The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-11-06


never even been at a ball." .
"a ball !" I exclaimed. "Why,
madam, how old is the child ?"
Seventeen, Doctor"
"Is it possible that John Tolmer
can have a daughter so old? It
seems but the other day. .
: The door opened, and there en-
tered, walking feebly and slowly,
in touching contrast to her ex-
treme youth, the prettiest young
creature had ever seen, since
we'll, no matter! When she saw
me she started with real agitation
not the nervousness, No, no
Annie, though she. aoas seventeen,
knew nothing about, nerves.
.~"This is DR.. Torrens, your papa's
friend, my dear, who is so kind, as
to visit YOU" said Mrs. Willis, as
she arranged, the sofa cushions.
I approached her, took her little
.ho; transparent hand, and led her
to the sofa, on which she sank eX-
hausted. Twenty years seemed
to have, rolled back ; the child was
very like her .mother,-so like in
the expression Of her soft, gray
eyes that I had to close mine be-
foreI Gould dispel' the illusion.
When first I saw the child / did
not think she couldrecover. Her
cheeks were so thin, her eyes so
bright, with that suffering anxious
expression outlooking from their
depths, which is so, often seen in
young dying persons. She was
very good and patient, submitting
with the utmost sweetness to
every needful remedy; and after
time 1 saw her revive, and begin
to grow stronger every day." -.
.- It often surprised me to see
with what: pleasure the child used
to listen to my long stories Of ad-
ventures in foreign lands; and
while Mrs. Wllis'si knitting or
netting, or crotchet,,. or whatever
the work might be, continued. to
progress quite regularly. Annie's
embroidery was sure to fall from
her fingers, and lie unheeded in
her Lap. while I-t1ld- her of n,s-~ .ad
ventures in the deserts of Africa,
or in the wilds of America.
=. At length she became quite we'll:
her father (no wonder y was long
ing for her return, and I felt a Gu
rious kind of sinking sensation
when! On Monday morning l
knocked at her yaunt's door, and
thought that the following We'd
nesday was fixed for their depart
ure for the North: -
F." I was ushered as usual into the
drawin room : Annie was: not
there, but Mrs. Willis soon came
in.:'~.:..'.- -..:.- - :-:~ .'''.. -:
r. swell ma'am,"I said, after the
usual salutations, chow is, my
young friend to-day?,' ..,...., :.
':1ndeed, Doctor, [ have just
been scolding her" ....
Very. wrong, ma'am," l. said,
testify. "Exceedingly imprudent
indeed-she ought not to be agi-
tated.",. ~.,,.w -.. ..
|. doctor, it was not exactly scold-
ing; in the common acceptation of
the word. l was merely trying
to prevent the dear from giving
way to excessive grief at parting"
'.aHow," T said, Il don't under
stand are not you to accompany
her homer"
"Oh, yes, but you, Doctor, The
only reason she would assign for
her excessive grief (she has done
little else but cry since Saturday.
was that DR.. .Torrens was so very
kind she could not think of leav-
ing him. /" ...e
..Forty-eight- and seventeen! it
was a fearful disparity !! And yet,
old fool that.I was, [ felt some
thing within my bosom give a
sudden bound-something that had
not stirred there since that gloomy
dav when I bid farewell to Mary.
'IfI> thought, Mrs. Willis" [
said ''if 1 could have thought that
the dear child would marry me,
I'm sure I'd have asked her long
ago"
Mrs. Willis blushed, and was 60
ing, I believe, to say something
angry, when Annie herself came
in. The soft gray eyes were in-
deed red with weeping, but ere
that interview was over they
smiled again. Mrs. Willis dis
creetly took herself off, and if An
| nie's aunt did not know exactly
what said and what she answered,
1 do not think any one else has a
claim to do so. Indeed, all that |
can recollect distinctly is, that the
blushing, trembling little thing
said a good deal about papa, and
sent me away the. happiest man
breathing.
"Papa," John ToImer, my: own
real old friend, did not say 'No."
AS soon as he found that his dar,
ling and mine was really so silly
as to love for himself and his old
world stories, him who had loved
her mother. he gave his consent
| ,,d +bip1 now T an sI1ra th al