The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-02-02

all the household, and the children were full
OF rapture at the prospect of Lady Thorn.
tons Christmas party. There was great
: excitement i'll the nursery about pretty new
dresses, wonderful fussing about ribbons
and muslins, and fripperies. Teece alone
: sat silent in her shabby frock. By and by
5 her hands were full, bowling up sashes sew
! ing on fuckers, stitching rosettes on shoes.
She was ninble little workwoman, and
they kept her busy. Seeing how well lap
full of bright ribbons became her, | thought
it pity she should not have gay dress as
well as the rest.
Nobody said ''Teecie, what will you
) wear p nor even ''Teecie, are not you in
vited too? p NO one seemed to expect for a
| moment that Teecie could wish to be merry
with the rest. How could she go, she who
was lame and no crutches?
1t happened that had an errand to the
nearest town it was rather late when, on
my return, | called at the best millinery es-
Enlistment i'll the place, and asked for a
parcel
Yes the parcel was ready. A large fat
box. Would Tue gentleman like to see the
} ladys pretty dress ?" The box was opesed,
and cloud Of some airy fabric shaken out
scribe it, but it was something white, very
) pure and transparent, with something else
of pink just blushing through it, 1t was
very tasteful, pronounced, trying to look
wise. There was only one fault: Did it not
seem rather long for little girl ?'' asked
remembering the figure it was to adorn,
with its short skirt just coming to the top
of the boots, 50 well worn and mended
/ 'Oh; said the milliner, with dignity, you
said the young lady was eighteen years of
age, and of course we have given her flow
ing skirt"
1t was late i'll the evening when reached
home Two merry carriage tulls were Just
departing from the door as | drove up A
few minutes afterwards | was in the nursery
with the milliners parcel in my hands =
There sat dear little Cinderella resting one
flushed cheek on her hand and contemplate
ing the litter of scraps of ribbon, fragments
of lace, scissors, flowers, and reels of cotton.
which lay scattered around her. She had
had toilsome tiresome day, and now they
had got all they wanted of her, and had left
her to her solitude
A flash Of pleasure sprang to her face
when she saw me. ooh thought you had
gone with the rest, !" she said
NO" said |, Il have not gone yet, but l
am going presently. came for you"
I ''For mel she echoed III dismay. You
know could not go. have no dress, even
if could walk"
"A friend has sent you DRESS" said,
and will undertake to provide the crutches
Nurse, will you please to take this box and
get Miss Teecie ready as quickly as posi-
bic. The Carriage is waiting for us at the
door,
Teecie flushed very red at first, and
thought she was going to burst out crying,
and then she turned pale and hooked fright
ened Nurse to whom had slipped mu-
niticent Christmas box, Immediately fell in
to raptures 81 the pretty dress
e ome Teecie, said, make all haste !"
And, trembling between dread and delight,
Teecie suffered herself to be carried off to
her toilette.
| BY the time | returned from an explor-
! ing expedition, with the wonderful silver
and tortoise shell crutches under my arm,
Teecie was ready.
Iee,ie was ready. Those three simple
little words mean so much that | feel
must stop and try to translate them into all
they are bound to convey. They do not
mean that ieecie the child whom | was
wont to call my little benefactress, my little
mother, had got on a nice new frock, and
was equipped for juvenile party like other
children. But they mean that there when
came back, stood q beautiful girl by the
nursery fire, in fair sweeping blush color
ed robe. When she turned her head,
saw that the sweet face framed in its child
like curls was the same, but still the old
Ieecie Ray was gone, and here was (peccaUj
Lady ihornton) lovely woman.
We were all three ludicrously amazed at
the sudden metamorphose that had taken
place Ieecie was toe simple not to show
that she felt the change in her self, felt it
keenly, with strange delight and a strange
shyness. Nurse had SO long been accustom-
ed to use her as child that she stood be-
wildered. AS for me, | was first frightened
at what had done, then enchanted, then
foolisllly awkward, and almost as shy as
Teecie herself.
When | presented the crutches, nurse
looked at me as though l must be some
prince in disguise, ont OF the Arabian Nights.
1t was with a curious feeling that | saw
Ieecie try them, not limping now rather
gliding over the nursery floor with the lit
tie 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 little
by the gleemlng silver slaves | don't know
why it was that | thought at that moment,
with certain rapture, of guinea in little
bon-bon box, that lay below in the one
shabby poftmanteau which had thought
proper to bring with Inc to Rutland Hall
Our equipage awaited US. 1t was too late
now to withdraw from what had under
TAKEN Teecie and were soou dashing
over the snowy roads to Lady Thornton s.
l will not attempt to describe the remainder
of that memorable evening, or the sensation
caused by our arrival the wonder and NOR
LITIGATION of my kind relations; or the min
gled pleasure and dispeasure Of the hostess,
: who, while delighted to see her little favor
lite, took occasion to whisper angrily in my
ear, ''and pray, sir, how is all this to end ~
4ile scene was all new and delightful to
Teecie but her dread of Mrs. Rutlands por-
tentous frown would not let her enjoy it
We both felt that 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 Ieecie and | drove
home as we had come. When we arrived
! we found Cousin George and his wife wait
ing for us i'll the library, armed to the teeth
) | saw it was to be war aud no quarter. Mrs
! Rutland took Teece into her clutches and
was left with George. | need not repeat al
that passed between us.
''Slr, he said, I'VE have suffered yourin
solent intrusion long enough You leav,
this house to morrow morning"
Cousin George, | said, don't put your
self in a passion / will 20 tomorrow
morning but upon one condition-that Zee
Gle Ray may come with me if she will"
i He looked at me perfectly aghast sd
a you know" he said, that she is pennies
' friendless orphan, whom | have sheltered
: through charity
3 3 Il want to make her my wife" sal
sternly, If, indeed. be SO fortunate as t
have won her affections"