The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-08

complexion ION the same undeniable authority
was a. warm as the sun itself, with this gres
advantage over the sun, that II was always II
nice order to look at Add TO the foregoing ina
she carried her head a. upright As dart, IN
dashing, spirited, thoroughbred way-thsf %,
had clear voice, with ring Of the right msta
in Il, and . smile that began very prettily II
her eyes before II got to her lips-and there %
hold the portrait Of her, to the best Of my
painting. as large - life
My dear, pretty Miss Rachel, possessing
host Of graces and attractions, had one detect
which strict impartiality compels me 70 20.
knowledge. She was unlike most other girls Of
her age. In this-thst she had ideas Of her own,
and was stif-necked enough to set the fashions
themselves at defiance, II the fashions didn',
suit her views. In triHes this independence ol
her, was all well enough; but in matters OF Inn
portance Il carried her (as my LAZY Thought
and as thought,) too far. She judged nr
herself, As few women Of twice her age judge 10
general; never asked your advice; never toio
you beforehand what she was going to do; nev'
er came with secrets and condolences to any
body, from her mother dowpward. In little
things and great, with people she loved, and
Miss Rachel always went on way
Of her own, sufficient for herself In the JOYS
and the sorrows Of her life. Over and over
again have heard. my lady say, "Rachel's
best friend and Rachel's worst enemy are, one
and the other-Rachel herself. V
Add one thing more to this, and have done.
With all her secrecy, and all her self.will,
there was not so much as the shadow Of any
thing false in her. never remember her
breaking her word; never remember her say
ing No, and meaning Yes. can call to mind,
in her childhood, more than one occasion when
the good little soul took the blame and suffered
the punishment, for some fault committed by o
playfellow whom she loved. Nobody ever knew
her to confess to it when the thing was found
out, and she was charged with Il afterward.
But nobody ever knew her to lie about II either.
She looked you straight in the face, and shook
her little saucy head and said plainly, 'T won't
tell you 70 Punished again for this, she would
own to being sorry for saying "won't;" but,
bread and water Notwithstanding, she never
told you. Sclf-willed-devilish self-willed some
times-I grant; but the finest creature, never.
theless, that ever walked the ways Of this lower
world. -
Ihave now brought you acquainted with Miss
Rachel, which you find puts US face to face,
next. with the question Of that young lady's
views.
On June the twelfth, an Invitation from my
mistress was sent to gentleman In London, TO
come and help to keep Miss Rachel's birthday.
This was the fortunate individual on whom be
lieved her heart to be privately set Like Mr..
he was cousin Of hers. His name
was Mr.. Godfrey Ablewhite. .
My lady's second sister (don't be alarmed
we are not going very deep into family matters
this time)-my lady's second sister, say. had
a disappointment ir love; and taking q husband
afterward, on the neck or nothing principle,
made what they call misalliance. There was
terrible work in the family when the honorable
Caroline insisted on marrying plain Mr.. Able
white, the banker at Prizinghall. He was very
rich and very good-tempercd, and he begot .
prodigious large family-all In his favor, 30 far.
But he had presumed to raise himself from low
station in the world-and that was against him.
However, Time and the progress Of modern en-
lightcnment put things right; and the misal-
lance passed muster very well. The Ablewhites
lived in fine house and grounds, little out ri
Friringhall. Very worthy people. and greatly
respected in the ncighborhood. We shall not be
much troubled with them in these pages-ex-
cepting Mr.. Godfrey, who was Mr.. Ablewhite's
second sol, and who must take his proper place
here, IL you please, for Miss Rachel's sake.
With all his brightness AMI cleverness and
general good qualities, Mr.. Franklin's chance
Jf topping Mr.. Godfrey in our young lady's cs-
timation was, in my opinion, very poor chance
indeed.
On the fourteenth came Mr.. Godfrey's an
swer.
He accepted my mistress's invitation, from
the Wednesday Of the birthday to the evening
Of Friday-when his duties to the Ladies' Char
tiles would oblige him to return to town. He
also incloscd o copy Of verses on what he ele-
,antly called his cousins "natal day." Miss
Rachel, was informed, joined Mr.. Franklin in
making fun Of the verses at dinner; and Penel.
,pc, who was all on Mr.. Franklin's side, asked
me, in great triumph, what thought Of that.
''Nlss Rachel has led you of on false scent,
my DEAR" replied "but my nose Is not 20
easily mysti6ed. Wait till Mr. Ablcwhite's
verses are followed by Mr.. Ablewhite himself. Z"
My daughter replied, that Mr.. Franklin might
strike in and try his luck, before the verses were
followed by the poet. In favor Of this view, l
must acknowledge that Mr.. Franklin left no
chance untried Of winning Miss Rache's good
graces.
Though one Of the most inveterate smokers
ever met with. he gave up his cigar because she
,aid, one day, she hated the stale smell Of II in
his clothes. lie slept so badly, after this effort
Of self-denial, for want OF the composing effect
Of the tobacco to which he was used, and came
DOWN morning af,er morning looking so haggard
md worn, that Miss Rachel herself begged him
to take to his cigars again. No he would take
10 nothing again that would cause her mo-
ment's annoyance he would fight II out reso-
utely, and get back his sleep, sooner or later,
by main force Of patience in waiting for IL.
Such devotion rs this, you may say (as some Of
them said down stairs), could never fail Of pro-
lucing the right effect on Miss Rachel-backed
up, too, as II was, by the decorating work every
isy on the door. All very well-but she had q
photograph Of Mr.. Godfrey In her bedroom /;
represented speaking at public meeting, with
ali his hair blown out by the breath Of his own
and his eyes, most lovely, charming
The money out of your pockets What do you
say to thatl Every MORNINGS Penelope her
self owned TO me-there was the man whom the
women couldn't do without, looking on, In eff
w, Wnlle NltsS ISlCuei Was uaNiuS her uou
,ombed. He would be looking on, In reality,
before long-that was my opinion Of It.
June the sixteenth brought an event which
made MI. Fnnkln's chance look, to my mind,
. worse chance than ever.
A strange gentleman, speaking English with
, foreign accent, came that morning to the
house, and asked to see Mr.. Franklin Blake on
business. The business could not possibly have
been connected with the Diamond, for these two
that Mr.. Franklin told me nothing
about il secondly, that he communicated 1t
later the strange gentleman had gone away
.gain) to my lady. She probably hinted some
thing about Il next to her daughter. At any
rate, Miss Rachel was reported to have said
,ome severe things to Mr.. Franklin, at the piano
that evening, about the people he had lived
among, and the principles he had adopted In
foreign parts. The next day, for the first time,
nothing was done toward the decoration Of the
ioor. suspect some imprudence Of Mr.. Frank
lin's on the Continent-with woman or . debt
At the bottom Of it-hsd followed him to Eng
Iand. But that is all gucss-work. In this case,
not only Mr.. Franklin, but my lady too, for .
wonder, left me In the dark.
On the seventeenth, to all appearance, the