The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-01-20
WARD AND GUARDIAN.

iIy tbietoh NY dyhS. "a
care you easter now, Mark9"
| Colonel Oxford stood by the bodsid
gently wiping the cold dew from th,
forehead of his earliest, dearest friend
He was a tall, handsome man. scarce
| ly more than two or three and thirty
with large blue eyes, and hair of wavy
brownish gold.
Easier? No, Carl) I shall move
be easier, until life and all its pang
have passed away from me. 1t j
merely . question of minutes with M
now" ...t...
Oxford held n glass of dark colore,
liquid to his friends pallid lips; Il,
drank few drops aud seemed to re
yive little.
"You will not forget, Carlp Yo,
will never let her miss fathers ten
der care-my poor, little, orphaned
girl?"
"Have I not plcged my solemn
word to you, Mark?"
"No, but swear i'll Swear to IN.
that Ethel shall never want for hom,
and protecting arm while you liyep
81 swear it!'
For one instant look OF ineffabl,
peace lowered over the white face, n,
II it We're the shadow of some silvei
pinioned dove; and so, with his hand.
folded on his breast, Mark LyttletoI
died.
rs my papa better?"
The child's soft voice ut tho door
pleading for entrance, roused Colo
mel Oxford, as he knelt OH the fool
with his face buried in the pillows be
side his friends dead face. How
should he tell her? Great Heaven
how should he break to her tidina,
that she was an orphan?
He led her away from the door.
"But l want to see papa."
"Not now, Ethel"
'He is worse?"
She stopped abruptly tall, un
gainly child of ten, with big blacl
eyes and swarthy hair hanging dowi
her back in tangled curls-and looket
wildly up into the pittying face.
Tell me! Why don't you speak tt
me? Oh, I know, 1 knowj he il
deadw
She broke away from Col. Orford's
OBTAINING hand, and hid her fac.
among the sofa cushions, with n or,
such as some bereaved wild anima
might utter.
''Oh, my papa! my papar'
And Carl Oxford went silentl,
away. feeling that solitude was bes
for the poor little tortured heart.
"I don't know what OH earth I'm Il
do with her"
Truly it was rather q perplexine
question for the young widower o
two-and-thirty.
''I cant take her with me TO Malta
she's too little. I can't send her 4
Oxford Hall, to nolder away with nj
antediluvian housekeepcr and half
dozen sleepy servants. l can't de
pesit her in n bank vault with III,
title deeds and Indian bonds! How
on earth can dispose OF her? Wha
do people generally do with girls te,
years old! Ethel"
She came to his side like an obcdi
ent kitten.
"What would you like to do wifi
yourself for the next two or thre
years."
7 '1f you please, sir, I should like t,
go to school"
Carl Oxford brought his hand dowi
on his knee vita resounding energy
'"The very thing! Why didn't j
occur to me before?" Yes, Ethel, yol
shall go to school!"
And by the first train next morning
Colonel Oxford was speeding awa,
away into the "rural districts, TO in
quire into the relative merits of Frencl
seminnries and English establish
Iments. The little black-eyed girl ha,
been a sore weight ON his mental sys
TEN, and it was no small relief to b
able, soms two weeks afterward, t
deliver her formally into the keepin,
OF Madame dc la Vanier, in good con
| dition.-
"Good bye, Ethelw he said stoop
ing to kiss her. "Be good girl, an
study all you can."
But Ethel turned her swarthy chez
away.
ST don't like to kiss big, tall me
like you"
ga very wise conclusion, if you onl
adhere to it through lifel" said Car
with slight grimace. m
And SO ward and guardian parte
for eight long years.
The blue June heaven was spread
ing its serene canopy over the thou
sand spires of the great city; an
Carl Oxford, walking up and dow
the hotel parlor, almost chafed {
being shut uE in TIE metropolis {
such season as this. + e,sa
81 ought to be at Oxford Hail." b
soliloquised. ''It must be loyel
there now-the lawn all siyered owe
with daisies, the honeysuckles fillin
the air with spice, and the little trol
stream, with its shadowed poo
and rustic bridge I wonder if th
strange feeling is homesickness? Eth,
lis there, too-my little swarthy ware
with her tangled curls, and big blac
leyes! Well, l suppose the diet ,
boarding school couldn't last foreve
But how she must astonish the o]
housekeeper with her odd, origins
motions. Yes, must go to Orfors
} but not before I have laid my fate
Esther Howard's feet! My beautiful
dark-eyed queen! Even SO I have a
ways fancied her royal jewish nam
, sake 10 look upon---hair purple blacl
J and rippled like moonlight tides; ey,