Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-19

lighters, young girls growing into woman
hood This proposal, kindly meant. was warm.
~ accepted; and Aunt Ml,y set forward on
her long Journey, for ElphinstOne Hall was
some hundred miles OLA formidable distance
10 one who had never been days Journey
lroin H,:,1 ner own home now alas hers no more
Suil neither despondency or fear troubled her
bhthe spirit, as little Miss MilIy set out with
her valorous nephew for I had pleaded so ear
nestly my right to be her squire to Mr.. Eipbin-
stone door, that the concession was yielded at
last.
Of all the gloomy old avenues that ever led
to baronial hail. the one we passed through
was the gioomiest. Ii might have been pretty
In May, but on wet day in October it was
most melancholy. Poor Aunt Milly shivered
as the wind rustling in the dead leaves fell in
clouds upon the top of the post cbai.e. We
ailghted and entered a hall equally Iugubri-
0ns, and not much warmer than the avenue
The solemn old porter was warming his chilled
hands at the tiny fire he and the house are in
perfect keepiDg-dreary. dull aud melancholy.
Ihe master was much in the same style a tall
biack figure, with long face and white neck
cloth was the personifed idea left behind by
Mr.. Eiphlnstone. When no was gone. I ear
ne,tly entreated Aunt Milly to return with me,
fused ' 'e
My cousin seemed kind" she said; I" no
Io,ked aud spoke as though be were glad to
sac me. | was too cold to hear or see much
certainly, but declare l did not notice this
friendly receptiOn) "My dear Godfrev.n Aunt
M,lly continued, will stay, and try 10 make
nome here, the two girls may be amiable and
for the best '''P'
My hopes for poor Aunt Milly vanished into
tnih air when, at the frigid dinner table, where
the very eatables seemed mado of stone. I sav
two young ladies of fifteen or thereabouts-one
the widest and rudest hoyden that ever dis
graced feminine habiiments; the other. a male
s'ooplng girl, with sleepy blue eyes and fa;r
halr, who never uttered word, nJr once lifted
her eyes from the table cloth
:, what VIII become of poor Aunt MiIIyan
'nought internally. Yet there she was as
cheeItul as ever, talking to that solemn ioicIe
Mr.. tlphlnstone; listening patiently to ths lava
hood OF Miss Louisa's tongue, and now and then
speaking to Miss Euphemia, whose only answer
was nod OF the head, or a stare from her inn
mense blue eyes. WELL" / mentally eiacu-
lated, AUNT Milly's talent for making the best
o. everything will be called into full reouisition
n3re, suspect" Nevertheless. when We part
ed, she assured me she was quite content and
would no doubt be very comfortable at the Hall.
But those dreadful girls, how will you man.
age them, Aunt Milly2" And a faint vision of
the tall, stout Louisa going into a passion. and
Knocking my poor little aunt off her chair
c1me across my mind eve.
Poor things, they have no mother to teach
motherless child myself said Aunt Kitty
softly They will improve by and by, depend
upon 1t, Godfrey; all will turn out well, both
for you and me-
Amen, said l, in my heart; for l thought
OF my own Laura. How different she was from
the Misses Elphinstone! And the image of nv
beloved eclipsed that of delicate Aunt MilIy. 1
ha1
the Hall N'
Aunt Milly's epistles were not yery freouent.
for like many excellent people, she disIiked
letter writing, and only INDUCED her very par
ticular friends with few lines now and then.
In which she fully acted up to the golden rule
: Ii you have anything to say, say it; if moth
lnS-Why say 1t, too" Thus my information
Hall, was of very slender nature. However.
when few months had rolled by, chance led
ne into the neigbbOrhOOd. and / ,urnrised
Aunt Milly with visit from her loving
nephew.
1t was early spring, and few peeping prim-
roses frightened the old avenue Underneath
tho dining room windows, was a gay bed of pur-
pie and yellow croeuscs, which though bore
tokens of Aunt Muly's care; she was always so
fond OF flowers. l fancied the Hall did not
look SO clearless as before; the bright March
sunbeams enlivened, though they could not
warm It. In few moments appeared Aunt
Mllly herself, not in the least altered, but as
lively and active as ever
She took mo into her own little sitting room,
ana told me how the winter had passed with
her 1t had been rather a gloomy one. she
acknon ledged; the girls had been acc ustomed 10
run Wild; Louisa would have her own wsv: but
then she was easily guided by love- and her
nature was frank and warm. Pheme the pale
slfi' who had been delicate from her cradle,
was rather indolcnt, but-(oh, what blessing
these butts arc sometines!)-but then she was
80 sweet and gentle own when / again saw
the youg damsels, thus lepilently described by
Auut MIliy, did not perceive the marvellous
chanSe. Louisa seemed nearly as talkative
and her sister nearly as insipid as ever; still
there was slight improvement even to my
eyes, and L gladly allowed Aunt Milly the full
benefit OF that loving glamour which was cast
by her hopeful creed and sweet disposition.
But now, Godfrey, how fares it with you9''
said my good old aunt. "How is Laura, and
how are you getting on in the world2
could give but a melancholy answer to these
questions, for had to work hard and the law
was dry study. Besides, many people looked
coldly on me afier they knew L was poorer than
had been; and even Laura herself was not so
frank and kind Vague jealousies were spring
lngup In my heart for every smile she bestowed
elsewhere, and these smiles were not few. was
Milly, adding, a. If Laura does not love me
don I care what becomes OF me-
Aunt Mill smiled and then looked grave
:" My dear Godfrey, if Laura married to-mor-
row you would recover in time
No, never! To lose the girl love Is to
lose everything in the world "
1t may be you do not know what real love
is, my dear nephew. The strength aud dura-
tion of mans character depend chiefly upon
the character and dispositi n Of the woman he
loves. For you Laura. But we shall see.
Once more, have good courage; work hard at
your profession, and grieve as little about
Laura as you can. If she ever did love you,
she does so still, and will as long as you keep
constant to her, otherwise she is not worth the
winning.
l did not agree with Aunt Milly's theory;
but sald no more; my heart was too sore
She took me over the house and grounds; both
looked cheerful under the influence of the soft
spring; and then she told me how kind Mr..
ElphinstOne was, and how he had been gr ldu-
ally weaned from his solitary life to take plea
sure in The society Of his daughters
And hope he is grateful TO you who have
made it at all endurable?" | said.
Aunt Miliy smiled. YES believe he is