1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



317 



hour, they might go to the top of the hill and 

 slide. "VVhere's Ellen?" said Mr. Jones, "call 

 her; there'll be no better coasting this sea- 

 son, and of course, George S. knows of no one 

 that he will be more pleased t-o see on his sled." 



'•Ellen is up stairs;" said Mrs Jones, "but I 

 hardly think she will go." 



'Go ! why yes she will go, or else she is not El- 

 len Jones. Call her, mother, and we'll see." 



As Ellen entered, it was evident to Mr. and 

 Mrs. Jones that something was the matter, for 

 there were traces of tears, and her countenance 

 was by no means a happy one. 



"Ellen," said Mr. J., "George and Sarah S. 

 are coming with their sleds — the children have 

 gone to meet them ; Avould you like to go out and 

 slide down hill with them a few times ? You can 

 spare her, can't you, mother?" 



"I would rather not go," said Ellen, without 

 raising lier e^-es from the floor. 



!Mrs. Jones now silently motioned to her hus- 

 band to say nothing further to Ellen. She was 

 left alone with her daughter, who looking out of 

 the window asked her mother, "if things always 

 looked alike to her?" 



Jilrs. Jones smiled, and saying that was a queer 

 question, replied that the same things did appear 

 differently at different times, for the reason that 

 we view the same objects with such various feel- 

 ings. "I expect you enjoyed yourself very much 

 while you were away, this winter and summer ; 

 you were happy, were you, my daughter ?" 



"Yes mother, happier than I shall ever be again, 

 if I've got to stay at home," replied she, at the 

 same time bursting into tears. 



"AVhy, m3' child, do tell me why you feel so, 

 why this change ? I must know Ellen ; your hap- 

 piness is very dear to me. Do not let us see you 

 unhappy, if it is in our power to make you feel 

 otherwise." 



"\yell, mother, perhaps 'twould have been bet- 

 ter to have let me stayed at home." 



"Why, my child?" 



"Because, there is everything beautiful in the 

 city, and of course I must, I could not help Ijeing 

 happy thei'C. Uncle's house is so different, so 

 much pleasantcr, so much more elegant than this. 

 , this looks like a prison beside it ; their kitchen 

 looks prettier to me than our parlor. And then 

 aunt never works as you do ; it is far pleasantcr 

 to have servants. , 1 wish I had never gone from 

 home, and then I shouldn't have known but it 

 was Avcll enough here;" and Ellen drew a long 

 sigh. 



"Well, my dear, if you don't Avish it, we will 

 not again send you ; you will forgive your father 

 and mother for placing you in circumstances 

 which caused 3'ou, to be so unhappy. vSui-ely we 

 made a great mistake, and 0, Ellen, y on don't 

 know how great an effort we made, to give you 

 tlicse advantages." 



"I don't want you to talk so, mother." 



"But my dear, you are taking a wrong and mis- 

 taken view of everything, and O, Ellen, how little 

 you know of the world ; if I had time, I would 

 tell you how, for months before you left us, your 

 father and I exerted ourselves to give you an op- 

 portunity to acquire knowledge, and to make j'ou 

 happy. Let me beg of you, Ellen, not to speak to 

 your fatlier, as you have to me ; it does seem to 

 me that you can overcome these feelings at once, if 



you choose — at any rate you will shortly, if you 

 will make an effort, and cherish kind and gentle 

 feelings. ATill you try ?" 



"Yes, mother, but it's no use ; I can't make be- 

 lieve contented." 



The children returned and gave Ellen an ac- 

 C3uut of their hour's enjoyment. "Such a good 

 time," exclaimed Eddy, "you never had down to 

 uncle's, I know ; George was real sorry not to see 

 you, Ellen." 



In the evening the faniily were seated around 

 the open fire-place whose cheerful blaze made 

 shadows on the Avail, and threw its light over the 

 whole. 



"Now for some popped corn, Eddy, and some 

 apples," said Mr. Jones. 



"Yes, father, I've got it all shelled n^ady." Sec 

 our new corn- popper, Ellen," said Eddy. 



Ellen said nothing, but looked as though it were 

 a little beneath her dignity to notice such childish 

 things. After a few moments' shaking — pop, 

 pop, snap, — and it was quickly turned upside 

 down, and emptied of its snow-white ker- 

 nels. Soon the large dish was filled, and the red- 

 cheeked apples were beside it. Ellen Avas now 

 quite cheerful, more so than she had been since 

 her return, and the evening passed pleasantly. 

 Sweetly sounded her fine voice as Avith her mother 

 she joined in singing 



"There is a land of piire ck-ligh*," 



and Avhen she knelt with the others, and her fath- 

 er prayed that they might be "that happy family 

 whose God is the Lord,'' Iioav did her mother's 

 heart fill Avith grateful emotions to the Giver of 

 every blessing. 



Ellen took a candle from the mantel, and light- 

 ing it, pleasantly bade her father and mother 

 "good night ;" as she closed the door, her mother 

 heard her exclaim. 



"What is it, Ellen,'' said she ; "did you not 

 speak to me ? 



"No, but it is shockingly disagreeable to have 

 these talloAV candles ; it's too bad, tallow drop- 

 ping upon my dress ; so different from uncle's gas 

 lights — well, I must bear it, no use to say a Avord 

 — though I despise these things." 



Mrs. Jones closed the door and made no reply. 



"Wife, Avhat ails Ellen ?" said Mr. Jones,as she 

 reseated herself. "What has got into her? I 

 think it's pretty Avell, if Ave'vc got to make an ef- 

 fort to raise money to send the children aAA'ay to 

 school, only to come back and despise homo. It 

 seems to me she has made up her mind to be vni- 

 happy. AYhat course shall aa'c take Avith her? 

 It is having its effect upon the younger ones — 

 they look up to Ellen. Do you think Eddy didn't 

 say to me out in the barn to-day, 'that the rea- 

 son his feet AA'Cie so cold was, because Ave had no 

 carpets on the floor ;' I asked him Iioav he kncAV, 

 and he said 'Ellen said so.' '' 



"I'm very sorry," said Mrs. Jones, "but Ellen 

 is not really uuamiable — once let us touch her 

 better feelings, and certain! am she has them, 

 and she Avill sIicav as kind and as true a heart as 

 any child Ave have got." 



"T knoAV it, but 'tAVont do to be harsh, we can'ti 

 scold it out of her ; and I'm afraid we can't coax 

 it out very quick." 



"Shall you go to the village thisAA'cek?" asked 

 Mrs Jones. 



