BOYD SPAHR

[105] The Mother’s Rule and Western Border Life

[108] Bart Ridgeley and Never Again

[119] The End of the World and Helen Ethinger

[119] Bertha and Lily and Merrimack

[120] My Three Neighbors in the Queen City and The Harp of a Thousand Strings

[140] The Poetical and Prose Writings of Dr. John Lofland, The Milford Bard and Pilate and Herod

[149] Erring, Yet Noble and Looking Around

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[105] The Mother’s Rule and Western Border Life

 

“Do not attempt to console me, my friend,                       His tone so tender, so passionate, thrilled her

or to palliate my fault. It has been great, and                      to the heart, and struggling to retain her self-

bitter is its punishment. As one after another                      possession, she turned her face from him.

were added to our little flock, the duties of                        “O dear! why of all others must he choose

family government became more and more                       her for his confidante, and pour into her ears

difficult. My health is feeble, and my time                          the story of his love for another—and that

much occupied; my husband is away all day.                      other! Well, any one with half an eye could

The only way to keep the children from being                    see that she was dying to hear the words he

entirely ruined, will be to send them all to                          felt so afraid to speak. Afraid! She would say

boarding-school. The two eldest boys are                          yes, and thank you too in a minute. Should

there already. James is to go next month.                           she tell him so at once, and end this

And I am endeavouring to make up my                            ridiculous scene. No, that would be unkind

mind to send away Emma, Mary, and Julia                        to Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[108] Bart Ridgeley and Never Again

 

 

He then opened a small drawer and took                          “I see, my dear, you are tired, and really there

out a portfolio, in which were various bits                         is no use in my talking to you in this way. I

of bristol-board and paper, covered with                          quite agree with you that this business of

crayon and pen sketches, and some things                          presents is excessively vulgar, but it is the

in water-colors—all giving evidence of a                            fashion; as Boggs says, more ton than taste:

ready hand which showed some untaught                          and, really, since all the thieves and rascals, and

practice. Whether his sense of justice was                           politicians, and office-holders, and such kind

somewhat appeased, or because he regarded                     of people are getting to parade their wedding

them with more favor, or reserved them                           presents in the newspapers, I suppose we shall

for another occasion, was, perhaps, uncertain.                    have to give it up; and I say so to the girls. I

Singularly enough, on each of them, no matter                   say, ‘Girls, the time may come when you will

what was the subject, appeared one or more                      have to get married without a single fish-

young girl's heads—some full-faced, some                         knife—Julia

three-fourths, and more in profile—all

spirited, all looking alike, and each having

a strong resemblance to Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[119] The End of the World and Helen Ethinger

 

 

Humphreys on his part was not satisfied. I                         “I would not mind, Em. Just assert your rights

used the wrong figure of speech awhile ago.                      on the start, and give him to understand you

He was not a cat with paw upon the prey.                         won't put up with his snarl and his thunder-

He was only an angler, and had but hooked                       cloud. Were I in your place, in less than a week

his fish. He had not landed it yet. He felt how                    I'd have him to know I was not to be trampled

slender was the thread of committal by which                    on by any means. I would find a tongue, and, if

he held Julia. August had her heart. He had only                 necessary, nails, wherewith to combat his

a word. The slender vantage that he had, he                       particular Satan, and enforce my new dignity. As

meant to use adroitly, craftily. And he knew                       for Becky—let me advise you—settle her with

that the first thing was to close this interview                      one good quarrel. Convince her at the earliest

without losing any ground. The longer she                         opportunity that you are mistress, and if it does

remained bound, the better for him. And                          not suit her temper, give her the immediate

with his craft against the country girl's                                privilege of seeking quarters elsewhere.” Which

simplicity it would have fared badly with                           was very sensible advice; but Julia

Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[119] Bertha and Lily and Merrimack

 

 

But I, Ernest Helfenstein, loved now, and such                   Selwyn had labored with unremitting exertions

grew the arrogance of the man within me, that                   during the summer in the city mission and

I felt as if any woman who had wronged one                    evening school, and he now took a fortnight

of my sex by not loving, had committed a                         and joined us in our recreations. I had not

deadly sin. I felt as if I could help to crush her.                   dreamed that a person so gracious in his looks,

All the beauty of Nathan Underhill, all the strange               could be so genial in society as I then found

fascination of his voice and manner, arose like                    him. He was even humorous and witty; and

so many injured spirits of manhood, and the                      such a deference and tenderness for woman as

woman who could be indifferent to these, was                  he showed unconsciously, (while he disputed

no woman. That was it. Bertha was not a true                    with us often, and candidly mentioned our

woman, I said to myself. She belongs to the                       faults,) did more than I then suspected to

millenium; I hate such women. Something of                     restore my faith in man. I found my affections

all this must have tinged my manner, for one                      springing up like a rent vine, and climbing

day when Julia                                                                 around him. He was more than usually

                                                                                     attentive to poor Mercy Winthrop. He and

                                                                                                                                    Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


[120] My Three Neighbors in the Queen City and The Harp of a Thousand Strings

 

 

Julia took the advice, wrote Charles an epistle                     Therefore, all things considered, I

containing more news than sentiment. After                       determined not to make love to Miss Julia

slipping it in the post-office she made a call                        at all, but to leave all that sort of thing to

on her friend Lizzie Lane, relating the minutiae                   her own imagination and the good offices

of her travels. Lizzie was much interested, so                      of Mademoiselle Laure de Marsan, whom I

far as a description of the beautiful scenery                        found a most worthy coadjutor. Laure, as

and variety of fashions was concerned, but it                      we have seen, had herself been in love with

was news to her that George had been her                        Ernest de Waldemar, but she generously

gallant during the tour; yet she did not intimate                   admitted that Julia loved him—that is to

such a thing to Julia as being a little jealous; nor                   say, loved me—better than she did: and, like

did she blame Julia, or have the least ill feeling                    a good, affectionate girl, gave him up—I

toward her, although they were now rivals; yet                   mean gave me up—to her dear friend and

she must censure George, in her own mind, for                 school-fellow. But having done so, she

trifling with her feelings and for his fickleness.                    took a most admirable, because

Julia                                                                               disinterested, interest in the progress of our

                                                                                                                                    loves. She was for ever talking to Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[140] The Poetical and Prose Writings of Dr. John Lofland, The Milford Bard and Pilate and Herod

 

 

“Dear cousin Julia,” she would say, as she                          Parson Gordon found the same difficulty, and

fixed her fading eye upon her, “I can never                        it was only for some time and after he had

weep any more. Oh! be careful that your                           pressed upon her this duty, by repeatedly

good name is never assailed as mine has                            presenting to her the instance of our Saviour,

wantonly been, for you see before you the                         who prayed for His murderers, that she could

ruin that slander has made. I was innocent,                         be induced to pray truly, “Forgive us our

I was happy, and should now have been                            trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass

the wife of my dear Henry, had not some                          against us.” Since then she had acted

ungenerous tongue breathed pollution on                          consistently, and she was both happy and

my good name. Oh! Julia, dear cousin Julia,                       thankful to turn from the fabulous Okee, to

it is hard to die so young, and to die under                        the God who made heaven and earth, the sea

a charge of which I am totally innocent!                             and all that dwell therein. She was now on her

But, perhaps; when I am dead, and laid in                          death-bed. The name of Croshaw, never

my grave, the heart that has wronged me                           absent from her thoughts, was often syllabled

may relent, and shed as bitter tears of sorrow                     by her lips. Her daughter knelt by the lonely

as those which have so often poured down                       bed, bowed by grief, and bathed the cold and

my poor, pale, fading cheek. But, dear Julia                        clammy hands of her dying mother with fast-

                                                                                                                                    failing tears, while Emma and Julia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[149] Erring, Yet Noble and Looking Around

 

 

But, nevertheless, he did receive a reply, for his                    “And do you not know that such a course was

own conscience answered him; his own honor                       much more likely to win such a heart, than if

replied to him. These told him, that disguise                       you had been very obsequious—ready to

the matter as he might, the simple truth was                       spring the moment her thimble or her scissors

that he had betrayed a girl under promise of                      happened to fall on the floor—watching every

marriage; that now the poor creature claimed                     look, and trying to say agreeable things, like

the only reparation in his power; and that Hetty                  George Blanchard, as you have described him

Thorpe's claim to his hand, if not his heart, was                  to me, with his hands delicately cased in

paramount over all others. These told him that                   gloves, and his chin fastened as in a vice

he was more than ever bound to fulfil his                          between two stiff collars, and his feet dressed

promise to Hetty, seeing how she still loved                       like a dancing master, afraid of doing this, and

him, and how she longed for marriage with                       afraid of saying that, lest it might not be

him as her only chance for happiness, repentance,               altogether proper or pleasing. Women, nor

aye, even salvation. These told him that his duty,                 girls, like your ‘nice’ young men; they want to

his sacred duty, his feelings as a man, his honor                   see character, independence of thought and

as a gentleman, led him to keep faith with Hetty                 action. They want something to look up to, to

Thorpe, and that he could not be happy even                     lean upon, and not a butterfly fluttering

with Julia                                                                        around them and showing its gaudy wings—

                                                                                                                                    but here comes Julia