The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-12-25


whence, after sojourn with Doctor Foxcroft
he crossed the border and travelled onwarls to
mountainous district, bearing a letter to Mr.
Matthews, clever Scotch practitioner, who's,
father was from London, and had settled on the
Scottsh borders, apd was to complete his cure
according to Doctor Foxcrofts verdict.
On reaching the village where Mr. Mathews
lived, Theodore was much disappointed to find
him absent; and on his eagerly in4uiring Of the
maid, who was the only inmate OF the house
when she expected him to return, she answered
him in such pure Gselic that he was unable to
make out the drift of what she said Finding her
IeN6Fis were useless, she adopted the sensible
method of showing the way to another house.
to which she pointed, as much as TO say he
might there meet with more ample information
Here he found Mr.. Mathews brother, the clergy
man of thi parish, to whom he presented the
letter Of introduction, but who informed him
that. the doctor, having retired from general
practice, was now on journey to the High.
lands, but would return in about month.
Theodore seemed so disappointed at this in.
tellgence, that the Rev. Thomas Matthews con.
cluded he must b, ill, IN spite of his appearing
IN tolcrable good plight; and while declining to
open the letter addressed to the DOCTOR which
served as the EnglishmanS credentials, Offered
him the use Of his house until his brother
Georges return.
Touched BY this unexpected kindness from
s'rang Theodore could only consent on CON
ditlon OF becoming boarder at the house and
after an amicable contest it was at last settled
upon that footing, and he took possession of the
only spare room in the house, modest chamber
commanding view that many a nobema n
would give hundreds to b, able to transplant
before the windows of his proud castle
Th' minister was widower, and the who'll
family consisted Of himself, his dau ,hter Lizzie
blooming lass Of eighteen, quite an unsophis.
ticated child of nature, with warm heart, a
clear head, lovely face and form, and that
frank good humor which conciliates aad forces
you to love her at the first glance, and son Of
his late sister, whom he had brought up, an
amiable, open-hearted youth, famiIiarly called
Tommy.
Having been informed by her father that their
guest was an invalid, Lizzie displayed the kind
ness of her nature, by paying him all the little
attentions she imagined him to require. AS to
the Hon. Theodore Norton he at first received
these attentions as his due. He had, to be sure
observed that Lizzie was handsome; but a Scotch
girl, living in an obscure parsonage, seemed
being so wholly alien to HIS world, viz, the
the narrow circle Of fashionable life, that he
scarcely viewed her in any other light than that
of any other nurse or housekeepar who happens
to be fair to look upon.
al wish Uncle George would come home,'
said Lizzie, frequently, when Theodore seemed
tired or out of sp irits.
"Doas she wish me gone, wonder" thought
Norton, on such occasions, " or is 1t merely the
benevolent wish that should get better?'
Whichever way he solved the question, Theo.
dore entered before long into a new phase of ex-
istcnce. Without owning 10 himself that he
was, in fact, as well as any of the inmates OF
the house, not excepting the strong-limbed
Tommy, the complete recovery of both sleep
and appetite, since he left London, had restored
his temper; and the restoration of temper, aided
by the novelty of the scenes he had passed
through, had relieved him, at any rate, for the
time being, of the heavy weight of ennu that
used to Cypress him; while his domestication
in an amiable family, whose every impulse was
kind and unselfsh, began to work his moral
cure.
Theodore Norton's fastdious ear had been
shocked, in the first instance, by Lzze's slight
Scotch accent; he had likewise thought it would
take deal of drilling from dancing master or
fashionable school mistress to render her able
to shine in drawing-room, pretty though she
was but in few weeks time he wondered
how he had come to think so; for it seemed TO
him that her native grace was superior 10 all
the arts dancing master can teach, @sile her
flFgtgt ,Sfatch6 accent i@nghtfad fadNL das' 0as stfy
original, if not fascinating.
George Mathews did not return al the months
end, as his brother expected: indeed he wrote
10 say he was going still further north, the fine
weather inducing him to proloug his holiday for
Two or three weeks longer.
81 am quite sorry for the news my father has
received" said Lizzie; do you know, Mr.,
Norton. that my Uncle George is not coming
home snything like so soon as we expected?'
lis he nnlT replied Theodore, gailyi ,Iiel
we must do without him; there Is no hurr,
about it, after ALL
,'Ah Mr. Norton, you Dear your ailment!
with great foTtituic," said the simple girl; "on'
:ever hears you complain"
Acting upon this superstition, with the kin'
forethought that characterized her, whenever he
father proposed fatguing walk with thei
guest 10 point out some of the natural beautie
of the place, or TO accompany him up noun
tain, or in row upon the lake, Lizzie would al
ways remind her father that Mr., Norton was a
invalid, and that he had better take Tomm
instead.
b But why am always deemed incapable {
= equaliug Tommy p asked Theodore, one da!
with smile, feeling that he had no right to