Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-01-05

lurking behind, like the light through dar
kened window. She bowed looking suspi
cious and little stern, standing erect by tn,
door.
You do not know me, Madam ?" sale
Estella, her soft voice, with its pretty for
eign accent, trembling.
81 do not" answered Mrs. Malahide
coldly.
The girls eyes filed with tears. "And ]
am afraid shall not be welcome when you
do know me-" she said timidly. "I am Es
tella Everett"
Mrs. Malahide started 'Impudent for
ward presumptuous here in my very
house p she thought this, strongly agitated
and moved to the fireplace, to ring the bell.
Estella went nearer to her, and laid her
hand on her arm. do not send me away
without hearing me-" she said plaintively
for indeed have only come in kindness
and love-"
Her pure young voice touched the wo-
mans heart in spite of herself She dropped
the hand outstretched, and, pointing to a
chair, said, "What is it you have to say ?'
in voice still cold, yet with a shade less
sharpness in it.
" l have come to you, Madam" began Es-
tella, chat / might see some one who knew
my father, and some one that he loved and
belonged to. am very lonely, now that he
has gone with all of you disowning me; but
I thought that you, who had seen more sor-
row than the others. would have more SYM
pathy with me than they for sorrow brings
hearts very near And so, Aunt Grace, l
came to Brighton from Venice, on purpose to
see you and the children, that might make
you love and adopt me among you. And
now" she added, her full heart swelling with
its old hope of love, "you will not turn me
away from your heart You will not forbid
my cousins to love me If have injured
you by my birth--and, dear Aunt, it was not
my own fault will make up for it in the
best way l can, and prove to you my love for
my father by loving you. want some one
to be kind to me, and some one, Aunt, that
can be kind to aid love. am rich, and
want some near one to share my riches, and
not strangers; want one of my own blood,
one of my own kindred. I want you and
your children, Aunt Grace, and you will give
them to me !"
This simple, unworthy outpouring, softened
Mrs Malahide into almost smile--a smile
which, when just born around the corners of
her mouth, Estella caught like ray of light
Young and impulsive, she ran up to her
Aunt, and finging herself on her knees by
her side, putting her arms round her, said
"You are going to love me, Aunt Grace :?
Aud you will let me love you and the child
rem ?" holding her face up to be kissed.
She looked so lovely, with her beautiful
gray eyes which had their mothers depth,
and softness, and lustre-with her bright
brown hair braided off her low white brow
with her small red lips, like little rose-buds
parteo-her caressing ways, which had all
the grace and warmth of Italy-her voice so
so soft and mnscal-that the frozen Everett
soul was thawed in Mrs. Malahide, and the
iron bond of reserve which had so long unna-
turally held its prisoner, gave way. She laid
her hand on the girls shoulder, she looked
her frankly in the eyes. Tears came into her
own. She remembered the time when she
was young and impulsive-when love formed
her life too, and when loneliness and want of
love were death. She stopped down, half
unconsciously, and kissed the face upturning
to hers, murmuring, My poor desolate
child !"
Estella felt as if volume had been said
between lhcm--as if a life had been written
in one motherly caress. She cried for joy
she sobbed--she kissed her Aunt's cold hand,
called her darissima and carina, and poured
out food of gratitude and love, half in l.
Italian and half in bad English, sweeping a.
way all power Of resistance in the living force
of her own tenderness All was over. Lit
tie impusive as was any true born Everett,
there was that in Estclla which no one could
withstand--such depth, such gentlencss, such
fcrvour, such childish faith And although
she was by birth so highly Objectionable land
albeit she had been brought up abroad, and
was therefore only half an Euglishwoman, the
truth aud trust of her nature were stronger
than even Mrs Malahide's prejudices So,
giving way for once to her own instincts, she
folded the girl to her heart, and kissed her
again and blessed her.
Jessie HILBERT was delicate. She was Or
dered to the seaside and Brighton being
convenient on many accounts, Mrs. Hibber.
took her there, Notwithstanding the presence
of Mrs. Malahide, who was rather cut than
sought after by the family. So, she packed
up a earpet-bag full Of tracts and it being
Paul's vacation time, they all went down to-
gether--poor Jessie growing paler and paler
every day. Mrs. HILBERT had heard nothing
of Estella. The correspondence between her
and her sister was too slight and formal to
suffer them to enter into details and when
she arrived at Brighton with her daughter,
and saw tall, graceful, foreign-lookiug girl
among the Malahde girls, teaching one TIA
liam and another singing, showing the rules
of perspective to third, end explaining the
meaning of architecture to fourth, she nei-
Their asked her name nor dreamed of her con-
dition but treated her as the HILBERT
world in England does treat governesses-
with silence and contempt, passing her by as
something too low to demand the rights Of
courtesy. Estella, frightened at Mrs. Hib
bert's iron severity, prayed that her real
name might not be told--a prayer Mrs. NAL
abide was only too glad to comply with
Once, indeed, Mrs. HILBERT condescended to
say, You seem to have rather superior
J~;,,l oe ,.o1o,ao,o 4bo,o AZ, M.IaI:Jo - 9.