Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-06-23

steps, and running breathess with haste to
cheer and comfort the cid man with the meal
of warm soup, so dear 10 Frenchman's
heart Unwilling as she was 10 leave him,
his very necessities kept her at work till the
late hour when, with her hardwon earnings
in her hand, she would seek her infrm
charge, and fall on thousand devices to
amuse and console him, ill sleep stole al
length on lids long strangers to the light Of
day.
One morning, on coming home as usual,
Blanche found her dear invalid already up
and dressed, and seated in an elbow chair
and on enquring to whom she was indebted
for so pleasing a surprise, the old man, with
a mysterious smile, said he was sworn to Sc
crecy. But his daughter was not long in
learning that j, was her bctro,hed, who, hap
py thus to anticipate her wishes and cares,
had prevailed on his master so to alter his
own breakfast hour, as to enable him to de-
vote the greater part of it to his pious Office.
Straight to her heart as This considerable kind
ness went, it fell short of what she experen.
ccd when, on coming home some days after
she found her dear father not only up, but
in medcated bath, administered by Victor,
under the direction ola skfnl doctor he had
brought 10 visit the patient. At sight Of
this. Blanche's tears flowed fast and freely
and seizing on her betrothed's hands, which
she held to ner heart she exclaimed Never
can I repay what you have done for me -
Nay, Blanche was the gentle answer, you
have but to say one word, and the debt is
overpaid."
That word few but would have spoken
it, backed, as the modest appeal was, by the
pleadings of the ally within, and the openly
avowcd concurrence of old Raymond in the
wish SO dear to both. Let none despisc the
struggles Of the poor working girl to with.
stand at once father and lover! to set at
nought, for the first time, an authority never
before disputed, and despise the power of
love SO deeply founded on gratitude In
spite Of them all. fila! duty came off conque-
ror. Blanche summoned all the energies of
truly heroic mind, 10 declare that not even
the happiness Of belonging to the very best
of men she had ever heard of in her life,
could induce her to sacrifice the tender ties
of nature. The more her fathers infrmI-
ties increased, the more dependant he would
become on his daughter. What to her was
pleasure, could, she argued to him be only
burdensomo and painful task; in word,
her resolution was not to be shaken. VIC
tor was therefore obliged to submit, even
when from delicacy which would but in
cur obligations on which claims might be
founded, too difficult, If not impossible, to
resist) Blanche insisted on defraying from
her own resources, the expense Of the medi-
Gated baths, thus putting more hopelessly far
of than ever the long-deterred wedding.
She had not the heart, however, to deny
Victor the privilege Of putting the patient in
to the healing waters, which seemed daily to
mitigate his pains, and lend his limbs more
agility. While her father was at the worst,
Blanche had been obliged altogether to fore
60 the river, and obtain from her employer
permission to do what she could in the way
of her vocation at home.' But when, on his
amendment, she resumed her out Of. door la
Dor, Circumstance occurred, so very honor
able 10 the class Of workwomen we are COM
memorating, to their mutual attachment, and
honest feeling Of benevolence, that to leave
1t untold would be doing them and the SUBJ
ject great injustice.
With the motives for enhanced industry
which Blanche had 10 spur her on, that she
should be first at the opening of the boat,
with her daily load of allotted labor, will be
little matter of surprise or that her good ma
tured companions, knowing the necessity for
exertion on her part, should abstain from
wasting her precious time by any Of their
little tricks and gossip. But one morning,
from her father having been i'll all night, she
had arrived at work unusually late, and had
consequently, when the hour of noon struck,
left the greater part of her task (which had
often detained her till night SET in) unfnish-
ed, it was nevertheless accomplished, as il by
magic, within the usual time, and her days
earnings, instead of being diminished, rather
increased.
Next day and the next, their amount was
the same, till the grateful girl, suspecting to
what she owed so unforeseen a result. and
concealng herself behind the parapet of the
quay, ascertained, by ocular demonstration,
that, during necessary absence, her place at
the river was regularly occupied by one or
other of her neighbors. who took it in turns
to give up the hour Of rest, that poor Blanche
might be no loser by her flial duty, as not
one of those worthy women would lorgo her
share in this token of goodwill to the best
and most respected of daughters.
Blanche, though affected and Aattered, as
may well be believed, by this novel sort OF
contribution, was led BY delicacy of feel.
ing beyond her station, to seem ignorant Of
il, TIL the additional funds thus procured en-
abled her to effec, the complete cure OF her
father, whom she then informed of the means
by which it had been purchased, and eager
ly led the recruited invalid to reward, better
than she could do, her generous companions
Among the hand-shakings and congratu-
latons which marked this happy meeting,
Victor, we may be sure, was not behind.
hand: only, he managed to whisper amid the
general tide Of joy, Am to be the only
one you have not made happy to-day''--
Too much agitated to be able to answer,
Blanche only held the faster by her fathers
arm.
The time for the choosing by the sister.
+ hood of their queen had arrived, and Blanche
was declared duly elected, at the fe,e always
, given on board the boat itself, gaiy dressed