The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-07-29

II have made my will.''
There was pause.
"Why don't you speak ?"
"What can say dear aunt?"
"Can not you ask what have don
for YOU"
"No," replied the girl, calmly.
Nevertheless. 1t would be very ma
tural question"
mot with me. 1 look upon it as
very cruel one"
"Ha! by that you me;n that vol
have your weak mothers nature, ant
that you despise mine. Well, if vol
will not ask the question, will ask i
for you, and here is the answer:
brought the greater part of the money t.
my husband upod which he raised tn,
fortune he left me; the money he hac
before married him, have very prop
erly and justly left to you, his blood
niece. But as l nIistrust the weakness.
your character-as fear that the frs
fool who could touch your heart woulc
be master of your poor, few, foolish
hundreds-I have directed that an annut
ty shall be bought with the money. and
which will produce you about seventy
pounds year-enough to keep u wo.
mans head under some sort of a roof
Well, what do you say ?'
Il am very grateful, aunt"
"Grateful? 10 yeu comprehend the
change that will take place in your life ?
DO you foresee that your carriage will
be gone, your horse, the pianos and or
gan you love so much, Inc wide gardens
of this house, and all the luxury in
which you liver"
II do not care much about the luxury
in which l live, dear aunt; and some
times think it almost wicked to live as
[ am living-doing so little good. And
as for the music, we can be quite as hap
py with little cottage piano in garret
as with magnificent Instruments in a
drawing ROOM"
"You think 30 now, in theory. 1t
would be very different in practice. Be-
lieving this, have made some further
provisions in this will Of mine. As a
Roche, leave money coming from the
Roches 10 one of that name. therefore
leave the whole Of my property to Heu-
ry Roche, my cousin, the banker; and
as he is unmarried, ] kshirn, for can
not command him, 10 marry you, as
some compensation for your loss"
"Dear aunt, you speak of these things
IS though they were everyday mat-
ters.'
death comes daily" she said.
She never again referred to the will,
made no additions TO 1t, made no change
in its provisions. Perhaps, as the pain
of her disease increased, she b. came
more humane and womanly. Some
thing like wealth of love began to
spring up in her eyos, as she looked
upon the patient niece but her heart
had been damped so long, it could not
kindle into the warmth of human love
as she lay upon her death-bed; and the
just but loveless woman passed away,
having been oblivious all her life to the
marvellous text: ITO whom little is for
given, He has loved little"
\ ~
"Mr. Henry Roche presents his com.
pliments to Miss Pervenche, and will be
earliest convenience
This MIR. Henry Roche was the dis
tant cousin to whom Mrs. Farrell had
left the whole of her fortune, with the ex-
ception of the hundreds which brought
Annette her trifling annuity.
Henry Roche did not attend the fun
eral. The honest hand woman was fol-
lowed with love to the grave only by
one heart-Annette's. The social posi-
tion of the doad lady prohibited lady
following to the grave; but the kindly
niece's soul followed that cold heart, yet
scarcely colder than it was in life, to its
last resting place.
In those few lines comprising the
above note, the cousin intimated his will
lingness at least to consider the provi
sions of Mrs. Farrells will.
She found him an excessively pleasant
and polished man, but as cold ard dead
hearted as his cousin. Yet can it be be-
lieved that at the end of month she be-
lieved firmly that she loved him?
He was much older than herself, and
his iciness was terrible, yet she believed
she loved him. The simple fact was
this: the young girls heart was gentle
and loving; and it was the gratitude she
felt for the honor he had offered to her,
q M n nft
which he had saved her, which prompt
ed a thankfulness the poor girl to be
love.
Many girl has married from sense
OF gratitude, only, to her terror, to dis
cover after marriage that she has not
experienced love, and that the unsatisfi-
ed yearning for that marvellous inter-
communication of souls we are pleased
to call love, is still potent and all undy-
ing in her soul and heart-a yearning
which in itself even, altogether apart
from an object, is, in wife, deadly
sin.
lie proposed to her at the end of that
month as calmly Ms though he had been
giving orders to re-paper drawing
room.
II most gratefully accept you, Cousin
Harry, if may call You So" she said;
"and will endeavor all my life to show
my gratitude"
lie bowed; and, perhaps, there was
just a shade of pain upon his face. Cold |
as he was, he would have preferred to
see her warmer in her acceptance OF his
offer, !