The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-08-29
Miss CiceIy's Portrait.
A STORY OF ENGLISH COUNTRY LIFE.

r. OF the house and if you were ever so 10y
hearted, the sight of her bright face, as sh
" danced round the lawn, or tripped down tn
4 passage, was as good cure as a sorrowing maj
a could desire-better, a deal, than can be foun,
!. at the bottom of the tankard l declare Their
Was music in her merry laugh, fine music as ev
er was played; and little speech of hers mad
heavy work come very light. Every one wa
glad TO have her at knee, to hear her pretty tall
: and prattle and she had such coaxing ways
there was no refusing her anything. She would
come to me with, dear Mr.. Dipchulch," Il wal
under steward, then, and had charge of thu
bread room j Dear, good Mr. Dipchurch,
want very, very big loaf for the woman at the
gate" And though Squire would not have
been overpleased, as he said it encouraged
rogues and trampers, (Which 1 believe it did,
yet could not resist her little ways, and she
would 60 off with her large loaf in her arms
down the avenue. She had such delight in the
doing of good works, that she might have been
a little sister of charity, and believe most Of
the pocket money Squire took delight in giving
her, she gave away to the poor people about,al.
ways getting some one to take her out. 1t was
pretty sight 10 see her going on these walks,
in her straw hat and blue cloak, her basket on
her arm, and the pet dog following on behind.
Pincher was the name of the dog-a sheep faced
blinking, yellow-haired, long-backed crea-
ture, who was good for nothing but lying in the
sun all day, and eating at all times. No one
cared particularly fol him, and he would have
been sent away long since (shaming the house
as he did) but that he was Miss Cicely's dog
One day he came painting up the avenue with
his tongue out and his tore-paw broken by a
stone flying from some cruel boys of the village
who had been hunting him. At the door, he
fell over on his side and lay there quite spent
and exhausted. 1t was Miss Cicely who ,chanc-
ing to come out upon the steps, took him up in
her arms, cried over him, and tied up the bro
ken paw with her own little hands The Squire
was for having him shot at once, TO put the
poor brute out of pain, but Miss Cicely begged
so hard that they would only try-just try and
save his life that he was brought in and take n
all care of, and soon after was going about quite
sleek and fat. From that time out, he was
Miss Cicely's own dog, going with her every
where and very often have seen her as you
see her in that picture, sitting on the terrace
Dire ssing his yellow neck with flowers, making
frils for his sleeps face; he blinking his round
eyes, lazily, and letting her do much as she
| pleased with him. For she was a pleasant
child.
Some way. never could take much to her
cousin, Lady Alice and believe nobody about
the place ever did, fancy that same ladyship
to her name went good deal towards turning
her head, for she was always talking of her fam
ny anu Wudb SIedt lduy neT nolueI nau DPeN
one Donna Maria as she told US, which was
likely to be true enough, as her father was a
proud man, and said to have married prouder
woman over in Spain. He was all this time
away at the wals, fighting the French, and for
four or five years his daughter was left at the
Grange and brought up with Miss Cicely. 1t
used to make us laugh sometimes to see her lit
tie airs, and the way she would go up and down
| in her black lace, red rose fixed in the side of
nerh ns., Il, IL, H.. L
she told us the Spanish danes always did
This was droll enough but there were others
that came no doubt, of that Spanish blood which
VIC servants wero not long in finding out If
we were long in attending her when she call
ed or if she were crossed in getting what she
wanted, she would toss back her head and beat
her little hand with her fan, and stamp herfoot
looking so wicked all the time. The Squire
used to laugh at these fits, and, believe, en-
couraged them unknown TO himself, giving her
he way in everything; but the old folks would
shake their heads and prophesy that such Il
temper would never bring her good Miss
Cicely, curious enough, loved her very much,
doing anything TO please her and giving in to
all her peryeFSe ways, which the Lady Alice
took easily enough, If she was young queen
and such things were only her right. But what
l iancied least in her was the dislike she had
to the poor, hmping dog-wondering how any
H.
Often l have seen her exactly as in that pic
ture before you, standing behind and looking
down with a sort of contempt on Miss Cicely
and her dog Pincher Il is q mystery to me up
to this day how she ever came BY the odd no
tions she had. I suppose she took them from
her mothers country, where, I've heard they
are fullgrown women at sixteen years DID,
Once, indeed, when Miss Cicely was taken very
bad with some sickness Ga sickness that came
in har ! fn md he
child along with it, once, L say when she was
lying ill,and everybody going about with blank
faces and dead weight on their breasts think
Lady Alice took it to her heart. I saw her at
the end of the long gallery, when she thought
no one could see her crying bitterly.
| think she would have died sooner than let
any one see her cry, and l recollect she had
picked up an cid story out of some old history
book, about boy who had stolen fox under
his cloak, and let it eat his flesh rather than
cry out-which she said was a fine thing, n no.
BILE thing of the boy. Heathenish, thought it,
and what you might expect of unchristian peo-
pie But the way the poor dumb brute Pinch
er took on was enough to shame christian men
with souls. To see him-that we had aiken for
lazy, sleeping creature, with no thought but
his meas-moping and scratching, and turning
up his long face to everybody, whining dismally
in corners, and refusing his food, would have
y
repent having misjudged the animal.
There was much jubilee, you may be sure
when Miss Cicely got over that attack. Poor
Squire had nearly gone distracted and in his
trouble, l believe, vowed to build church If
she got well. Whether this was SO or not, a
church was commenced Immediately, and there
it stands on the southern half of the estate some
five miles away. 1t might be year after that,
coming on to November-it was hard by No
nhnr for nx,fS II, T..
days of-that young Richard came down to the
Grange for the shooting. A fine. bold-spoken,
CHEEKY fellow, full of life and spirits with an off
| hand manner which took everybody that came
near him. He was full of dash and spirit, and
was bound for the French wars, then being
fought. So he came down and shot and ranged
over the fells, and every keeper and follower
about the place and Squire himself, thought
they never met with so fine fellow. AS l said
he was so ready and off-hand with the men and
indoors, as you may well guess, the two girls
thought there was nobody far or near to match
with Cousin Richard-only each liked him in
| way of her own.
| 1t was pleasant when the long evenings came
on, and the lamp lighted, and the fire we'll rak
ed up, and they were all sitting in this room
the Squire weary with his days hunting, and
| Richard having ridden maybe and from Arbour
Court, where he was fond Of visiting-it was
pleasdnV 10 Bee now ne "oulu uIa" up MS CHAIR
and set to work amusing himself with the two
little things. He would have them on each
side of HIM, and very often Miss Cicely his pet
upon his knee, and there she would laugh and
clatter, and ask questions the Whole evening.
1t was enough to make one laugh to see her
little airs, and the way she tried him with her
dignity looks, all to let him know what great
lady she was. Then she would dress herself in
all manner of queer Ways, and come in and
walk up and down the room, with her head
back, trying to attract Richards attention, of
which he would purposely take no heed, but
talk and laugh with the little creature on his
knee, telling her that he loved simplicity, and
to be simple and natural, until the other, hav-
ing fouted to no purpose, would be ready tc
sit down in the corner and cry. Not that she
would do such thing She would not give
him that satisfaction, but would sit and suk
the whole evening. Then he would speak TO