The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-25

Did It not aee rather long 1or little girl ~
asked, remembering the figure 1t was to
adoTn With ifs abort skirt inst CoFning to the
top Of the boots, soswell worn and mended.
said the Milnsr Nth sn.
Of age. and OF course We have given hern flow
It was late in the evening when reachea
home. Two merry carriage-fulls were just de-
/ parting from the door as drove mp. few
minutes afterwards was in the nursery with
the milliner's' parcel in my hands. There sat
dear little Cinderella, resting one flushed check
on her hand, and contemplating the litter OF
scraps Of ribbon, fragments OF lace, SCISSORS,
flowers, and reels Of cotton, which lay scattered
around her. She had had a toilsome, tiresome
day, and now they had got all they wanted OF
her, and had left her to her solitude.
A fash of pleasure sprang to her face when
she saw me. Oh thought you had gone
mo" said I, "I have not gone yet, but
am going presently. came for you"
"For me - she echoed in dismay +" ION
know I could not 60. have no dress, even II
/ could walk. - .......
ga friend has sent you dress, said,
"and will undertake to provide the crntcnes les;
Nurse, will you please to take this box, ana
get Miss Teecie ready as quickly as possible
The carriage is waiting for MS ut the door,
"Teecie flushed very red ut nrst, ana i
thought she was going to burst OUT crylng'
and then she turned pale, and looked fright
ened. Nurse, to whom had slipped mu-
nifcent Christmas box, Immediately 1eh li'o
e Cn,ne Teece. $, said, ssmalse haste!''
And trembling between dread and delight,
Teecie suffered herself to be carried OH 10 her
NV the time returned from an exploring ex-
| nedition with the wonderful slIver-and-
| tortoise she'll crutches under my arm, Ieecle
Teecie was ready. Those three simple little
| words mean so much that feel must stop
bound to convey. They do not mean that
Teecie, the child whom I was won't to
call my little benefactress, my little mother.
had got on nice new frock, and was equipped
for a Juvenile party like other children. But
| they mean that there, when came back. stood
a beautiful girl by the nursery fire, in Il fair
! sweeping blush-cOlored robe. When she
turned her head, I saw that the sweet face,
framed in its child like curls, was the same,
but still the old Teecie Ray was gone, and here
was (peccavi Lady Thorn ton y a lovely wo-
man.
We were all three ludicrOusly amazed at the
sudden metamophose that had taken place.
Teecie was too simple not to show that she
felt the change in herself, felt 1t keenly, With
strange delight and Il strange shyness. Nurse
had so long been accustomed to use her as a
child that she stood bewildered. AS for me, 1
enchanted, then foolishly awkward, and
almost as shy as Teecie herself.
When presented the crutches, nurse looked
at me as though must be some prince in dis
guise, out of the Arabian Nights It was
with curious feeling that saw Teecie try
| them, not limping now, rather gliding over
the nursery floor with the little velvet
cushions hidden away amidst clouds of lace
and muslin under her round white shoulders,
and the airy masses of the fresh tinted gown
just crushed back a little by the cleaning sill
yer slaves don't know why it was that I
thought at that moment, with certain rap
ture, of a guinea in little bOn-bOn box, that
lay below in the one shabby portmanteau
which had thought proper to bring with me
to Rutland Hall
Our equpage awaited u.s. It was too late
now to withdraw from what had under
taken. Teecie and We're soon dashing over
the snowy roads to Lady ThOrnton's. will
not attempt to describe the remainder of tina
memorable evening, or the sensation caused
by our arrival the wonder and modification
of my kind relations; or the mingled pleasure |
and displeasure Of the hostess, who, while de- |
lighted to see her little favorte, took occasion |
to whisper angrily in my ear, '' And pray, Sir |
how is all this TO end?''
The scene was all new and delightful 10
Teecie, but her dread of Mrs. Rutland's por- |
tentOuS frOWn would not let her enjoy it. We |
both felt that a storm would burst over our |
heads that night, and we were not wrong. |
None of the family from Rutland Hall took |
the least notice of us. When the time came |
for going home, they went Off in their two |
carriages, and Teecie and drove home as we !
had come. When we arrived, we found |
Cousin George and his wife waiting for us in |
the library, armed to the teeth | saw it was |
to be war and no quarter Mrs. Rutland took |
Teecie into her clutches, and carried her Off, |
and was left with George. I need not re-
peat all that passed between us.
''Sr, !" he said, eve have suffered yOur in
solent intrusion long enough. You leave this
house tomorrow morning.
'.Cousin George, - said, "don't put your
self in a passion. I will go tomorrow morn
ing, but upon one condition-that Teecie Ray
may come with me, if she will
He looked at me perfectly aghast. ''Do you
know he said, 50 that she is q penniless,
friendless orphan, whom 1 have sheltered |
through charity?"
~ want to make her my wife, ~ said,
sternly, "if indeed, be so fortunate as to
10 q
''And after that, he said, with sheer,
"how do you propose to live? Upon air, or
your friends 20
Not upon you. George Rutland, - said,
looking him steadily in the eyes: Mark me,
have tried you out. have sifted You, all in |
this house, like handful of wheat. I found
lies on my palm. / will keep it and treasure
it, if may. God grant may!'
Very fine, " said George, ''cery fine. Re
member, however, that from this moment
wash my hands of you both you, Guy Rut-
land, and her, Teecie Ray
''Amen - l said, and babe him good night
and turned on my heel and left him.
Early the next morning l knocked at the
nursery door, and begged of Nurse to awake
Miss Teecie, and ask her to speak with me in
the garden then went opt to wait for her.
1twas Christmas morning. the day of peace and
good will. What felt was scarcely peace as
looked over the calm landscape And yet
bore no i'll will to any man or woman.
Teecie came to me by and by just the same
old Teecie, lmping over the frosty path in her
short shabby frock, and looking half ashamed
Of her grand new crutches. / felt relieved
when saw her So: was shy of the dainty
lady whom l had called into existence the
night before And yet when looked more
closely, knew that this was not quite the old
Teecie, and that the very same Teecie of a
day ago never, never, could come back Some
thing was altered. Whether the change was
in her or me, or in both of us, did not in
quire. The change was not an unpleasant
one.
We strolled out of the garden, and into the
lane, and we talked earnestly all the way
On our way back said:
"And you're not afraid Of starving with
me, Teecie? You'll take the risk 20
One OF her old mods was Teecie's answer.
$50 and fetch your hat, then,'' said l, land
we won't even wait for breakfast. Dom bring
else with you, not a shred. / have
still some halfpence left-outl of the guinea,
you know-and We get all we want
Teecie fetched her hat and returned, and we
set Off together. An hour afterwards we were
man and wife. We said our prayers side by
S ha oh han,