Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-01-19
CECILIA HOWARD;
Or the Young Lady who had Finished
Her Education.
.pYT. 8. ARTHUR.

Cecilia and Mrs. Ho,vurd-Conversat'on about
old Uecle Peter-His appea ance-iSone
cL,se cutting -FIn;shing of a modern goung
Lnty-U,,cle Peters coasaasnts, ham0roSs,
sdtirieal, sensible and serious.
Il declare, ma, I'm getting right down
ashamed of Uncle Peter!' Cecilia How
ard said, with some warmth. giving her
trim little head at the same time half
disdainful toss. sIie net only dresses in
such queer. old fashioned style, but is
full of such queer ways and queer no.
tons. No matter who is here. bolt into
the parlor he will come. with his big hea-
Wy stick going thump, thump, thump up
on, the floor, hard enough to knock a
hole into the carpet. The very sound
makes me creep all over. do wish he
wouldn't come here every day,as he does
just at the time when we receive our
morning calls. It's downright annoy
,eance. SO it isl
why how you talk. Ceciia!' Mrs
Howard reioined in half reproving tone.
.sYou must not mind your Uncle Peter.
You know that you have been away to
school for five months, and as YOU will
not remain at home but four weeks in all
he wishes to be with you as much as pos
-slble. He has good heart, and loves
you very much know
lie has stranqe way Of showing it
them was the reply to this. isn't he
always taking me off, or snubbing me
up, or doing or saying something to annoy
me. | declare the very sight of him is
beginning to make ne nervous! There!
That's his ring now! wonder he hasn't
broke the bell-rope long ago. He's just
in time to meet our morning VISITORS
Isn't it too bad p
The object of Miss Cecilia Towards
animatlversions soon entered the spIen-
didly furnished parlor where the mother
and daughter were seated, elegantly at
tired and waiting for their morning calls.
He was an old man. with countenance
expressive Of benevolence, united with
some ,humor and a good deal Of shrewd.
ness. His dark gray eyes had usually a
pleasant twinkle; but aften became fixed
in a keen, penetrating gaze, that was at
times especially annoying to his niece. -
He usually wore coat of the color
known as pepper and SALT which hung
loosely on his his person, like Gas Cecilia
sometimes elegantly expressed it shirt
on bean pole.' The reader must bear
in mind that Miss Cecilia has been for
two years the inmate of fashionable
boarding school, which will account for
her gentle manner of speaking sometimes.
His waistcoat, darker by several shades
than his coat, was of snuff colos, double
breasted, long and loose, with hugespock
cts, and several inches f the lower cor
ner cut off at an obtuse angle with TOE
front edge of the garment. He did not
wear small clothes and fair top boots;
but what was worse in tie ewes of his
niece, grown remarkably critical of late,
he wore queue above, and large, loose
coarse shoes and yarn stockings below.
But with all this slngularity of dress. as
Cecilia thought it. he was scrupulousIy
neat and clean in every respect. A de-
scription Of his character would be USE
less here, as the reader will have an op-
portunity Of hearing his sentiments and
perceiving his peculiariies ard manner
Of expression as our story progresses.
sAh, good morning Good morning =
he said, in cheerful tone, entering the
parlor with his usual active tread, and
letting his cane strike heavily upon the
floor at ench step. How are you to-day,
,ceIia? And how are you Hannahr'
.We're very well, brother Mrs. How
ard replied in a dignifed way. take a
seat.
of course I'll do that, Hannah, with
out being asked. You did not suppose |
am a prim young dandy who would stand