The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-12-24
BIDDEFoRD, Me-, FRIDAY


shock which this death had caused me.
/ was informed, moreover. that the rector
Of Frizinghall was to read the service.
Having myself in past times seen this cier-
ical castaway making one of the players
ut the whist-tablc, doubt, even II l had
been fit to travel, whether / should have
felt justified in attending the ceremony.
Lady Vcrinder's death left her daugh-
ter under the care of her brother-in-law'
Mr., Ablewhite the elder. He was ap-
pointed guardian by the will. until his
niece married. or came of age. Under
those circumstances, Mr.. Godfrey INFORM
ed his father, l suppose of the new rela-
ton in which he stood toward Rachel.
At any rate, In ten days from my annts
death, the secret of the marriage engage
ment was no secret ut all within the cir
Gle of the family, and the grand question
for Mr.. Ablewhite senior-confirmcd cas-
taway was how to make himself and
his authority most agreeable to the
wealthy young lady who was going TO
marry his son.
Rachel gave him some trouble. ut the
outset, about the choice of a place IN
which sho could be prevailed upon to re-
side. The house in Montagu Square was
associated with the calamity Of her moth:
er's death. The house in Yorkshire was
associated with the scandalous affair OF
the lost Moonstonc. Her guardians own
residence ut Frizinghall was open to
neither of these objections. But Rachers
presence in il, after her recent bcreaye-
ment, operated rs check on the gaycties
of her cousins, the Miss Ablewhites-and
she herself requested that her visit might
be deferred to more favorable opportun-
ity. 1t ended in proposal. cmanatinng
from old Mr.. Ablewhite, to try n furnish
ed house Mt Brighton. His wife, IN inra-
lid daughter. and Rachel were to inhabit
it together, and were to expect him to
Join them later in the season. They
would sec no society but u few old friends,
and they would have his son Godfrey,
travelling backward and forward by the
London train, always at their disposal.
describe this aimless fitting about
from one place of residence to another
this insatiate rcstlcssness of body and APP
palling stagnation of soul-mcrely with u
view Of arriving at results. The event
which (undcr Providence) proved to bc
the means of bringing Rachel Verindcr
and myself together again, was no other
than the hiring Of the house at Brighton.
Ny Aunt Ablcwhtc is large, silent,
fair-complexioncd woman, with one note
worthy point in her character. From the
hour of her birth she has never been
known to do any thing for herself She
has gone through life accepting every
body's help an adopting every body's
opinions. A more helpless person, in u
spiritual point of view, i have never met
with-there is absolutely, in this perplex-
ing case. no obstructive material to work
upon. Aunt Ablewhite would listen TO
the Grand Lama of Thibet exactly rs she
listens to Me. and would reflect his views
quite rs readily rs she reflects mine. She
found the furnished house mt Brighton by
stopping mt an hotel in London. oompos-
ing herself on q sofa, and sending for her
son. She discovered the necessary SER
wants by breakfisting In bed one morning
(still at the hotcD, and giving her maid
holiday on condition that the girl would
begin enjoying herself by fetching Miss
Clack.' L found her placidly tanning her.
self in her drcssing-gown at eleven o'clock.
'Dr,isilla, dear. i want some servants.
You are so clevcr--plcase get them for
me- l looked round the untidy room.
The church bells were going for u week
day service they suggested a word OF af-
fectionate remonstrancc on my part. oh,
aunt = said, sadly, is this worthy of n
Christian Englishwoman Is the passage
from time TO eternity To be made in this
manner p Ny aunt answered, III put
on my gown, Drusilla. if you will be- kind
enough to help me- What was TO be
said after that2 l have done wonders
with mur,leresses-I have never adyanc-
cd an inch with Aunt Ablewhite. where
Is the list asked, of The servants whom
You require !? My aunt shook her head |;
she hadn't even energy enough TO keep
the list. Rachel has got 1t, DEAR she
said, in the next room.' went into tho
next room, and so saw Rachel again. for
the first time since we parted in Montagu
Square. .--. r..... ..t
She looked pitiably small and thin in
her deep mourning. If / attached any
serious Importance to such u perishable
triie rs personal appearance, might be
inclined TO add that hers was one of those
unfortunate compilations which always
suffers when not relieved by u border of
white next the skin. But what are our
compilations and our looks Hindranccs
and pitfalls, dear girls, which bcset us on
our way to higher things Greatly to
my surprise, Rachel rose when l entered
with outstretched hand.
Il am glad to see you,' she said. 'Dru-
silla, have been in the habit ofspeaking
very foolshly and very rudcly to you, on
former occasions. beg your pardon. 1
hope YOU will forgive me-
Ny face, suppose, betrayed the aston
ishmcnt l felt mt this. She colored up
for u moment, and then proceeded to ex-
herself.
In my poor mothers lifetime she went
on, .hcr friends were not always my
friends, too. Now / have lost her my
heart turns for comfort to the people she
liked. She liked you. Try to be friends
with me, Drusilla, II you can
To any rightly-oonstituted mind the mo-
tive thus acknowledged was simply shock.
ing. Here in Christian England was q
young woman in u state of bereavement,
with so little idea Of where to look for
true comfort, that she actually expected to
find it among her mothers friends !! Here
was u relative of mine, awakened to n
sense of her shortcomings toward Others.
under the influence, not of conviction and
duty. but Of sentiment and impulse !!
Most deplorablc to think of-but, still,
suggestive Of something hopeful, to u per-
son Of my experience in plying the good
work. There could be no harm. thought
in ascertaining the extent of tho change
which the loss other mother had wrought
in Rachcl's character. Idecided, asa u use
ful test, to probe her on the subject of her
marriage engagemennt To MIR. Godfrey
Ablewhite.
Having first met her advances with all
possible cordiality. l sat by her on the sofa
mt her own request. We discussed family