The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-06-20
The Village School Mistress.
By MRS. BETTE C. LOCK.

eoN W. ouSh tuIHS. tUluh II WOui
have been much better to put her In a ger
, teei boarding school, as she might kno,
people in our circumstances would not lik
to be troubled with the care of child" sal
Miss Letitia Allen, as she lounged on an clt
CANT sofa, in her mothers dressing room
with a novel in her hand.
81 am sure She says plainly enough, i
her letter, Letita," replied her mother
"why she has applied to me to take charg
OF her child. Her own health is so delicat
that the physician says the only hope viii
be for her to spend the winter in Cuba, am
she does not wish to take Eugenia froh
her studies, neither does she wish to plac
her at public school, as she does not know
to what influence she might be exposed
she is very sensitive and timid, and has nevc
been from home"
ooh. l am glad she is coming" sale
Rose, the younger datghter. 81 knoY she
must be good and gentle, and / do lote Il
! find something good and pure in the world
where everything is SO false. will take hel
in my room, and she will not trouble any
one. There comes the carriage now, and
! will go down and meet them" Rose led
them in the paror, and seated the invalid
| comfortably in cushioned chair. Mrs. Al
| len soon made her appearance, and was
deeply moved at the change in her early
! friend. The slight rounded form had wasted
beneath the hand of disease, though it still
| bore traces Of elegance and the bright rose
bloom Of health had given place to deathly
paeness, which was occasionally lit up with
a hectic flush.
Eugena, the little girl, was about twelve
years Of age; she was small aud delicately
formed, like her mother; her long fair hair
2 3 !
there was touching, truthful earncstness in
her deep blue eyes that went straight TO the
heart. She had never been separated from
her parents before. Her mother had Away 5
superintendcd her education at home, for,
when her own health had got too delicate TO
take sole charge Of her child, she had a 60
vcrnesS, and Eugenia was still guided and
guarded by her mothers watchful eye
And thus she had grown up shy and sensi-
tive, and was now, like some gentle flower,
ready to shrink within herself al the fr 81
rude blast
And you will not forget my child, Mary
let wha; will happen; if should never re-
turn"
Hush, Eugenia-the child said Mrs.
Allen, hastily. Mrs Merton, in her excite
ment, had spoken louder than she intended,
and the little girl Oycrhearing the unfinished
sentence from the window, TO which Rose
had led her to allow her mother a private
conversation with her friend, now spTans
forward and sank al her mothers side.
"Oh don't say that, mother, don't say
that II will Kill me, indeed it will. | know
you will get well, and come back TO me: the
doctor says You viii" and her tears fell in
showers on the thin transparent hand clasp
cd in her own.
sect up, my child" said the mother,
drawing her closer, "and do not sob So
We all hope much from the trip; aud if it
is the wi. of our Heavenly Father | will
come back TO you; but, if | should never
see you again, DO not forget who wiled it
80, but pray for strength 10 say Thy will be
done Hush now, lsve, you Will only make
the parting haric! to bear.
Mrs. Allen, deeply moved by the affecting
scene, takin, her friends hand, said, "lf
were under no obligation, Eugenia, this
scene would ever haunt me were | to neg
lect Your child :" and SO she thought while
she spoke, for she had not yet realized how
worldliness would cncrust the heart over,
and shut out ali its kndiiest and best sym
pathcs.
They were joined now by Mr.. Merton,
who had come to conduct his wife 10 the
steamer in which they were to sail.
The parting was very painful, but Euge-
Iia ChOhed backed her rising sobS that she
might not agitate her mother. But as the
carriage rolled away, the mother carried
with her, as last remembrance, little
tear stained face, pressed close against the
" indow, and eyes eagerly strained TO catch
he last glimpse OF the loved ones. In a
few weeks the strangeuess wore Gil, and
Eugeuia began 10 feel more at home. Mrs.
Allen bad selected the best schools for her,
and attended to all her outward comforts
and now thought all her duties fulfilled
She did not think to call forth the spirit
warnings, or lend an attentive ear to the
SORROWS, and joys. and hopes, henceiorth
to remain untold. Mr.. Allen was a man Of
business, and after the first introduction,
when Rose called his attention TO her little
friend, after speaking few pleasant words
to her and kindly patting her on the head,
he thought no moro Of her Letitia did not
unbend from her dignity enough TO notice
her any more than as an ordinary member
Of the family; and, had it not been for Rose,
she would have been very unhappy. She
shared her room with her, helped to con ali
the difficult lessons, corrected the false note
in the music, and was to her, friend, advI-
ser, and companion. She had everything
that wealth could procure, but sometimes
how wearily she longcd for the affections
| that had been SO lavished in her humble
home.
1t was not without many fears and mis-
givings that Mrs. Merton had decided to
leave her child here, but she had only to
chose between this and a home among
strangers. Her own mother had taken Mrs,
Allen, when little friendless orphan, and
brought her up with herself equally as a
daughter Of the household Years ago she
had married the village lawyer, who, by his
| own untiring eXertions, was now one OF the
| first practitioners at the city bar, and his
wife leader of fashionable society. Seve-
| raj years later she, too, married, but only an
| humble disciple trying to point out ,the
way open for ALL" Worldly goods they
had none, but when his congregation heard
| Of the voyage that must be taken as the on
| ly means of prolonging the life of their be-
loved pastors wife, the money was soon put
in his hand, with many kind wishes for sue
cess. Since their n arriages the friends had
never met, but kept up an active corresp0n
dence. Several weeks had elapsed and Eu.
genia received a letter informing her OF Their
safe arrival, and her mothers improved
health; and, later, there came another let,
ter, but the black seal but too plainly told
how false hopes had been raised by the in
sidious disease, but to be more surely
blighted. The blow was too hard for Eugc
MAS gentle spirit, and for days she hovered
on the brink of death. Rose watched over
her untiringly it was her hand that prepar
ed the cooling drink, and arranged the dra
perry to exclude the light, and, when she
was getting better, would read to her, ane
bathed the aching temples. Mrs. Allen
too, refused herself to company, and wal
often found by the sick bed. The same let
ter that conveyed intelligence of her mother''
! death informed her of her fathers determi
nation to visit Europe, and prolong his stay
until the following autumn, as he could not