The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-08-20
WOoDsFIELD. MONROE COUNTY OHIO, AUGUST 90 1867.

care there any letters, Sanderson2'' !
"0ne, ma'am; it came by the evening
post about five minutes ago.
"Light the gas, then, and give it te
me-"
Blanche sat down by the FIRE and open
ed the letter. suppressing a yawn.
aBlack -edged--and black-sealedli 81
poor Mrs. Marchmont is gone at lastln
It was from the executors of Miss
Penroy's distant cousin, formally ant
briefly announcing her death, which hac
taken place in one Of the West India Is
lands some months since; but of whief
the melancholy news, = as the letter ran
had onlyjGst been received. It was no
entirely unexpected, as Mrs, Marchmon
had for some years been slowly facing ou
lof the world victim to hereditary con
sumption. 8 oi#
ssLeavipg one child, som" slowly re-
Ipeated Blanche, leaning her cheek on hel
hand, and looking down into the fiery
|quiver of the white-hot Goals. s'Pool
little fellowl he must feel nearly as desc.
late and alone as I dol Only I have one
advantageJ-I have at leasta sufficiency Of
this worlds goods; and this orphaned
child must be thrown penniless and alone
on his own resources, for, if l remember
Alright, Mrs. Marchmont forfeited all the
wealth of her first marriage by her alli-
ance with the poverty stricken lawyer,
whose death plunged her into such bitter
mourning. That was a genuine love
match, yet how much grief and trouble il
brought with it, leaving one ehild-a
son!' Why should not adopt the stray
waif, and make it the business of my life
to cherish and comfort him? l have no
object in existence; here is one that Prov
idence itself seems to point out to me-"
Once more she rang the bell, with fresh
color glowing in her cheeks and new
light in her eyes. q
Bring in my writing desk Immediate
ly, Sanderson, and getready totake let
ter to the post for me as soon as possi-
ble.p
The old servant obeyed, wondering at
his mistress unwonted energy, and yet
we'll pleased to see some of her old ami
nation returning.
"She do look more like herself tonight,
do Miss Blanche, than she has for long
time, he said to the housekeeper as he
came ownstairs after obeying her sum-
mons. 81 only wish Miss Blanche would
take fancy to some nice, proper behaved
young man; it don't seem no how right
that she should live all by herself in this
big house, so forlorn-like."
The housekeeper nodded sagaciously to
all Mr.. Sanderson's propositions. She
fully agreed with him: a0nly Miss
Blanche was too willful ever to hear q
word of advice
1t was a very simple and unconscious
letter that Blanche Penroy wrote to her
star away cousins" executors from the
fullness of her heart:
"I shall never marry now" she wrote,
sand it seems to become my plainly indi-
Gated duty to undertake the care of this
orphan child of Mrs. Marchmont's. With
your approval, therefore, I propose to
adopt him, and endeavor, as far as is in
my power, to supply the place of his lost
mother. You may at first deem me rather
young to undertake SO grave and serious
responsibility, butt was nineteen last
month, and / am very, very much older
in thought and feeling than my years
Of course, at my death, the child will In
herit the property which was left to me
by my deceased PARENTS" I
81 hope my cousins executors are like
the nice, white-headed old lawyers one
reads about in novels said Blanche to
herself, as she folded the little perfumed
sheet Of pink paper, .and not cross old
Judges, talking Of 'cxpediency, and 'ap-
propriateness;' for I do SO much want
somebody to love and care for; and some-
how I've sort Of premonition that this
little fellow will be nice and rosy and
lovable. ! think I'll teach him to call
me 'aunty.'" ' q
just week subsequently, a prim, legal
note was received from Messrs. Alias &
Corpus, the'deceased lady's executors, sta.
ting that "they saw no valid objection to
Miss Penroy's very laudable projects, and
that in accordance thereto, the child of
the late Mrs. Marchmount would arrive
at Miss Penroy's residence on the follow
ing Saturday night"
ssSaturday nightZand this is Friday, =
calculated Blanche, with the new bright
ness dancing in her hazel eyes. 80 how
glad I shall be! Sanderson, tell Mrs.
Brown to have the blue room fitted up
Immediately for Master Marchmount, and
you had better go yourself to the depot
with the carriage, at five to morrow after
noon, to meet him. SsiA
ayes, ma am, said Sanderson, ,stolidly.
The apparition Of a great unruly boy
tramping with muddy boots onythe velvet
carpets and haunting the house with ball
and marbles, and lung splitting halloos,
did not possess the charm to Sanderson s
eyes that it seemed to for his mistress
And even patient Mrs. Brown remarked
with a speciessof ex exasperation, that "she
didn't see what put this freak into Miss
Blanche i head!P Ass
Saturdaywass day of hail and tempest
and softly falling snow,and by fyeo'elock
the drawingsrooms were lighted and the
crimson silk curtains closely drawn, to ex-
clude the stormy ysdarkness without. 'Siz
times within the last fifteen minutes had
Blanche Penfoy looked at her watch, Jas
she stood by the FIRE waiting to hear the
returning carriage wheels. She was
dressed in rich China blue silk dress,