The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-08
lutely getting his hat clear off his head

| 'Good day to you, sir"
~ am glad you have fine sky again,
to look at"
"Thank you, sir. 1t is kind of you."
"You are an invalid, fear.'
"NO, sir, have very good health"
"But are you not always lying down."
so yes, am always lying down, be-
cause cannot sit up. But / am not an
invalid"
The laughing eyes seemed highly to
enjoy his great mistake.
"Would you mind taking the trouble
to come in, siri There is q beautiful
view from this window. And you
could see that was not at all ill-be-
ing 80 good as to care"
1t was said to help him as he stood
irresolute, but evidently desiring to en-
ter, with his diffident hand on the latch
of the garden gate. 1t did help him,
and he went in. .... ....
The room up stairs was very clean,
white room, with low roof. Its only
inmate lay on couch that brought her
face to level with the window. The
couch was white too; and her simple
dress or wrapper being light blue, like the
band around her hair, she had an ethe-
real look, and fanciful appearance of
| living among clouds. He felt that she
instinctiyely perceived him to be by
habit downcast, taciturn man; 1t was
another help to him to have established
that understanding so easily, and get 1t
over.
There was an awkward constraint
upon him, nevertheless, as he touched
her hand, and took chair at the side
of her couch.
'I see now," he began, not at all flu
emily, chow you occupy your hands.
Only seeing you from the path outside,
l thought you were playing upon
something" She was engaged
in very nimbly and dexterously
making lace. A lace-pillow lay upon
her breast; and the quick movements
and changes of her hands upon ii as she
worked, had given them the action he
had misinterpreted.
'sThat is curious" she answered, with
bright smile. "For l often fancy,
myself, that play tunes while l am ut
work"
"Have you any musical knowledgep
She shook her head.
Il think 1 could pick out tunes, if !
had any instrument, which could be
made rs handy to me as my lace-pillow::
But dare say l deceive myself. AT all
events, shall never know"
"You have musical voice. Excuse
me; have heard you sing
"With the childreni' she answered,
slightly coloring. 80 yes. l sing with
the dear children, if it can be call ed
singing"
Barbox Brothers glanced at the two
small forms in the room, and hazarded
the speculation that she was fond OF
children, and that she was learned IN
new systems of teaching them! VERY
fond of them," she said, shaking her
head again; ''but I know nothing of
teaching, beyond the interest | have in
it, and the pleasure it gives me when
they learn. Perhaps your overhearin!g
my little scholars sing some OF their
lessons, has led you so far astray as TO
think me o grand teacherf Ah! !
thought so! No, l have only read and
been told about that system. 1t seemed
so pretty and pleasant, and to treat
them so like the merry Robins they are,
that took up with it in my little way.
You don't need to be told what very
little way mine is, sir" she added,
with glance at the small forms and
round the room.
All Tho limo Lor h~-ds r"ro busy Ht
her lace-pillow. As they still contin-
ned so and there was kind of substi-
tute for conversation in the click and
play of its pegs, Barbox Brothers took
the opportunity of observing her. lie
guessed her to be thirty. The charm OF
her transparent face and large bright
brown eyes, was, not that they We're
passively resigned, but that they were
actively and thoroughly cheerful. Even
her busy hands, which of their own
thinness alone might have bcsought
compassion, piled their task with gay
courage that made mere compassion an
unjustifiable assumption OF superiority,
and an imper tinence.
He saw her eyes in the act OF rising
towards his, and he directed his towards
the prospect, saying: Beautiful in
deed :"
"Most beautiful, sir. have some
times had fancy that would like to
sit up, for once, only to see how it looks
to an erect head. But what foolish
idea that would be to encourage. 1t
cannot look more beautiful to any one
than it does to me-"
Her eyes were turned to it as she
spoke, with most delighted admiration
and endowment. There was not q trace
in it of any sense of deprivation.
"And those threads of railway, with
their puffs ofsmoke and steam changing
places so fast, make it so lively for me-"
She went on. 81 think of the number
of people who can 60 where they wish,
on their business or their pleasure: re-
member that the puffs make signs to me
that they are actually going while l
look; and that enlivens the prospect
with abundance of company, If l want
company. There is the great Junction,
too. 1 don't see it under the foot of
the hill, but can very often hear it,
and always know it is there. 1t seems
to Join me, in a way, to don't know
how many places and things that l
shall never see."
With an abashed kind of idea that it
might have already Joined himself to
something he had never seen, he said
constrainedly: Ho &C.. -.I
Just 80"
"And so you see, sir,"pursued Phgbe,
II am not the invalid you thought me
and am very we'll off indeed" =.
"You bave happy disposition" said
Barhox Rrnthers; poIhaPo with
slight excusatory touch for his own
disposition.
"Ah! But you should know my faith
er," she replied. "His is the happy dis
position! Don't mind, sir" For his
reserve took the alarm at a step upon
the stairs, and he distrusted that he
would be set down for a troublesome
intruder. "This is my father coming"
The door opened, and the father paus-
ed there.
"Why, Lamps exclaimed Barbox
Brothers, starting from his chair. "How
do you do, Lamps ~
To which, Lamps responded: The
gentleman for Nowhere! How do you
DO, siri"
And they shook hands, to the grea.
test admiration and surprise Of Lamps
daughter. 8.
klfl 1ool-al ,-o,, up half q dozen