Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-02-01
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1889.

te'I tne WIN you uIe' unu Wnat you wait W
me9'
Il am farmers daughter. Your old
schoolfclow, Henry Richards, became nc.
quainted with me IN the country, and at
last he persuaded me to 60 away with him
and be privately married, for his friends
would give him no encouragement in such
matter. any more than mine would help
me. All! cir, that Jisobedence Of mine
was the root Of all our misery! Wecame to
London, and he tried to support himself by
writing things to be printed; and so we
managed pretty well for some time. But
at last, too much confinement and over.
work made him i'll. and beg pardon, sir
for crying-he died Just before my babe
was born. He told me, at the last, that
he did not know any one who would help
me, unless /, were my own friends, or an
old schoofcllo Of his; and then he wrote
your name and direction. 1t was thee
months ago, and have gone on as well as
| could, ever since. But it is hard thing
10 live. sir. in this world. without friends.
And | was i'll myself, and three days ago
my baby died, and could not get it buried
without help. There's the coffin that !
bought with the money you sent me-.
Arthur looked. and saw the little coffin
in dim corner opposite where the woman
| lay. She went on
Il asked neighbour to write to you, for
| was still ashamed to send TO my friends.
and besides, they are too far off: God
bless you, sir,-God bless you-for coming
to see me-.
Had | not better see about The cuneral'
On! would you, sir, have no money,
and if | had, am too weak to 60 about it
myself
10 half an hour Arthur returned with the
necessary help, and then followed the little
corpse to its last resting place. He after.
wards went back to the mother, talked to
her for considerable time about her hus-
band and child, provided her with money,
and advised her. so soon as she should be
able, to write to her family and ask for
their forgiveness. He found her perfectly
disposed TO do so from feeling Of Christian
duty, though her own life, she believed
would last ooly few days. Bot the b.
be, she SAID, had become more aud more
her comfort, and she now wished for moth
ing but TO do her duty, according to the
prIn ciples ofth Gospel.
Arthur left her. intending 10 see hel
again, AID returned 70 his chamber. An
other dreary picture, he thought. from The
great funeral gallery Of life. For years
have lost sight Of Richards, and on how
melancholy tomb stone do now read hi
epitaph! On all ha DDS the world show
nothing but appointment aud wre,ched
ness and it is from the very extremity o
misery now that we endeavour to exlor
some hope for the future. fancying that tn
worst must change 20 the better, and draw
ing alienation from the enorm'iy OF OF
distress, as man warns himself for mo
ment by k,ndlng for fuel the wreck Of hi
house which has beeen swept away.
, CHAPTER II.
That evening great square in the ives
tern part Of London ratified with carriages
Many wellknown names went soundin.
, on up the staircase of one of its larses
houses. The spacious rooms were full q
, people, gllt,ering under the clear light an
there was lively uproar of music, dancin!
7 and conversation. There were, of course
> many beautiful and admired women pres
ent, who appeared, for the most part, ani
mated and gratfed; but one, to some eye
t IDENTIFY wishing TO avoid observation. Til
i simplicity of her dress and the quiet lho'l
fuIness of her countenance were in perfeo
' accordance with the position she had che
}. sen. The serene and expressive characie
b of her beauty was heightened by the mod
!. in which her shining black hair was knot
ted at the back of the head. aud accorde
beautifully with the perfect aud full regr
S larity of her figure and the gracefulness
!, her neck and shoulders. But there was
look of subdued reflective earnes,ness ar
feeling in the face, such as of old won
y hardly have been assigned TO any nymph ,
e goddess. Two or three people were clio;
to her and engaged in conversation vii
- her, and among them stood Sir Charl
J. Harcourt, rather young and very weaItI
It baronet, with high pretensions to taste al
:, refinement. They were joined in q fe
minutes by young man, pale, and wi
dark hair and eyes, and look of supprc
is sed excitement, who bowed, bushed, Of
70 asked her to dance with him. She, to
blushed, though much more slightly, al
assentcd; and in the course of the ne
quarter of an hour the following diaIog
passed between them, though often int
rupted by the changes Of the dance, or I,
nearness of those who were not meant
hear what passed:
Miss Lasceles. for you will not let Z
~ call you Maria, you seemed much in,eres
r, ed in Sir Charles Harcourt's conversatio
( perhaps you regret that | withdrew y
D, from it."
e, mo indeed; he never interests me muc
lie He was talking about pictures, and he h
id collected a great deal Of information on /
es subject but do not generally approve
he his taste. or at least. 1t differs very oft
Sc from mine. One cannot help rather Tiki
ee him. for he is very good.na,ured and W
all bred
W why do you not add very rich q
he fashionable ?