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

be right, and find consolation in that
at the worst"
This is the common self-deceptioi
of people who steel hearts, the procesi
paining them, in the long run, mor'
than others. They try to convince then
selves that they have tried to be right
1t is as though man should be satisfied
with reaching the the North Pole, be
cause he had tried to go to the Equator
He is not, therefore, any the less at the
North Pele.
The personages here introduced to the
reader, and who have been already dis
covered to be aunt and niece, had not q
drop of the same blood in their veins.
Mrs. Farrell, the elder lady in ques
ton, had been a .Roche-one of the Nor
folk Rocles, as she always saba fam
lily that had never gone wrong in theil
native city, and who had AS steadily ris-
en- in various professions as they had ia.
ken to them.
They were cited for their probity, bul
they were not liked. No Roche had
ever been bat1krupt-no Roche had
ever been required before a magistrate
upon any criminal charge whateveri
but they were not liked.
They were charitable, well-bred,
spoke with hahitual civilty to their SER
wants, were free from meahness, penu-
ry, or boastfulness-they were good citi-
zens, valuable English men and women,
honest people all; but they were not
liked.
And the reason was this-they possess
ed no sympathy. They gave more gold
than gentle words, helped willingly,
provided they were called upon for no
personal expression OF sentiment. The
mon never wrote letters of condolement
or congratulation, while the women
never Joined Dorcas societies, or took
stalls at fancy fairs, or, in fact, in any
way associated themselves with the
friendless and pleasant Interchange OF
amusements which went on amongst
their neighbors.
1fa work ofuse called for money, they
were ready with their purses; but if men
and women were wanted to look after a
children's fete, or anything of that kind,
they stopped at home.
But the strangest characteristic of their
behaviour was this that they resented
the fact of the people abandoning the
endeavor to induce them to be coIn pam
ionly.
However, the others were in the right
Life Is to short to waste much of our
time and happiness in endeavoring to
persuade people wilfully morose to be
happy. 1t is not worth our while to
trouble ourselves over much to induce
some people to he just to themselves,
and make their "miserable lives hap
py."
These same people, however, always
think themselves ill used.
The Roches habltually considered
themselves ill used, Lut they always re-
mained just in their general dealings
with mankind.
Mrs. Farrell had married man upon
whom she had taken sort of pity, and
to the end of that husbands life she re-
sented his act of ceasing to try to make
her sympathetic. The poor man began
by loving her dearly; but when he found
she remained iinpassive, he began TO
his love upon their one
child.
AS the years went on, the father and
child hid their love before the just but
marble hearted mother, and this fact
she found out, and seriously resented
When the child died, she resented the
fathers deeper grief and when he was
dying, she resented the wandering
addressed by him to fancied
child, as an infringement upon her own
rights.
She did what hard hearted people al
ways do-kill love, and then bitterly
complain that it is not theirs.
Left a rich widow, her company was
sought. She resented the attempt most
distinctly, and she lived quite alone, un,
Ill she hoard that her husbands sister,
Mrs. Pervenche, also widow, lay dy-
ing, watched by one human being, her
laughter, Annette.
She went at once to that poor bedside,
and consoled it Immensely by promis-
ng to adopt Annette; but she quite re-
sented the happy mothers sense of graf
tude, and quailed at the direction given
% the little girl-"Love your newmoth-
,r with the love 1 had"
The little child became girl, a wo-
man, and she had never blenched from
,he dying order, She loved her Aunt
Farrell with an abiding love, which she
lid, for she learnt early enough that tho
Roches hated demonstrations, and looked
upon it as weakness.
She respected the aunt immensely,
she was so just woman,
Thus matters were previously to the
afternoon upon which the reader sees
aun Mt and niece. Upon that morning, the
elderly lady had been seized with sud-
len pains in the region of her heart, and
. doctor being called in--he was the first
,f his profession she had personally seen
'or many years-she was told that she
might live many years, but that she
must keep as calm and quiet as possi-
ole.
She had not the least fear of death,
and that courage appeared to be based
upon little religious conviction. She be-
.onged to class Of people who are sim
ply incapable of lacking ceurage-in
fact, they must brave, let what may hap
pen.
Three weeks after the conversation,
another took place between Annette and |
Mrs. Farrell,