The Republican journal., 1870-02-03
MISS EVELYN.
EY NELLIE LEE,

Rain, ruin rain u hopeless day, with
an easterly wind and a sky of lead. The
streets were dirty and sloppy and muddy
and miserable. Women hurried along with
draggled skirts; men plunged through the
slippery mud with umbrellas and sulky faces.
A dark, dreary miserable day and all of its
gloom was rejecting in Miss Evelyn face as
She stood looking out of her boudoir window.
She was tall and stately, and beautifully
dressed, too, this Miss Evelyn and young
that is to say, twenty-five, so she need hardly
have worn that YEARLY, miserable look, one
would think, if the weather WAS bad Be-
sides one would have thought it 2 fine thing
to be Miss Constance Evelyn, with fortune
of a hundred thousand dollars, and such a
pretty room 10 nestle in on wet days
Miss Evelyn dropped the curtains as the
little ormolu clock struck eleven, and began
walking up and down, up and down, with the
shadow in her face deepening and darkening
every moment.
Presently she stopped before Il great mir
ror that reflected her form from top to toe,
and gazed long and tixedly at the pale, proud
face, black, glossy hair, and blue eyes that
gazcd back.
"Am handsome ?n thought Miss EVELYN,
or is it only the wrctched tlattery that is
poured into the ear Of every rich woman that
| know? What does he think, | wonder?"
All that little tell-tale pronoun? The
proudest Of these proud women are humble
enough when 'he' is in the question.
"And am growing DID," thought Miss
Evelyn. 81 never fancied so until last night.
The idea of an unmarried woman of tive-and-
twenty presuming to think herself young. |
passed him talking to young lady-a gush-
ing Just out passed, but they did not
see me. Miss Evelyn handsome" exclaimed
Missy, in answer to something he had said,
ooh, yes, of course. but frightfully old, isn't
She? Why, she was going to be married to
Mr.. Lawrence ever so long ago, and was en-
gagged to a cousin ages before that!' That
was quite enough. | walked away, and
danced with the first gentleman who asked
ME, and comprehended that my life was gone
and was an old maid"
She began walking up and down again,
her thoughts wandering gloomily into the
past.
"And what useless life it has been What
Il deceit society is What shallow, vapid,
empty mockery! ! am WEAKNESS to myself,
and a useless thing to my fellow-creaturcs.
If we are all born with a destiny to accom-
plish, and work to do, it is time | found
mine out, and began it. What is an old
maids mission, any way? To talk scandal,
uIlllk TEA, anu DC SuuDUcu. NOHlc III :.
There had been modest rap at the door.
Mary, the housemaid, appeared.
'If you please. miss, Mr.. Underhill is in
the drawing room"
Miss Evelyn started.
"Mr Underhill? Such a morning! Well,
go down, Mary, and tell him I'll be there in
a moment"
She shook out her flowing morning robes,
smoothed her glossy braids, and slowly de-
scended. Mr.. Underhill, Miss Evclyn's law
yer, sober, elderly man, rose up at her en-
trance.
"Good morning, Miss Evelyn. dreary day,
isn't2 You didn't expect a visitor such
weather"
Hardly" Miss Evelyn answered, languid-
ly. "But you arc very welcome, Mr.. Under
hill"
"Thank you, Miss Evelyn. l wish
brought more welcome news"