The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-02-27


between him and her mother, who drew he
eldest daughter iondIy towards her, as sh'
exclaimed, oh no, no. God forbid ! we vii
plan no such birthday celebrations for 0u
! Rosomoni.' There was general silence
/ but Edmund's spread hand was on his book
! and Rosomond's pencil was laid down, anc
a shade of seriousness had stolen even ovel
Lucv's laughing face, as the eyes of al
three were fixed with enquiring earnestnes:
! on those of their parents.
| No, my dear Children said Mr.. Faulk
ner, with affectonate seriousness, after an
interval of seemingly painful recollection
we will lay down no such plans for the fu-
lure. Short lived, short-sghted creatures
that we are, il BELTS not 10 say-'This will
we do a twevemonth hence My children,
come round ne; Grawy your chairs near. and
| will tell you how it came 20 pass that a
striking and affecting occurrence in our own
family pressed upon me, even in the heyday
ofmy youth. the deeply solemn sense of the
Preachers words-'Count not on tomorrow
Tor thou kncwesl not what day may bring
lorrh.'
You all remember my uncle-your great
uncle, Sir Edmund de Beauvoir (you know
he had taken that name on his marriage with
the heiress Of The de Beauvoirs) your god-
father, Edmund. And, Rosy, you may re-.
member 10 have heard that you were christ
ened after his only daughter, his only child.
who died before your birih-belore my mar
rage with your moher-my dear cousin and
playlellow, Rosomond de Beauvoir. Y on
can all recollect staying with your mother
and me at this fine old place, Hardwood
Hall; and how you used 10 play al hide-and
seek in all the vdd corners and rumbling pas
sages, and, licensed by the kind old mans
indulgence, race through every room in the
house, one excepted, the entrance OF which
was interdicted, not TO you only, but 10 every
other person, except al stated hours, when,
leading you by the hand, your mother and
followed our venerable uncle 10 The upper
end of the noble, 81 lendidly decorated saloon,
where he took his station before the Bible
and Prayerbook. laid ready for lin by his
whitehaired butler, and read the prayers and
chapters for morning aud evening service
with such impressive solemnity TO his as
scnibIed household.
'My uncle and aunt, as told you, had
one only daughter. the sole heiress of I'M
mense estates-tfe idol OF their hearts, the
object in whom cenlered its hopes and cares.
its Joys and pros poets. Alas in that idola-
try, in the absorbing and worldly nature Of
those cares and projects, lay loo probably
The root o! their oilendng,' the cause Of
dispehsation which testified TO The strickened
and awakened heart that God will he con-
tent with no divided worship-no halfded-
ication.
'Sr Edmund had been twice married; and
he was all ea1y far advanced in life, when, on
the dissolution BY death of his frs. chidless
union he formed d second connection with
the heiress of the de BeaHvOirs, who became
ihe mother OF my sweet cousin, Rosomond,
The child of his old age.
Though The son of his fathers younger
brother. was many years his senior, and
having no sisters OF my own. felt all brotn>
er's fundness for the dear little girl, who re-
turned nv affection with the warmth Of her
frank and loving nature and | was not less
in favor with her parents, well disposed as
they were toward the only son of an only
and beloved brother, Tor being the friend and
favorile Of their dazzling Rosomond, very
romp ut heart and. la spite OF lectures anu
remonsirances from governesses, my lady,
and my lady's maid, delighting far more IN
n race on the lawn with cousin Frank, un-
gloyed and unbonheied, or a row on The lake,
and a sug at he oar. or scamper on her
little wild Welsh pony, with him for her only
Squire, Than in The requirement of those i'll
effahle graccs indisj ensable, in Mademoisel-
lie Nisuard's opinion, 10 the perlecling Of
'une jeune personne parlaitemenlb ien elevee.'
But there was "A grace beyond the reach OF
art in the swee:, material manners oil tie mat
traciable pupil, and feminine gentleness OF
mind. that now nierposed 10 rein the gay
I'll, 10 n plxr 1acnrnn1
even in the widest outbreak Of exuberanl
pIadness and when she came bounding in
ike a young fawn. flushed with exercise, her
fine Iu,uriance Of rich brown hair beautiful
" dishevelied. her deep, blue eye sparkling
with Joyous excitement, the pretty hands
held up pleadingly. and the mock-prayer :or
pardon On her coral lips.neither Sir Edmund
nor Lady Beauvor could ever hold fast their
purpose OF seriously rebuking the smiling
rulp.it. and setting before her in awful array
the long list Of her offences, ] hardly know
why dwell thus minutely on these childish
passages in The life ofm dear cousin but
ibat love 10 recall every circumstance con-
nected with lis too short duration; and even
now | see her as Just described, standing in
Independence before The 6oaiing parents,
whose premediIated words of grave remon-
STRANGE were changed N the utierance 10
epitheis OF endearment as she threw her arms
about their necks, and half-smothered them
with kisses.
Such was Rosomond de Beauvoir in her
beautiful childhood such she still was in
The first blush az! bloom OF her more beaut-
full girlhood. though gifted with intellectual
powers, the rapid development Of which, and
the woalanly forwardness Of her fine tall per-
son, made more enchanting The contrasting
simplicity, end almost childish backwardness
o. her tastes and feelings, and the innocent
frankncss Of manner, yet unmodifcd even by
the maidenly reserve so becoming in co u
firmed womanhood. Mature had made oil
Rosomond, "a lady of her own;' but sadly
wasted upon her was the elaborate training
that would have metamorphosed Ter into a
fashionable automaion; and dearly as her
parents loved her. they had it more al heart,
fear, however unconsciously, 10 qualify her
for the attainment of an earthly prize, Than
for the winning Of that great aiter-stake,
compared with which all the honors and dis
tinclions of this world are as dust in the bal
ance not that her religious education, in the