Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-02-18
NUMBER 40.


lie sat down with On Increased respect for
the young girl, and looked at her With slight
degree Of interest. He had good opportunity
to contemplate her. She had Immediately re.
sumed her previous occupation which he had
interrupted, that of reading aloud from child's
book to the invalid boy. Her manner was
perfectly selfposscssed and lady .like-neither
look nor tone betraying the least dIfHdence or
even consciousness Of having listener.
How pale, and cold, and inanimate she
seemed but as he observed her closely, he be.
gan to suspect that what he had mistaken for
weak submission was rather excess Of pride.
lie saw too, with surprise, the extreme beauty
OF her form and features; he admired the fine.
ly.shaped head, half bent over the book, with
its dark abundant hair, and her voice low.
rich and sweet. He wondered finer eyes were
as beautiful as the rest OF her face; but she
gave him no opportunity to decide, for she
neither looked at nor spoke to him till Edith
appeared when to his courteous bow, which
Edith saw with a disduinful curl of the liz.
that he should have wasted upon Annic,) she
returned slight inclination Of the head.
Edith was brilliant performer upon the
piano, and seemed never to weary of playing
and sin.iDg for Mrs. Lathrop, who was enthu.
sastically fond Of music.
few mornings after this, when Edith had
finished playing, and Mrs Lathrop, had ex.
pressed in AeF- peculiar way her thanks md
qualification, the latter suddenly turned to
Annie, and Said
DO yon not play, alsoH"
Before Annie could reply, her step-mother
answered for her.
Annie commenced taking lessons when
| child, but We found she had not correct car :;
and as her father had horror of girls who
drum on the piano without producing music,
her lessons were discontinued. Edith, on the
contrary, early showed perfect passion for
music"
Mr.. Kirkwood eyed the young girl intcntly
and curlouSIy while Mrs. Rathburn was speak.
ing, but neither cheek flushed, nor eve flashed,
nor lip curlcd denial Of the statement.
What a mystery she was to him This
yeHtts; girl with, her reserve, her GOODNESS, her
command over tongue aud feature!
lie had been ear and eyewitness to Q cir.
cumstance the day previous, which would
have enabled him to cnlghten Mrs. Rathburn
upon this very subject, if he had been so dis.
posed.
lie had made an engagement in the morn.
ing to make some visits with the ladies', but in
consequence Of the reception Of some letters.
which required immediate answers, he was
prevented from fulfilling it. After assisting
the ladies into the carriage, he repaired to a
small room opcning by glass door from the
parlor for the purpose Of answering his cor
rcspondcncc He had been there but few
minutes when Annie entered the parlor, wheel
ing III little Willie. She looked out of the
window, then carefully closed the door into
the hall. With feeling OF annoyance he saw
her open the piano and sit down to il, for he
was in no mood to be disturbed By the dis
cordant sounds he expected would succeed,
and there was no egress except through the
parlor.
lie was, therefore, little prepared for tire
rich strains Of harmony that broke upon his
ear The touch, the taste, the execution was
perfect There was no bungling, no harsh
ness, nor diScord-all was smooth. easv. har.
mOnious.
vt first she played from momory, then some
OF Edlth's most difficult pieces, and lastly ran
over some new music he had himself the day
before presented to Edith, which she had de.
clared $50 difficult she feared she never should
be able to play it to suit him." with correct
ness and rapidity which aStonished him, know.
ing that she could not have seen it previously.
During this time she had once or twice risen
ana looked out OF the window as If she thought
she heard the carriage returning but finding
herself mistaken, resumed her seat
Her little auditor, for whose pleasure sho
was evidently playing, after every piece re-
newed his entreaties for one more. He now
urged for song on Evas harp. Annie hest.
tatcd but as he continued to plead, after an.
other glance from the window, she went TO
the corner where the instrument stood, uncov.
cred 1t, sat down, and after running her fin
gers over the strings, commenced a simple
German song. If her unknown auditor was
astonished before, his astonishment was not
lesSened now. The young girls voice natu-
raly rlch, sweet, and full, had evidently been
highly cultivated and she sang with taste and
feeling, playing with artistic skill. while lhe
pure accent Of the German words evinced al
extensive knowledge of the language.
Willie could not prevail upon his sister to
sing again, much to Mr.. Kirkwood's disap.
polntmcnt; and after she had covered tho
harp, both left the room, leaving Mr., Kirk.
wood filled with admiration and wonderment.
lie ana not know Of the one bright spot in
Annle'S Iife--the three years cleaning up like
flash Of sunlight amid the darkness that
preceded and followed, spent with her fathers
Sister IN distant city, where the young girl
iiad found all the love and care and apprccia.
ton denied her at home. Her nunt, surprised
at her ignorance Of all accomplishments. OH
her own responsibility afforded her every I'D.
vantage for Improvement Her talent for mu
Sic was discovered, and the best masters oh
tanned, and IN which study her improvement
was remarkable. But death called awav An.
MES one friend. and she returned home. sor-
rowing deeply for her whom she had SO MANY
| reasons to mourn.
That Annie felt no disposition to tisplav
the accomplishments in which she could not
but be conscious she far exceled Edith. and
which, therefore, would but increase her an.
noyances and unhappiness, may be inferred.
1t was only in the quiet Of her own room.
that she pursued her studies, while her prac.
tice OF music was necessarily irregular. being
confined to those periods when the family
were absent
MIR. Kirkwood saw Annie the next evening"
under more advantageous circumstances than
ne had yet seen her. 1t was ct large party.
She was dressed with exquisite taste, and her
dark hair was worn in broad braids. arranged
with the most artistic grace. He thought hey
in her calm proud beauty, far the most ele.
CANT girl present. He was not alone In biz
admiration. Although she declined dancing.
she received marked attention from several Of
the most prominent gentlemen present.
mrs. Kathburn saw, with cha9rin and disaD-
Pointment, that, while Ler brilliant Edith num-
oered IN her large crowd Of sdmirsFs the vain.
swallow, the tri6ing, the bEainIsss fashionists,
those who surrounded the disliked Annie, if
less IN number, wers men Of mask, whose 10
t'ce s any girl would b. proud Of Obtainisg.
shA Enu W