The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-25 00:00:00

MINNIE ROSLYN:

03
4°34 CURISTMAS TO CHRISTMAS.

CHAPTER I.
e
"For me the bloom is fled;
'th silent Genius of the Darker Sleep
Turns down my torch-and weep, my brethren, WeeP-
WeeD, for the light is dead I"
-Schiller.
The'was Christmas Eve, and Minnie Roslyfn,n
ea
I
siealivitilul girl of about four and twenty
years
for the
~Y a13(1 sadly left her father's bedside, n Weleo•62!‘. r,esigneci to an old servant the sorrowfula_odrblut 1-iert.
a.k of watching through the midnight h
AcitiZin,, ti been ill 'or some months' and the "Grangefreamt
ilaY to ' as his residence was called, had seen
ingettetlaY (1 lag those long months a series of anxious_d,
rang, tiffrom the town and neighlaourhcod-people _ f_au
Roalyn.„-frii,,t°44,,Who had been constant recipients oilosAllXa Dtesided aCtli*".°44, in the good old days whenMr
their
only le, 4 air well-furnished table, and Ned Roslyn,.a
see.
taring life'. ad 40t Yet taken it into his head to adopt
04tantil01ale
e, to wh this stOry was written, was R . Mr. oalyn w
of lila wt, nian-only about fifty ; but after the 'death
tlehartut-`orn he was tenderly attached, and the
llgtllar :4°i his son for Tasmania, he became
but
re
dohl, a,,, eadallt at his club dined at home ael-
atteedaZeraber
tltiekinliuk it was rumoured in Ackland that he was
both
atili s t 'aril Saq gambling heavily. Dr. Orvin, a
neighbour,
ot Mr. Roslyn's club, was the medical
all
whe-enloyeedf the family',
and a special
favourite with Ditnitn,b, good dinners, choice wines, and jolly corn-
thae. P. aud With Mr. Roslyn he spent a al of his
great de
r Orvi„rla heart sank Wlhiia her -as she recollected that
',rest, Ttia“dael Yet to call at the Grange before then:et:red
inibstrtietioe --4,ab she would have to see him, take his le.
abl i'llt that
her father and, worse still, that she would
t 'BOl4 mote to hear again the oft-repeated assurance
,Itcorai',„e,aa scarcely get over it, I fear, Mies Roslyn," always
tridoh7led,. as Minnie thought, by a 'jauntiness of manner.,
liclacier fa)! "ardlY be 1 ln her father's friend. -'''
%let, boe'io4tarip,, th;at thecav/Mellg-known ring and sharp rap or
n the
. %that beaue poor Minnie tremble; and
Cil'iln the
: ktileeb.n n°.W half-suspected step was heear, .. . hilt C.Z.:,,ll,lnnie's lip quivered, and herp le_
flushed and '
-.510p,. 'face became for an Instant
telitnel'eattMr,L,here thought-
epea a tuohceorntriemneplyeuhsisecluler of
di
hrheewr lip d
which
ea she er -.eusity of her feeling and the anxiety with
fihe „t 48 tiled.
tla A el'Ped haatil that Orvin might
into the drawing-room .
and, bury_
t,,,° ?rim, ,'l;le,k-room without perceiving her ,
lhe cer-
Gq, li Wil neViends she sobbed convulsively.
be fol-
° tecl. as'sh:ver, of the 'doctor's speedy return'
taided her
!,a,,..1iral re8,,,,1.vta1l knew, by an inquiry
f"
announced five
ilratibtieli lateri,4B,lll"4 ; and when he
, ilettrtOb e teet bb, trace of emotion had passed away- at d
tio,„4 Select; With calm dignity, and returneduhiesegmreeewthinagt
th4gt to a l'aarld which must have been
est mil n'au who was accustomed to rule f
nevoetnintohree
. tato hafted' p(l who, m a wealthy bachelor
, kitbitaas a, a'w°rtY, was
and a
petted ace flattered_ Y ~,e eicome addition to dinners and bbayllsh,opeful
-4';_ Match for any young lady who might be so
' 14311111 a he') 4ecilre his affections
14. thell,'llthatrthre we; alleh asht was, had hitherto been untouched;
seen
thcheeed;
tlld
' crow' -range re rumours that he was very
__.l o
.5 Rosi3n, 8
• thatlthEth., ..I,at Al he very much admired
bachelor, and
te4ti'lle eat,,,Z,,,, Was certain he was still
' °ll4
4ativde:latbje signs of a changeain his domestic
ee,ll;,rcedll4eev,4lol3, Allyssfaßmotallnynd,e"edlie said, blandly, as hee.
,he -1v °on, holding out his hand as Minnie rose-, tilge2ai .
tbo olaheee'ci °return his greeting. "You look pale to-night,"
p...nte *e:l4t, sona'e'eating himself beside her, his face,
.a 511
Dstitlellt Yoar,:titlat highly-coloured. "I fear you
gh aovveerbetchne
VlNlcilti„ii wishlint :gain with
tOO
onlf"tehew;amily, that you
: I,l3eitoreeit
are
tny
adviene oald friend
littletenmore closely as far_ as
jydnel
IllaslVl Ettte,aa'A,cerhecl, Alias Roslyn," he added, with lo „Tel'fascination to disgust
were centred
„be_ ii,t kto :3 Whole thoughts and anxieties
Ird
dignity,
karetDlied, ;`, ij!rillisent father. Rising
an affectionate
with calm
fiat it
find dear
loolte;algllo,7ll,l,Yati tell me, Dr. Orvin, how I
d aggrieved
ko tenaß tile „--idle expression of an angry an _ku er_
4teres Y reDly she made to his somewhat p
~ "Yell , --ee to herself.
laYsZt siTzre,,,,a_°grY, Miss Roslyn, this said;eyening,t"axlieng).
1 our
go-,;(rtAl Bytt'elattelatiOri to your father is over
harm
than
114, "en to n kid you may easily do
het . tI r e no,,,pilr nnfortunate parent,
hor.lpectsfC'ered-indess his disease should take
..o,e.
154,4ordem,titro,,, he whosemore
hours,
e I b
moste-
bawl), added, when he saw the I_
rvkm,e.
0 ilbo,n Alinnie's face-for it was clearly 0 a oblect by exciting Minnie's fears.
roe,, ii stooi
'All -'4okin 4144 " M father dying?"
she asked,
tfB4lllllii ke na;g With emoti y
on "Can it be ? Oh, Doctor, do
loving
t oft:ilow
el,' Orbo 41:Ye let recever 1 why should so lear's
'f)t-poor
Ailti;'),ll,33 wh 1' frOta °W ho have only one friend le
ilniei'irt, watches by his bedside ?, This. shuddtdhene ealtt,;Y ree,o44 for a moment astoni,lied Orvin; but m
hie
otttii.blatitte.!'a his self-possession,
and proceeded
try to be
iet it rienti ; 45 Manner--" My dear child, le mold
world;
Stand between you and a c
id had
kel th-N Sti,:`, ere the sentence closed the poor
be -14 Lat n with h* strong arm supporting her
_f.i.ra
b4tl4'Paisat'e d then Placin 8), •-
)31 her tenderly on the sot ni het aftIOA was Vail to ring for help • but as suddenly his
i he kissed
tiloo °telletict el'.auged ; and imee'ling by her Inue
,Is
sofa.
ter-
tio Rh s With p„ i
serpeet h 3 onate fervour. She t itutle diagest ad touched her, and, P
and casting
la'a oi 11$1aac,,, ,Pa'aed over her countenance,
shuddered e
aho.. 41lirae- .owards the door, met thoe-eninrrgerh-setrrtecy:ea,
kata-,.ed as ii ,All (hvin'e previous perturbtaetionhadindiaad-
Wm aN by the by reagie, and had been succeededw.
which
he
, I.° Well ita cabal Professional self-command by hl as 11%44% to 1 °wIl•
lap tehitrot. 441011
tiles been sadly overworkingdheeresreelett'u' hteewsahied:
I.lleat, ~ue affectionate but atom) oat 44°111 the irld made all the troubles of iillnole °Pi%
~ attentions to their helples,s,
_infancy
,earri, t,,Nitth.s
lle to the departed ones. , - the family her
reek. '''-korrole'?! her," he continued, id
wwiliul
sseetenodh thee
ar
1, ka ii,„4
„,r „aril , . and with a bland fa; eawnell he left the
'. Later, and, Minnie was sobbing on Nurse's
-____.

lq CHAPTER 11.
114 t Ineq, datlghter of Nature, she loves not to roam,
)137 the i„„Y With Nature for ever at home,
Sr atijidwelleth the child."
ttbe 'Deut —Schiller.
'estleins night which the sweet strains of
diet alt, hardly 'ed to relieve. Nurse's atten-
kti),,t,e4vTtroaprit-rielaebe.,tweeo. t arvheesick man and his distressed
141 e, 'IPI. • ukaghter ; for as the faithful old creature
111 Cle", ihi-,:giatol`alied to Minnie, "It was strange, my dear,
sel,after Br. Orvin left his bedside, your father's
/Neil few ,',IIIY lit up with one of his old sweet smiles,
ts he had fallen into a blissful sleep
IMeip'etlin,os unbroken throughout the night.' It
.t'roo,.:l?te ,'" improvement in Mr Roslyn w.hich.
-gat "i to t„ Leave his room and to proceed to the azas,
' lea 4,orrti mjnin •e, who, during the whole of that
'oo st ,
tho °awn' to "ea More attention than her father.
ptilLe earl‘'ll of thilleti Peace on earth!" Minnie exclaimed,
Diertt e singers floated on the clear, frosty air o
1•11 " Where is the peace about which they
/eo- ivitg s ROOdWlii, it seems as 11 it had all disap-
i've Wr4;3; for since mamma died everything seems to
Isiatl rn
Vilrid Peace Seems to have left the Grange for
1,1 tot deeply,
With ",„tetted e,,,°1141(1/..as but within us, Minnie" replied
ta>l%,^mtit
'denying Nurse; -you are exhausted
Otgo,tU wat n
g, and, as Dr. Orvin said, I dare
---eior exercise has lowered your spirits and
th4t
' wass 'lra again' Nurse, please! Ile almost said
'ling • and he rebuked me, quite rudelyjor
'n
to the injury of my owu health, as he
_he
for What is my health worth to ro
he n°lll3' happiness I have left is to wait
wiemes to•morrow morning you must remain
I shall tell him so plainly,'' she con-
),4elasifT_Rry tle, d
11111 e
ear do not run the risk of making Dr.
r
'ot.
oTto YtOpe
ti
ealtp d
old family, friend who is much at-
,- "added Nurse, "I think I
0
nk„t, Oattneil.: asalnentered the room last night, to
116,":•5." Minnie shuddered, but said nothing;
oeiti ecsaie,
~.Urse all that the doctor had said. She
tWise4°,ll: teq4z.e circumstances in a broken and disjointed
05.01,;44t br'41,,,, Bole impressions clearly left upon her mind
ktldtl, '„",."tia had told her that her father could not
afs Personal attentions to herself had some-
lag of disgust.
IVIe bells of Ackland rang out merrily on Christmas
e frost had become keener as the dawn drew near,
ho kr% 13in
arts, Nil germ had all strayed to their homes with
Weati„ We's excitement had been followed by a
Which was soon succeeded by a deep but
ktie", " Nl42:lll,ber ; and, as the first streak of day ap-
kiejltelltly :1 mnprinted a loving kiss upon her forehead,
i'4o(l :I'l4 Minnie's bedroom door, left her, with a
Itembs-"Is her 1" to the healing influences of sleep.
ted,
tla‘;''' composed and tranquil slumber still con-
, 41111 e was still playing on his anxious face as he
Alt,krget 1111" the men some refreshment, my dear baayn.
th e /Marrows to-day, for it's Christ mas i'4eoh.°4ht "Ding, however; but even in his dreams his
(iet,-4eiot,, !
'ere for others rather than for himself. is ,14 later' "
as for
were once attended to, and when, two
lie" looked with his waking eyes into the Mi-
% te,,,lldinnie n
and Nurse, he declared that stmehow
ter 4_an, and that his disease but taken a turn, 11,
better,—" Ever since last night, my dear,
have fed lustily, papa, and are now fighting
de said, her pale face flushed with delight
aPpearance of her father. "There is no
d now," and she sighed heavily.
'm
,P,!ace comes through trouble, my child," he
a
- ei myself somehow dri ting away from clouds
t" Iny heart feels getting lighter. But leave me
6
' .0 sleep again. Tell Orvin not to wake me.
into
,w,etl4 Bleer, • " and he speedily settled down into
Minnie said, "that at the very moment
Ms wrung with anguish a blessed heal
-
n upon his spirit • and that my night
nild have been tolim like a new May
lent

1,;(1.41144,-4
d, j,telTte,„l%,
th, vviag,t,tie
NOr.
S.

a„

'' Pr' --
oqi,ce-ci
41rIlet ehllrch
thulcl tjag•
bght 116
-464 tr
(.114 t

t4,144t,t`e1.,:;ci
tt,i