The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-09-16

more aatteriug; but can you woode
at tho indignation of tho county whe
man in your position, Sir Edwa'
Ashly, Of Ashly Hall, INDUCES in sue
unorthodox tastes p .rs1, Il
"That indignation has long ago die
out" answered Sir Edward, good
humoredly "tbe world is, fortunately
very willing to forget those who forge
lit; my return aud retirement were th
conventional nine-days' wonder; moth
ing more. Besides, I am not vithou
companions" he added, pointing to til
bookcases round tho room.
| Sand these have been your onl
companions ever since you came bacl
to England 7" the doctor said, interro
gatively, his eyes following the di,ee
tion indicated; "why, that must b
nearly four years."
"Just four yeers."
| "And during all that time you hav'
had no other servant to wait upon .yo,
but the poor old woman lying above p
"No other" >~s. !.
"More of your eccentrlcity," criet
Mr.. Nugent. "Not only you restric
your household to one sole attendant
but you choose for the pos: the uglies
and most repubivo sample Of woman
hood I ever beheld. l am now merel,
speaking Of appearances, for remem
ber how we'll and faithfully che served
you, and havo often remarked with
establishment her wonderful quietnes:
aud rapidity while waiting on us al
table ; but how. could you have eve,
brought yourself to look at herF'!
"Habit, I suppose. There were two
other servants in the house besides old
Nancy, but you never saw them, fol
she constituted herself my special at.
tend.ut, gliding about noiselessly, and
keeping the others, with their c'eaking
shoes, always in the lower regions. It
was such comfort. The house might
have been managed by invisible fairies,
60 punctual and silently everything was
done" e: ..-*
"How much you will mss her!'
said Mr. Nugent.
"Mors than can tell you. When I
first returned from abroad, my present
head groom, who was then my valet,
chcse her for me from among the few
who presented themselves; for there
were not many willing otake service.in
great, lonely country house, deserted
except in one wing, without any pros
peot Of company or variety. He chose
her for the qualities which would have
deferred you, and which made her 80
inestimable to me, her excessive ugli.
ness, her insurmountable taciturnity,
and her activity, remarkable for SO old
a woman and he certainly chose we'll.
The poor creature fell into my Ways
silently and at once !; her scanned and
SCARED face was an ever-present as
surance of the impossibility Of lovers
and interlopers; her grim determination
and surliness, a guarantee Of her en-
pire below stairs; and, to give you an
idea Of the really unprecedented value
Of old Nancy, I do not remember hav-
ing once exchanged as many as six
words with her during the four years
that she was my exclusive and constant
attendant"
Sir Edward Ashly concluded his
sentence in the slow and impressive
tone always adopted, when the oa3-
minating point Of an eulogy is reach
ed.
Dr.. Niehol smiled, ":Words are as
silver, but silence is as gold,'" he quot
ed. "I always thought, for my part,
that your old servant was mute, until
called in to attend her, and I am
ashamed to say, although not timid
man, that her ghastly, tossilized face
used to frighten me. 1t is painful to
think how much We are Influenced BY
looks" the doctor said land in cases
like the present, how unjustly so. My
dear Ashly, you will find it difficult to
replace this poor woman. Such quail.
ties as those you esteem most are rare y
II don't expect I shall ever replace
her. Already that girl who emerged
from the back premises when poo,
Nancy gave up work (Which she die
not till the last moment) has driven m,
tc the verge Of insanity; rushing abou
busting, fussiug, and actually torment
ing me for orders. Orders !. Why
Nancy never asked me for an order /,
her life. She did everything by intui
ton, and never left anything undone
Poor faithful old monster, I shall mis-
her steady, unobtrusive services, as
would the presence Of an old friend
GLOW long was she ial" asked tn
rector.
"Two days." the doctor said, replyin
for his hos*. "Whep I was first sen
for, I saw there was no hope the fran
completely shattered and worn out
and I asked the poor woman if sh
~ould like to 60 home. She said sh
had no home," :
"Poor thing! observed Sir Edwart