Fashion and Famine

nt beneath its

s desolate ami

wild hope and

leaden weight

it were, mechanically from my pen. I have written in a dream; my mind has been at work while my soul dwelt wholly with another. Between every sentence fear, and grief, and keen anxiety have broken up, known only to myself, and leaving no imprint on the page which my hand was tracing. My brother, my noble young brother, so good, so strong, once so full of hopeful life! How many times have I said to my heart, as each chapter was commenced, W

pt through the beautiful valley where we laid him down to sleep. While I am yet standing bewildered and grief-stricken in "the valley and shadow of death,"-for we fol

ch care, I must gather up the tangled thread of my story. There is nothing to interrupt me now-no faint moan, no gentle and patient call for wat

ng for him on that Thanksgiving night, with the beautiful faith which will not y

r own country," and Robert was acting as charioteer to the Warren family. Th

hanksgiving supper-nothing had been removed-for Mrs. Gray had no idea of more than one grand course at her festive board. Pies, puddings, beef, fowl, everything came on at once, a perfect deluge of hospitality, and thus everything remained. It was a feast in ruins. When her guests

had broken bounds for once, she stamped her foot upon the hearth too gently for much effect, and brushing the tears from her eyes, u

an sat in the vacant chair-not the hired man-for his life he dared not have touched that seat. The apartment was full of shadows, but through them all Mrs. Gray could detect something in

hen she moved toward the table it was with a wavering step. As she came opposite her brother's chair the intruder leaned forward, threw his arms half across the table, and bent his fac

ng his sister's hand with a firm grip, though she was trying to shake h

rong's heart would force its way out. His voice broke; he suddenly planted

om face glistening with tears. "I'm sure it seems as if I should never feel like cr

gathered the stout form of Mrs. Gray t

with a great deal of love in i

want to cry more than ever. It seems as if I couldn't stop! I always kind of expecte

of awkward caress, probably an old habit of his boyhood, but his hand fell upon the muslin and ribbons of her cap, and the to

hat seemed lifting her from the bosom of her brother. "I have had trouble, and, sure

brace a moment, and th

rah, let us look

thed with tears as she turned it toward Jacob. For a time the two gazed on each other with a look of intense intere

hen both were seated at the hearth. He paused, a choking sensation came in his throat, and he ad

that there must be some good reason for it; I always expected

s not troub

re alive and about some good work, what, I could not tell; but though I longed to see you, and wondered often where you were

to leave you-cruel not to write. But it appeared to me as if I had some excuse. You were settled in life-and so much older. It did not seem as if you could c

heard, I suppose, that she was buried by her husband not th

and was gone, till a man up yonder called you the Widow Gray, when I inquired if you lived here.

, with a gentle fall of her voice; "I have b

u a child, then, Sarah

ldren ought to be; and he was the palest thinnest little creature. I wasn't much used to babies, but somehow God teaches us a way when we have the will-and no creature ever prayed for knowledge as I did. Sometimes when the little thing fell to sleep, moaning

s the boy now?"

ong, Jacob. He was here and ate his Thanksgiving dinner. A perfect gent

brought him u

in our family that I ever heard on, s

tried it myself; but we're a tough family to mould over; I never could do

gifted," answered Mrs. Gra

, that's certain," muttered Jacob; "the very

and took to his learning just as naturally as he did to the new milk. He was born a g

ng his hand, said, only half le

r there was deer in the woods then, and fish in the ponds, enough to keep a sportsman busy at least four months in the year.

ld!" muttered Jacob, shading his face with one hand.

brother very earnestly.

n, this Mr. Leicester-you like h

know how ungrateful it is, but somehow, Jacob, I'll own it to you, I never did like Mr. Leicester with my whole heart, I

f it, but an honest heart is always right. When it shrinks and grows cold at the approach of a stranger, depend on it, that stranger has some thing w

d I've prayed and prayed not to be so ungrateful. Now you speak as if it was right all the time; but you don't know all; you will blame me as I blame myself after I tell you it was through Mr. Leicester that Robert got his situation with one of

uld do good to talk all this over. But tell me, Sarah, what studies did he seem most earnest th

read all sorts of books, some of 'em are on the

him, while his sister stood by, gazing alternately upon his face and t

Some of the books were elementary; the rest purely classical; a few were in French, but they bore no taint of

. His feelings and suspicions were not in the least changed, but the inspection

in the books, is there

the abse

t seemed as if you were reading.

es

u can r

es

did you get so

ving to search out some clue which would reveal the motives o

ied?" he said, at length, still po

ld spend over that. Every kind of writing, not coarse hand and fine hand as you and I learned to write-but everything was given him to copy. Old lett

now keenly interested, "so he w

xactly alike he made them, the more Mr. Leicester was pleased. I used to tell Robert to beat the copy

red Jacob, and now his eyes flash

time on one name. I fairly got tired of the sight of it, and Robert too; but

t was it?" inquired Jac

r, and took out a copy-book fi

and on loose fragments were notes of hand, evidently imitated from some genuine original, with checks on various city banks, apparently drawn at ra

hing a signature to one of

is with," answered Mrs. Gray. "Tha

; and laying the copy-book down,

en that deep and stern feelings were busy within him; but now she only thought him anxi

ed natural to persons thus united, when a footstep upo

she said, eagerly. "It is Robert come bac

would rather not see him to-night

whose kind heart was overflowing with the hope of

omething of him without being kn

pare be

bed-r

up stairs in his own

say nothing of my return. When he

lling him?" murmured the good woman, half following Jacob into the dark b

I will lay down upon the bed-leave the door partly open-now tak

was a sharp autumnal evening, and his drive home had been rapid; a brilliant color lay in his cheeks, and the rich h

horse, like wine I have tasted, grows

t away at dark," said Mrs. Gray, an

elf. You should have heard the old fellow whin

hing on the place forget you, Robert; it wou

se or dog sent from the old place for

er were sent

om your shoulders, who have no one else to depend on-I must set up for a gentleman-

h this? or if you really are ho

Is there any coming back in this life? When we are changed, and places are cha

e place is just as it wa

head upon your lap as if I were a petted child still, but it would n

alk, Robert; to me y

suffered only as men think, feel and suffer. Oh, aunt, if I had ne

beautiful head upon her knee. Tears-those warm bright tears that yo

gly into those brimming eyes. "And this comes of being a gent

ing his head so that his eyes were burie

, what is this?-what

ou all alone here, that is all!" answered the youth, lifting his face, and shaking back the c

The salary is a very nice one; but if you want more clothes, or anything, I

that curled those young lips, and thinking, in her innocence, that she ha

ves-a three, and, and-yes, I have it-here is a two. Now brighten up, and next time don't be afraid to come and tell me; only, Robert, remember the fate of the prodigal son-the husks, the tears-not that I wouldn't kill the fatted calf-not that I wouldn't forgive you,

s coloring. Her hands shook as she drew an old black pocket-book from some mysterious place in the fold

he pressed his eyelids down, thus crushing back the tears that swelled against them. Mrs. Gray attempted to press the bank-notes upon him, but his hand was c

ense, nonsense, Robert; here, take it-take it. I wouldn't mind ten dollars more-it

flushes had left his face very pale, a

e salary I receive ought to be enough for my support, and it shall; besides

hed them across her knee with both hands, ove

ied about, if money will not

oice at first, then with a sort of reckless impetuosity he broke into a laug

me a hearty good-night kiss," he said hurriedly,

ted air. "That kiss is the first one that ever fell heavily on

lent; Robert had lighted a candle, and stood on the hearth looking hard into the blaze; he turned his eyes slowly upon his aunt. Sh

night,

d ni

chamber door closed, she buckled the strap around her pocket-book, and dr

" she murmured-"I can't

her brother, and her face brightened up. "J

her brother in a whisper, bu

m-you have heard him talk. Is

Jacob. "Sarah, I do not think anything on earth co

hat, Jacob, and would not ta

will strong-have no fear. He needs a firmer ha

give a hint

that he shouldn't know about

like to tell him!

but not yet. I must know

ered the sister, in a tone of gentle

ave the boy to his rest. I wish to talk with y

s in Maine, Jacob; I've almost

you will remember. Old Mr. Wilc

cob's manner; he had evidently forced himself to ap

an you tell me nothing?" he said, with an expression of deep anguish. "Oh, Sa

time we moved on to the Island; where he went, no one ever heard. It was a very strange thing, everybody thou

had taken the last hope from his hea

hter-let me think, that was just before you left the old gentleman; nobod

her time. Good night, Sarah. I will just

not going a

ry now and then; I shall stay

d we two are all that is left, almost. It se

l settle down and grow old togeth

sk, are you ma

rim, hard smile crept over his lips. "No,

a Thanksgiving it has been? Who would have thought this morning that he would sleep under my roof to-night and Robert close by, without

her that day forbade all inclination to sleep. There was a large moreen couch in the room, and as the night wore on she lay down upon it, still thoughtful and oppressed with the weight of her over-wr

th frequent pauses, it came downward; the door opened, and Mrs. Gray saw her nephew, in his night clothes, and barefooted, glide across the room. He went directly to an old-fas

autiously enter his room again, the reflection that there was nothing but his own little property in the stand, tranqu

self, and with these gentle thou

visit remained. Like a ghost he came, like a ghost he had departed. She went up stairs-the nephew was gone. Some time