The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-02-23


to give little girl, that We agreed
would not do. and then l chose Fol
tune.
My little Fortune-sho was so dca
to me- and she loved me too we'll Youu
as was. our relation to each other bt
came In many things like that of mothe
and child. 1t was strange that. of he
own accord, from the first she called M
Aunt Dinah And l soon grew accus
toned to the title. and so soon, too. fel
quite naturally into calling her my chilc
for though yet but girl in years. 1 wa
becoming woman very quickly, as
should think must often be the cas-,
with those who have their destiny il
life fixed as early as mine was. for
had no other outward change to lool
forward to as most girls have. and al
my business was to settle down and b,
content.
Ny life, | often think, might have
been lonely and sad without my child
but with her was very happy 1t was
as if lived again in her, for all th5
hopes and wishes tina. my illness had
crushed had come into life again, but
not for myself now. 1t was for her
that | dreamed and hoped, and thought
for the little bright.eyed child, who
loved to lie beside me. her white arms
round my neck, and her soft cheeks pres
sed or mine who loved, Heaven bless
ber--to be with me always who never
was so happy as when, even for hours,
wo two would be left alone together. and
with the perfect confidence that only
children have she would talk to me of
all things that came in her mind. glad-
dening my very heart with the loving
things she said They all loved her.
but none as I did. for She loved none of
them so we'll. They used to say that
should spoil her, but I never did she
was not made to be spoiled, my little
Fortune, my sunny, bright-haired child
She was my pupil for the first
few years, and such dear lessons they
we're that we used to have together
dear to both of us. though most to me !
She was so good and gentle, so sorry if
she ever grieved me, SO eager to be
good and be forgiven again--as though
my heart did not forgive her always,
even before she asked it-so loving al
ways. She never wearied of being with
me, the kind child, not even when. as
sometimes, was too i'll to
bear her childish merriment. and she
would have to sit quietly in my room,
and lower her sweet clear voice when
she spoke to me, for she would hang up
IN my neck then, too, and whisper to
ne how she loved me- All, never shall
orget it ALL shall never forget how
good my little Fortune was to me.
l may as well mention here. that soon
lfter it was settled she should stay with
Is. we had little miniature portrait of
Ter taken. which l have worn ever since
IS lockct round my neck We did
his on the chance that it might possibly
ervc on some future day as a means of
Identifying her. Here is the little pic
ure now it is so like her. as l have
een her thousand times, with her sun
~ Nell Ol cuTlS around UeT.
The years went on. and brought some
hangcs with them-one change which
vas very sad--my mothers death. 1t
amc upon u> suddenly, at time when
rc were least thinking of sorrow, for
when her short illness began we were
for my sister Kate's marriage
t was long before the gloom and grief
hat her loss threw upon her little house
lold passed away, for she was dearly
beloved amongst us. and had been
most noble and true hearted woman.
When Kate had been married about
year, my father withdrew from prac-
ice, and, to be near her, we removed to
Derbyshire, and he and l and Fortune
;ept house there. in quiet cheerful
way together. And so the years went
~ until my child was about seventeen.
In this new part of the country we
lad not many neighbors with whom we
we're intimate, but there was one family.
Who, since our first coming, had shown
Is much Kindness. Their name was
Beresford and they consisted Of faith
,r and mother, and one son, who was at
college They were wealthy people.
With good deal of property in the
county. When we first knew them I
iad not been without a suspicion-I al
most think it was hope-tbat Arthur
Beresford and my Fortune might one
lay fall in love with one another, but
t was not to be. for as they grew up, l
-aw that there was no thought Of more
hama common friendly love between
hem; and, indeed, boys of one and
.wenty are generally occupied with 9TH
,r things than falling in love, and girls
If seventeen, l think, generally sup
pose that one and twenty is too young
or them to have anything to do with, as
no doubt it very often is So they re-
NAMED friends aud nothing more.
l remember well Arthur Bcresford's
return from college two or three months
before he became of age. and how, on
the day after-a bright June morning it
burst into our drawing room,
with the gay exclamation, !" Here l am,
A unit Dinah, and free for the uext four
p and coming up to me, took
both my hands in his. and looked so
gay, so happy and handsome. that it did
me good only to look at him He was
in very high spirits, indeed, for not only
had he gained his freedom, as he called
it, but he had succeeded in bringing
back with him his cousin, Nevill Iriing-
ton, fellow and tutor at Oxford, who
had done him, so he said, such services
during his career there that had it not
been for him he never should have been
the happy fellow he was thero, which
whether it was as true as he thought it
or not, liked the boy for saying aud
thinking,