The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-02

toilet, she returned with the glass of water, fol-
lowed by Zoe bearing his nice little dinner on
a tray. He took no more notice of Zoe than
if she had been little kitten. When the meal
was over, Zoe took up the tray and left the
room. Gertrude was about to follow, when the
young man called her back
"Will you not remain with me an hour, dear
Gertrude, to help me while away the tedious
afternoon ~
aoh, yes certainly only want to go down
and feed BOrealis then I'll return
Bore,slisln
4 fzsax ~" yss -, j,
"Ohlr
And Gertrude left the room for about half an
hour Decidedly, Frohisber, You will have to
do one of two things-make up your mind to WOO
and wed this young amazon or TO avoid her alto
gether wonder what sort Of an education she has
received7p Seeing Gertrude return and take her
seat by his bed, he turned around on his pillow
rested his head on his hand, and asked
"Will you read to me, Gertrude7n
ooh, yes - said the Ger Falcon, rising and GO
ing into another room. Presently she came back
took her seat and opening her book, prepared to
commence.
"What have you got there, Gertrudelo
1t is the legend of the Seven Champions Of
Christendom 1t is very grand thing Takes
things have the power to do that. Yes, great
work this such splendid fghtingw
''Fs that your first favorite, Gertrude7n
"Yes but have others
q And what may they be p.
ooh, like St. George and the Dragon, Una
and the Lion, and German story Brightly read
to me once--The Wild Huntsman u
"Tbat mho read to you ?"
"Thst Brightly, Mrs. General Stuart-Gor
don ~
"Ah! you know her, thenp
G" Yes do You %
81 have met her; but now tell me your other
favoritesn
"Well, like all those named because they
had such splendid riding and racing and fighting
and flying all through it but, oh my favorite OF
favorites %
We'll, dear Gertrude, ana what rs JnAs ~
"Oh, Millions Paradise Lost Milton's Para
disc lost Obi there mas magnificent fighting
there Heaven and He'll in battle array al
space for a battlefield the throne of the Uni
verse the stake and angels and devils hurting
planets at each other. OH that was a touch
above the sublimel can conceive that it took 0
blind man to write that
eyes! dear Gertrude blind man-a man in
spiritual as in visual darkness War in Heaven
Gertrude! does not that strike you as horrible
blasphemyp
"No, it don'tp
"Welll we will not argue that question now
Now, Gertrude, is that all your readingp
"Yes believe so -
"You should read history and travels and voy
ages Gertrudef
q Oh I dop
"Ah that is we'll What history and whose
travels do you read ~
aOh | read tke history of Jack the Giant
Killer and Gulliver's Travels, and the voyages
of Sinbad the Sailor! Hush what are you
laughing at, boyl If you laugh so loud as that,
you'll make your nose blecd-no! mean your
woundp
The young man was, in fact, laughing very
heartily
"Come | shall get mad | think it is very
improper for boys 20 laugh at their elders |"
{" beg your pardon, dear Gertrude Now, 90
on with your reading
81 won't! there now You have put me out,
and so you may just do without itp
81 submit dear Gertrude said the young
man, in his mellihuous tones.
Gertrude looked at him, with her blazing eyes
q little softened
Oh, pll read to you p then she said
No, Gertrude
"Ob hut willw
81 will not hear.you now, Gertrudew
Nevertheless, | will not trouble you -
@You are angry that's what you arer' ex-
claimed the amazon, bursting into fury, throwing
down the book, and sending il with her foot to
the opposite end Of the room yes! you are
angry that's what you are! Now, II you are
angry, why don't you quarrel and have done with
it, and then hear the reading! Why don't you
quarrel, and not lay there saying No. and No.
in your flute tones, to make me miserable!
never was crossed in my life, and won't be cross
ed now and made miserable by a refractory boy !!
and pll let you know, sir, that your tutor is in
the house, and, if you do not behave yourself, be
shall come up and give you lesson in Greek
Why don't you quarrel, hey2 Whist are you
sulking sboutl II you are angry, why don't you
quarrel You won't7 Well, ] don't care-a
dumb devil is better than talking one"
"Gertrudew
The two syllables fell on her ears like two low,
sweet, full music notes She wheeled abruptly
round TO see him looking at her with his large,
tender eyes With quick revulsion Of feeling,
Gertrude burst into tears, and hurried towards
him, covering him with caresses.
Poor boy poor boy 1t is ! who am bar
barian but then always was SO used to Brutus
He quarrels back again, and we get our accounts
evenly balanced So am not fit to deal with a
gentle boy like your ~
Let us now return to the subySet OF your
booksn
ashall read to youp
"NoD
"Oh! you won't let me do that. You are
stubborn p
"What other books have you read ~
None others at all, except the heather my
thologyn
And you like that ~
"Oh very much indeed The schoolmaster
used to tell us that these heathen fables we're
bunch Of keys--that each fable was key to an
lock the mystery Of some truth, IL we would but
At the key into the right lockp
Who brought you up, Gertrude ~
Nobody II came up Of myself"
Who educated you n
The schoolmastern
Satisfactory thatp----
aif you mean who raised me, Brutus did y
Only Brutus7n
Yea! that Is, we were left In charge Of an old
graud-uncle, but he fell into dotage before can
remember. Brutus took care Of men--
All! that explains everything. So you never
had mothers or any female relation or friends
care in your infancy and childhoodn
had an old black nurse, who used 10 curse
and shake ne when she got sngry, aud smother
me With offensive csssases wAeu she wusin good
hunor, until got big enough 10 scratch aad hits
and resist, and then Brutus took mo away FROM
her, and took care Of me himself
How old are you, Gertrude %