The St. Cloud journal., 1871-11-23
GRACE ALLEN,

GRACE ALLEN.
"Well, she's pretty bride, and toe
young for William ); SC it is not so bad
as it might have heen," said Aunt Ma.
ria, gravely, to her maid. But, mer.
cy me! what daft-likc thing to have
bit lassie like that to our Will to take
care of That there vas an Aunt Ma.
ria at home to hold things together, and
keep his house from falling about his
ears, while Will was rambling about
heather parts, never entered poor Jack
Aliens head; but then poor Jack-the
Lord forgive me for speaking an ill
word of the dead !-ncver had any
head, so far as l know; and certainly
to make my nephew, Will Magnus,
guardian to lass Of sixteen, was about
the foolishest thing of a rarc foolish
life. However, we'll do the best We
can for her, poor bit thing, and We can
not do more eh, Jane ?"
"No, ma'am," said Jane, demurely
mentally calculating the extra trouble
which the young lady just arrived
would give, and wondering that he,
mistress had borne so patiently with
what mistress and maid we'll kew would
be an immense interruption to the
method and regularity of their lives.-
For both Aun: Maria and Jane Crup'
FER, her factotum, were spinsters Of a
certain age, and as such not naturally
inclined to the companionship Of a pref
ty girl of sixteen, who was sure, they
both thought, to have less sense than
folly, and to be no good in the house,
take her how they would. But if old
maids, both women were substantially
kind and generous; so poor little Grace
was bidden welcome, with a 1nagnani
nous resolve to make the best of cvery
thing, and n 1t to let molehllls look tot
much like mountains.
Up stairs, whiles crying, ,wh'les pond
erlrg, sat Grace Allen, poor Jack't
orphaned child and William Maguus'
ward. Grace had never known her
mother, which was one of the reasons
among others why the kind, soft heart
Of her father had yearned over he,
with such passionate tenderness, and
Why, had she been any one but Grace
she would have been spoilt years ago
As it was, may be she was just shade
spoilt on the outside, but then, th'
heart Of her was as pure as bit OF
gold; and if she had been INDUCED she
had not learned to be selfish. Jacl
had brought her up on the principle o.
love, and on the whole his workman
ship might be commended. Then she
was pretty-very pretty; fair faced
brown-haired girl, tall for her years
with skin like rose-leaves and cream
as her old nurse used to say, and lool
of wholesomeness, if not Of grea
strength, about her; girl Of warn
and steadfast affections, not passions
faithful, loyal, truthful, loving but {
creature that cried rather than storme,
when things went i'll, and Sorrows ant
disappointmonts, which not even Jacs
nor Nursey could keep from her, fell Of
her young head.
This was one of them. She hat
been wretched enough six months ago
when she had lost her dear Nursey
who had been to her like a secon,
mother; but what was even that to thi
other terrible grief, the loss of her goo'
tender father, her friend, her protector
her playmate, her beloved! No won
dor that she cried, poor darling, if be
tween whiles she pondered and th
shape her thoughts took chiefly was
"I wonder what kind of a man m,
guardian is )" and, II wonder if
shall ever see Addy again, and if h
will keep his promise and write to me-
| Addy was a young man standing i,
the registers books as Adolphus Cay
ley, the son Of Color.sergeant Gayle
Of the regiment where poor Jack ha'
been major. Moreover, he was Nursey'
nephew; and not gentleman. Blu
he was fine, handsome, gallant youth
learning now to be civil engineer;
lad with brains and the knowledge q
how to use them, and who, by the grac
Of natural refinement, quick pcrcep
tions and some good fortune in early as
sociations, had gained quite passabl
amount of good breeding, so that hi
manners, if not not ticeably aristocrAtic
were by no means plebeiau. Aud b
had been much with Grace both year!
ago when they were little peopl
playing with cow'slip balls and dais
chains in the meadows, and later, whe
grown girl and youth, they had nc
found the two ends of the village wher
they lived 50 far apart that they coul
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