Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-02-26
5eleete6 Aliseellamp.r
LADY MARGARET's VALENTINE.

IN our village of Kempton there was
only one opinion of Lady Margaret-
whether contemplated in the past or the
present; whether thought of as the wife or
widow of Sir Geoffry Caryll,' She was aI.
ways spoken of as "a perfect ladyn
People were not persuaded of anvtbinp
more entirely than of the perfections Of
Lady Margaret Her lexcelience was An
artlcie OF faith among us, so perfectly did
our little world believe in her. 7',''o
This, gracious lady was beautiful in face
very graceful in movements, gentle in
manner. She was affable without imnar-
tlnent tcondescension, and respectful to
every oody. Ffhe good Kempton people
were very proud OF her title; ga lady in
ner own right, they called her; dear,
, talth1ul, friendly souls, and had listened
TO them In my childhood with much solemn
wonder in my swelling heart as to what
those words might mean s.-,
Lazy Margaret had stood much alone in
the world beforesher marriage She had
Deen- an orphan; she had brought no
'"' grand relations to look down on The he
reoltary DEVOTION of the Kempton neigh
pors and Miss Smithers, the grocers
nelress, had had q larger fortune: but
Lady Margaret stood in no need of the
recommendations Of money or friends,
d she. was such" 8 perfect lady" '1d' 80
AS to myself, / worshiped Lady Mar.ga-
" ret with a truly devoted heart, and nv
mother gave her the purest admiration
and very grateful love-. l.
suppose L may say that my father,
James koyds, had been the first gentle
II MAJ man OF his family. The Royds family
nag, lnlong succession, from fatherito SON,
been In the place of land stewards to the
Caryll property; but the late Sir Geoffrey.
WHO had bean Lsdy> Margarets husband.
and my father, had been 4" only sons"
ana, as the boys grew, into close friendsy
IL was agreed that they should mot be
parted. ., They went to Oxford together,
where my father greatly distinguished
himself! aHe had become barrister. and
he had married early; then. in the same
year, he and Sir Geoffrey died-Sir Geof.
frey OF fall from his horse, NV father in.
consequence Of a fever caught in Londonc
was nlyears old at that time, and LADY
Margaret had been only two years mar.
REG; 2Ln!N !sE I3 :3sn'eT'9
Inc house in which we lived had been
prepared for my mothers reception when
y a oride,,by Sir Geotfrey. 1t stood within
10. . .ne park wall, which was covered with
was backed1by great Jeedars, whose huge
cone covered 4, branches gave out sweet
odors as they lay struggling in great
teathery lengths across theg turf + The
9 Court was about half a mile off, ard we
could get to it-by 8 pathway straight
aer9ssr me park, passingF by the spring
called the Deer Pool, . which Law on. the
sunny side of a dense thicket Of ever
greens this path was only used by the
servants of the Court, ourselves, and two
maid servants, aiidNthe privileged feet Of
the village postman. My mother and
80 We're also allowed to- use "the private
drive" and there my little pony carriage
Wneeis were often heard merrily running
oyer oyer the well-rolled, perfectly Kept gray
On the deaths which have recorded,
gne heimpton people added to their every.
day thoughts many speculations as to how
my motner and Il Lady Margaret would be
( sufficiently infornatd. MY mother was
left in affluence and Lady Margaret had
! the entire Cary ID property beaueathed to
her; but if certain Capt CRANKY of
whom no one had ever heard before, but
who now turIedE out toSbe some distant
feousfn ofaSir Geofrey, survived her, he
was to be the future owner of Kempton
Court.
Nobody cared for Capt. CRANKY. No
body knewSwhefe he.wss.s g In India, said
somebody; SO they took that matter for
granted. For all practical. purposss. Lady
Margaret was mistress of the situation,
and more magnificent sympathy was Of
fered TO her inIconseQuence. AH0
In the old times there had been public
days at Kempton Court, such as the old
Kings birthdays by which George the
Third was meant, when flag waved from
: the porch tower, and the place had been
y thrown open to all who had an estab
lished right to comes The accession OF
sInaXH 4 TFzIHza Ittla