Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-10-02


Maria! dear Maria !" cried they, throwing
themselves into her arms. GOOD day, little mo-
Their"
She embraced and caressed them, and extended
her cheek to the old woman; and for the first time
thought Of her companion
"Pardon me-" said she naively; 81 had quite
forgotten YOU"
81 do not complain, Miss; your pretty little sis
tiers, and your MOTHER are ample excuse"
"These are not my sisters; they are my child
renw
"Your childrenl"
"Hcr adopted children" interrupted the old wo-
man. "My daughter, sir--a poor woman, left i'll
poverty by the death Of her husband, an honest and
Industrious laborer-died Of grief in the garrett a
bove this little apartment and left me alone, and
without resources, with these two orphans. 1t was
then necessary for US to have recourse to the hos
pital for, old and infrm as am, could do moth.
ing, either for myself or for these poor creatures.
My despair was noticed by those in the house; and
the same evening, | heard some one knock at the
door. 1t was Maria, sir. Smother Marguerite"
said she to me, 8" lost my mother about three
months since. ! am alone in the world, without
any relatives. You and these two children shull,
henceforh be nine" And since that time, sir, we
have dwelt with her To my great distress, the
generous girl has TO work, night and day, to meet
the expenses which she has imposed upon herself
and which she is not fully able to do; for every
month, she is obliged to cXpend small portion Of
her little capital of fifteen thousand francs, left her
by her mother. If | was alone in the world,
would, long since, have left her, that might not
ruin my beneiactress; but these two children pre-
vent mel have not the courage to do SO, Must
| take them to the hospital, sir?-my daughters
children to the hospital!'
Whilst Marguerite speaking, Maria stood
with her eyes upon the ground, confused aud asha-
med as if what she was telling had not been to her
credit.
81 was an orphan: | could not live alone, and
without to love-" interrupted she, if to
excuse herself Marguerite watches over me
her children love me-ought not to feel under
obligations to them, sir 2"
you good girl, Maria" replied he, much
moved. "You deserve that others should take an
interest in you: and will now prove how much |
take in you, by giving you little scolding. Yes,
by scolding you Listen to me, my little friend
you should not thus travel alone in public carri-
ages"
"Sir," interrupted Marguerite, she has been for
the last eight days to work, a seamsress at the
house Of the Marchioness de St Vincent, who en-
ploys her"
"That is all very well, but recollect Maria, that
you ought not to converse with fellow travellers
whom you do not know, and still less make nose
gays with them; and moreover young girl ought
not to permit person, whom she does not know,
to conduct her in carriage. God has this time
thrown into your way in whom your beauty
and your innocence have only inspired such respect
and admiration we feel for angels But there
are many others who would have made an unwor-
thy return for your confdng frankness. Be then,
for the future, more prudent and silent, when you
ride in coucou, and even suffer your pretty bonnet
to be spoiled rather than invite stranger to your
house. Now as a reward for my lesson, let me kiss
this fair brow, and the fat cheeks of these charm
ing little girls, who call you mother" He pressed
his lips upon the forehead of Maria, slipped two
pieces of gold into the hands of the two children
and departed without leaving his name.
"That is a very kind man. said Maria.
"Let us pray for him tonight" added Margue
rite. " for he has given you good advice, my child
Maria expected to see again the unknown, who
had been so kind to her. But eight months passed
without his coming again, and they we're very pain
fu ones for the poor girl During their long anr
trying duration, she shed nearly as many tears al
in those days Of distress, when she saw her mothe
: slowly dying before her. Old Marguerite fell scl
first, after her the two young girls Lydia and Re
nais took their turns. Maria was obliged to take
care of all three, and was unable to leave thei
bed side either by night or by day. When a
length it pleased God to put an end to these pam
full trials, and the old woman and the two children
were at length restored to health, there no longe
remained upon the cheeks of Maria any Of thei
y late peculiar freshness Pale, worn out by her lon
| watches, her fatigue and anxiety, she seemed a
y
illusion of youth, she had passed at once into tn
! stern realities Of life. She had now seen life
really was, and with all the cares of MOTHER be
o fore she had ceased to be young maiden, she ha
tasted all its bitterness Before smile Of happi
/ ness was ever playing upon her lips now all te
moved by mysterious anxiety when they behel
her sad resignation and sweet contentment.
As soon as the sickness md its attendant ankle
" ties were once fairly out of the house, it was ne
n cessary she should once more restore order and
ID tenton to her work. The cost Of the physician
! and the medicines, had made a sad breach in ii
re little fund left TO Maria, by her mother She st
i herself courageously to work, that she might III
have to resort to 1t any more.
n One morning surrounded by her two childre
II; whom she was teaching to sew, having been seN
ID ing herself since sunrise, she heard old Margue
lite, all at once utter cry of surprise and JOY, e.
- claiming:
~ as it indeed you, sir? You have not, then, e
e tirely forgotten u.s."
'h The door of her chamber opened, and the my
terous friend Of this industrious little family e
e. tered. He wore a uniform that Maria did not r
cognize-several decorations shone upon his brea
re 81 thought sir you had forgotten your pupi
OIL said the maiden, smiling.
g My child have never once ceased to interC
hg myself in you, and hope soon to prove this to yo
nc | wish to take you with me. Will you get rea
III ard accompany me"
. "Whilherare you going to take me, p"
III "That is a secret Be speedy will give y
hg ten minutes to prepare your bewitching toilet Yo
ne little lace bonnet your coored robe, your bla
lie apron, and those little buskins-have you the
still?"
on "Alas sir, Ihave not worn them once since t
ne day on which | met you. They have not even be
81 taken out of this wardrobe"
ch $50 much the better; that is the dress in viii
| desire to see you. TO your task, then, my chill
"a a Ten minutes, my dear; you hear, not one momc
aet more"
ar lie took out from his pocket paper of 60
hc things, which he divided between the two lit
III girls and inquired with much interest," what pre-
lle ress they were making in the difficult science
ge, reading At first somewhat afraid of him. th,
eat little rogues ended by getting on such iamil
ah footing with the gentleman that they played W
his hat, and had climbed upon his knees, when
an ria returned from her dressing room, very nea
llh and tastelully attired.