The Lincoln County herald., 1870-10-06
"MY LADY,"
by MRS. MARY A DENNIsON.

], Alice Derwentwater, (named after an
aunt Of m;ne) had never seen Molly Nc
Shane. had often heard of hor, always
Us "oid Molly" and she lived on Sligo
Hill, a quaint rambling old house in a
New Hampshire village. III tell you,
BY and by, how it acquired it's foreign
name.
One day my father called old Doctor
Shadrach in and pointed at me.
"pslo," said he, for my father was not
famous for making long speeches, "picks
like q bird, don't eat as she ought to.
What's to be done with he.? Ought to
have rosy cheeks"
Doctor Shadrsch put up his green
eyc. glasses and looked at me like sn ogre.
"Take her TO the hills" said the old
man "she's nervous !" and then he and
my father marched out Of the room none
too soon, for the suddenness and queer.
ness Of the visit set me laughing, aud
laughed till the tears camc.
50 it happened that my father-for-
ever venerated be his memory-b be.
thought himself of old Sligo Castle,
where he had often promised to take me
to see my cousin Con and houseful Of
curiosi,ies, the greatest Of which was
Molly Mcshane, whom my cousin treated
with greN Difference, although she had
been a servant all her life
pass over the journey. 1t was in tho
spring tine, before buds and flowers,
though the trees gave promise of beauty
IN myriad waxcn buds swelling from each
little stem.
The stage-it was before the time OF
railways-set US down, towards nj ght, at
the entrance of park. Twenty miles of
jolting had made me 80 sick that my
father almost carried me up the long ave.
nuc lea ling to the house.
| There camc to greet US only q dear
little, old, hobbling figure, leaning upon
u strong stick, an Irish cloak hood thrown
over her head, her sharp eyes peepiug at
me in the dusk.
Entering the great hall, saw nothing
but illimitabie stretches Of darkness. Us it
seemed to me, with here and there the
small glow that the cundles made.
was asked to supper; preferred
rest aud q bed. As l passed up the
broad staircase, the carved banister, un-
der my hand, snelt sweet marjoram.
It gave me q home feeling in a moment
What hopelessly large house it was
One had to take two steps on every stair,
they were so broad. My room Was the
guest chamber, aud i'm neuse.
Imagine a vast gloom. with no partic.
ular boundaries, only here and there the
ghost of something white oozing out Of
the darkness. In :he middle bedstead
large enough for Goliath, and high
enough for any other giant, with stu
pendous haugiugs that spread out every
where from ring iu the wall never
felt so small in my life, particularly with
that little, old, odd creature looking oul
of her great Irish cap border.
MIR. Constantine went away, expectin
to DO ! ere in time to welcome ye," said
the little creature, setting down the light
"For PHYS sake, is that bis name ?"
quericd, sleepily. "l.'s too long"
She looked At me in q shrewd, sur
prised kind of way.
"Mr. Constantine is vory much Of q
gentleman" she said.
ibid you ever know q DcrwentwateI
that wasn't? But, gracious goodness
Constantine De,wentwater," and pres
emily my head was in my night cap and
my night cap in Jerrico, for there's nc
, telling to what depths l went into that
bed
The next morning was splendor'
| Never saw the sun come up so royalty
II showed me the boundaries Of tha, tire
mcndous chamber. 1t gave me glimpses
of little claw footed tables, afsr of, and
chairs that in their ponderousnes'
matched the beadstcd. It revealed the
most antique paintings, some Of then
portraits from whose frame time hat
gnawed of all the gliding, and whos'
solemn, musty faces seemed to be in
perpetual wonder why The rats had no
eaten them bodily, long ago. 1t CAV.
the plainest evidence to my senses that
was really walled in and not lying round
loose as | had vaguely supposed mysel
to be on the preceding night.
i I will only say Of the breakfast that !
was delicious, aud that Mr.. Constantine
some ten years my senior, was the hand
soonest man ever saw.
The next day my father prepared T.
return, was to be left behind.
g "Dou't 90 to being homesick,' be said
= laughing, as he kissed me good.by.
"Homesick do you think l would !?
But the sob swallowed was as large
6gurat,vely speaking. IS the house.
So l va. left alone. Everybody {
Castle Sligo seemed to attend to his ow
business. My chief pleasure Was to 70
! low old Molly about, and one time sh
, led me into an ancient stained room, III
orally lined with books.
"Some Of them come over with m
: lady" she said, gasing proudly around
~, but she was fond Of the learning, sh