Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-01-31
MIS- CELLAN N Y.
From Psisssoa's Magssius.
LETTING N THE NEW YEAR
BY yANsY q. RocuEsrna.

Il
~ yAxsr q. nocnEsfsa.
IL wss the last night Of the old year. and
Grace Dean and her mother were alone In
their eo,,Ass on the sds. Of woleott woods.
oucs Grace had been petted hsiress. bas
since the insolvency and death Of her father
she had made only too familiar sequain.
tsncesh,p with poverty. Little. indeed, d'd
the inhabitants Of Pineville suspect that the
pale. wesry.lookins seamstress, who had
come . stranger among them and rented the
wolcou Cottage. and Who depended cbisdJ
for her sabssteuee on The patronage OF Judge
wolcott's family. had once, In distant
city. moved among tho highest Of the lasd.
and been even the belle OF her set.
And on this night the hear, Of Grses sas
heavy Though .. Was ncsrly midnight, che
still piled her needle, and her tears Tell fast
a. she sewcd. She was thinking Of the fcs-
tive party up ., the hall. with u. lights and
flowers. and music and dancing; and 'be
pictured the por,ly old judge. once ier
friend. saily leading the rsrels; and snSb.
or. younger and bsndsomer than even The
judge had been in his be', days. Who Sso
va. ali-natcd from her. Mrs. Dean 'a,
,lumbsring in her char. occasionally wax.
ing to bsmoan their hard fate. that they lad
again 10 s,ck their fortunes In . strasss
place bot the mother knew nothing Of The
deeper sorrow Of the daughter, and Gaee
had vowed tha, she never should, tho'gh
her own hear, broke for 10.
Grace had been sewing at the Woleots'. .
when Mrs. woleou was seiisd with ns,s-
pant lever. The servNna bad eed in Dis
may. leaving only the in'nl'd's two ds'ch.
,ers TO take care OF her and thee Ssre
young. ignorant. aud necessarily inelhein..
In this emergency Grace had rendered her
services. All through Mrs. wOleot's bng
and dangerous illnus Grace nor-ed her
faithfully ami ,sndsrly. For many thy'
tho room was KEEP, darksned and qusi
Madgo and Fanny lowering uneasily ahui.
obcying Graes's suggestions with ih' do.
eiliiy Of children. while the jadse and bis
son. Richard. would steal In softly api sii
beside tho sufferer while Grace rested.
At length came the day. Of eon'ale.snce.
and now tho family gathered In Mr'. VOL.
eom'. room and wh'lcd away the bour'wi,b
reading and plca'an, couver-a,ion I aud
when che ~n stronger. there werc long.
pleasant evenings in the luxurious pirlor'.
when Madss played and Richard an| Fan
ny sang. and Grace sa, by Mrs. wdco,ts
eide. que, and happy. In those dS' oil
social distinctions seemed 10 be forj,iien.
and tho poor ssamsiress was treated ~ q
valued friend. Grace never could forge,
the evening when Mrs. wolcou r.tjoined
the family at the tea.tablc. Judg VOL.
colt carried her out into the dininsroorn.
while the rest followed. II Was A~urm.
pleasant evening. Tho windows wen open,
and ths .wec, edors and sounds OF simmer
came STEALING in. Mrs. Wole6,, mstioned
Grace TO q .as, beside her, saying, u have
bad Grace by mo % long should feel Lost
without her. They were all in hieh'piriu:
glad and grateful, aud happy that no dan.
ger had passed, and the beloved wife aud
mother was with them as Of old.
Grace eat aud listened ~ the cheeiful aow
OF words. bu, EEL, sransoly-she could not
eat. Richard, who sat opposite. n,iced IL
and said, Miss Dean looks like no invalid
herself A fain,ness came over Gnee, and
che tell insensible. When she sNoke to
consciousness again. she Was lying sn soia.
and the family were grouped around with
suIiou' faces. Madse Was ba,hinghsr head,
and Grace heard the physicians vice. cay
ing. I, is the fever che b. worn out with
her sIertions In your sick room madam,
aud will need the best Of care
Grace Was weak and helpless % child,
and Mr. wolcott carried her up stairs.
Then came blank. Sometimes she would
zee kind anxious fsces beside hef then oil
would be dark again. hut il passed q.
length. that terrible illness. and then IL was
% pleasant to be carried into the sitting.
room, thoss pleasant auiumu morning.,
while Mrs. woleott. who was now quite
restored. occupied her usual place. Madge
usually busted herself about her embroidery,
aud Richard citen read to them, while Fan.
ny fitted about like little hupmins-bird.
a. she was. When Grace grew stronger,
she often went out in the carriage with Mr..
Wolcott, and sometimes one or both Of the
ladies. When the danger Of infection Was
over. things fell more into their usual courss
Grace returning TO her mother in the cot'
tago. But che was, nevertheless, almost
constantly at the hall, where, though nom.
inaliy still the sOamstress, her position in
the household vas entirely changed. When.
ever tho family spent the evening at home
alone, she often joined them In the parlor,
and afterward . servant would be sent 70
attend her home. or the judge, or his son,
would walk down with her.
Ii drew near Christmas. Some guest'
bad arrived several days before, among
whom wa, Mrs. IAndsdowne Mrs. VOL
eo,,'s ,i.ter) aud her daughter Minnie, with
Maud RsdEsld, an old school friend Of The
Misses wolcott. Nothing could be more
unlike than the fair, violst.eyed Minnie
I,andsjowne. aud the dark. regal beauty oI
Maud Rsdfsld and Gncs fsls, from the
fr,t, - decided dislike to the latter a. she