Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-01-16

By AMY RANDOLPH.


shawl closer around her frail figure, as she
dropped her needlework, cit is bitter cold
this morning!'
Amy obeyed silently-yet she could not
help noticing how nearly the little stock Of
fuel was exhausted, and remembering how
inadequate their slender purse was to the
thereof, and her heart sank a
little.
Only little, though for our Amy was not
one of the responding kind. No-she was a
sunshiny little creature, full of bright infec
tious hopefulness and somehow, in that
squald room, she seemed like fresh rose
poisoning in sandy desert She was very
pretty, with brown, tender eyes, just the shade
of the heavy braids of hair above--a small,
coral mouth, and cheeks delicately shaded,
like the deep incarnadne of the pomegranite
flower, and as she took up the newspaper, you
couldn't help noticing what q snowy, taper
little hand she had, with pink tipped fingers,
and dimples atevery joint.
Mammal she said, suddenly, "here's an
advertisement for governess!
"Well, what oft ?"
"Why, mamma" hesitated Amy, "you
know we are very, very Ioor, and-and l
SAo"iu Inv Soiy huch W e"ih A''siS
money"
Mrs. Ardenham had bowed her face on her
hands, and in an instant Amy was knee!ing
beside her.
"Mamu,a, darling, don't cry"
81 did not mean to be so foolish, love, but
it all came back to me at that moment--the
wealth and station we have lost--the poverty
to which We are reduced. Oh, Amy it is too
hard I"
"But think, mammal said Amy cheer.
fully, show delightful it will be for me to
make my school accomplishments help us
along in the world. May try for this stu
aiion, should like it so muchp'
eff you think it best, my child" acqui-
esed Mrs. Ardenham, resigned!y.
Then | must loose no time y said Amy,
as she began to arrange her hair, and adjust
the details of her simple toilette.
"EOw do look mamma ?" she laughed,
when at length she was ready to depart.
And Mrs. Ardenham's admiring, affectionate
glance brought the rose to her cheek as she
tripped away.
For she did look exquisitely pretty-the
coarse shawl took graceful curves about her
slender form, and the cheap straw hat, with
its plain black ribbon might have been fifty
dollar French chapeau and not been whit
more becoming
"Darling Amy" pondered the mother, as
her light footstep died away on the stair
"she is perfect little sunbeam in the dark
ness of my daily existence Her heart has
never ached W tn the bitter pangs of lfe's
sharpest trial."
But Mrs. Ardenham was mistaken; Amy
had tasted the bitter cup--nay, she had drank
it to the dregs
There was vein of poetic appreciation
somewhere in the tumble of fun and senti-
ment, coed humor and sarcasm that consti
tuted Frank Ashley, as he lay lazily on the
sofa, playing with two or three golden headed
children, who were toddling about the room
"I'll tel you what, Lizzie!' said he to his
sister, who sat embroidering. "you spoil these
young imps about as completely as any
mamma Of my acquaintance p
Gas if you didn't spoil 'em ten times
worse" retorted Mrs. Jay, laughing "Wher
| succeed in obtaining governess, perhap:
they will be put under some sort of Discipline
But really, Frank, have always wondered
that you were never married ~
''Indeeds WhyY'
"You would have made such nice domes
tic sort of husband-you are so fond O
home. know that that manuvering Mis-.
Roland laid desperate seige to the rocky
citadel of your heart, Blu: thought you d.
liked her,
"You were right--she was mdescr;bably
repellant tome"
"Then why"
"Why did | never marry anybody else p
Well, listen, Lizzie, and I'll tell you. l soa
once in love--with one of the sweetest giils
believe, that ever walked the earth. 1t wa
when l was in Washington--she too wa
spending the winter there. At first though
she encouraged my suit, but all at o ce sh
grew cold and distant. l determined at al
hazards to know my fate, for | felt how
wretched life would be without her. But tn
very evening that resolved to submit M
suit to her--we were both invited to part,
at Miss Roland's-I learned that she had lief
the city. Miss Roland told me-not in direc
words, of course, but as delicately as possibl
that it was TO avoid my continuous atten
TONS"
"And did you credit this?''
"Of course Miss Roland was one of he
most intimate friends / left Washingto,
the next day--and then and there ended al
of love that it will ever be my fate to know
AS he ceased speaking, servant came in
"Mrs. Jay, lady is below, who sa. s sh
has come to apply for the situation as COVER
ness. Shall show her up p
Mrs. Jay assented and the next momen
Amy Ardenham entered the room.
"You seer1 very young" said Mrs. jay.
liam eighteen, ma'am," said Amy, quietly
Frank Ashley, who had been reading tn
newspaper, glanced up at the tone of he
voice, and rose t, his feet. At the sam
instant Amy's eye met his-she grew dead.
pale.
"Amy !" he exclaimed" Miss Ardenham!'
But Amy had tainted.
An hour later, Frank Ashley was al
accepted loyer--and the young lady who ha'
promised to stake charge of him. was ou
little Amy
"Tell me about it, Frank" said his sister
when at length he returned from accompany
ing Amy to her humble tcnement--.a spo
which should soon cease to be "home."
Two have both teen the victims of misrep
resentation, Lizzie. Miss Roland assured
Amy that was engaged to her---what coult
Amy do but withdraw ?"
',Then she loved you all the time ~
$50 she says"
"And instead of my finding governcss
you obtain wife y laughed Mrs. Jay. 30
Frank I am very, very gladr'
AMERICAN JUTE This name has beer
given to fine fibre prepared by process.
patented by w. S. Cantelo, from the Hibiscus
MoscAeutos, or Swamp Rose Mallow. TIT
plant grows native on our salt marshes ani