The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-06-06
Vol. 6. No. As. Whole No. gO5.
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of the streets, bowls down the chimney: and bark
to tho seet pattering urously agninst the
Oh the poor-what sufsrings must be theirs on
such a night this
The speaker was one in whom such language
would have seemed to strange. He
alfred with great ncety almost amounting foppis
ness, and his broad forehead and handsome face be-
rayed none of the burrows Of care. Rich, courted,
and as YET stranger to sorrow, Charles Harcourt-
had still aheart open the niseries of his less fa-
vored fellow beings, and now, he before hsa
CHEEKY fire in TINT luxurious paror his thoughts
ed Involuntarily the houseless who might
be wandering the streets. His words were partly liz.
sOiloquy, and partly addressed to alady who OPP
posite him the sofa her delicate foot buried ia the
soft velvet Turkey carpet, and her jeweied hand
resting ostentatiousiy the of the seat beside
her. She was dressed fashionaby, and with exqu-
site taste. Herface lovely, SURPRISINGLY lovely,
with regular features. and eyes, eyebrows, and fore
head OF unrTvalled beauty. small chain Of gold
crossed her brow, fastened in front by diamond of
great price, which blazed and fiic!ered like star-
1t wuH evident, from the look with which Iarcours-
turned toward her, that his heart had been touched,
if not overcome by her beauty. She returned his fond
LOOK, and replied
Yes poor wretches-I fear enough has not been
done, for them this winter You don't know Mr.
arcour how my heart has bIed during tha explur--
atoms have lately been mixing among the lanes and
alleys of the suburbs. Such scenes of destitution
and sickness. o T shudder even to reeur to them,'
and she covered her eyes with hands, as if to shut
out dissgreeuble object. IIarcourt's fine eyesa
expressed deeper admiration this evidence of her
sympathy and had they been alone perhaps his feel-
ings would have hurried him into the declaration he
had been long meditating. But there was Il third
person in the room, whom have hitherto forgotten,
though to be thus postponed to her cousin was the
usual fate of Edith Melville And vet, when one
came to look ut her, the of this neglect
ed doubtful. True, she was not spenddly beau
tul Clara, but her SOFT dove-lile shone with
an express on which seemed more angelic than earth
y; and her whole countenance impressed the behnid-
er with feelings of purity and ave. She sitting
at table, attie apart, busiy pyingher needle; and
seemed 10 take-no part in the conversation, though
when her cousin answered Iarcourt she started and
looked up first at her and then him, and catching
the expression his face, she turned deadly pale
Hending over heF work to hide her feeIings she re-
maned silent and almost unconscious of what WINS
going on, until Harcourt to take bis leave.
You have been quite still tonight. Edith, he said
but attribute it all to that beautiful pair of slippers
YOU are working. / never knew before you loved
embroidery
Edith blushed and without raising her eyes, rs-
piled quietly,
They not for myself
Harcnurt ored and it was evident from his MAN.
rer that what ne heard wus, from some cause disa-
greeabeio him. lie looked euquingiy- at CIara,n
then answered.
whoever the person iI Miss Edith, he has great
to be proud and would be even more so if hs
knew how devoted you IIave been to your work.
and without waiting for reply, he bowed to both
ladies' and left the room, without noticing the fash OF
triumph in Clara's eyes. Tile instant the door ciused
him Edith srung from her seat, and left the harior
by the opposite entrance while Clara flung herself Il
gain the sofa, and following her cousin with her
looks burst when she had departed Into cenr,ring-
ing. exulting laugh Edith the instnut she left the
paror burst tenrs and urrying up stairs locked
herselfin her Then finging herself passion
aeiy on her bed she wept as il her her heart word
break.
ooh! cruel. crueI.' she sobbed, to tell me- L am
working the shippers for another when only heisiu
my heart. He little knows that am eunbrodering
them raise few dollars assst in her pow
erty. And Clara! henrtiess G. a ! to talk about her
sympathy FOR the destitute when she will do nothing
for our almost second mothers; who is sick and
in poverty. Could Charles only know the truth! and
she wepr afresh.
Edith unlike her cousin was not heiress, for The
little ptance Jeff by her deceased parent barely
sufficient for her necessary wants; and had
her uncle offered her home, her scauty annuity
would have been insufficient for these. Thus.
though her heart open day to charity, she had
no Of relieving the necessitous, unless by the
manufacture and sale OF such articles the embro-
dered slippers, on which she had been working that
evening. These intend d. ~ her words impii
ed relieve the of the siGk and perhaps dy-
ing old servant who had formerly been anurss in her
fathers famIy and VINO in the lowest depths
of poverty.
Our readers have already suspected the state OF
Edith heart. Her love for Ifarcourt had grown up