great coat +on, and his feet enveloped in an old muff of his mother's to keep +them warm. He was busily engaged in copying a head of Decatur from a +China pitcher, improving on it so greatly as to make it a very fine +drawing. + +AMELIA.--Poor fellow! had he nothing better to copy? + +OSWALD.--Why, I asked him that question, but he confessed +that he was at so great a loss for models that he was glad to imitate +any thing he could get; and that, having no instructer, he knew no +better way to pick up a little knowledge of the general principles of +the art, than by copying every thing that came in his way, provided +it was not absolutely bad. I then reminded him that, as he could make +admirable sketches from his own imagination, I thought he need not +copy at all; but he disclaimed all pretensions to designing well, +and then said that, even if his original attempts were tolerably +successful, as outlines, it was only by drawing from prints or +pictures that he could acquire a just idea of keeping, or of the +distribution of light and shadow. He showed me, however, several +original drawings, which my father would say evinced an extraordinary +degree of talent, and some admirable copies, though many of them were +taken from very coarse prints for want of better. + +AMELIA.--How very glad he would be to have this Souvenir to +draw from. + +OSWALD.--He would, indeed. But that Souvenir cost three +dollars, and I do not suppose that he ever had three dollars in his +life, poor boy--I mean three dollars at once. + +AMELIA.--I will willingly lend it to him. + +OSWALD.--He has so little time to draw, that it would be +a great while before he could return it; or rather, he would be so +uneasy at keeping it long, that I know he would send it back before +he had half done with it. And, besides, he would have no satisfaction +in drawing from _your book_, as he would be in continual fear of +dropping his brush on one of the leaves, or of accidentally injuring +it in some way or other. He is very unwilling to borrow any thing +that is new or valuable. + +AMELIA.--What a pity that a boy of so much genius should +find any difficulties in his way. + +OSWALD.--There are too many similar instances. Some of the +most distinguished artists of the present age have been obliged, in +early life, to struggle with indigence, and, indeed, with absolute +poverty, much as Edwin Lovel is now doing. + +The next morning, Amelia said to her brother as soon as she found him +alone, "Oswald, I wish to ask you one question. When we receive a +present, does it not become our own?" + +OSWALD.--Certainly. + +AMELIA.--And we are at liberty to do exactly what we please +with it? + +OSWALD.--Precisely--only I think we had better not destroy +it. + +AMELIA.--Of course, not--but we may give it away? + +OSWALD.--Why--I do not know--I should not like to give away +a present received from a valued friend. + +AMELIA.--But if, in giving it away, you make the person on +whom you bestow it more happy than you yourself could possibly be +made by keeping it? + +OSWALD.--If you were sure that that would be the case---- + +AMELIA.--Oh! I am very sure--I can answer for myself. +Therefore, dear brother, I beg your acceptance of my Souvenir. + +OSWALD.--Why, Amelia, your kindness surprises me. You know +I have already a Christmas gift; the beautiful writing case that my +father bought for me yesterday. I cannot take your Souvenir. + +AMELIA.--Dear Oswald, for once allow me to make you a +present. It is the first time in my life I have had it in my power +to offer you any thing of consequence. I shall be so happy, if you +accept it--There it is, (_laying the Souvenir on Oswald's knee._) + +OSWALD.--But, Amelia, how can you part so soon with your +beautiful Souvenir? You were so delighted with it last evening. + +AMELIA.--I know every thing in it--I examined all the plates +with the greatest attention, and I read it through before I went to +bed. + +OSWALD.--(_smiling._)--Well, Amelia, though you are so +generous as to make me the owner of the Souvenir, you know it will +still remain in the house. I will put it carefully away in my little +book case, and whenever you wish to look at it, just tell me so, and +you shall have it at any time. + +AMELIA.--(_looking disappointed._)--But, Oswald, are you +going to keep it always? + +OSWALD.--Always, as the gift of my loving sister. + +AMELIA.--But I do not _insist_ on your keeping it for ever, +dear Oswald. You may give it away again--I shall not be the least +offended if you give it away, provided you bestow it properly. +Indeed, I would rather you should give it away than not--and as soon +as possible, too--this very day, if you choose. + +OSWALD.--Surely, Amelia, you have a very strange way of +making a present; desiring it to be given away again immediately. + +AMELIA.--Why, Oswald, you know you do not draw. + +OSWALD.--No, indeed, to my great regret. + +AMELIA.--And, if you did, my father would always take care +that you should be well supplied with models. + +OSWALD.--I suppose he would, as he never lets us want for +any thing that could add to our improvement. + +AMELIA.--Had not the Souvenir better be given to a person +that _does draw_ very well,--beautifully, indeed,--but that has no +money to buy models? + +OSWALD.--In one word--Had not the Souvenir better be given +to Edwin Lovel? + +AMELIA.--Yes, since it must be told, that is exactly what I +mean. + +OSWALD.--So I guessed from the beginning. But why did +you take such a roundabout way of getting the book put into his +possession? + +AMELIA.--Why, I do not suppose he would accept it from me, a +young girl whom he has never seen; but he would be less scrupulous in +taking it as _your_ gift, as you are an acquaintance of his. + +OSWALD.--Say, a friend. + +AMELIA.--I know you so well, that, after our conversation +last night, I was certain, if I gave the book to you, you would +present it at once to the poor boy; and I was much disconcerted when +you pretended at first that you would keep it always. + +OSWALD.--Amelia, the book is yours, and the suggestion is +yours, and I will not assume to myself more merit than I deserve. If +you are determined on giving the Souvenir to Edwin Lovel, the best +way is to seal it up in a sheet of white paper addressed to him, and +with a few words written on the inside, requesting his acceptance of +the book from an unknown admirer of early genius. + +AMELIA.--An excellent plan--I wonder I did not think of it +before. I will set about it directly. + +OSWALD.--Here is a sheet of Ames's best letter-paper, and +here is my new writing-box. Let it be used for the first time in a +good cause. + +AMELIA.--(_sits down and writes._)--I never wrote any thing +with more pleasure. + +OSWALD.--Be sure to put "early genius." + +AMELIA.--I have. + +OSWALD.--Let me see--I never saw any writing of yours look +so pretty. Now, I will put up the parcel, and tie it round with red +tape, and seal it, for girls seldom do such things well--(_he folds +the book in the paper, ties, and seals it._) There, now direct it. + +AMELIA.--The next thing is, who shall we get to carry it to +Edwin? + +OSWALD.--Why not William? + +AMELIA.--I do not wish my father to know it, lest he should +think I set too little value on his Christmas present; and I will +never ask a servant to do any thing for me that is to be kept from +the knowledge of my parents. + +OSWALD.--That is right. I will take the packet to the +Intelligence Office, round the corner, and give one of the black boys +that are always loitering there, a trifle to carry it to Mr. Lovel's, +and just leave it with whoever opens the door. + +AMELIA.--That will do very well. Now, Oswald, make haste, +for I hear my father coming. + +Oswald easily procured a boy to carry the packet to the house of +Mr. Lovel, who lived in one of the upper cross streets. The door +was opened by the black girl, who immediately recognised the boy as +an old acquaintance, and commenced a conversation with him. "Why, +Ben," said she, "What is this you have brought for Master Edwin? I +guess it's a book. It looks 'xactly like one. All done up so nice, +and sealed. Why, I'm puzzled who sended it." "He did not tell me his +name," replied the boy, "but I guess I know who he is, for all that. +It's Master Oswald Woodley, Mr. Woodley, the great merchant's eldest +son. My aunt is cook there, and I've often been in the kitchen. And +he gave me a quarter-dollar for carrying it; and it must be 'livered +into Master Edwin's own private, particular hands." + +So saying, he departed, and the girl ran up to Edwin's room, holding +out the parcel and saying, "Master Edwin, here's a book for you, +signed, sealed, and delivered; sent by Master Oswald Woodley, oldest +son of Mr. Woodley the great merchant." + +Edwin took the book, and, on opening it, was much surprised to +find the note written in a female hand, and the name of Amelia +Woodley on the presentation plate of the Souvenir, which had been +inscribed by her father the preceding evening, and which she had +forgotten to erase before she sent it away. For some time, his +pleasure in examining the beautiful plates absorbed every other +consideration, and it was not till he had gone twice over them, that +he thought of the mystery connected with the book. His honourable +principles determined him not to accept it, as he saw that there +was some secrecy about the whole transaction, and that probably the +generous young lady, whose name it bore, had sent it to him without +the knowledge of her parents. The beauty of the book was a great +temptation, and he would have derived much pleasure from copying +some of the fine plates, but still he could not reconcile it to his +conscience to keep it, neither would he betray the kind-hearted +Amelia to her father. He resolved to seal it up again, and leave it +himself at Mr. Woodley's door, addressed to Oswald. + +He took his last sheet of paper, and wrote in it as follows:-- + +"Accident has discovered to me to whom I am indebted for a most +beautiful present, but though it has excited my warmest gratitude, I +cannot consent to accept it under circumstances of mystery to which +the parents of my kind friend may be strangers. I return it with a +thousand acknowledgments. + + EDWIN LOVEL." + +Having looked once more at the engravings, he put up the Souvenir, +and set out himself to leave it at Mr. Woodley's house, intending to +desire the servant that opened the door to give it to Master Oswald. + +Mr. Woodley was sitting at the centre-table looking over some English +newspapers, and he found in one of them a high eulogium on a new +picture by an American artist, now in London. He read the piece +aloud, and when he had concluded, "Amelia," said he, "if I am not +mistaken, there is in your Souvenir an engraving from this picture. +Let me look at it again." Amelia coloured and knew not what to say, +and Oswald also seemed much embarrassed. "My dear," pursued Mr. +Woodley, "did you not hear me? If you can get the book conveniently, +I should like to look at that plate." Amelia, confused and trembling, +tried to speak but could not, and her eyes were immediately filled +with tears. "Amelia," said Mr. Woodley, "has any accident happened to +the Souvenir?" "No, my dear father," she replied, "but I have given +it away." "Is it possible," said Mr. Woodley, "that you were so soon +tired of your father's Christmas gift?" "Oh! no, no," replied Amelia, +"but there is a poor boy who draws beautifully, and I thought it +would make him so happy. Dear Oswald, tell the whole." + +Oswald then, as concisely as possible, related all the circumstances: +and Mr. Woodley, after gently blaming the children for disposing +of the book without consulting their parents, kissed Amelia, and +commended her kindness and benevolence in bestowing her Souvenir on +poor Edwin Lovel. + +Just then a ring was heard at the front door, and William brought in +and gave to Oswald the packet, which had been left that moment by +Edwin. "Ah!" exclaimed Oswald, on opening the parcel, "this is so +like Edwin. He sends back the Souvenir." He then gave Edwin's note +to Mr. Woodley, who, after reading it, went to the desk and wrote +a billet addressed to Edwin's father, in which he requested him to +permit his son to join his family that day at their Christmas dinner. +William was immediately despatched to Mr. Lovel's with the note, and +in a short time Edwin arrived, looking very happy; and Mr. Woodley +shook him heartily by the hand, on being introduced to him by Oswald. +Then, taking up the Souvenir, he held it out to Amelia, and desired +her to present it a second time to her brother's young friend. "With +my sanction," said Mr. Woodley to Edwin, "you will not again refuse +my daughter's gift, though you so honourably returned it when you +suspected that she offered it unknown to her parents." + +Edwin spent the day with the Woodley family, who were all delighted +with his modesty and good sense, and Mr. Woodley made him promise to +repeat his visit as often as he had leisure. That evening, Amelia's +uncle brought her a present of an Album, bound in green morocco and +handsomely gilt, and Edwin requested that she would allow him to take +it home and draw something in it. + +When he returned the Album, it contained copies, in Indian ink, of +the most beautiful plates of the Souvenir, executed in Edwin's very +best manner. Mr. Woodley presented Edwin with a portfolio, containing +a selection of fine prints, and eventually made arrangements with a +distinguished artist to take him as a pupil: his taste for drawing +being so decided, and his indications of genius so extraordinary, +it was thought best to yield to his desire of making painting his +profession. + +Finding Edwin's father to be a very deserving man, Mr. Woodley +assisted him to re-establish himself in business, regretting that he +should so long have been condemned to the irksome life of a teacher +in a school. He was soon enabled to occupy a better house, and to +live once more in the enjoyment of every comfort. + + E. L. + + + + +MOTHER'S JOY + + + Why, what a busy maid thou art, + With eyes so like a dove! + And I am sure thy little heart + Is running o'er with love. + + No grief hast thou, save now and then + Thy bread and butter falls,-- + Or careless little bantam hen + Escapes from her wooden walls. + + Sometimes thy roguish brother comes + Along with stealthy tread, + And in thy startled ear he drums, + Or pulls thy curly head. + + And these are all the troubles thou + E'er hast, my gentle Mary-- + No wonder thou, with happy brow, + Art listening to Canary. + + And then thou art so very kind + To every thing that moves-- + Thy little feather'd brood all find + How sweetly Mary loves. + + James is an active, winning child-- + Dearly we love the boy-- + But thou, my little maiden mild, + Thou art thy Mother's Joy! + + + + +THE PERCEVALS. + + +Sorrow and joy were both in the house of Mr. Perceval; for one +lovely baby was laid out in its white shroud, and, in the same +hour, another's eyes first opened on the light. There were two +persons watching in the chamber of death--the father, who gazed on +the smiling lips and smooth fair brow of his first-born son, till +with tears he blessed the pitying hand which had stilled the little +voice of agony, and obliterated for ever the traces of pain; and +the nurse, a young and tender-hearted Irish woman, who had borne +the infant sufferer through his brief life of torment, and now with +Christian love hung over the placid features, that the sinless spirit +beautified in death; till the coffin closed over the transient light, +which the departing soul had left, and the empty cradle received a +new birth. It was long before Eva could observe, in this unconscious +subject of her daily comparison, any charms to equal those that were +buried with the earlier object of her care; and she never could avoid +contrasting "the tender blue of those loving eyes," shaded by their +silken lashes, which seemed opening upon her from the tomb, every +time she looked at the full large orbs, that stared out of the meagre +long face of his unadmired successor; and she never tired talking of +the glossy ringlets, that she used to twist round the comb, with such +elaborate care, when she was adorning her little Henry for company; +as soon as she saw Alfred's "ugly bare head," without a lace cap. +This young gentleman, however, paid no attention to such discourse, +so unfavourable to himself, but continued to live on, very well +satisfied with his own share of beauty; and it was not before two +or three years had passed over his head, and made him vain, that he +discovered any pride in his appearance. But then, when his figure +rounded into perfect shape, when the lace cap was exchanged for +golden ringlets, and the rose and the lily were blended in his lovely +face, he would exhibit, with great delight, his red shoes, and worked +slip, and coral clasps, which his mother had bought in the pride of +her maternal fondness, to correspond with the beauty of her son. Mr. +Perceval had a country seat, a short walk from Baltimore, where he +resided with his family during the summer months. The guns from Fort +M'Henry announced our annual festival--the soldiers were assembling +in the city--Alfred heard the drums and the trumpets,--and the little +hero must go to town, to see the parade. With many charges to Eva +(who was now in the habit of bringing forward the beauties of her +two nurslings, not "in opposition but in compare") the reluctant +mother consented to expose her son for a short time, in the close +air of the city, from a natural wish to gratify his infant taste for +"all the pomp and circumstance of war." I would not like to say, +how many poor children are dragged over the scorching pavements and +burning roads of our town, during the great national feast, without +any refreshment themselves, except perhaps a glass of heated beer, or +a dusted cake. Alfred Perceval was more fortunate--supported in the +arms of his careful, tender nurse, from a window on the shady side of +Market street, he saw the long military line extend from the western +extremity to the bridge. His head moves to the sound of the music, he +springs in Mary's arms, as the horsemen gallop past; his eyes sparkle +at the flashing swords; and his brave little heart recoils not at the +sound of the guns. When the show was over, Eva brought him home, and +made him a cap of blue paper, and put a red feather in it. With this +on his head, he strutted about the house, to the music of a cocoanut +shell he had for a kettledrum, which his mother preferred to that +of a tin canister, which the young musician would have preferred +himself. Nothing could exceed the glow of delight which made Alfred +so beautiful that day, and the parents exulted in the health of their +son. Oh! what a sad reverse, to sink at once the current of this +joy,--before midnight their little soldier was raging with fever, and +when the restlessness of the disease was over, it settled with a +fatal stillness on the brain; and during six weeks he lay insensible +to all that was done to save him. + +I will not attempt to describe the misery of the parents, for my +story is to be a brief one; but it pleased the Power of Mercy to +abate their hopeless grief, through the instrumentality of medical +skill; and Alfred once more opened his eyes to a new existence, +and stared around him as he did before. A cap supplied the place +of the beautiful fair curls, that were all cut away, and the child +was placed in Eva's arms, as helpless and nearly as unconscious +then, as when he first received the precarious gift of life. But +Eva carried him to the garden, and the woods, where the leaves, now +dyed with all the rich tints of our splendid autumn, presented so +many colours to his sight; and while she called his attention to the +various objects around him, his slow remembrance returned, and he +would smile at all the creatures that he used to love--"the beasts +of the field and the fowls of the air." And then she would make him +smell the flowers she culled for him, and listen to the music of the +birds; till at last every sense was restored to its natural power, +and his mind awoke from its long deep sleep, but the weakness of his +frame continued, and many months passed away, before he was able +to put his feet to the ground; and by that time, a little brother +overtook his steps, and they both began to walk together; while each +had his nurse, and his eulogist, who praised her own charge,--and +no wonder, for Alfred's mind (strengthened, it would seem, after so +long a rest) exhibited, from day to day, powers of observation and +reflection, much beyond his age. And his happy parents would often +call him their "baby philosopher," while they smiled with delight at +his sage remarks. And Charles was the prettiest little puppet ever +seen; his dancing steps, always keeping time to the music of his own +thoughts, which were scarcely ever out of tune; and so fond was he +of the exercise of life, that they never laid him down in his bed, +for necessary rest, without his having a playful struggle against the +advances of sleep; but after kicking his feet against the posts of +his crib, as long as he was able, and singing "by, by baby"--after +slapping his pillow till he was tired, he was usually found by his +mother asleep, when she went to bed, with his pocket handkerchief +rolled into a rag baby, and his head lying where his feet ought to +be. But before any one else was stirring in the morning, he was awake +again, when he would stoop over his low crib, and take his boots in, +and while he was trying to put them on, but succeeded neither by +the heels nor the toes, he would talk to them about their conduct, +or tell himself stories of cats and dogs, with shawls and bonnets; +and pigeons, with yellow shoes, walking down Market street. Yet with +all this imagination himself, he had so little inclination to profit +by the thoughts of others, that his mother could with difficulty +teach him the alphabet, before he was sent to his first school; +though his brother (who never told a story that I remember, except +one that had "seventeen foxes" in it) could read perfectly. With a +foreign teacher, however, Charles seemed very suddenly to make great +advances; and, at four years of age, he was always head or next to +head in his lessons; to the surprise of his attentive parents, who +could not themselves perceive so great a progress in learning as this +seemed to indicate; but upon investigating the matter thoroughly, +they found out, that there was only Charles and another little +urchin in the class; which little urchin was to occasion them more +distress, than they ever could have anticipated. One Sunday, dressed +in his finest clothes, he found Charles at the door of his father's +town-house (for it was early in the spring,) and persuaded him to +take a walk. Accordingly, the two young travellers set off together, +but no sooner had they reached the confines of the town and point, +than they quarrelled about their future destination; when Master +Jacky left Charles to steer his own course, and ran home as fast as +he could. The poor little fellow scorned to cry, but wandered about, +more and more bewildered, till he reached one of the wharves, where a +Spanish vessel was about to spread its sails to a fair wind, and put +to sea. Such a strange prospect, opening at once upon the frightened +child, when he thought he was so many steps nearer home, occasioned +an instant defeat of all his self-confidence; and he burst out +into a loud and continued cry, which arrested the attention of a +gentleman, who was just at that moment hurrying to reach the vessel. + +The little boy was in distress, and he was compassionate; but what +was to be done? The wharf contained no individual, but themselves and +the sailors; the wind was fair, and the captain would not delay. The +stranger could not speak the language of the child, but he smiled +while he took his hand, and smoothed his little brow, and Charles +understood him as well as if he had spoken to him in English; for +he was accustomed to the sight of foreigners in his father's house, +and in a similar manner he always held discourse with them. So he +stopped crying, and smiled in return; and the gentleman, delighted +with his pleasant looks, gave the child his watch to carry, while he +carried him; for the captain, in a passion, had ordered the vessel +from the shore, and the stranger was obliged to take Charles on +board, or leave him on the wharf to cry, and perhaps be drowned. +While the novelty of his situation amused his mind, Charles continued +quiet; but after that, when he thought of his nurse, his tender +parents, and his kind brother, at home, his little heart seemed +ready to break; and, only for the constant tenderness of his unknown +friend, I believe he would have died. But by degrees his grief +became subdued, and before the vessel reached Cuba, he was the pet +of all the sailors, and the delight of his kind protector; who, +after this, could not bear to part with him, but having no children +of his own, he adopted him, and had him educated as his son: and +upon his approaching death, which happened about six years after, he +left Charles his little property, under the guardianship of a Boston +merchant, with whom he had been transacting business many years: and +upon whom he now relied, for the discovery of the parents of the +child; which he had been only anxious to avoid before. + +This gentleman went to receive his charge very willingly; and, on +his return to Boston, he placed Charles in a celebrated school, +to which Alfred Perceval had been sent by his considerate parents +when they found that grief for the loss of his little brother, had +settled too much in studious habits, and aversion to companionship. +Charles's guardian then went to Baltimore. He was introduced to Mr. +Perceval, and invited to dine at his house. There he told the story +of his little ward; when he was shocked to observe, what an effect +it produced on Mrs. Perceval; for years had scarcely mitigated the +agony she first felt, at the strange loss of her infant; to which the +death of her eldest son, and the long torpor of his brother, were +supportable distresses; since they were not aggravated by the power +of imagination. But Mr. Perceval (more collected than she was) could +not avoid seeing, in a similar circumstance, something to awaken his +own hopes; he therefore acquainted the gentleman with their loss; +and asked him if the child he spoke of, had ever told his name. "If +he did, sir, my friend, not understanding the rest of his language, +must have forgotten it; but he kept a little handkerchief, that had +been pinned to his robe, and which I have now in my pocket-book." He +drew it out, and gave it to Mrs. Perceval, who had been relieved by +tears from her first emotion; but when she saw the initials, C. P., +marked by her own hands, she screamed out--"Oh! my dear husband, it +is our own son"--and instantly fainted away. Eva, who was still in +the house, and now attending two fine little girls, was loudly called +by the alarmed Mr. Perceval. She came directly, and his lady soon +recovered by their united assistance. + +The parents then proposed to write instantly for their sons; but +before the letter was sent, they received one from Alfred, requesting +permission to bring a little Spanish boy home with him, for whom +he had become greatly interested, owing to a circumstance which +happened in school, soon after Charles was placed there. A large +boy, of greater bulk than manners, took a fancy one day to insult +the feelings of the little foreigner, in a manner he could not bear; +and he flew at his tormentor, who would instantly have struck him +down, had not Alfred Perceval that moment appeared; who, stepping +between them, pushed the elder boy aside, and then detaining the +other, he said--"For shame! Roscoe, how can you, such a big boy, +try the temper of a little stranger like this, who cannot answer us +in our own language? I thought you had more feeling." "Now, for one +cent I could knock you down, Perceval; but I don't know how it is, +you get the better of us all--masters and scholars. However, you'll +be going to college soon," continued the rough boy, dashing away a +tear--"and, that you may go off with flying colours, as a peace-maker +and a peace-keeper, here's my hand, little tawney coat, and thank +him that you did not get a good drubbing." But Charles, perhaps +misconceiving the intention of this action, or thinking that he ought +to have the pride of a Spaniard, turned from Roscoe with disdain, and +throwing himself into the arms of Alfred, he wept with such a gush +of feeling, that it completely overcame the nerves of that sensitive +boy, who struggled in vain against his own tears, which then flowed +at one thought, and that was of his little brother. But what was +his joy afterward, when his father's letter arrived, and told him +that "the lost was found?" I will pass over the joy of Mr. and Mrs. +Perceval, upon the first arrival of their sons, for every one can +imagine it; but I must say, that their happiness increased every day; +as they observed, that Charles's Spanish education had taught him to +pursue every thing that was honourable in principle and practice. +He soon adopted his newly discovered kindred with a strength of +attachment which seemed almost to have some early recollection for +its foundation. And when Eva brought his nurse, Sarah, to see him, +(who was now living with her husband in comfortable circumstances,) +he smiled as if he really remembered her, and Sarah was sure that +he did. Mr. and Mrs. Perceval, considering maturely on the subject, +at length agreed, that it would be better to keep their sons at +home, with proper instructors, until Charles understood English +sufficiently to understand them; when he could return to school with +greater advantage; and his guardian willingly gave up the future +direction of the person and fortune of his ward to his most natural +directors. Before the vacation ended then, all Alfred's school +companions were invited to a farewell party, which was prepared +with great taste by his mother. The company assembled--all the +most distinguished little people of the city; and when the carpets +were thrown aside, and the lamps blazed, their light young feet +gave little rest to the music. But, though the refreshments were +numerous, and handed round constantly, I believe no young person +was disgraced by an immoderate use of them. Indeed, I understand +that a resolution has been formed by the most promising youth of our +city, to "be temperate in all things," as republicans ought to be; +and especially to stand always armed against every device of that +treacherous spirit, which entering alone into the secret folds of +inward depravity, or assailing, with the combined powers of evil +example, the outward avenues to sin, saps the foundation of the soul, +till man becomes a tottering ruin, and a blighting shade, over his +own household; and a nation is darkened with the wreck of her sons. + + C. M. B. + + + + +CHILD LEFT ON THE SEA-SHORE. + +ADAPTED TO A PICTURE BY SULLY. + + + Why dost thou sport amid those swelling waves, + Child of the frolic brow? The billows rush + Foaming and vexing with a maniac's wrath, + To do unuttered deeds, and the wild clouds + Muster and frown, as if bold midnight rear'd + Her throne at noon-day. Hear'st thou not the winds + Uttering their ruffian threats? Is this a time + To lave that snowy foot? Away! away! + ----What!--have all fled?--and art thou left alone?-- + By those who wandered with thee on the beach, + In the fair sun-light of a summer's morn, + Forgotten thus! Had'st thou a mother, sweet? + Oh, no--no--no! _She_ had not turn'd away, + Though the strong tempest rose to tenfold wrath,-- + She had not fled without thee,--had not breath'd + In safety or at ease save when she heard + Thy murmur'd tone beside her,--had not slept + Until thy drench'd and drooping curls were dried + In her fond bosom. _Nature never made + A mother to forget._ Why, she had dared + Yon fiercest surge to save thee, or had plung'd, + Clasping thee close and closer, down,--down,--down,-- + Where thou art going. Lo! the breakers rush + Bellowing, to demand thee. Shrink not, child! + Innocence need not fear. Sweet shalt thou sleep + 'Mid ocean's sunless flowers. The lullaby + Of the mermaiden shall thy requiem be, + And the white coral thou didst love to mix + Among thy pencill'd shells, shall lightly rear + A canopy above thee. Amber drops + Shall gem thy clustering tresses, and thy ear + No more the echoes of the wavering main + Appall'd shall hear. Thy God shall guard thy rest. + + L. H. S. + + _Hartford._ + + [Illustration: Painted by T. Scully. Engraved by J.W. Steel. + + CHILD ON THE SEA BEACH.] + + + + +THE EAGLE OF THE WEST. + + "It is the spot I came to seek, + My father's ancient burial place, + Ere from these vales, ashamed and weak, + Withdrew our wasted race. + It is the spot--I know it well-- + Of which our old traditions tell. + + "This bank, in which the dead were laid, + Was sacred when its soil was ours; + Hither the artless Indian maid + Brought wreaths of buds and flowers; + And the gay chief and gifted seer + Worshipped the God of thunders here. + + "But now the wheat is green and high + On clods that hid the warrior's breast, + And scattered in the furrows lie + The weapons of his rest, + And there, in the loose sand, is thrown, + Of his large arm the mouldering bone."--BRYANT. + + +You have read, said General Lawrence to his children, of the numerous +ancient forts and mounds found in different parts of the now populous +state of Ohio. Some incidents which I shall relate, have rendered +most of them, to me, subjects of great interest. + +I was subordinate to General Rufus Putnam, when he gave directions +for the first settlement of Marietta, by a colony from New-England, +in 1788. Ohio, you know, at that time was called a district, +including the present territories of Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, +and owned by the general government--Virginia having ceded it, seven +years before, to the United States, reserving only some tracts of +land as military bounties for such officers and soldiers as had been +distinguished in the reduction of the British forts on the Ohio river. + +The Chippewas, Miamis, Wyandots,[1] and other native tribes, looked, +as they well might, with jealous eyes on the annual encroachments +of the whites upon their hunting-grounds. It is true that they +reluctantly receded as we advanced, but it was under the stern +law of necessity, not a free-will abdication. I cannot, and do +not, pretend to excuse the selfish rapacity with which many of our +ancestors, throughout the whole country, seized on the soil of the +aborigines;[2] that is an account which it is not our business to +settle, though we cannot read the true page of our history without a +crimsoning blush of shame. + + [1] Grimshaw's History, p. 213. + + [2] Those who think the relations of such facts (for they are + many) exaggerated, are referred to the 1st and 2d volumes of + American Annals, and Belknap's Biography, where they will find + ample proof of their truth. Other authentic works might be cited, + but these are all-sufficient. + +I remember an act of cold-blooded wickedness, perpetrated by our +people in Ohio about this period, which I never could either +palliate or forgive. There was a small encampment of the Wyandots a +few miles from where some of our emigrants had settled. They were +soon apprised of the neighbourhood of the new residents, and came +over to view their works, sometimes three, four, or more, together. + +For some time all things went on well;--and I have thought, with +the excellent Heckewelder,[3] that they need never have done +otherwise, had the whites been just and true to their duty. "They are +remarkable," says he, "for their _domestic_ and _social_ virtues, +and know how to _practice_ that precept which we so well teach in +_theory_, viz. '_To love their neighbour as themselves_.'" + + [3] See Heckewelder's Account of the North American Indians. + +"The Indians," says one of our early and most respectable historians, +"on their first acquaintance with the whites, proved themselves kind, +generous, and hospitable, so long as they were treated with justice +and humanity. But so they were not long, and the consequences are +well known to all. In the particular case of the Wyandots I was +unfortunately witness--first to the imprudence, and then to the +wickedness of my countrymen." + +Evident symptoms of dissatisfaction appeared whenever they afterward +met. Our company began seriously to fear an attack, (no wonder, they +had given provocation,) and accordingly laid a plan for cutting off +the Indians at once, instead of attempting a reconciliation, though I +own the latter would not have been easily effected. The great fault +of the Indian is his thirst for _revenge_, which, when injured, he +will always seek. + +The purpose of the whites was carried into effect one night, after +they had freely supplied the unfortunate Wyandots with rum. All fell +of this portion of the tribe, save two or three children, who were +saved by one of the party, more humane than his companions, and an +Indian youth, of about fifteen years of age, called Tecumsoit, and +also often known by the proud appellation of "the Eagle of the West," +for thus early did he discover traits of remarkable strength and +courage. He fought boldly and long, when his people were sacrificed +almost unresistingly around him, and fled only when so wounded that +he could do no more. He fled--but in the hope of returning in power, +and making perfect his dreadful vengeance. His purpose was frustrated +but by the constant watchfulness of the military force which we were +compelled to station wherever there were any white settlements. + +Near Marietta, as I have told you, are remains of ancient +fortifications and mounds, in which the Indians deposited their dead. + +Many such mounds, in different parts of the country, were laid open +by these Indians as the whites advanced; and the bones of their +ancestors, wrapt in skins, were carried with them as they retired +farther into the vast forests of the west, where these remains were +sacredly preserved, and guarded with holy care. Some, however, were +left untouched. + +I have often examined these very singular sepulchral monuments, both +in the vicinity of Marietta, and those at Circleville, and I own that +I have never seen one of them demolished without pain. + +There was one, near the broken up settlement of the Wyandots, which +offered peculiar interest; it appeared to have been raised with +greater care than the others, and was evidently of more ancient +origin. This pyramid was in the midst of a grove of noble forest +trees, and brought to mind the solemn Druidical times of England. +When we first discovered it, it was at an hour when the young Indian +girls were performing round it some religious rites; fruits of the +forest, skins, and flowers, were deposited in profusion on the +pyramidal summit; and the wild notes of their songs echoed through +the grove, giving back those peculiar strains, softened, but not +lost. I often resorted thither, and when I was summoned to New-York, +that was the last spot which I visited. + +I did not return to that part of the country, continued General +Lawrence, for more than ten years, and then, indeed, could hardly +recognise, in the rapid settlement of the new states, those wide +forest-tracts which I had left; but I own I felt not all the +enthusiasm which filled one of our old historians, when he declares +that "the wilderness had been made to blossom as the rose." No, the +circumstances of its first settlement were too recent on my memory +for that, and I had too strong a sympathy for the outcast Indians. +Verily do I believe in that clause of the fourth commandment, as +applied to my countrymen, "the sins of the fathers shall be visited +on the children to the third and fourth generation;"--even now behold +its partial fulfilment in the troubles which have sprung up, and are +still gaining accumulated power, in the rapid increase of our slave +population: "as we have measured, so shall it be measured to us +again." + +But, as I was telling you, I revisited Ohio. I hardly recognised +Marietta as I passed through it to revisit my former station; and +the first spot I sought with real interest, was the ancient mound in +the giant grove. My search was, at first, utterly vain:--at length I +thought I saw some traces of that which had once presented a scene +of grandeur and beauty, but I was doubtful long,--for the grand and +lofty trees "which spread their arms abroad so that all the birds +of the air might have found rest in their branches,"--the trees +were not there. No, not one had been spared of that whole sacred +grove. The mound, too, where was it?--the husbandman had passed over +it with his ploughshare,--the sower had strown the seed,--and the +fields were now ripe for the harvest. I turned away sorrowfully, and +my eye suddenly caught the figure of an Indian. The red son of the +forest could not be mistaken; he gazed, as I had done, on the place +where his ancestors of many generations had been laid with reverent +care; his look was proud, sorrowful, and often changing to one of +bitter hate. He did not see me, for his mind was absorbed in one deep +feeling of lofty desolation, if one may be allowed the use of such +a term. I cannot describe his countenance, for it varied with every +varying thought; but no one could have contemplated the wild warrior +as he stood erect and alone, his keen eye regarding what was, and his +thought reverting to what had been--none, I say, could have seen him +without a sentiment of respect, almost of homage. How few of the race +now retain their original grandeur and lofty character! Civilization +seems only to have weakened and degraded the Indian mind; his moral +state, at least, is now far more debased than when, with his tribe, +he roamed at will through the immense wilds of the American continent. + +I approached the solitary chief and spoke, (though I own I felt it +an intrusion on his personal feelings;)--he looked on me at first +with marked disdain, but presently his countenance changed; a ray +of pleasure lightened his brow,--but soon an expression of the most +eloquent grief succeeded; it was evident that he recognized me,--and +I, too, knew Tecumsoit,--the Eagle of the West. His words were few +and brief, for his hitherto unsubdued spirit was bending beneath the +weight of wrong and sorrow, and it seemed as though he could not +speak to a white man, the fellow of those who had caused his wigwam +to be desolate, and the grove of his fathers polluted by sacrilege. I +understood the sentiment, and was silent also. + +Presently Tecumsoit advanced, thrusting aside and trampling the +waving grain, till he stood at the foot of the mound: then slowly he +took, one by one, the articles of his dress, and laid them solemnly +on the very summit of the elevation:--first, his collar of eagle's +feathers,--then his robe of princely ermine and sable; to these were +added his deer-skin coat, painted with the rich juices of the pucoon, +and colours derived from plants by a process unknown to any save the +Indians themselves; and, lastly, his wampum belt, wrought all over +with the richly dyed quills of the porcupine. When these had been +thus, one by one, deposited, he wrapt about him the rough skin of a +panther, gave one long, long look at the sepulchre of his fathers, +and turned silently and abruptly away. The Eagle was soon lost to my +view behind a range of hills; he had departed for ever from the home +of his childhood; he had cast off the symbols of his rank, his power, +and tribe, and doubtless had gone to end his days of desolation in +some far off desert, where, though he could not forget his wrongs, he +would at least neither see nor be seen of the white men. + +Often have I thought of Tecumsoit, as I first saw him, a young +boy, the pride of all the warriors, and the fearless asserter of +his rights. I was then his friend; he seemed to confide in my +honour, and he never had cause to doubt it. I remember him, too, +on the night when I arrived too late to save his family from the +death-shot,--fearlessly defending himself and them, when no resource +or hope was left. Well do I remember the mingled despair and pride of +his retreat; and I remember, too, the last time we met at the mound +which held the remains of his ancestors--the last look he gave--and +his last shadow on the hills. + +Alas, for Tecumsoit!--his glory had departed, his people had passed +away, even as the dew beneath the sultry sun; he was left alone of +his race, and, like Logan, could exclaim--"Who is there to mourn for +Tecumsoit?--_not one!_" + + + + +THE LAUNCH OF THE FRIGATE. + + +Cornelia Camelford had just recovered from a long and dangerous +illness, and had not received the doctor's permission to go out, when +much interest was excited in Philadelphia by the expected launch of +the Guerrier, which was built at Kensington, during the last war, and +called after the first British frigate that surrendered to the flag +of America. Junius Camelford, who was a midshipman, and the eldest +of Cornelia's two brothers, was highly elated with the idea of the +approaching spectacle, and extremely impatient for the glorious day +(as he called it) to arrive. At last it came; and the children of +Mrs. Camelford could think and talk of nothing else. + +Junius was one of the midshipmen appointed to the new frigate, and +every hour seemed to him an age until she should be fairly afloat +in her proper element. Boy as he was, he had been on board the +Constitution when she engaged and sunk the British Guerrier, and +had evinced on that memorable day the courage of a man. When he was +afterwards in Philadelphia, the progress of the new frigate became +the leading thought of his mind. He had taken his sisters to see +the keel the day after it was laid: and had furnished all the young +ladies he knew, with hearts and anchors which he cut out from chips +of the wood. + +Mrs. Camelford had been a widow about two years, and since the death +of her husband she had felt an insurmountable repugnance to appearing +in public, or mixing in a crowd. Therefore she had no intention of +going herself to see the frigate launched, but she knew that her +children would take great pleasure in the sight, and she loved them +too much to deny them this gratification because she could not enjoy +it herself. + +Cornelia was just getting over the same malady that two years before +had been fatal to her father: and Mrs. Camelford still felt the +greatest anxiety about her, as she was particularly susceptible of +cold, which was always very injurious to her; and the slightest +imprudent exposure might probably bring on a dangerous relapse. + +For this reason, when Mrs. Camelford consented that her two sons and +her daughter Octavia should go to see the frigate launched, she did +not extend the same permission to the invalid. "And I, dear mother," +said Cornelia, as she sat at the breakfast table the first time for +near three months, "am I not also to enjoy the sight?" + +MRS. CAMELFORD.--My dearest Cornelia, I am sorry to refuse +you that or any other pleasure that your sister and brothers partake +of. But the air from the river may be cool. Remember that it was only +yesterday you left your chamber, after being confined to it more than +twelve weeks. + +OCTAVIA.--Oh! indeed, dear mother, this is quite a warm day. + +MRS. CAMELFORD.--To persons in health I know it is, but +though the air is clear and mild, it may be chilly to poor Cornelia, +who is enfeebled by sickness, and who has been so long shut up in her +room. She has suffered so much already, that I am sure she must dread +every thing that might cause a relapse. + +ADRIAN.--But, dear mother, how will it be possible for +Cornelia to take cold if she is well wrapped up in her large shawl, +and if she wears her close bonnet? + +MRS. CAMELFORD.--Indeed, I am afraid she ought not to +venture the slightest risk. Lieutenant Osbrook has politely offered +accommodation for the whole family, in one of the gun-boats at +Kensington, and I have accepted the invitation for Adrian and +Octavia, as Junius is to be on board the frigate. I believe my dear +Cornelia must content herself with hearing a description of the +launch from her brothers and sister. I cannot consent to her sitting +an hour or two on the deck of the gun-boat, in the open air, with the +breeze from the river blowing round her. + +CORNELIA.--Indeed, mother, I am very sorry, I hoped to be +quite well and able to go any where, before the launch took place. + +JUNIUS.--Still, I think there can be no danger. Her delight +at the spectacle will set her blood in a glow, as it has mine +already, and that will prevent her taking cold. + +MRS. CAMELFORD.--My dear children, do not urge me any +farther. The sight will no doubt be highly interesting, but it will +be dearly purchased by the return of Cornelia's late illness. + +Cornelia did not reply, but she kissed her mother in token of +acquiescence, and seated herself in a corner of the sofa with her +sewing. In a few minutes her brother Adrian brought her in a new and +entertaining book, which he had just purchased with the hope that it +would divert her mind from dwelling on her disappointment. Cornelia +took the book very gratefully, but though it was extremely amusing, +her thoughts still wandered, at times, to Kensington and the new +frigate. + +In the course of the morning Mrs. Camelford had a visit from her +friend, Mrs. Dimsdale, who expressed great pleasure at finding +Cornelia down stairs, and hoped she was well enough to go to see the +ship launched. + +Mrs. Camelford explained that she had refused Cornelia her permission +to join the little party in the gun-boat, being afraid of her taking +cold if exposed to the air of the river. "Oh! if that is all," said +Mrs. Dimsdale, "the difficulty, I hope, can be easily obviated. Mr. +Dimsdale and myself are going to take the children up to Kensington +in one of the steam-boats. You know the boats are all put in +requisition for the accommodation of persons that wish to see the +show. If you will permit Cornelia to accompany our family, she can +stay all the time in the cabin, and have an excellent view from the +stern windows, without any exposure at all." + +Cornelia's eyes turned upon her mother, with a look of entreaty. +Mrs. Camelford hesitated a few moments, and Octavia ventured again +to supplicate in behalf of her sister. At last, Cornelia obtained +permission to go with the Dimsdales: and it was arranged that Mrs. +Camelford's carriage was to take them down to the steam-boat, after +which it was to return immediately and convey the other party to +Kensington. + +When Adrian came home from school, and Junius from the ship-yard, +(where he had almost lived for several days,) the boys were delighted +to find that Cornelia was, at last, allowed an opportunity of seeing +the launch. They had an early dinner, of which Lieutenant and Mrs. +Osbrook had been invited to partake, and in a short time after the +carriage was at the door. Cornelia was carefully wrapped in her +large shawl, and Mrs. Camelford said to her, "Now, my dear, you must +promise me that you will remain all the time in the cabin of the +boat, and not allow yourself to be tempted to go on deck, even for +a few moments." "Certainly, dear mother," replied Cornelia, "I will +cheerfully make that promise, for I am thankful that you will allow +me to see the frigate on any terms." Mrs. Camelford kissed Cornelia, +and her brothers put her into the carriage, which, on its way down +to the wharf, stopped to take up Mr. and Mrs. Dimsdale and their two +children. + +Cornelia felt very happy at finding herself once more riding through +the streets, after so long a confinement to her chamber. Every well +known store and house seemed to interest her as she passed, and all +the people she saw appeared to her to look unusually well. She soon +found herself seated in the after-cabin of the steam-boat, which was +crowded with females, and so warm that Cornelia had no occasion to +wear her shawl: her mother having told her that she might take it +off, if she found it oppressive. + +The carriage having returned, Mr. and Mrs. Osbrook, with Adrian and +Octavia, got into it and rode to Kensington; Junius, in a new suit +of uniform, and with a new cockade in his hat, having long before +set out on foot, as he despised riding when it was practicable to +walk, and the distance from his mother's house to the ship-yard now +seemed almost nothing, having been so often traversed by him. In a +very short time, he was on the deck of the frigate, with a number of +officers and other gentlemen, beside the shipwrights. + +That afternoon, almost all the stores in Philadelphia were shut +up, and few of the inhabitants remained in their houses. Till near +three o'clock, the whole population of the city seemed to be pouring +toward the Northern Liberties: all the streets in the direction of +Kensington being crowded with people. + +When the party from Mrs. Camelford's arrived at the river-side, +the vast concourse far exceeded their expectations, though Junius +had told them that the crowd had begun to assemble as early as +twelve o'clock. They were soon seated on chairs, on the deck of the +gun-boat, and Lieutenant Osbrook left the ladies under the care of +another gentlemen, while he went on board the frigate. + +The river was covered with boats of every description, filled with +people. The roofs, as well as the windows of the houses and stores +that commanded a view of the water, were crowded with spectators; and +so also were the trees. Scaffolds, which had been erected for the +purpose, were lined with tiers of occupants, one row above another. +All the ships, then in port, had gone up to Kensington, and their +decks were covered with ladies and gentlemen; the sailors taking +their stations in the rigging. In two or three vessels were bands of +military music, and a third band was playing in the frigate that was +the object of so much interest. All the officers then in the city +(and many had come thither on purpose) were present: and all, both +of army and navy, were in full uniform. Nothing could be more gay +and animated than the whole scene. Every one was attired to the best +advantage, and the white dresses and green parasols of the ladies +added much to the picturesque effect of the scene. The steam-boats +came up filled with passengers, and were anchored at a convenient +distance. + +The gentlemen took out their watches frequently, as the time +approached when the tide was to turn; for the frigate was to be +launched on the top of high water. As the moment drew near, every eye +was fixed on the noble vessel, and there was a breathless anxiety +of the most intense interest. The carpenters stood with their arms +raised, ready to knock away the blocks that held her. The signal was +given, and it was done. The frigate began to move--every hat was +simultaneously taken off--the guns from all the armed vessels fired a +salute--the music struck up, "The Tars of Columbia"--and loud huzzas +resounded from thousands of voices. The frigate glided gracefully +and rapidly along, amidst repeated shouts of acclamation, with the +colours of her country flying at her stern: and, when she plunged +into the water, (which she threw up tremendously about her,) the +violent agitation of the river, for a considerable distance round, +announced that she had reached the element which she was never more +to leave. On her bowsprit stood the boatswain, who christened her +by breaking a bottle of liquor over her head, and shouting, "Hurra +for the Guerrier!" And the shout was repeated by every man present: +thousands of hats waving round from the river and from the shore. + +The moment "the gallant Guerrier" was afloat, she turned round +majestically with the tide, and an anchor, for the first time, +descended from her bow, mooring her, for the present, in the place +where she had entered the water. The music continued for some time to +play the favourite national airs, and at length the vast concourse of +spectators began to turn their steps toward home. Adrian and Octavia +could talk of nothing in the carriage but the scene they had just +witnessed, and they gave their mother a most animated account of +it. Mr. and Mrs. Osbrook took their leave and returned to their own +residence: and soon after Junius came home in a state of the highest +excitement, his eyes sparkling, his cheeks glowing, and full of the +honour and glory, as he called it, of having been on board of the new +Guerrier when she was launched. He inquired almost immediately for +Cornelia. The carriage had been sent down to the steam-boat to bring +her home, and in a short time she arrived, but looking very pale. + +"Well, my dear Cornelia," said Junius, as he led her to the sofa, +"was it not a glorious sight? Was it not a show worth looking at? +I never was so delighted in all my life, except when we heard the +lee-gun of the _British_ Guerrier, as a signal of surrender, after +her colours had been shot away." + +"Tell me, dearest girl," said Adrian, "were not your expectations +more than realized? Did you ever see any thing so interesting as the +launch of the frigate?" + +Cornelia's eyes filled with tears, and her lips trembled, as she +replied, in a faltering voice, "I did not see it at all." + +"Not see it!" was the general exclamation. + +"Indeed, I did not," repeated Cornelia. + +JUNIUS.--What! _nothing_ of it! _nothing_. + +CORNELIA.--Nothing whatever. + +JUNIUS.--Oh! Cornelia, you are certainly jesting. What! go +on purpose to see the launch, and still _not_ see it! + +MRS. CAMELFORD.--My beloved Cornelia, you alarm me. I hope +you have not been ill. + +CORNELIA.--No, my dear mother, not at all. But, indeed, I +have been very much disappointed. + +OCTAVIA.--Oh! pray tell us how. + +CORNELIA.--Mrs. Dimsdale sat with me in the ladies' cabin +of the steam-boat, till her husband, who had been on deck with the +children, came to conduct her up stairs, as the time for the frigate +to go off was drawing very near. She then tried to persuade me that +no harm could possibly arise from my going on deck for a few minutes, +and, to own the truth, I thought so myself. But I told her that I +had obtained permission to go in the steam-boat, only upon condition +of remaining all the time in the cabin, and I could, on no account, +break my promise and disobey my mother. She then complimented me by +saying that I was the most obedient and conscientious child she had +ever known, and expressing her regret that I could not accompany her, +she ran hastily on deck with Mr. Dimsdale, lest she should be too +late. + +OCTAVIA.--But could you have no view from the cabin? + +CORNELIA.--I had anticipated no difficulty, but when I rose +to look out, I found the windows entirely blocked up with women +and babies, of whom there are always so many in steam-boats. The +shelves or high seats at the stern were covered with them, crowded +so closely that they seemed almost wedged into a mass. I climbed +up and tried to get a peep between their heads, but all in vain, +for they were pressing on each other's shoulders. For a moment, I +was tempted to go on deck; but I remembered my promise. Suddenly, I +heard an exclamation of "There she goes," and I knew by the shouts, +the firing, and the music, that the frigate was moving. In vain I +stretched my neck and strained my eyes, to catch a glimpse between +the heads and bonnets; all the windows were entirely filled, and I +had not the smallest chance of seeing any thing. I soon gave up all +hope; I sat down in a chair, and I acknowledge that I could not help +crying a little, though I took care to conceal my tears as much as I +could. And perhaps I would not have cried, only that my long illness +had weakened my spirits. + +JUNIUS.--(Taking her hand)--Oh! yes, my poor Cornelia, you +would have cried all the same, even if you had not been weak and ill. +I am certain you would, for it was a disappointment worth crying for. + +Mrs. Camelford was so much affected that it was some time before she +could speak, and then embracing Cornelia most tenderly, she said, +"You are a dear good girl, and from this instance of obedience and +self-denial, at so early an age, I anticipate the most happy results +when you are older. If the pleasure of knowing how much gratification +your conduct has afforded your mother, and how much more than ever +she loves you, can compensate for your disappointment, you may now +enjoy that reward." Cornelia threw herself into her mother's arms, +and kissing her affectionately, wept in silence while Octavia sobbed +aloud, tears dropped on the cheeks of Adrian, and Junius drew his +hand across his eyes. + +"Oh!" said Octavia, "how little did we think, when we were all +enjoying the sight from the gun-boat, with ample room and an +uninterrupted view, that our poor sister, after being three months +shut up in her chamber, was seeing nothing at all." + +ADRIAN.--Yes, and when we were riding home, + +I wished that Cornelia were with us, that she might tell us what she +thought of it; supposing, of course, that she had seen all that we +did. + +JUNIUS.--Well, dear Cornelia, be comforted. There is no +danger of your having taken cold, since you so scrupulously kept +your promise and obeyed your mother; and, as you will now, no doubt, +continue well, I hope you will yet be able to see the frigate before +she sails on her first cruise, though you _have_ missed the launch, +which was certainly one of the finest sights ever seen in the whole +world. Do not smile, Octavia. You are not, as I am, one of the "Tars +of Columbia." + +ADRIAN.--No, indeed. And if she was a sailor, I hope she +would feel like one upon such occasions. + +Cornelia continued every day to improve in health, and when the +frigate was completely fitted up and ready for sea, Lieutenant +Osbrook came to invite the Camelford family on board, and Mrs. +Camelford herself was prevailed upon to be one of the party. Junius, +taking Cornelia's hand, led her carefully through the vessel, +explaining to her its different parts and their uses, and replying, +kindly and satisfactorily, to all the various questions which she +would not have ventured to ask, except of her brother. + + E. L. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Hawthorne, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43229 *** |