The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-06-23

49,
pulled down for the railway now-Port-
chester House.
Twas there first saw the old lady for
had cousin receiving her finishing" at
Portchester House, and twas there, being at
the time some eight years of age, that first
fell in love with an astonishinglv beautiful
creature, with raven hair and cazeNe-like
eyes, who was about seventeen, and the old
est girl in the school. When paid NV cou-
sin visit. was occasionallv aGl..;tted-beinc
o.: milk-and-waterv dispos;lior, and a very
little boy Of my ace--to the honors Of the
tea-tahlc ] used to sit opposite to this black
eyed Juno, and be fed by her with slices of
those curious open-work cross barred lam
tarts, which are SO frequently met with at
genteel tea-tablcs | loved her fondlv. Wild
y bnt she dashed my spirits TO the ground
by telling me not to make faces. | wonder
ii she married c,ukc?
The pretty old lady kept s:,.ool a: Port
chester House for many, many years, sup
porting and comforting that fashionable fe-
low, her father She had sacr feed her youth.
the tlr>tllno> Of her beauty, her love, her
hopes, everything The gay fellow. grown a
little para!vtc at last, and become very old
and lnheciic and harmless. h,i been rele"a
led to an upper apartment in Portchc>tcl
House. Here. for several wears he had vege-
fatcd IN sort of >cmi-fabulou> existence Is
tie "oid gentleman" vcrv manv of the
younger ladic> Ueln" absoldtcv unaware Of
hun hi. one evening, a neat colin with
plated nails and handles arrived at Portchcs-
ter House. for somebody aged rs, and the
cook remarked to the srocer's voung man
that the 'od gentleman" had died that morn
inc.
The pretty old lady continued tho educa-
ton OF black eyed Juno'>. in French. ceor-
raphv, the Use Of the globes. and the usua
branches Ct polite edI. alton long after he!
fathers death. Habit IS habit: Lieut.. Co,
Quits had died of fever in The Walcicrrr
eNpcIltlon-So tie pretty Old lady kept school
at fortche>tcr llo1>c until he was vc~v Cd
and when she retired, she devised al! her
savings TO her ugly sisters children: and
calmly, cheertully placi'I'y prepared TO Ia,
herself down III hcr cray- IInrs had beer
l""H iourn",- a"h COY, tod. Ia,
perhaps something was sad to her at the end
about being GOOD and faithful servant. and
that it was wei. done.
Such is the dim outline which the ,ictlr.
in my portfolio presents to me Of the pretty
Old lady. Sharpened as her pretty features
were by age, the ren;le touch Of wears Of
peace. Of an cquahc mind and calm desires.
had passed lovingly over the acuties of her
face, and sot;cned them. Wrinkles Size mus.
have had for the stern usurcr Time will
have his bond but She hal smiled her wrin
s!c> away. or had laughed them into ,li,np.cs.
Her Just, though severe mother Nature had
rewarded her for having worn no rourc IN
her youth, 10 artificial flowers IN her sprinc:
and gave her blos>oming roses in her Dcccm-
Der. Although the sunset Of her ewes was
come, they could not burn YOU nr nor melt
you As in the noon,ilc; the >kv was We, pure
and the lumlnary sank to rest in trirht !a-
10; the shadows that it cast were Ionr. bu;
sweet and peaceful murkv and terrible.
The night was coming. but it was TO be a
hight starlit with faith and hope, and not a
season of storms.
Il was Tor this reason think. thar, beng
DID, feeling Old, locking old, proud of beinc
"Id, md yet remaining handsome the pretty
o!d lady was so beloved l,y all the pretty girls
They called her dear old thinr." They
insisted upon trying their new bonncts, scarts
>hawl>, and similar feminine laIlaIs. l.pon her
They made her the fashion, arl dressed u,
to her. They never made her spite.ul pres
cnts of ileecy hosiery, to guard against .
rheumatism with which She was not afflicted
or cntreated her TO tie her face IN when sh,
had no toothachc; or bawIed in her ear o,
the erroneous assumption that she was deaf
as girls will 90, in pure malice. when age for
ce>tS It's privileges, and apes the eyitv an,
sprlghtllncsS OF youth. Above all, they trustc,
her with love secrets 81 mus; mention that
though spinstcr, the pretty old lady was al
wavs addressed as Mistress. She was orra
III love matters a complete letter-writer
without It's verbosi'y; as prudent rs Pamela
as tender as Amelia, as judicious as Hooker
is dl"ni:ied as Sir Charles Grandson. Sh,
could scent a Lovclace at an immense dis
tancc, bid Tom Jones mend his ways. rewar,
the consfancy Of an | Uncle Toby, and reform
Capt. Booth. | warrant the pervcrse Wil
ow and Sir Roger ,ie Coverlv would hay,
been brought together, had the pretty ole
lady known the parties and been consulted
She was conscientious ard severe, but NOT in
tolerant and impacable. She did not consider
every man a wretch or every woman j,
love a silly thing She was piiiful to love
:or she had known it. She coud tell a tai.
Of love as moving as any TO her IL, her,
died at Walrhercn.
Where shall | find pretty Old ladies' now
a-days: Where are they gone-thosc zen
tie, kindly. yet dicnifed, anriquated danes
married and single:
My young friend Adoescens comes apC
tells ME that | am wrong, and that there al,
as many good old ladies' now as of vore. I
may be 50; it may be, that sc think thos,
pleasant comlanionships lost because the
years are gone in which We enioved them. and
that we imagine there are no more old ,ad;c.
because those we loved are dead.