The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-02-17

laying that little check to rest o. that
hand, so little also, AN attitude Of re-
Election, copied from her father,--shc
began to think painfully and anxious
ly What plans could she be laying
out in that wonderful little brain?
The stately lady remained stern and
sad to the last, only her cheek grow
thinner Fairy Alice regarded her
wistfully. I wonder was she yearning
to speak her mind, to pour out what
ever wisdom she had concocted during
those hours of reflection? But there
was something so resolved and even
desperate in the purpose of the stately
lady that her little heart sank when
she thought Of it. Even with her gen
tier father, to whom she had strayed
in and who had taken her sadly on his
knee, she felt this subject was not to
be entered upon. For when he had
kissed her, and kissed her again, end
her golden trosses were she'd all about
his shoulder and she had whispered
softly, Darling papa, we must not let
mamma go away; must we 2 she felt
his arm relax, and his knee move away,
and found herself put down gently on
the ground
Poor child he said, sadly, do ]
want to send her away? But you can
understand nothing of these things
Run up stairs, and stay with your
mamma; she is alone now Universal
Indebtedness, moral gloom, was over
all things in that house.
1t came at last to three final days,
even to the final day. There was still
: a gulf between Mr.. Bruce, the advo-
cate, and Mrs Bruce. Both were
coldly in1exible; there was on both
sides the same height, depth, breadth,
and thickness of pride; and the two
quantities had met and would not give
way. Some days before, indeed, dur
ing one of their meals, had he thrown
out some gentle words, scarcely
amounting to positive advance, but
still smoothing the road for an advance
These were frozen back upon him
promptly.
Both, indeed, secretly turned to-
wards that distant arbitrator, to bluff.
honest, business-like Commander Bell.
His plain sense would be invaluable
at this crisis; but with all his bluflness,
he was sensitive, aud had met with
too open contumely to have forgotten
it. And 50 it had come to tho actual
vigil of Mrs. Bruces departure for
London; and these two proud spirits,
still aloof and defiant, were not to give
way. With the morning Mrs Bruce
would go forth coldly; and time and
distance, it is pretty well known, what
efficient aids to a decent indifference
they are
Mrs. Bruce was above, making
feint of diligent packing: Mr.. Bruce
was below, making more wretched
feint still of briefs and cases And
Fairy Alice, after futtering up and
down uneasily, prey to the most Bit
] ter uneasiness and anxieties, was now,
with her little face actually haggard,
sitting alone in the drawing-room on
low prize dieu chair which by pres
cription was considered her private
property. 1t was late in the evening";
lights had not been brought in, and
Fairy Alice was alone there with the
gloom. She had not cried like other
children; but she was weary with grief
and her little brain was sore and
stained with thinking Suddenly, with
a child's sigh, she thought she would
90 up stairs to her mamma's room, ut
which she had Intellectually knocked
several times On this visit she found
it Just open. She knocked softly; no
one answered; she entered as softly.
A dim light was burning on chair,
and at first she thought there was no
one in the room; but presently, beside
the chair, she saw AM open trunk, and
beside the open trunk, on her knees
was her mother, bent down very low,
looking at something in her hand, and
weeping. She was indeed tutoring
low meanings rather than weeping.
Much distressed, and at first almost
aghast, the impulse of Fairy Alice was
to rush forward; but the next moment
n sort of timorousness checked her, ~
for at all times ca,eless intrusion into
the sanctuary of the old lady was
checked, and at such moment Of un-
restrained feeling it would be bitterly
resented, and yet little Fairy Alice
I fingered, irresolute whether to stay or
turn back Just at this moment the
cold lady turned toward the light,
looking very earnestly at that picture
in her hand, and Fairy Alice then saw
the light CLINT on its rich gold frame,
and instantly recognised its magnid
cence. 1t was small colored photo
graph of her father.