Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-02-07

one who would be sly, now standing on tip
toe to look out of the window, and now ly-
ing with her face close against tho hearth to
watch some cricket perhaps. She was nat
urally quiet in all her ways, but toward Ma
tilda she seemed to feel sort of tender rev.
erence, and, as she moved about, followed
her with her eyes, as asking leave to be with
her and to love her.
81 guess you will take to her for all, says
the delighted grandmother, catching her to
her bosom, and kissing her eyes, her hands,
and her hair. And the words "for ALL in
cluded all the allusion that was made that
day to Nathan.
1t was month after this, perhaps, that
| little Eunice said to her mistress one eve
ming after school was dismissed, pulling tim
| idly at her skirt and lifting such beseeching
eyes, "May go home with you and stay a
little while to-night-just little while-I
want to go SO much!'
"What for, my pet?' And Matilda, well
pleased, took the soft little hand in hers
When they were come into the simple
parlor she must put away Matilda's shawl
and bonnet, and then she must, all with her
! own hands, drag the big chair close to the
window and have Matilda sit down in it.
Then she said climbing up by the arm of
the chair and slipping down into her lap.
"You asked me why wished to come
| with you Aunt Tilly." She had never call
ed her Aunt Tilly till then, and she looked
up into her face with that tender beseeching
of hers for leave. 81 don't want to call
you mistress, she said "I want to call you
something sweet" And then playing in
bashful confusion with the ribbon Matilda
wore round her neck, TO which slender
| finger-ring and silver pencil case-the lat
ter given her by her pupils-was attached,
she went on: g | want to call you mamma.
Would you be angry if called you NAM
| ma?"
''No, darling, should not be angry, says
Matilda hugging her close; ''but it would
not be true, and so you had better call me
Aunt Matilda as the rest do" And as she
said this she blushed, though no eye was
| upon her save the childs.
"What makes everybody call you Aunt
Matilda ?" the inquisitive prattler asks next
slipping the slender ring on her own finger
And then she says, "This finger-ring isn't
like my mammals used to be.
"No," says Matilda, cit isn't like your
mammals; it is poor little ring, of no
worth to anybody but me and because l
haven't finer one the people are sorry for
for me, and they call me Aunt Matilda in a
sort Of plying kindness"
The child opens her eyes wide with SER
ious wonder, and then she says
'Did you buy the ring, Aunt Tilly?"
"Yes, darling, bought il with great
price" And the tears that had come to her
eyes by this time dropped silently on the up
turned face of the wondering little one.
Matilda found a certain sort of pleasure in
this talk with the child, though she did moi
expect nor desire that she should under
stand single word of il. She understood
more, however, than had been reckoned
upon-she understood that in some way Ma
tilda was unhappy because ofthc ring, bni
whether it was because she had paid Sc
much for it, or for the reason of its being SO
slender, or for what other cause, she did moi
at all understand. In her soft, quiet way
she kissed Matldas hands and huggcd hei
arm close under her chin, and told her she
would tell her papa, and he would give her
a beautiful ring like her own mammals!
''Oh no, darling, you must never tell him
that as long as you livc-not for the world y
cried Matilda.
The carnestness of her manner tended
doubtless to deepen the impression already
made on the childs mind. 81 don't mean
to tell him for the world" she said under
standing the words literally, 'but just for
the new ring.'
She had got the central fact, and there was
no dslodging it just then, and, trusting to
time. Matilda smoothed the dark hair in 81
lence as the young head leaned against her
bosom, and the child went on directly; s'but
| haven't told you why wanted to come
home with you yet?"
"No, my darling; why was it ?"
because had something wanted you
to sec, and somehow couldn't SHOW it you
in SCHOOL,"
"And what is it, my dear?'
"Well, then, shut your eyes close and I'll
tell you"
Matilda slut her eyes to humor the playful
:, humor of the child and leaned her head low.
"There now, I've told your
And slipping from her knee and clapping
her hands for delight the child hid behind
the chair of the mistress. She had dropped
something in her bosom.
The next moment Matilda had small
enameled case in her hand, fastened
with golden clasps.
"Unclasp it says the child, peeping
slyly from behind the chair, and unclasping
the clasps, Matilda beheld the face of her
lover-not as she knew him in the days that
were gonc but as he was now, gray, ear
nest-faced, serious man, past middle life
seeming weighed with memories and bur
dened with cares.
''Isn'nt he nice and pretty? says the child,
stealing round and climbing to the lap once
more shut then he looks so solemn-what
makes him look that way? But you don't
know him; he is my papa
Then she took the picture and kissed it
.'but see" she says, ''he looks solemn all
the same, just as if he would cry;' and then
she asked Matilda to kiss him and see il he
would not smile.
I SIT is only picture my child and cant
smile, Matilda answered, turning her face
aside; but the child would not be pacificd-
s'kiss him and see just once,' she pleaded,
clinging to Matildas neck, and holding the
pictured mouth quite against hers, so that
she was at length forced to kiss it,
Then the child said he was smiling now
and she was satisfied; .'but what, " she ask
ed, ''makes your cheek so bright did hi
kiss you back again :"
: And then she said, "Oh, how wish hi
could see you, he would love you just as
) do. And he is so sad now, he never smiles
, any more And then she leaned her face