The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-02-27
6Glette6 AltsteIlQnp.
LADY MARGARET'S VALENTINE.

IN our village Of Kempton there was
only one opinion of Lady Margaret-
whether contemplated in the past OF the
present, whether thought of as the wife or
widow of Sir Geoffry Caryll, she was al.
ways spoken of as "a perfect Iadvn
People were not persuaded of anything
more entirely than of the perfections Of
Lady Margaret Her excellence was an
article of faith among us, so perfectly did
our little world believe in her.
This gracious lady was beautiful in face,
very graceful in movements, gentle in
manner. She was affable without inner
uneIt CondesCension, and respectful TO
every body. The good Kempton people
were very proud Of her title; ga lady in
her own right" they called her; dear,
faithful, friendly souls, and had listened
tothem in my childhood with much solemn
wonder in my swelling heart as to what
those words might mean.
Lady Margaret had stood much alone in
the world before her marriage. She had
been an orphan she had brought no
grand relations to look down on the he
reditary devotion of the Kempton neigh
bors; and Miss Smithers, the grocer's
heiress, had had larger fortune; but
Lady Margaret stood in no need of the
recommendations of money or friends,
she was such "a perfect ladyr
As to myself, l worshiped Lady Marga-
ret with truly devoted heart, and nv
mother gave her the purest admiration
and very grateful love.
suppose l may say that nv father,
James Royds, had been the first gentle.
man of his family. The Royds family
had, in long succession, from father to son,
been in the place of land stewards to the
Caryll property but the late Sir Geoffrey,
who had been Lady Margaret's husband,
and my father, had been "only sons"
and, as the boys grew into close friends,
it was agreed that they should not be
parted. They went to Oxford together,
where my father greatly distinguished
himself He had become a barrister, and
he had married early; then, in the same
year, he and Sir Godfrey died-Sir Geof-
frey of fall from his horse, my father in
consequence of fever caught in London.
l was ten years old at that time, and Lady
Margaret had been only two years mar.
ried
The house in which we lived had been
prepared for mymother's reception when
a bride, by Sir Geofrey. 1t stood within
the park wall, which was covered with
ivy from the ground to the coping and it
was backed by great cedars, whose huge
cone. covered branches gave out sweet
odors as they lay struggling in great
feathery lengths across the turf The
Hp31rt u-o q n bn,1t half n ,,oila off o,J ,,ro
could get to it by a pathway straight
across the park, passing by the spring
called the "Deer Pool" which lay on the
sunny side Of a dense thicket of ever
green's; this path was only used by the
servants of the Court, ourselves, and two
maid servants, and the privileged feet of
the village postman. My mother and l
were also allowed to use "the private
drive" and there my little pony carriage
wheels were. often heard merrily running
over the wellrolled, perfectly kept gray,
elled road.
On the deaths which l have recorded,
the Kempton people added to their every
day thoughts many speculations as to how
my mother and Lady Margaret would be
left and on both matters they were soon
sufficiently informed. My mother was
left in afIluence and Lady Margaret had
the entire Caryll property bequeathed tn
her but if certain Capt. CRANKY, oi
whom no one had ever heard before, hui
who now turned out to be some distant
cousin of Sir Geofrey, survived her, he
was TO be the future owner of Kempton
Court.
Nobody cared for Capt. CRANKY No,
body knew where he was In India, said
somebody; so they took that matter fol
granted. For all practical purposes, Lady
Margaret was mistress Of the situation
and more magnificent sympathy was Of
fered to her in consequence.
In the old times there had been public
days at Kempton Court, such as the ole
Kings birthday, by which George thu
Third was meant, when flag waved from
the porch tower, and the place had beer
thrown open to all who had an estab
lished right to come. The accession o
Queen Victoria had been kept and In
my time it had always been Lady Marga
ret's wedding.day. n
After Sir Geofrey's death there wal
much wondering about these public dayp
For six years Kempton Court was houst
closed to all but particular friends; ant
during all that time the wondering as K
the possible fete days of the future wal
every day renewed. During all this tint
Lady Margaret had been the angel of oul
house. She had won my mother out o
her desponding grief for my fathers early
death, and she made me love her as c0ul(
not hope by any description to make any
body understand. Iquite worshiped Lady
Margaret. The most perfect lady coult
echo the village judgment now from MI
own heart, and because Of my own expe
rience; and generally Lady Margaret wa
even more delighted in as q widow thai
she had been as q wife --olr perfect lady
Lady Margaret used often to have me sta
with her Of Kempton Court and rathe
more than six years after her husband
death, when was her guest--it being Feb
ruary, and In fact, st. Valentines eve, sh
said.
Mary the people have been SIX year
without their public days in the. park.
am thinking this year Of beginning tner
again. ] wonderif it would be likedf
| spoke positively of the. pleasure,
would give and when / looked at he
beautiful young faeeshe could not nay
been more than twenty seven, | think
felt glad that she would no longer depriV
our little world Of SO much loyeliness {
person and mind.
And you will 90 out again see friendi
moan"
dYes,n sald shel q but shall cot 10 i
I,ssdaa ibil yeagi ! thiHkH