New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-10-29
THE FACE AT THE WINDOW,


! away from the cheek in heavy and shining folds
had seen many more beautiful faces during M
winters in New York and Washington-my sum
mefs at Cape May, Newport, and Nahant and
besides, was expecting to meet at the hall a Ger
tam Southern belle and heiress, sster.in-law o
the friend who had invited me at his house. So
gave only passing glance to the pale stranger
and, dismounting, rang the bell A slave answered
Tue summons, and, conducting me into the library
went to call his master. In a few moments the
door opened, and the lady whom had seen at the
s MinaoW came IN with two curly.headed children
ellnging about her. She bade me rood morning in
voice sweet as the thrill of lute-strinr, and said
with some embarrassment:
. am sorry that Mr.. and Mrs. Cuthbert are both
| out rdiug.N
i "Ahl and so am J." was the answer: ~but
suppose they will not be long for though they did
not expect me to-day, | wrote them | should
| probably be here this week"
1 Then, You are Mr.. Yncent?s .m
| Richard Vincent, ut your service. and now in
4 troduce yonrself?n -
| Ill amn-she paused wound one of the
little girls ringets about her finger in her conln.
| sion, and began again, anl-once mora she hasi
| tated and resumed:
: have guessed it-you are the governessl,
She smiled, but the color mounted to her yerv
| temples, 'S''
blush becomes herpj '+"s
Al this moment we heard the tramp of horses,
feet, and saw Cuthbert and his beautiful wife dash
ing up the broad avenue leading to the mansion.
after
saw s her talking to my friends in the yerandah.
lheir 6rief conference over, my host and hostess
entered and gave me the cordial welcome which il
the characteristic of the South. When the greet.
and said
. Pray, where is Miss Dupont the charming
slster-in.law of whom you spoke? ~ He and his
wire exchanged significant gances, and | con.
tinued-" am all Impotence to see this paragon
don't keep me long in suspense n
VIII not--you will meet at dnnerta @."..
a., lhe hext moment the dressing bell rang and
Sne host led ne way to The guest chamber where
ne ielt me TO make my toilet IN those DAYS Il AZ
hot lnuilierent to my personal appearance. ana
WIN inc aid 81 an attentive slave arrave5 mpself
"a !. t1e mos1 elegant sqt my wardrobe afforded
wonder II shall suit the heiress ~ nnariad
mentally AZ took last survey In III mrror ani
descended TO the dining-hall. There Nam tha
taele, sat Cuthbertand his wife, the face HAD sean
AT the window, and not far from the governess a
young lady with fair complexion. n bloomine
cheek, the sunnest Of blue eyes, and n profnsin99
q golden hair. | was a connoisseur in ladies'
dress at that period, and took in at a glance III
costly india muslin robe, with its frs Of Mechin
lace, the splendor of her bracelets necklace and
ear-drops, and the exqnisitely wrought golden
COMP, winch looped up the rich tresses WIy was |
u that my lace wandered from her to the male
calm goyerness, with her bands of raven hair ana
her great eloquent eyes, and dress that fell abont
her like a Dunmist'
Blanche" said my host, allow me to present |
an old and valued friend-Richard Yincenttu
nd will
an inclination she intended to be like that Of i |
prlma donna TO an applauding crowd acknowl |
edged my bow.
(. Miss Marguerite" resumed Cuthbert, " this ID
ne guest we have been expecting!" She bowed /
WIN We grace q queen, and as respectfully nd
II she mad indeed been one, as said
we have had the pleasure Of meeting before
CHILDBIRTH eoioie'
AS 1 told you,n murmured the goyerness al |
went down to tell him you were absent. y
The ceremonies of dinner now began. and No a
seat had been assigned me beside Blanche 7 tr;ad
to play the agreeable but | often found M
thoughts wandering to the pale, silent girl onne.
site. When the meal was over and the ladies' ma
elt The room, we fingered Mt our wine
what do you think ofmy sister?n asked Cuth-
"She is very beautiful y replied.
And have you fallen in love at first SIGHT p,
II nave shall not tell you!n ! exclaimed.
,nd then we went on chatting in merry strain.
,arlor, found Mrs. Cuthbert and her sistar XII
he governess was walking to and fro on the FIJI
ace; apparently absorbed in thought. The nsna1
man tak ensued and at last, at my request, the
elress sat down at the piano and nlaved ar5 | !
ang with much skill. ] had observed n barn ~ | l
trings for me. ~ {
q cannot" she said "but Miss Marguerite can
will call her." And moving to the window st aha
imperiously: 'li' :
irs on the harp" f''' 7N'N1 I
The goyerness hesitated moment came in nj !;
ook 5 e. seat at The harp As she sat there / no.
ced Tor the first time the superb proportions of !
ef hngers, the graceful poise of her head an ma
lateiy neck; but forget those when she stnote
le chords Of the harp and began to sing. Was n
II ~ u nproYlsatrlce thought she must be- so II
III OF SOU was the music she poured forth aud Fl
men she concluded, | asked Mrs. Cuthbert Whose
it was. --o'e
!" Her own, she replied, g and she never knows Il
MAI she IS gong to sing when she co1nmences.p h
IL M F,tln
y sueTlte, put my eyes must have spoken vol Il
mes of approval. W.
That night when I retired to rest NV draams q
ere not haunted BY the heiress, but by the pale
Ierite the governess. - Dt'i
The next morning was awake atan early bonr o.
10 gianchg out saw Marguerite gliding across The Of
@n. hastened to join her. her cheek wora
n gov her dark, iustrous eyes were fun Of III
.hti her ilps tremulons with smiles her V.kifa
ron was full of snowy blossoms ana she had bl
canned spray OF Jessamine amid the blackness rs
hef halr How we began to talk scarcely 50
eWs Ply ~ never was So entertained by any wo
eratufe or art with which she was not fainiar Y
d Madame de Stael might have coveted her con.
rsaflonal powers. On the lawn we separated to
t when We met at breakfast in the presence o sa
Gnthberts and the supercilions heiress, saw
~ the old goYerness' look had come hack ia her
e. ana she was more reticent than ever. NJ bl
emo proposed a horseback excursion to bong til
ttAS itCi5hnbIHuou, ana when
'empled on the yefanda, IIoticed with the keen Of
cluded. ''au peeh th
rode, at the bridle.rein Of the fair blanche
% looked very pretty in the blue habit. and MI
I'LL hef VeiVet cap set coquettshly above her qol
tresses, but found it an effort to interest or
sen Ia her commonplace chitchat | felt q plt
lse OF relief when we dsmounted at the hall Z
as soon as | had led my partner in. bonded
the staircase. On the way to nv chamber
ssed an open door, and through it caught
mpse Of Marguerite. The two cbiI6ren ware en-
~ at their tasks, and she sat patiently correc s+e
sketch which one Of them had made, 1 ste
ftlolio lay beside her, which doubted nj waa
ed with her own drawings. She heard nv stem pa
looking up, saw me on the Threshold. ~
WHAT She exclaimed, shave you returned ~ ~
soonf did not expect you for an hour or be
q b, nope you have enjoyed yoursef.n i Hv
NO, have not. ! was really disappointed be-
Use you did not go'i Nit''e" w a.
! FAINT smile passed over her face. sn
- she muttered; you can't understand off. =
,tte, Il you suppose goYerness is to be made on
felt the blood rush to my brow, as replied Rs s
Ihere are many false notions in society. T an, mo
Mrs. Cuthbert's governess is the eauaI Of anv n,
, here, ana as such regard herr wi y;
Ter lace crlmsoned, and for a time there was No
nee, which broke by saying: hi hi
Is this the school room?h WI
Yes.'' pu
IL looks very cool and pleasant; may come soI
suDDose Mrs Cnthbnrt vyor15 ho..a