without anything like puerility or weakness.

The children--for such, in reference to their experience, we may venture
to call them--had learned to recognise in the progress of a very brief
period but a single existence. Ralph looked only for Edith, and cared
nothing for other sunlight; while Edith, with scarcely less reserve than
her bolder companion, had speech and thought for few besides Ralph.
Circumstances contributed not a little to what would appear the natural
growth of this mutual dependence. They were perpetually left together,
and with few of those tacit and readily understood restraints,
unavoidably accompanying the presence of others older than themselves.
Residing, save at few brief intervals, at the plantation of Colonel
Colleton, they saw little and knew less of society; and the worthy
colonel, not less ambitious than proud, having become a politician, had
left them a thousand opportunities of intimacy which had now become so
grateful to them both. Half of his time was taken up in public matters.
A leader of his party in the section of country in which he lived, he
was always busy in the responsibilities imposed upon him by such a
station; and, what with canvassing at election-polls and muster-grounds,
and dancing attendance as a silent voter at the halls of the state
legislature, to the membership of which his constituents had returned
him, he saw but little of his family, and they almost as little of him.
His influence grew unimportant with his wards, in proportion as it
obtained vigor with his faction--was seldom referred to by them, and,
perhaps, if it had been, such was the rapid growth of their affections,
would have been but little regarded. He appeared to take it for granted,
that, having provided them with all the necessaries called for by life,
he had done quite enough for their benefit; and actually gave far less
of his consideration to his own and only child than he did to his
plantation, and the success of a party measure, involving possibly the