Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-28

"Thank you, sister, for sending her away.
could not have borne to see so ladylike a
creature wait upcn me. Itscemed clOwnish
/ in me to sit for moment while she was stand
ing. In good sooth, II had SO fair a maid
should be democratic enough TO ask her to
eat with me-
aAnd thus wound her selfrespect. No,
brother, she has chosen for some good reason
! her menial lot and can see would prefer 10
be so regarded. An can do, till can fur
ther win her confidence, is to make her du-
ties as little CALLING as possible. But come,
sip some of her delicious tea. Il will give
you inspiration to compliment Miss Odell to-
night"
Miss 0dell 20 tO--Francep said the
young man, hastily. "a painted doll
good for balls and parties, but no filter for
life in its realities, than Nell's waxen baby p
"Hes beginning to laugh the other side
of his mouth, isn't he, mammal exclaimed
the little girl. al knew he'd love Ellen
best
Herbert blushed, and Mrs. Summers adroit-
ly changed the conversation. The house
maid was not alluded TO again till an hour
after tea had passed, when George, the eldest
Of the family, bright but somewhat capri
cious boy Of twelve, rushing into the sitting
room, exclaiming eagerly:
Mayn't Ellen stay in tonight mamma,
and 60 out tomorrow evening
Certainly, If she chooses, my son.
But she don't choose, and that's the
trouble. want her to stay, and she says she
can't because her mother will be so anxious
about her."
But why do you wish her 70 stay, GeOrge2
You certainly have no command of her or
her time. Pray, what do you want she
should dO2'
"Why, want her to show me how to do
those horrible hard sums way in the back
part Of the arithmetic, and want her to tell
me how 70 conjugate that awful irregular
French verb, aller--I wish it would allsr into
France where it belongs-and l want her to
hear my Latin and"
'Turn into a sehookma' am, after toiling as
maid all day. No, George, no. have been
very grateful to Ellen for the assistance she
has shown you in your studies, but cannot
allow her leisure hours to be so sorely inyad-
ed, ;" interrupted his mother, while her BROTH
er held up both hands in much amazement
for to tell the truth, since he had seen the
maid, he was prepared to believe everything
wonderful of her, and would not have been
surprised 10 hear that she knew as many
tongues as Burritt himself
"Yerily,' said he gsily, ''this passes ala
hOusemaid and hear your Latin lessons p
What else does she know?"
Everything" said George, earnestly.
''She can talk French better than monsieur,
and Ia belle Italian tonge-Oh how sweet it
is TO hear her read and sing i'll tell you,
Uncle Herbert, she knows the most of any
woman ever saw, and if you was knight
of olden times, you d do battle for her beauty
and rescue her from the slavery of that old
despot, poverty" and the boys eyes flashed
and he drew himself proudly up, as though
he would have grown man that moment
and shown his prowess."
"Bravo, Georgel' exclaimed his uncle
She needs no more valiant knight than her
youthful page promises to be. Should your
right arm ever be wounded in the defence of |
your queen beauty, advise me of ii, and I'll |
rush 10 the rescue The words were lightly |
spoken, but there was a meaning deeper sad |
more divine involved in them than the !
speaker would have then cared to own even |
to himself
The boy went to his lonely lessons, the |
front door closed on Ellen, little Nell was
snug in the snowy couch whittier the maid |
had borne her with kisses and music tones, !
and then Mr. and Mrs. Summers and the |
brother went forth to the brilliant ballroom. !
But with all its light, splendor and gaiety, it |
had no destinations for Uncle Herbert His |
thoughts were with that beautiful girl who |
had come so like an nangel to the household OF |
his sister, and gaining his couch, threw him
self upon it it was only to dream of tourna-
ments and visored knights and queens of |
beauty, and the lovcliest of them all, and the
one that ever crowned his brow with the un-
fading laurel, wore the same peerless face as
did Ellen, the housemaid.