Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-07-06


burden on his child.
Blanche, after preparing her fathers
breakfast, NJ his lodgings Iu-t opposite
the Stairs lcadiug to her boat, went dawn
To nj seven every morning came home hi
noon TO give the poor blind man his din
n"r, and then back Ia work for the rest
of the day. Returning at its close To her
humble hearth, where cleanliness aud
comfort reigned, she would take out her
old father for an hours walk on the quay,
aud keep h'm merry by recouning all the
gossip o! the boat not forgetting the al
,ienpts at iluaiion carried an with her
self by certain workmeh in n mcrino
mGnulaciory, whose pressing machine IN
media,rly aIlloined the Iaundress's bark,
aud who never fni!ed, in going TO and
fro twenty times day, To fling passing
compliments at the belle bidnchiSseusc
pretty lanndres> The cheerful old
man would re-echo The Iiaht hearted
lauah with which those tales were told !;
bot follo~lng them up with the soherer
rounsrlS OF experience over the closing
meal ol The day, would then fall gently
most duli(ul of daug hters.
Three wears had rolled away since hci
mothers den,h, and Blanche, barpIy en-
crossed between her occupation abroad q
her tilal duties AT home, had innnd no lei
sure 1" listen Ia tales oi hove. There was,
howcyer, nnnng the young mcrin" drcs
srrs, tall, ine, handsome fellow, named
L..
written dispositions corresponding To
those of his fair ncighbor, whom, instead
of annoying with idle iamIliariti"s, h0
"radual'y won upon, by respectable CIV
lInv towards herself, and sill more by
KIND inquiries after her good old father.
iiy degrees he took upon him to watch
the time when she might be io'lng, heav-
Nv laden, up The steep slippery steps ; and
by coming just behind her, would slyly
ease her Of more than halfhc BURDEN
On parting at the door of the great pub
he laundry establishments where the
work began on the river Is afterwards
completed, he would leave her with the
hnpelui saluta,ion, IN which more WAS
meant than met the ear, Good bye, ),
DlHntne, VII We tlictt HENlU.
Such prrsrNcring attn tnlinns could
hardly be repaid with indifference aud
Blanche was of ;on kindly nature to
remain unnoved by them. Blt while
she candldly acknowledged the impress
sion they had made on her heart, and
that II was one which she would carry
to her grave, she with equal honesty de-
clared iaat she could allow no attach.
m"ui Ia nnrher Ia come between her and
her dcvoledmess to her blind father.
"And why should il, dear Blanche ~
wat the young mans reIolndeT "surely
two al vs. can do mnsc Zoe his happiness
than one lost my own father when
ch,ih, and it viii be quite n pleasure to
me to have some one | can call so. Ia
marrying me, you w,Il only give the old
man the most duIlIul Of sons.
"Ah, but should give myself master,
who would claim and engr"ss the grent
c.t part of my love, for know | should
81 love you, Victor And # we had n
i,mIly, the poor dear old man would come
10 have bn, the third place in my heart,
after havin. IT all Ia himself so long He
would fad ii out, blind as he il, though
he would never complain buL II would
make him miserable. No, no--don't talk
to me al marrying rs long us he lives
or tempt ne wuh thoughts Of a happiness
which have quite enough Ia do Ia fore
20. Let poor Blanche tu.fl the task .
God has given her to perform nnd don'l
lure her by your honisd words TO forget
her most sacred duty :"
Poor Blanche nigh, well say she had
enough To do To maintain her dutilul res
ouilon, between the gentle opportunities
ol her beiro.hed, and the general chorus
al plealings ia hes Gag0r amoag her SIS
icrhood IN the boat, whom ticior's good
books and aooh behaviour had converted
ruio stanncl allies, and who could not
conceive II possible to resist so handsome
and so constant lover. Borne down
by their homclv remOnstrances, which
agreed but Ga" well with her own inter
nal feelings, Blascae came at length to,
confess, that It she had whcrewithal to-
set up finishing establishment of her
own, where she could preside over her
business without losing sight of her
I.Iher, she would at once marry Victor. /
Bpi the capital required for its fitting up
was nj least 5000 ur 600O francs, and
where was such a sum To be got, or how
saved out OF her scanty wages Victor,
however, caught eagerly at the promises,
aud never lost sight of the hope it held .
ou' of attaining his darling object
iIe was able To earn five francs day, !
and had laid by something ; and the mas
ter whom he bad served for ten wears,
and Yho expressed great regard for
HIM, would perhaps advance part Of the
sum. Then, again, the good women oi
The boat, whose united yearly deposits .
amounted To upwards of 5000 francs, "
kindly expressed their Willingness to ad-
vance out Of their savings the needIul for
the marriage of the Two lovers. Bot
blanche, while running over with grati-
tuSe for the generous offer, persisted IN
her resolution not TO marry I'LL their own
Jo,"t paroiugs should enable her to set up
lnundry.
That she worked the harder, and saved
the harder to bring this about, may easily