The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-05

Has passed away Ia cold, light,
sIiII have tn on mt of you in Kindness,
And shall do iii our last geo Knight.
THOMAS PEACOCK.
She was so very, very, very pretty.
Il Is hard, now that the glamour is
passed away, to rhapsodize as she de-
serves to be rhapsodized about. But
in those young days, when / knew her
first, she was worthy of any amount of
impassioned poetical fervor that could
be brought to bear upon her.
My sister, widow, the relict of
respectable baronet, was the patroness
of little living that was vacant down
IN certain sterile spot in East ADg-
lier. And as l, Lady Vallant's only
brother, bad recently gone into orders,
| occurred to her ladyship as fit and
proper person to nominate to the va
cant charge of the parish of Holton.
Il was little living, from the re-
muuerative point of view. But 1t was
rather a large parish, when the area
of its acres was taken into considera-
ton. Holton proper consisted of a
struggling street containing many re-
specgable houses-in which dwelt re-
spectively the lawyer, the doctor, the
banker, and the chief wine merchant
In the place and Of few scattered
manor and farm. houses, tenanted ac-
cording to their degree, By small
squires and big farmers.
My sister, Lady Valiant, occupied
q nice, comfOrta Bile, square, white
faced mansion on the hill side south
word from Holton; and her nearest
peighbor was a Miss Herriot, owner
of and dweller in Herriot Court-an
orphan, beauty, and a belle esprit.
So much l gathered during the two or
three days that | spent in learning the
capabilities, the advantages and disad-
vantages Of Holton.
Miss Hsrriot was, 50 to say, hurled
at my head from the moment of my
first setting foot Ia the parish. She
was specially asked to dinner by Lady
Valiant, and was specially directed
By Lady Valiant 20 take her in to that
meal. When l, in obedience to my
sisters orders, advanced to take the
fair aud honored guest, was staegsr-
ed By seeing young, pretty, debonair.
looking gill, who received my low sa
laam with mock obeissnce, and my
pretty speech with a mock solemnity
that left me mentally high and dry, as
far as she was concerned, for at least
half an hour. nn.
While that half hour was passing
over our heads / was occupied in dis
covering what manner of. woman she
was. Miss Herriot, of Herriot Court.
had good points about her-so much
Wos ascertainable at a glance. But
the rare beauty of the girl didn't dawn
upon a man at once-It stole upon and
bedeviled him gradually.
l can't say with precision what her
height was. Miss Herriot was of
charming skature-tall enough to
avoid being called short, short enough
to avoid being called tall. The girl
had a complexion, too. and eyes but
what the color Of these things were it
is hard to say. They were the color
of roses aud heaven TO me then-of
the brightest, reddest roses, and the
brightest, bluest heaven.
And what wistfui, tTemulous, duo
tile mouAh she badl Il trembled with
such q pretty culver when she men,
toned her Christian name to me cas-
ually, "Melanie Herriot" did think
it quaiut?-her mother bad been a
French woman. born aud bred aud
nurtured. Ah! that she had
been the same, instead of having had
to breast all these insular pvejudicea :!
All what insular prejudieesf |
didn't in the least know who she
charged with what.
''TheseV she replied sketchily /;
these people about here who dislike
me, you know"
ID sllke you-is it possible? |
looked all my unbelief of such hid
eOus possibility into the azure eyes
that were beaming upon me. And the
voice appertaioing unto the same said,
with laugh:
Yes; very possible; quite an essab
lished fact; as you will tind when you
know more of Holton and the neigh
borhood. | wonder, indeed, that Lady
Valiant suffered you 20 ruu the gaunt'
let of my influence; for, do you know
Mr.. Armitage, that | am considered
very dangerous aud detrimental, and
-and-all sorts OF things2"
She was so lovely as she spoke-sC
lovely, with her great, beseeching eyes
and her innocent child's mouth, anC
her rich roseate complexion. Thai
dinner was phase of fairy-land to me
Even now, looking back upon it, see
the table cleaning With glitter of sill
yer ami glass upon Il that is supernatu
raj, since no other dinner table evel
glemed so before, or since, 10 my eyes
Il was a phase of fairy land. AnC
yet ell the pleasures of elfdom mus
be small compared with the magni
tude of my bliss when she turned Il
me, Just before my sister signaled Il
her to move from the table. and said
'As am one of your parishioners
may | ask you to come and see me
l can't call on you, you know, becaus
my doing that would scandalize Hol
ton too terribly; but | may ask you t
my house. You know where tits, don
your"
My sister pointed out Herrio
Court to me to- day from the height
above Baltringham-"
And didn't you think il a quee
old place? You can't tell me nov
because lady Valiant is in a hurry I
be off; but you shall tell me by,and
me In a hopeless state of incipieI
love aud we'll developed stupefactioI
By,and-by | sought her side agaiJ
as sac bid me do half an hour before
but her mood was changed,
Country dinner parties are tn
best sedatives In the world" she sal
to me, as | seated myself near her. "
am going to ask your sister TO be goo
enough TO les me order my carriage.
ALREADY?
She laughed. WHAT a despairin
tone? Are you afraid nv departul
will break up the party? 1t won
l assure you"
Il wantsto tell you what though
Of Herriot Court, as you desired n
to do just now"
''Ah, so / did! Come to MORO
ard tell me; come 10 The mornin
will you, Mr.. Armitags?' Then,
/ bowed assent, she held her har
-, end daDiu anI coId 1Cood nI0hi