The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-08

The brightness had all gone out OF 1t,
and she was pale and sad, and the room
looked dark and comfortless and al
/ though I chirped out one of my best
strains, at its conclusion ] became quite
melancholy and homesick--a very nm
pleasant feeling / can assure you. s,
= At one O'Clock Mr.. Harrison came
home in . despDnding state Of mind
{" You see, my dear,n ne said "husi-
ness is unsettled at present !, merchants
are discharging their old clerks, instead
of taking in new ones; and didn't
bring letters of introduction; there are
many difficulties ia anyway. .Stran-
gers are looked upon with suspicion; !;
our chances are small, and really
don't know what to do"
Well, never mind" said Lucy,
You will have better fortune next
time; and in the end you will sur
mount all difficulties" @ - 81 4
1" 1t may be so,n said the merchant,
doubtfully. 81 dont't see it in that
light myself, though; but still it may
be 30, and as Pm very tired, Lucy, I'll
take my dinner now"
She brought the dinner, and enter
tanned him while they were at the ta-
BILE; but he told her very little Of his
mornings adventures; he was weary,
he thought he would rest; and, spread>
ing q silk handkerchief over his head,
he was soon, in his dreams, at the head
o. a prosperous business, and had ships
of his own, heavily, laden, with mer-
chandise, dancing over the blue waves
to foreign ports, where they would
leave their wares, and then hurry back
with the merchants gold.
Well, somebody has said that
"dreams are but echoes of our waking
thoughts" These dreams were not
certainly likely to he realized, and Mr..
Harrison's thoughts before he went to
sleep could hardly have been Of such a
character as to justify them and as to
Lucy, 1 don't think that if her thoughts
were echoed to her in her dreams, they
would have given her any pleasure at
all, for she had a faculty OF trying to
look ahead on the sea of life, and, just
then looking, shecouldn'tse see anything
but breakers; and as those breakers
were heavy and rough, and beat against
3 rocky coast, the dim, uncertain light
that struggled acress the waste of wa.
ters from the lighthouse, gave her but
little comfort; for it only served to
show her the dangers of the coast, and
that coast was poverty-withont point
ing out the means by which she might
escape from it.
II must see what Ican do" She said,
as she stopped sewing for few min
utes, and looked at the fire. Sour
money is, nearly all gone, aud if l
should sell ny watch, and the few arti-
cles of jewelry have, the little Ishould
get for them would soon go, too. We
must find the means to live :" and then
she sighed. 81 might get situation
as daily governness, or give music les
sons >" and then she read carefully
through the long columns of advertise
ments in one of the daily papers, and,
after cutting out two or three of them
and putting them i'm her purse, she
sewed on steadily till the light began
to fade in the west, and then she light
ed lamp, AMI stirred up the fire to
make the room look cheerful and plea
SAINT, and her father awoke quite re-
freshed with his nap, and they had tea.
A stranger looking in upon them
would have thought that they were
very happy-the old man and his
daughter-that they were in what is
called middling circumstances, and
that they hadn't either of them sill
gle thought of care to sadden their
lives. In fact they lookel SO cheerful,
that was almost deceived myself;
and as they seemed determined to
make the best of everything, l assisted
them to my utmost ability by singing,
with great power, my sweetest strains,
and filing The room with melody, that,
in my humble opinion, rivalled any
epera-English or Italian.
The next morning the merchant went
out again, and Lucy prepared to follow
his example. As had determined al
ways to be with her, quietly climbed
into her watch-pOcket, and we set off
very comfortably together. She walk
ed a long way, and then rang The door
bell of. a handsome villa in a retired
street. u4 5eh as; saf &
After waiting few minutes i'm an
elegantly furnished parlor, lady en-.
tered, dressed in a flowing white wrap
per, from which floated quantity of
trimmings of lace and and ribbons;
"nd, looking languidly at her young
visitor for few seconds, said: "Ah.
suppose you have come after the nur-
sery maids place?s 1t was filled to my
satisfaction yesterday. ] don't think
you would have suited i'm any case"
Lucy, very much surprised and dis
tressed by her reception, said she must
have been mistaken in the number of
the house; the situation she was ap-
plying for was that of governess."
"Governess All! yes; l do want
a governess; but, really" observed the
lady, "I should not have supposed
that you were fitted for that from your
appearance. ] require n great deal
from my governess; my daughters are
almost young ladies. They have some
knowledge of music, and French, and
fancy needlework, and a great many
things. Can. you teach music, and
singing and French?"
Lucy thought she was capable of Civ
ing satisfaction. ~ 4
"Well, give me your references. But
really don't think you will suit me
/ should prefer a much older person.
As to salary, it will be time enough TO
talk about that if / engage you"
Lucy said that as she and her fathe
Were strangers in the country, she could
only refer to her father; he could satis-
fy her as to their respectability."
"Your father for a reference. Dear
me, never heard of such thing; and
strangers, too. ] couldn't think of
taking you could not even be sure
that you were honest. How could you
think for a moment that / would trust
my dear girls with . person without u
character"
She was still talking in this strain
when Lucy closed the front door and
walked quickly down the street, pull
ing her veil over her face to hide from
passers-by the indignant color that was
burning in her cheeks. She made one
or two other applications which We're
also unsuccessful. could see by the
expression of her cOuntenance, when
we came home, that she had utterly
failed. ] didn't hear the conversation
that passed at the other houses, for /
cried so much, and felt so cramped up
i'm the watch-pocket, that q slight deaf
ness, accompanied with q strange SEN
sation in my head, attacked me, and l
didn't recover my usual spirits aud
powers of observation till l had been
settled for some time in my corner by
the fire, aud then noticed that Lucy
had taken off her bonnet and shawl,
had arranged her hair, and was getting
her own and her fathers dinner ready.
Mr.. Harrison came i'm soon, and his
daughter looked quickly at his face,
and, as if not satisfied with what she
saw there, looked away again.
"Well, my love-" said the old gen.
tleman, slowly, this business of look
ing for situation is very discouraging
i'm fact, I've good mind to give it up