Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-25


and beginning desperate struggle
with the latch. Miss Blanchard
watched her as one watches an OBJ
iect loathsome and hated, but yet too
defenceless to be attacked.
! Suddenly an idea crossed hel
mind, new impulse, sweet hope
| Of such revenge as should compen
safe for the cruel humiliation of thC
last half hour. She spoke proudly
and coldly:
swat, Aurelia Ainslie! Where
| do you live, and with whom?
! Mother and / live in Burt Court
/ guess there amt any numbers"
! " And who else?"
Nobody lives with US,
Miss Blanchard hesitated, turned
even paler than she had already be,
come, and asked again:
| "No one ? not your father 2"
| Fathers dead. He died in the
fall"
| "Dead! Oh, he would not have
died if -
! The sudden, sharp agony of the
moment had forced these words to
her lips, but there she closed them,
waited for self-command, then asked
in feverish haste:
But your mother is alone ?"
"Yes'm."
And poor-very poor Z"
Yes'm.
| She sometimes needs food, and
sometimes fuel and clothes-does
she not p
"Yes'm."
"And i'll besides. Is she very i'll !?
Does she suffer?,'
"She coughs dreadful sometimes,
and she has bad ache in her side
and in her head" said Aurelia, sor,
rowfully, but with undated terror
Well, child, 1 am going home
with you to see this poor sick moth
er of yours. You shall ride in the
carriage with me. l used to know
her, l believe, but we have not met
for many years-thirteen years last
night. l have not forgotten the
date, you see, and dare say she
has not either"
AS she spoke, Miss Blanchard
sharply rang the bell, ordered the
carriage, and sent for Mrs. Bliss.
To her she said:
"Take this child and feed her;
but you need give her nothing to
carry away. l am going myself to
see her mother. / believe she is a
former servant of mine"
1t was the nearest approach TO a
falsehood that ever had crossed
Edith Blanchard's naughty lips, and
she felt as if they were scOrched.
But she must explain beforehand the
child's possible prattle, and she
would not order her to silence.
In mute wonder Mrs. Bliss led
Aurelia away, and Miss Blanchard
went to her dressing room.
eNot that cloak Bring my vel
vet one, and the hat to match it, my
sable furs, and my point vail. /
shall change my dress for black
silk"
at is hardly eleven o'clock yet,
mademoiselIe, ventured the
French dress maid; but received a
look that needed no words to com
plete it.
but how droll they are, these
Americans muttered the maid,
looking out of the window as her
mistress descended the steps. "They
90 out at eleven clock in the morn
ing dressed like princesses, and sit
down to dinner in mcrino gowns,
with linen collars. -
But it was something worse than
bad taste that dictated the costume
Miss Blanchards maid thus criti-
cised.
Tell Mrs. Bliss to send me that
| child" said she, seating herself in
the carriage, and drawing the elab-
crate Afghan about her.
Aurelia, pale, cold, and wonder
eyed, was brought, and stood shiv-
ering at the carriage door.
&" Get in, and sit there on the
floor" said Miss Blanchard, draw
ing away her skirts from contact
with the fiuttering rags that brushed
across her knees, and crouched
| presently at her feet.
Burt Court. Do you know
where it is, inquire until you find
| it."
"Burt Court" muttered James
climbing his box. " Yes; it's an
other of them nasty slums, such as
we hunted through all day yester
| dav. / suppose we've heard of an
uglier and lower lived creter there
than we got together this morning
and we're going to have look a
| her. . Well, twill be a curiosity, t
be sure.
Spurred on by this conviction
James drove rapidly, and directly
to the desired locality, and, haltins
at the entrance of filthy alley
jumped from the box and opened
the door.
"Burt Court, ma am. There.
no such thing as driving IN, or get
TING out again, if we was in.
" Very well. Wait here. Azure
liza. 90 before, and show me the we
to your mothers rooms.
The child bundled herself out, 4
best she could, and shuftled dow
the alley, followed by Miss Blar
chari, carefully guarding her trai
ING robes from contact with tn
filthy pavement.
In at the common door Of ten
ement house, whose very walls, an
, ceilings, and floors, were black, an
crumbling with rOttenness and filth
up the lettering staircase OF the ga
ret. to whose tenants a someWh'
purer air was offset by roof hardI
| closer than a sieve, and Aurelia di
appeared behind crazy door, 81,
a ING. rs she entered:
Here's a lady, mother, wants
0 see you"
Following her closely, Mi
+ Blanchard pushed the door lit
= wider. and entered q small rool