The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-19
Fanny gave her comical side glance.

rahny gave her comical side glance.
And will remain absent, hope, as she has
done for the past six weeks" said she. laugh.
ing. The truth is, Mr.. Oakley, we could OBJ
tain no good help; so we turned our kitchen
dignitary out of doors, and have taken to sheln.
ing ourselves f
Here Fanny diverged into description of
several odd beings, who had figured as her pre-
decessors IN the stove and broom line. All.
even MRS. Dunbar, were laughing merrily; and
the "doughnuts had recommended their iery
trials, when Mr.. Dunbar, toil-worn, broken
down man of business, came in.
The supper, served by Fannys hands, and
seasoned by Fanny's voice and eve, was of
course meal without parallel in the history
of George Oakley. Mrs Dunbar sighed and
apologized, and mourned for cold times and
her set of silver Mr.. Dunbar grew animated
over politics and news in general; and Fanny
kept all lively and bright, in her unassuming,
cheerful way.
"Fanny, wish you would put the children
to bed-Estelle frets me so,' exclaimed her
aunt after little time.
certainly, answered Fanny, as the little
one sprung gladly to her arms
Fanny is our household fairy" said her
uncle, with a grateful glance
Say brownie, unclel" responded she. with
her foot on the lowest round of the side lad.
der which gave their only ingress to "the loft, y
where the childres were nightly taken to rest
"say brownie, and then might conscientiously
appropriate the compliment
Mrs Dunbar, too, withdrew for time behind
her curtain.
"Brownie or fairy, she is the ioy of the
hons,. reclaimed Cd her uncle half to Oakley
half to HIMSELF as, with long sigh, he boz. ..ls
head.
at is seldom that one bears so cheerfully
| the reverses Of fortune" began Oakley.
"Reverses!" exclaimed the other, lifting his
| head.
True; yes, too true Yet Fanny has nc
| need to stay with US, and 1 cannot always
| have it so. She must go back to the life fol
which she was born; she has yet competence
And had it not been for my unlucky specula
| tons, which swamped her fortune with nv own
she had been yet what she was-the riches
| heiress of T.!
"Hers are the untransferable riches, if mis-
| take not" said Oakley.
You are right-you are right City life
soon lost its charm for her. and she does moi
regret its lost whirl of excitement. Even oul
travels In Europe failed to cheer her up. after
the death of the good grandmother who had
brought her up. She was forever pining to be-
as she said, of some use to the world And
| now-Heaven knows what we should do with
| out her l"
Fanny's temperance cut short this burs,
| of confidential praise.
"Give MS some of your Scotch airs. nv
bird " said her uncle, turning aside to brush
what seemed to George tear from his eye
| lashes.
Uncovering an old piano, which the unsus
Pechng Oakley had mista ken for rough chest
she gave her visiter such treat as few city
| parlors can afford.
And now, Fanny, please read chapter
Ny eyes are poorly this evening""
Her clear voice, pot less musical than when
blending with the tones her fingers awoke
seemed attuned to the chapter of st. Johns
Gospel which she had chosen. The Young
clergyman finished the family devotions; but
| one prayer of his heart was too sacred to be
breathed, even there
Rejoice, dear Myra! F." wrote George Oak
ley, months after, to his favorite cousin; "for
| the days of my bachelorhood are numbered.
How soon they viii be finished, depends upon
| the decree of a certain little despot, who, with
out being either a 'virago' or 'nonentity,
| has inveigled me into confident belief of the
| fitness of one woman to be even Western
minister's wife But for one unfortunate cir
cnmstance, we might hope to plod on through
life in the very tracksof the hero and heroine
OF gour tavorite Sunny Side.' That obstacle
is-the small fortune of the lady, (saved from
the wreck of far greater one,) competence
for life of duty and self-denial, such as we
hope to lead. L cannot, surely, regret that
which gives me assurance that the heart of nv
hanny will never know the bitterness of abect
poverty, nor her generosity an entire check
come what may over my power to guard her
cur work for life is the same that it would
otherwise have been. 1t was not undertaken
for money or for price, But enough. Hast
en-, dear cousin, to bestow your loving benedc
ton upon the penitent Benedict,
GEORGE OAKLEY"