The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-05-20
MERELY MENIAL.


Lyon since she became a member c
our family. The poor girl has NOR
than once noticed, l am Wy certain
your naughty, supereiliOus behavior.
t'Let her notice it, mamma, y was Cor
nelia Stanhope's seornfully spoken an
tsweF, while the young lady's handsomi
dark eyes flashed imperiOusly enough
g For my part, find it quite impossi
bic TO restrain my dislike to that girl
As for her being member Of our fam
lily, must say, mamma, that 1 decid
edly object to her being called anything
Of the sort. She is dependent on on
kindness-an orphan to whom we have
charitably given shelter - nothing
more.n
"But she is your cousin, Cornelia-
the child ofyour dead fathers dead sis
/ ter"
WHO made a horribly low marriage
by the way" retorted the young lady
''if report speaks correctly. It is use
less for you to scOld me- mamma, about
my manner of conducting myself to-
ward Laura. Between ourselves, ]
think it very probable that shall treat
her much worse before treat her much
better. She is an out-and-Out nuis-
ance.n
ztYou are shockingly wicked to call
her so, !" exclaimed Mrs. Stanhope, who,
though what is termed weak woman,
was now and then given to transitory
fits of strOng-m -mindedness in her mode
of defending those she loved. There
is nothing which you have asked Lau-
IA to do since her arrival in the house
that she has refused, or even hesita-
ted
Nonsense, mamma; L know what
you are going to say ~ Miss Stanhope
broke in. "Of course, Laura has ar
ranged my hair for the opera and for
balls whenever [ have asked her. She
has also done several other menia1 SER
vices. I don't know that am partic-
uIarIy obliged to her for performing
them. She is certainly well-fed and
clothed at the household expense and
she should consider our kindness in
thus feeding and clothing her, ample
payment for the slight favOrs which are
/ REQUIRED at her hands. And now,
| please discontinue this argument on
! the subject of Laura. 4Al0rOpoS of the
opera, Lord Ellery has sent word to
know whether you and desired TO ac-
! cupy Is box this evening. l immedi~
ately Vote an acceptance in reply to
( the note, feeling sure that you would
/ like to see Faust once again"
/ "XVill he accompany us?'
y faint tinge of colo stole i'll COrne-
+ lia StanhOpe's olive cheek. "Of course
mama," she answered.
! 81 suppose SO" Mrs. StanhOpe said.
! "Do you know, Cornelia, that | con-
slider the attentions of Lord Ellery
most marked and devoted toward your
self? ?''
"Doyou, mamma pa short ner-
vous laugh followed the words.
His father, the Marquis of Fan
court, is very rich, is he not"
NNoufh fy4rN hundred fh01IGanH a
year, I believe"
"And you would marry him--if he
asked you, COrnelia?'
The young lady bit her lip. The sen
tence, - if he asked you,n grated very
disagreeably upon her ear. During
the past two or three weeks, it had
grown the ruling purpose Of Cornelia
StanhOpe's thoughts to become the wife
of Viscount Eilery. She had resolved
that no amount of stern, steadfast en-
deavor should be lacking, on her part,
in the matter. of attaining this object.
1t is, indeed, very probable that she had
not vet fully satisfied herself as to
whether love for Lord Ellery formed
even q slight motive Of her present
course of action, but it is altogether
sure that she was aware how dominant
a motive worldly interest formed.
+" How do you know that he has not
dlieGuY d5AGu me- 4lcAlAl41AtL o4AC ccllNly
in answer to her mothers question.
q He calls here very often, and you sell
dom interfere with our tete-a-teteS.
Then Cornelia gave q musical little
laugh, that left her mother, in doubt as
to whether she was serious or in fun,
and disappeared very abruptly from
the room. But the truth was that she
only hoped the viscOunt would pro-
pose; he really had not done so as yet. |
Meanwhile, on the afternoon Of this
conversation between mother and
daughter, pretty blonde-haIred Laura
Lyon sat in her small, out-Of-the-way
chamber, on the third floor Of Mrs. !
StanhOpe's residence, and wondered
what special reason Providence had for
sending her into the world and why,
since she seemed to have been created
to be snubbed, and despised, and tram |
pled on, it would not be much better if
her thoroughly useless existence came
to close altogether.
These We're very wicked thoughts, of
course but then poor Laura who had
known a life far different from her pres
ent one, was excusable, perhaps, for
thinking them. Hers had, indeed,
been life of quiet, domestic happiness,
unil that dark eighteenth year, in
which death followed upon death with
such fearfulness, and she was made an
orphan almost before she had cOmpre-
hended the bitter fact. Then had come
the knowledge of her fathers insolvent
condition and her own utter pennileSs-
ness.
Silently to herself-Whilc she looked
that afternoon upon the snowy pave
ments of the streets beneath her and felt
the cold Ofa rapidly strengthening De-
cenbeF wind sweep past the paneS, and
chill them more and more with every
gust silently to herself, I say, did Lau-
IA Lyon recall the handsome, genial
face of one whom she had know II and
loved four years ago. 1t was the old
story. They had sworn very passion
ate vows to each other; but the course
of true love had run roughly, indeed,
and her father, unwilling that Laura
should become the wife of q poor man,
had forbidden their meetings. And at
last the lover had resolved to go and
fight the world; and q final stolen
meeting had taken place between them,
and he went 10 India, and-sO it had all
ended. If he had ever written to her
Laura had not received his letters.
Quite lost in her sad thoughts, she let
the day slowly darken until it had left
her little room completely in shadow.
At last, a servant knocked at the door,
saying, Dinner is served, Miss Ly-
on ;" and Laura presently descended to
the dining-rOom.
Mrs. StanhOpe and her daughter were
already seated at table when their rel
ative entered the room. The latter's
face, Laura could not help observing,
wore a sort of angry scowl. Miss Stan
hope soon gave vocal proof that she was
annoyed.
:" Laura she exclaimed, "you have
hOrrid habit of coming down to din
ner. You almost always enter the
dining room after soup has been served.
Perhaps you would be able to appear
more punctually if we rang several