The Union and journal., 1869-12-10

more urgently in need Of medical advice than your
\ daughter He put some questions to me which
! I was at 6rst inclined to treat lightly enough,
until Iobserved that my answers distressed him.
It ended In his making an appointment 70 come
and sec me, accompanied by medical friend
/ ON the next day, at an hour when Rachel would
not be at home The result Of that vist-most
kindly and gently conveyed TO me-satisded both
the physicians that there hsd been precious time
lost which could never be regained, and that my
case had now passed beyond the reach OF their
art For more than two years have been SUI
fering under an insiduous form Of heart disease,
which. without any symptoms to alarm me. has,
by little and little, fatally broken me down. l
may live for some months, or may die before
another day has passed over my head-the doc
tors can not, and dare not, speak more positively
than this. Il would be vain to say, my dear,
that have not had some miserable momehts
since my real situation has been made known to
me. But am moro resigned than was, and
I am doing my best to set my worldly Affairs In
order. My one great anxiety Is that Rachel
should be kept in ignorance Of the truth. II
she knew Il, she would at once attribute my
broken health to anxiety about the Diamond.
and would rcproach herself bitterly, poor child,
| for what Is In no sense her fault. Both the
doctors agree that the mischief began two, II
not three years since. am sure you will keep
my secret, Drusilla-f6r am sure SEQ sincere
sorrow and sympathy for me In your face
Little did my poor aunt imagine what gush
OF deyout thankfulness thrilled through me as
she approached the close Of her melancholy sto-
~. Here was career Of usefulness spread be-
fore me Here was a beloved relative and perish
Ing fellow-crcature, on the eve Of great change.
utterly unprepared and led, provdcntially led,
TO reveal her situation to Me! How can l de-
scribe the Joy with which I now remembered
that the precious clerical friends on whom could
rely were to be counted. not by onss or twos, but
by tens and twentiesi took my aunt in my
arrns-my overfowing tenderness was not to he
satisfied uop with any thing less than an em-
brace. '0h = l said to her, fervently, 'the in
describable interest with which you inspire me !.
Oh! the good mean to do you, dear, before we
part = After another word or two Of earnest
predatory warning, gave her her choice Of three
precious friends, all plying the work Of mercy
from morning to nghtin her own neighborhood |;
all equally inexhaustible in eIhortation all az
fectionately ready to exercise their gifts at q
word from me. Alas! the result was far from
encouraging Poor Lady vcrinder looked puH-
zled and frightened, and met every thing could
say to her with the purely worldly objection
that she was not strong enough to face stran-
gers. I yielded-for the moment only, OF
course. My large experience (as Reader and
Visitor, under not less, first aud last, than four
teen beloved clerical fricnds) informed me that
this was another case for preparation by books.
possessed little library Of works all suitable
to the present emergency, all calculated to
arouse, convince, prepare, enlighten and forti-
| fy my aunt. You will read, dear, won't you 7
l said, in my most winning way. you will
read, II bring you my own precious books
turned down at all the right places, aunt. And
marked in pencil where you are to stop and ask
yourself, Does this apply to me ~ Even that
simple appeal-so absolutely hcathenizing is the
influence Of the world-appeared to startle my
aunt She said, Il will do what can, Drisilla,
to please you,' with look Of surprise, which was
at once instructive and terrible to see. Not o
moment was to be lost The clock on the man.
tle-piece informed me that had just time to
hurry home, to provide myself with first series
Of selected readings (say dozen only, and to
| return in time TO meet tho lawyer, and witness
Lady Verinder's Win. Promising faithfully to
be back by Eve o'clock, left the house on my
errand Of mercy.
drove home, selected and marked my first
series Of readings, and drove back to Montagu
Square with dozen works in carpet-bag, the
like Of which. firmly believe, are not to be
found in the literature Of any other country In
Europe. paid the cabman exactly his fare.
He received IL with an oath upon which in
stantly gave him tract. If had presented a
pistol at his head this abandoned wretch could
hardly have exhibited greater CONSERVATION. He
jumped up on his box, and, with profanc excla-
nations Of dismay, drove of furiousiy. Quite
useless: am happy to say l scwcd the good
seed, in spite Of him, by throwing q second tract
in at the window of the cab. 81. .....
The servant who answered the door-not the
person with the cap-ribbons, to my great relief,
but the footman-informed me that the doctor
had called, and was still shut up with Lady We
rinIler. Mr.. BruG, the lawyer, had arrived
minute since, and was waiting in the library. I
was shown into the library to wait too. .-r
Mr.. BruG looked surprised to see me. lie is
the family solicitor, and We had met more than
once, on previous occasions, under Lady Verin-
dcr's roof. A man, gricve to say, grown old
and grilzled in the service Of the world. A man
who, In his hours Of business, was the chosen
prophet OF Law and Mammon and who, In his
hours OF leisure, was equa ly capableof reading
novel and tearing up tract . .....s-
Have you come to st y here, Miss Clack" he
asked, with look at my carpet-bag. '
To reveal the contents Of my precious bag to
such person as this would have been simply TO
invite an outburst Of profanity. lowered my
self to his own-worldly level and mentioned my
business in the house. d.. ... ..
MY aunt has informed me that she is about
to sign her will.' I answered. She has been
so good as to ask me to be ono OF the Wit
nesscs' ...l,. ...--.....
'Ay! ay! Well, Miss Clack, you will do.
You are over twenty-one, and you have not the
slightest pecuniary interest in Lady Verinder's
Will.' ..
Not the slightest pccuniary interest in Lady
yerinder's Win. Oh, how thankful felt when
| heard that If my aunt, possessed Of thou
sands, had remembered poor Me, to whom FIVE
pounds Is an object--if my name had appeared
in the Win, with alitte comforting legacy at
tacbed to tiny enemies might have doubted
the motive which had loaded me with the choic-
est treasures Of my library, and had drawn
upon my falling resources for the prodigsl cx-
penscs Of cab. Not the cruelest scoffer Of
them all could doubt now. Much better as II
was Oh, surely. surely, much better rs 1t
was
lWSa.Ousci uUm ulesc CohsOins iehcSuoho
by the voice Of Mr.. BruG. My meltatiye si-
leuoe appeared to weigh upon the spirits of this
worldling, and to force him, as It were, into
talking to me against his own will.
well. Miss Clack. what's the last news from
the charitable circles! How is your friend, Mr..
Godfrey Ablewhiie, after the mauling he got
from the rogucs in Northumberland Street,
Egad they're telling pretty story about that
charitable gentleman at my club ?
| had passed over the manner in which this
person hsd remarked that | was more than
twenty-onc. and that I had no pccuniary inter
est In my aunt's Will. But the tone In which
he alluded to dear Mr.. Godfrey was too much
for my forbcarance. Feeling bound, ater what
had passed. in my presence that afternoon, TO
assert the innocence Of my admirable friend,
whenever I found II called in question: own
IA. l. L.. .l.,lu L..