Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-04-05

No, madam, do not think am very skill.
full in that respect
That is unfortunate. Do you understand
plating and fluting, and where do your pa
rents residel 2
Grace had found some difficulty in enter
ing into her family history with Mrs. Gore,
who, however, had extracted the whole by
dint Of questioning, and she found it scarce
ly less painful to recaptulate the past to the
careless and half listening lady who now ad-
dressed her.
AN orphan, without friends, said the gen.
tleman, raising his eyebrows and lowering his
voice, as no put his hand 10 his mouth to
screen the sound from Grace's ear, he adj
ded, a queer story. Have nothing TO do
with her. do no, like her looks
AT these words, Mrs. Livingston raised
her eye-glass, and, for the first time, gave
full and deliberate look at the poor girl, who
partly turned away her face to conceal the
tears she felt streaming down her cheeks,
while the servant girl, who entered Just then,
did not scruple to follow the example of her
supcriors in giving Grace stare, in which
however, good-nature seemed to struggle
with curiosity; but the man, who lad caught
the whisper of his master, looked back from
the door with grin that seemed to convey
an intimation not quite so benevolent.
You'll not suit me- was the calm and
cold result of Mrs. Livingston's investiga-
ton, and Grace quilted The house with a
crushing sense of insult and degradation she
had never dreamed of before.
A passionate fit of weeping relieved her
n r. hn rupH heart ch., i L..
to Mr.. Franklin's house, where the warm
and cordial sympathy OF her humble but kind
friends once more encouraged and soolhed
her.
Hope cometh with the morning. and
Grace rose on the morrow with renewed
strength and resolution. One place yet re-
NAMED untried. Mrs. Cunningham, she
trusted, would prove very different from eth
er of the ladies on whom she had already
called. Grace was at this time more fortu-
nate than she had been IN ether of her pre-
vIous visits, for she found the lady at home
and ready to receive her she was admitted,
therefore, at once, and found Mrs. Cunning
ham surrounded by "a group of Children
She rose as our heroine entered, and, ad-
vancing TO meet Grace kindly, invited her to
be seated.
Now, Johnny, darling,' she said, turning
to little fellow some four years old, don't
play drum for few minutes, while mamma
is talking to Miss Winthrop
johnny stopped for moment, as he stood
staring with his round eyes at Grace, and
then began rub-a-dub. dub.
He is SO delighted with his birthday
present. continued the mother, gazing with
delight at her boy. Come here, johnny,
and show your drum TO this lady, but John
ny never budged, and the rub-a-dub
continued without pause or mercy.
He is our only boy, Miss Winthrop,
continued Mrs. Cunningham Il have six
girls, but this is our only son. Come here,
Fanny, here Charlotte and she called little
girl after little girl, whose platter faces, and
pIg-tails, and black silk aprons, seemed all
cut after the same pattern, only varying from
each other an inch or so in height.
After little conversation as TO acquire
menis and references, Mrs. Cunningham said.
Il should wish to impress upon you, my
dear Miss Winthrop, the importance of stu
dying the different minds of your young pu-
pills. 1t is not so much in stated lessons thar
| look for their improvement, as to that IN
struction which is impaired in familiar con-
versatIon, which amuscs without fatgning
the youthful mind and, above all, | would
not have them forced forward too fast. You
will find Gertrude very precocous, full of
ambition and excitabilty. Emma, again, is
limid and retiring, and requires encourage
ment and appreciation. Fanny is a child OF
&c. 4 I Al. 1
ter always to yield to the prevailing train of
thought and feeling which governs her for
the moment; and Helen, but what was He
lens peculiarly we forget, but something
that betokened rare endowments, and so
Grace found that the Misses Cunningham
were all very uncommon children, though
from their round flat faces no mortal would
have suspected it.. That Mrs. Cunningham
was weak woman, and the children some
what spoit, required but little observation to
discover, but then there was Kindness in the
and although she might and probably would
overtax Grace's strength and severely try
her patience, the terms being much nearer
those Grace had named to herself than the
sum offered her by Mrs. Gore she gladly
closed with the offer.
'We shall leave the city, however, in a
few days for the SUMNER said Mrs. Cum
ingham, and | shall not be able to receive
you under two months. By the middle of
September | expect to see you.'
This somewhat disappointed Grace, as
she could not bear intrudng longer on the
kindness Of Mr.. and Mrs. Franklin, but they
would not hear word to the contrary.
Dear, dear Grace said little Helen, put
ting her, arms around her neck, how sorry
shall be when you 60 away from US. And
then | must give up my music too, for papa
says he cannot afford to give me teacher
Dear child said Grace, kissing her af-
feclionately, | do not mean to let you give
up your music. expressly arranged with
Mrs. Cunningham that | am to have every
Saturday afternoon to give you your lesson
Dear, sweet, good Grace exclaimed the
child, Joyfully. Nov, You must sing me one
of your beautiful songs after tea, wont you