Home Influence: A Tale for Mothers and Daughters

Оглавление

Aguilar Grace. Home Influence: A Tale for Mothers and Daughters

PREFACE

MEMOIR OF GRACE AGUILAR

PART I. THE SISTERS

CHAPTER I. A LAUNCH. – A PROMISE. – A NEW RELATION

CHAPTER II. GLIMPSES INTO A CHILD'S HEART. – A DEATHBED

CHAPTER III. RETROSPECTION. – THE LOWLY SOUGHT. – THE HAUGHTY FOILED

CHAPTER IV. RETROSPECTIVE. – EFFECTS OF COQUETRY. – OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE

CHAPTER V. A HEART AND HOME IN ENGLAND. – A HEART AND HOME IN INDIA

CHAPTER VI. DOMESTIC DISCORD AND ITS END

PART II. TRAITS OF CHARACTER

CHAPTER I. YOUTHFUL COLLOQUY – INTRODUCING CHARACTER

CHAPTER II. THREE ENGLISH HOMES, AND THEIR INMATES

CHAPTER III. HOME SCENE. – VISITORS. – CHILDISH MEDITATIONS

CHAPTER IV. VARIETIES

CHAPTER V. A YOUNG GENTLEMAN IN A PASSION. – A WALK. – A SCENE OF DISTRESS

CHAPTER VI. CECIL GRAHAME'S PHILOSOPHY. – AN ERROR AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. – A MYSTERY AND A CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER VII. MR. MORTON'S STORY. – A CONFESSION. – A YOUNG PLEADER. – GENEROSITY NOT ALWAYS JUSTICE

CHAPTER VIII. AN UNPLEASANT PROPOSAL. – THE MYSTERY SOLVED. – A FATHER'S GRIEF FROM A MOTHER'S WEAKNESS. – A FATHER'S JOY FROM A MOTHER'S INFLUENCE

CHAPTER IX. TEMPTATION AND DISOBEDIENCE. – FEAR. – FALSEHOOD AND PUNISHMENT

CHAPTER X. PAIN AND PENITENCE. – TRUTH IMPRESSED, AND RECONCILIATION. – THE FAMILY TREE

CHAPTER XI. THE CHILDREN'S BALL

CHAPTER XII. EFFECTS OF PLEASURE. – THE YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN. – ILL-TEMPER, ITS ORIGIN AND CONSEQUENCES

CHAPTER XIII. SUSPICION. – A PARTING, A DOUBLE GRIEF. – INNOCENCE PROVED. – WRONG DONE AND EVIL CONFIRMED BY DOUBT

PART III. SIN AND SUFFERING

CHAPTER I. ADVANCE AND RETROSPECT

CHAPTER II. A LETTER, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

CHAPTER III. A SUMMONS AND A LOSS

CHAPTER IV. THE BROKEN DESK

CHAPTER V. THE CULPRIT AND THE JUDGE

CHAPTER VI. THE SENTENCE, AND ITS EXECUTION

CHAPTER VII. THE LIGHT GLIMMERS

CHAPTER VIII. THE STRUGGLE

CHAPTER IX. ILLNESS AND REMORSE

CHAPTER X. MISTAKEN IMPRESSIONS ERADICATED

CHAPTER XI. THE LOSS OF THE SIREN

CHAPTER XII. FOREBODINGS

CHAPTER XIII. FORGIVENESS

CHAPTER XIV. THE RICH AND THE POOR

CHAPTER XV. A HOME SCENE, AND A PARTING

CHAPTER XVI. THE BIRTHDAY GIFT

Отрывок из книги

The following story will, the author trusts, sufficiently illustrate its title to require but few words in the way of preface. She is only anxious to impress two facts on the minds of her readers. The one – that having been brought before the public principally as the author of Jewish works, and as an explainer of the Hebrew Faith, some Christian mothers might fear that the present Work has the same tendency, and hesitate to place it in the hands of their children. She, therefore, begs to assure them, that as a simple domestic story, the characters in which are all Christians, believing in and practicing that religion, all doctrinal points have been most carefully avoided, the author seeking only to illustrate the spirit of true piety, and the virtues always designated as the Christian virtues thence proceeding. Her sole aim, with regard to Religion, has been to incite a train of serious and loving thought toward God and man, especially toward those with whom He has linked us in the precious ties of parent and child, brother and sister, master and pupil.

The second point she is desirous to bring forward is her belief, that in childhood and youth the spoken sentiment is one of the safest guides to individual character; and that if, therefore, she have written more conversation than may appear absolutely necessary for the elucidation of "Home Influence," or the interest of the narrative, it is from no wish to be diffuse, but merely to illustrate her own belief. Sentiment is the vehicle of THOUGHT, and THOUGHT the origin of ACTION. Children and youth have very seldom the power to evince character by action, and scarcely if ever understand the mystery of thought; and therefore their unrestrained conversation may often greatly aid parents and teachers in acquiring a correct idea of their natural disposition, and in giving hints for the mode of education each may demand.

.....

Eleanor's unfounded dislike toward Arthur Hamilton did not decrease when he became her brother-in-law; she chose to believe that he had injured her by being the only one who had remained proof against all the fascinations she had thrown in his way. Even in her childhood, if any one chanced to notice Emmeline more than herself, it was considered a mortal offense, and the person who had so offended was scarcely spoken to again. Therefore that Emmeline should be married before herself, and to the man she intended to captivate, but not to love, or wed, was an offense visited upon her sister by the withdrawal of her speech for six months, and on Mr. Hamilton by an insulting haughtiness of demeanor toward him, at which he only smiled; and, to her extreme annoyance, she found that even as she had failed to fascinate, she equally failed to offend. He would speak to her, would treat her with courtesy, and the quiet familiarity of an older relative – and more, actually remonstrate with her conduct whenever he thought it wrong. It was the recollection of this time, yet more than actual present feeling, which had occasioned the mistaken impressions she had infused into both her children, of the extreme severity and harshness of their uncle, thoughtlessly indeed, for the present was always all to her, and if she did think that they might one day be under his charge, she little imagined the unhappiness and mischief which their supposition of his unbending sternness might engender.

To Emmeline, the change in her young life was so marvelous, so complete – care, anxiety, loneliness, that sinking of the whole frame and heart, from the absence of appreciation and social kindness, had so departed, leaving in their stead such an intensity of quiet domestic happiness, that it was long before her full heart could believe it reality, and rest secure. She had always longed for one to reverence, to cling to, and her husband gave her room for both. As his betrothed, even before their marriage, she had been introduced to very different society to that of the marchioness; she beheld him reverenced, loved, appealed to by the wisest and the best men, often older than himself. That this man should so love, cherish, and actually reverence her – no wonder that under the magic of such feelings her character matured, displaying such engaging and unsuspected qualities, that even her husband often looked at her with astonishment, playfully asking her if she could be the same calm, almost too quiet, and seemingly too cold Emmeline Manvers whom he had first seen. Her very talents, which had seemed worthless, compared to her sister's, were called forth by her husband. She found that her voice and her touch on either piano or harp, could give him exquisite pleasure, and this once discovered, she made such improvement as almost to surprise herself. She found the sketches taken from the various lovely spots in the vicinity of their noble seat, and in which Devonshire abounds, delighted him, and when Eleanor did visit Oakwood, she was astounded at the various beautiful drawings, which evinced the employment of that leisure which she had declared must be even to the quiet Emmeline a horrid bore.

.....