The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-09-07
|d9t planters &all1llsr
familr taruoine and News Jtems
WARD AND GUARDIAN
From the st, Louis Home journal,

.E, ~""'"G NstuOkUy uUU NEW5 JIfH
r. WARD AND GUARDIAr
r. From the st, Louis Home Journal,
ice lna handsome room in one of our fas
se se ionable West End streets, Mark Lyttlet
!, lay dying
- "Are yon easier now, Mark!'' -,..
J. Colonel Oxford stood bv the bedside .oer
en- " wiping the cold dew from the forehead
er his earliest, dearest friend. He was a In
handsome man. scarcely more than ~
=. or three and thirty, with large blue eve
ID and hair of wavy. brownish gold.
!" Easier! No, CARL; l shall never
!. easier. until life with all it's pangs has passf
!: sxsx fro@ ne.. 1t is merely a question
!" Oxford held glass af d, RI ia
( to bis friends lips; he dr., NJ. e d.,
o and seemed to revive little. sEf
"4ou viii not forget, CARL! You wi
never let her miss fathers tender care
1 my poor little. orphaned girl!" ~.
shave not pledged my solemn word t
you. Mark!" o. N -. o. q. -
!. "NO, but swear it! Swear to me tha
Ethel shall never want for home, and
. protecting arm. while you live.''
II swear it," - ' s' .s
: FOr one instant. a look of inetfable peac
lowered over the white face, as if If wer
. the shadow of some silver pinioned dove
I and SO. with his hands folded on his brenst
Mark Lyttleton died. 7. =
''ls my papa better!" leH
Tho cbild's soft voice at the door, plead
ing for entrance, aroused Colonel Oxford, a.
ne knelt on the floor with his face buried il
the pillows beside his dead friends face
how should he tell her! Great heaven. how
should be break to her the tidings that she
was an orphan!
tie led her away from the door.
i but l want to see papa"
''Not now. Ethel" -f
'He's worse!" -at
She stopped abruptly tall, ungainly
child of ten, with big black eyes. and
swarthy hair hanging down her hack in
tangled carls-and looked wildly up into
the plying face. -sa, sd
.sTell me! why don't you speak to me,
On, know know-he is dead"
She broke away from Colonel Orford's de-
taining hand. and hid her face among the
sofa cushions. with cry such as some be-
reaved animal might utter. ~ rr.s.r@.5 r.
'Oh. my papa! my pala!' ls,, asy... =
And CARL Oxford went silently away,
feeling that solitude was the best for the
poor little tortured heart. r % 7I7
II don't know what on earth l am to do
with her." ..-
Truly. it Was rather perplexipg question
for the young widower Of two and thirty.
'Ican't take her with me to Malta, she's
too little. l can't send her to Oxford Hall.
to molder away with an antedeluvian house.
keeper and half dozen sleepy servants. I!
eau deposit her in bank vault with nv
title deeds and Indian bonds. How ON earth
can dispose of her! What do peo.ls ,aaa.
srally Do with .irk ten yetrs old! Ethel z
..Whst would you like to do with yourself
for the next two or three years!''
..If you please, sir. I should like to 20 to
CARL Oxford brought his hand down on his
knee with resounding energy. .e 49,.
'"The very thing! Why didn't it occur
to me before! Yes. Ethel. you shall go to
school," re,l ,sr.I3 q saii,nissi .s.s ur
And by the very FIRST train next morning,
Colouel Oxford was speeding away into the
..rural districts to enquire into the relative
merits of French seminaries and English
establishments. The little black-eysd girl
had been sore weight on his mental sys-
ten, and it was no small relief to be able,
sone two weeks afterwards. e. a.ti. ." :,ss
formally into the keeping of M...--..i IA la
Vanier. 'e''' -, ...', 5.'..,.
Goodbye. Ethel" he said, STOPPING to
kiss her.,s "Be . good girl, and study all
you can." .ajgs.a
But Ethel turned her swartby cheek
avav. sn9tfzsrgYosl irt -sisffu1.f Z ffi3 ss 81
II don't like to kiss big, tall men like
yoo." s,,aL l ,'a. -. 20, ,..a
IA very wise conclusion. if you only ad-
here to it through ifs!" said CARL. with a
little grimace.
And 20 ward and guardian parted for eight
long years. .}I57 ..efag.a
The blue June heaven was spreading its
.erens canopy over the thousand spires of
the Great city;o Carl Orford walking up
and down and the hotel parlor. almost chafed
at heing shut up in the metropolis at such a
aonson q thia. 10 ~ 5tEsas cH sga g9df
.sI- -oueht to be at Oxford Hal" he sollo-
nu,sed, :. ..,It muss be lovely there now--the
lsvnI an .iksred ever with daisies, the honey
suckles filing the air with spice, and the
little front streasn, with its shadowed pools
and rustic bridge. l wonder It this strange
feeling 10 home sickness! Ethel is there
too-my little suarthy ward, With her tan
gled epras and big black eyes. Well sup
pose The diet Of boarding school couldn't
~ for bvrs. Bnt how she mast astonish
the old hoesekssper. With her independent
ways, and her odd. original notions. Yes,
| must 10 TO Oxford. but not before have
laid nv fats at Esther Ho1ard's feet My
beautiful, dark eyed queen. Even 50,
have always fancied her royal Jewish name ;
sake TO look upon-hair purpled black, and