Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-04-14

offer his horse FOR her acceptance, an
the most natural thing d the world q
her husband was away IN California, on
j the poor thing was 20 loney anl nobod
to amuse her, and Atly MAS obliged {
stay at home and 4aEa care of her child
that Fred should accsmpany her, espee
! tally as the horse was retiyo and wiz
at times, and needed 4 iiitle attention
and obtyed her matters voice betfel
than another; and as Fied felt ForrJ
I for the pretty. lonely, engaging lady, be
didn't ike 10 trust ang else to look
after her safety; aoi for some reason
he didn't op to explain very clearly
what it vast appeared quite necessary
he should always pccompany her.
These rides were frequtnt and varied
sometimes prolonged Indefinitely. In
the course OF them they discovered that
they had many 10 commob b-enthu,iastie
love natural scenery. Mrs Castle sketch
ed exquisi!ely, drew Ik4nesses admira'
bly,; everybody said, and almost every
body could guess for wtbm they were
taken. Fred had to sit for hs-that was
for Mrs. Castle copy was made for
Kitty; she was delighted, and invited
Mrs. Castle to come to the house urged
her to come often. Mrs. Castle admired
her boy, kissed him rapturously over and
over, won Kitty's heart by pronouneing
him an angel of beauty and the perfect
image Of his father. She made Kitty
sit for sketch of herself and baby, and
called it Madonna.
Kitty, in goodness and simplicity oi
her heart, saw nothing, only that il seem
ed to make Fred happier at home to have
Mrs. Castle sing for them, and he would
spend every evening there if she were
with them; and so Kitty invited her to
come aud sing for them, and Fred waited
upon her home quite diligently ; and
they always walked very slowly (per-
haps Mrs. Castle was too delicate to bear
the exercise Of fast walking-for it
always took Fred long time TO see her
home), and the time seemed to be pass
ing away pleasantly to them ell. airs
Castle complained Of Tie solitary h0lr.
she spent and Kitty piled her very
much, and begged her quite as favor
to spend as much time as possible with
them, and amuse Fred while she wa.
obliged to attend to her house and child
Mrs Castle listened and apparently
sympathized so sincerely in all her Hide
fears and anxieties about the child-il
was delightful to Kitty. She, Mrs. Cas-
tie, had lost one dear little angel with
croup--that fell destroyer that comes so
insidiously and snatcbes away the most
precious treasures.
Tears rolled down Kitty's cheeks as
she listened to the recital Of her bereave.
ment, and she clasped her own darling
closer to her heart, and Mrs. Castle was
sacred in her eyes from having known
the joys of maternity aud the great grief
of such parting.
The deepest expression Of sorrow she
had ever been heard to utter at the loss
of her moiher'wa after the birth of her
child:
"If my mother could only have lived
to see him."
SO Mrs. Castle came every day and
admired Kity's child, and Kit!y's hus-
band in return admiring Mrs. Castle ;
so did Kitty in a feebler fashion, and it
turned out a mutual admiration affair.
When the lovely sumner evenings
came, and Kitty watched her husband
and Mrs. Castle as they rode away to.
oether. she often wished that she could
accompany them, and when the prolong-
ed twilight disappeared into darkness
and the moon rose up and cast dark shad-
ows over the fair scene, it seemed as il
these shadows deepened and heightened
until they stretched over Kitty bersef,
for occasionally a heavily drawn sigh
ESCAPED her; she thought the time long
until they returned. She moved rest
lsssly about, leaned on the little gate
and gazed wislfully down the road TO
catch the first sight of their return.
She saw over the way Thomas Mans
by, the carpenter, and his wife and child,
sitting in their doorway, or sometimes lie
drew the child in a little basket carriage
about the garden, and the proud mother
walked beside them looking so contented
that Kitty half euvied them, she scarce
knew why, only it was so dull to be
always alore-but reproached herself the
next moment for ingratitude when she
looked at Der own lovely boy. "FOr
nj oreruihinp To make me rer-