The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-10
MY OODMO'rHER'S STORY.
saea m TWO cHAPTEks.


WGfp6Id not 01le8ate 70 servanS nosr;n
49, ~ rSsns.rA or CON vonieace OF guests |
Nh ehe dsiightsd to honor Out sSsn =,
we RUew her ways, had never se1n ner -
rsssleasly bent upon any one xsc.,n~ th., fs"s
TSfS ensrnoon when she told me the story
~ SS.r =, tell. don't know that was
,,ars,o~lSrly worldly girl but certainly the
Rssn schooI seemed 70 me little out Of keeping
VfIn ssch eiaborste preparations; and when
~ Arflved, her appearance Impressed me as
-itt1ie . hsr position. Very slight ana iadea'
would b nothing but q weight and a chlii
durinx the remainder Of my visit, and when
sho yulAred for she two hours rest before oih-
nsf wnieh ny Godmoiner looked upon as a.
eenela1 AMER any railway journey, long or
shOfs, could not forbear asking her, WIN
sotae degree Of petuiance, what In the woslo
there cuuld BE- In Or about Miss Moore 10 ere
ate shs interest she had shown. II WAS men" ga,
and ~ reply - my questions. 'a' s"o '~ ~
the following story. ,u
When lost my poor dear husband nearly
oue.ahd.twsnsy years ago, ! chose ior my W.
daved home q pretty little cottage IN the
nsisSoorhood Of Eidersley. The country was
6NnttfuL aud the cottage seclnded-tWo great
reo.,wmsndAstOn - une At that time. i Ola
frsnhied with il there for the large pr0prie-
tors around would hardly discover whetner
my small abode was tenanted or not. Inc
Onty one of them who called upon me was Mr..
He he'd knOwn my husband in early days, and
seemed anxious " pay all friendly attenuont 10
h,s widow. had often heard my husband
speak Of Charles Moore ~ warm near ted ana
generous. but weak minded fellow. hardly
fnvw that ne ever said SO in SO many wos1s but
the impression 1 received was that he I'D RI.
Their liked than respected him. tai and
graceful there was yet something strnDgiy IT.
resotuse about every movement. The fore
head was white as ivory, but II sloped back
wards. and the full hazel eye met yours but
for moment and then glanced restless away
But he was pleasant, kind and much easier TO
ret on with at frs: than his daughter. who
was then girl Of about twenty. l took it for
graz ted that she must he like her mother, who
had died many years before, for she was singu-
larry unlike her father-tail and slight in fig
ure a. he was, but with a very contrasting air
Of decision in al she said or did Her father
seemed wrapped up in her. and liked the ten
derness of her manner to him. though 1t was
pro,sc ting rather than fliaI, like the manner
of an elder sister. More than once she broke
in upon an unfinished sentence Of his, decld-
Ing some question which he was discussing, or
giving a positive opinion where he was merely
suggesting and qualifying. Before they LETT,
they made me promise that would soon spend
q long day with them at Acton; and when their
carriage rolled away, found myself thinking
more abuu, them than I had ior some time
thought about any thing but my own sorrows.
When the appointed day for my visit came,
Miss Moore drove over for me by herself. L
was little sorry, expecting TO find converse
ti0n nag, and wishing for Mr.. Moore and his
placid eeneralities to fill up the time; but long
before we got to the end OF our drive, all sense
Of restraint was gone. MISS Moore seemed 10
enjoy the excitement of driving her pretty
spirited ponies and the bright sunshine and
rapid motion revived my spirits, too. liked
her frank protecting manner; liked to watch
the energy that perVaded ner whole frame, the
firm little hand that gathered in the reins. the
stoadfast eye, the ring OF the clear voice
Though coward in a carriage generally, felt
safe with her. As we neared the house, L saw
<h~e .Sf
she, "that's dear papas present hobby-the
new hall necessitated by the last hobby-the
new drawing room. The old hall was once too
large for the rest of the house, and he has
since cOntrived to make the rest of the house
too large for the hall. I'm sorry for it, for
papa Is not a rich man, and often fear he Is
hampering himself seriously" hatner STAR
tied by this unexpected frankness, made no
reply, and we drove on in silence till we
reached the emporary entrance, Where we
were met by Mr.. Moore and fashionable
looking young man, whom he introduced TO
me as Captain Cameron. / could not help re-
marking the change in Miss Moore's manner
Evidently Captain Cameron's visit was 10 her
an event Of no ordinary interest. when she
had taken off her bonnet for luncheon, she
hardly looked like the same person. 1t was
not only the improvement in appearance, for
the bonnet hid the small well-set head and
rich hair, but the difference in voice and man.
ner Ali abruptness and self possession were
gone, and her color came and went like tlmc
child's. His admiration was as evident as her
embarrassment, but Eel. the pleasure OF my
day was good deal spoiled; for even when,
after luncheon, the young officer rode away to
Etdersley, where he was quartercd, Miss
Moore continued silent and-absent and left me
to be entertained by her father who took me
to sec the improy ementS he was making, and
those ne had made in former years.
It seemed that before his time Acton had
been a rambling old house, without much pre-
tonce to architectural beauty but he had raised
the roof, throw out a wing, and was now con-
structing a noble hall. 1t struck me as we
walked through the grounds that he was
making the house too stately in proportion 10
their extent. which was not considerable, nor
had they much old timber to boast OF. Evil
IDENTIFY, a great many of the best trees had
been recently cut down The chief charm of
the place was the noble river, which swept
rapidly round the bank on which the house
stood. The gardens and green houses were
not In flrst-rate order, and Mr.. Moore rallied
his daughter good deal about the ill success
Of her administration, for it seemed she had
been replacing q head-gardener by some young
protege Of her own. "This naughty papa"
she said, turning to me, laughs at my eco
Monies, but know that great greedy hall OF
ed. 1.-The hall was essential, Margaret. We
had no good billiard.room; the elevation was
mean; the length of buiiding disproportioDed"
Painfully she put her little hand his
mouth. Eyes, yes; but this is the very last of
our building schemes. 1 suppose il will be
finished some day or other; then we'll shut up
the house, 60 to Switzerland, and get rich
waist and turned the subject
From this day l may, think, date my
friendship for Miss Moore. l was Won by her
frankness and energy; and she took 10 me, as
girls often will to women much older than
themselves, and all the more because she knew
I was lonely, and at that time poor. Her
pretty ponies very freq aentlyswere kept paw
Ing the gravel at my cottage gate, while she
ran in to assist upon carrying me off for a
drive, or failing, would remain for a chat
Very frequently, too, spent whole days at
Acton, where Mr.. Moore had always a cour-
te0us welcome for me indeed, both he and
MARGARET soon seemed TO look on me as Il conf
dental friend, though, by the way, Mr.. Moore
could never be called confiding. He had a sim
guiar way Of always keeping back what he
thought-wha. .e meant to do But he was
70 talk according 10 his own inclination. As
for his daughter, she had few reserves from
any one she loved; 30 l soon discovered the
skeleton In this seemingly pleasant home
Mr.. Moore was living beyond his income,
though 10 what extent she was unable to as
certain; but from his growing depression ard
reserve, she feared that he was becoming Sc
reused an irri,abiiity OF manner he had never
sheWn to her before, and this would be sue
ceeded by detection that she dreaded far
more. But Margaret had smother counter
balancing anxiety, though she never named 1t
TO me. Captain Gamer on was a freq uent yisi-
tor; THAT brought him SO often Was his un-
disguised admiration of her society TO be- taken
a. igns Of real feeling, or was he merely ,ri-
fling with her |! His manner perplexed me,
and, IL was plain 10 see, tortured Margaret
Sometimes he would ride over two three
times week, and seem 70 worship the very
ground she trod; then, again, days touid pass
without . call from him. aud when he came at
last he would seem cold and constrained. As
for her, IL was pite0ns " see her on those days
Of vain watching and waiting. But she would
struggle bravely, and was careful not To be-
tray that observed her changing color, or the
icy cjndness OF her poor little trembling hands.