The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-04-28
THE CHETWTNDES.
IN TWO PARrs-PARr

People cannot get used to shnning all
at once. When the Chetwyndes wero
ruined, their moral opidermis, thickenod
by long habits of luxury, might be said
to be hayed off them, while they we're
left to shiver with bare nerves under the
unaccustomed blasts Of poverty. But
they bore the miserable process with a
certain degree of high-bred stoicism.-
No one ever heard Mr.. Chotwynde rail
against anybody for having led him into
his miserable speculations, and no one
ever saw the women Of the family shed
tear because they were deposed from
their high estate, as country people, and
driven to an obscure refuge, among the
crowds of London, where the vicissi-
tudes of their fortune would beunknown
and unpitied
Mr.. Chetwyndc was a man Of excellent
intentions. His fathers extravaganza
had eaten the heart out of the Harring-
by property and the flesh off its bones
long since, and the son had inherited
nothing but the meagre skeleton. When
he took possession of it he was encum-
bered with a wife and an immense fami-
ly, and improvident tastes, which they
shared. He had married a beautiful
young woman whom Sir Jasper Garg-
hill had brought up as his own daugh-
ter, though popular rumor said she was
the illogitimate child Of his eldest broth
er She was fine, high-spirited woman,
proud Of her children, impatient of her
/ N OrrOrU oirour,gfo noog ,,J -.-.,tc,1 90
her own position. People in general
did not much like her; they charged her
with ingratitude to Sir Jasper, whom
she would never pretend to love, though
she owed him everything she had and
was; also they charged her with having
encouraged her husband in those wild
speculations that had proved their ruin;
but along with their blame they also
Ivouohsafed her their pity.
just before Nurse Bradshaw left Har-
ringby to 60 up to town on her sorrow
full errand of preparing a place for the
reception of her ruined master aud his
family, Mrs. Chetwynde took her aside,
and said:
"Nurse, if there should be a pleasant
room in the house you fix on, let the
girls have it, poor darlingsl They will
feel the change the most Of all Of usl"
Mr.. Chetwynde had been in London
the week before, and had seen several
houses; but they all wore to him such
an air of pretentious gentility, that he
shirked the necessity of coming to a de-
cision, and, on the plea of not knowing
which of them was in the healthiest
neighborhood, he loft the casting vote
to Nurse Bradshaw, who was q London
er born and bred, and might be better
informed. She took ten-roomed villa
and arranged the larger Of the second
floor back bedrooms as q boudoir foI
the young ladies, decorating it with their
water-eolor sketches, books, favorite
chairs and little knick- k-knackeries, to
make it appear as much as possible like
their lost home,
The reason why she chose the second
floor back bedroom was three-fold. In
the first place, it was out of echo of the
roar and rattle on the road; in the Sec
ond, it looked over an expanse Of small
gardens, where, it being now summer,
the trees were bushy and green, aud the
flowers gay; and, in the last, it possess
ed a fine, old yellow-vcined marble
chimney piece, which might have come
out Of some great house fallen into de-
cay; a chimney-piece with carved olus-
ters of grapes and leaves, and two yawn-
ing heads, with serpent-wreathed hair,
supporting the narrow ledge.
1t was a grotesque piece of workman
ship, and must have cost large sum Of
money once upon time Immediately
on entering the room it caught my eve
as out Of place with the common sash
window and uncorniced ceiling; but
when Nurse Bradshaw had set upon il
Miss Olivia's engraved Prague vases
with some ivy-tendrils and early redden-
ed leaves Of the Virginia creeper hang.
ing from the center one; when she had
spread the little Persian carpet on the
hearth, drawn up the chairs, strewn
books and folios on the table, kindled a
fire, and lighted the lamp, it was found
to harmonic with them very pleasantly
The whole family arrived together
Mr.. and Mrs, Chetwynde, Olivia, Clara
! Fred Charley, and tho four little ones
Nurse Bradshaw met them at the door
and was cheered to see her mistres,
walk in, head erect, countenance clear
and step firm as ever. Mr.. ChetwyndC
looked hurriod, and tho children eager
and curious; but after a minute or so,
hatuess fell upon them. It was mol
worth while to act a laborious part
They were all friends together. The
change was tremendous, and there wa,
no need to conceal from each other thai
they were sensible of it. They looked
in at the open dining-room door, and
then went slowly upstairs, tired and de.
pressed; but unoomplaining. Nobody
said the steps were steep, or tho rooms
| like closets, after stately old Harringby
although they all thought So Indeed
the only remark made was on the strong
bloom Of the red geranium which Nurse
Bradshaw had set in one of tho draw.
ling-room windows
"Tea is in the young ladies sitting.
room Nurse said, as she followed her
mistress; "it is above all the racket, and
next whore they are to sleep. It does
not look so unlike home as might be OK
Ipocted, and 1 hope they'll take to il
kindly"
"I'm sure they will, Nurse; they have
good heart for our reverses, bless
u