The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-16

grees she got TO think that as Mr.. Finch
saw no difficulty in the matter, il must be
all her own fancy or her own mistake;
and that there could really be nothing to
explain to her which had not been fully
explained alreadY-if only she were NOT
so stupid. SO she held her tongue, and
gradually her little uneasiness died away,
and she was able TO take possession of and
enter into the enjoyment Of her fortune
with an undisturbed mind.
And her enjoyment was very great. In
her case, fortune had not come when she
was past being able to take pleasure in it,
She was by no means this. 1t was delight.
full TO wakein the night and 10 remember
that she was mistress OF fifteen hundred a
year; and so, with a murmRred thanks.
giving, to fall asleep again IN that happy
security Of peace and comfort for the rest
Of her life, 1t was delightful to lie think.
ing in the morning before she got up OF
her, deliverance from oil those cares and
worries, from which, throughout her whole
life, she had never perfectly escaped TILL
now, and, which, during late years had
followed her weary steps very closely. 1t
was pleasant to dress herselfin the rich
raiment-the soft warm, becoming silks
and iurs which before she could only I'D
miro at such an unapproachAble distance !;
and to feel conscious, rs she looked in her
glass, that she was lair, stately, pleasant
woman to look on, and no longer the
pinched and meagrely dressed; shabby
genteel figure she used to know The
very creature comforts which now sur.
rounded her--the bright, wcll.Mrnished
rooms In which she had gone to live, the
good food on her table, the wCl.bred, well
dressed servants who waited on her, the
comfortable little carriage which was at
her command-all these luXuries were rel.
ished by her with keen Zest which had
in II something Of youthful freshness Of
enjoyment. y
AS TO the glad, delicious consciousness of
her power TO do kindness and give help,
II would have been almost OvGrpOwGring,
Il she had not vGrysOOn been unCeremo.
nlOusly awakened to the fact that, rich as
she was, she was not half rich enough TO
satisfy One.tenth part of the demands
which were sure to be made on her purse
and her benevOlenCo. Within the very
first fortnight after Mrs Barkers death,
she began 10 SEQ something OF this. 1t
might have been an "undcSigncd COinci.
dence" but II certainly was an odd one
that tho clergyman OF the church To which
she belonged should have preached on the
text beginning "Charge them that arc rich
in this world" the very Sunday after Mrs.
Barker's funeral. During the following
week she got three letters, one requesting
n subscription towards the building OF
Protestant church at ConstantinOplc; nm.
other setting forth in pathetic terms the
case Of u destitute clcrgymans widow and
six children In the west Of Ireland; the
third with calm confidence which at first
startled her into the suppOsltiOn that her
claim to the money was being formally
disputed, suggesting that she should I'M:
mediatGly employ hcr fortune in building
n model lodging house for unemployed
undergraduates. Along with this last
application came printed form Of sub.
sCriptiOn and stamped envelope, which
she ConsCientlOusly returned. But she
sent i've pounds TO the destitute Irish
widow, and was rewrded by seeing AFTER.
wards In the newspapers that the case was
one OF mere common swindling. In fact,
II was in this very matter Of her ability TO
DO charitable that sh0 found almost the
only drop of bitterness in her cup OF pleas.
ure-shc could not help people expecting
too much from her, but 1t grieved her to
be obliged to disappoint their expectations
In spite of this, however, she was happy
very happy.
One other thing had at first interfered
with her pleasure In her richcs-shc iCHr-
ed that Mrs. LOrimer would grudge them
to her, aud would resent having been so
completely passed over In Mrs. BarkCr's
will To her great comfort, however, Mrs
Lorimer showed nothing but generous and
sympathetic pleasure In her cousins good
fortune. Indeed, Mrs. Lorimcr was too pru.
dent woman TO wish to seem unkind
or disagreeable 1t was mOrtilylng, no
doubt, 10 have lost even that poor legacy
Of hundred pounds on which she had
been reckoning. II was rather trying to
her temper to see her poor relation so en-
tirely raised above all reach of her pat
rOnage. But there was some consolation
in assuming patronage of another kind.
Miss Brown was no longer dependent on
her stray gifts Of game, poultry, or garden
produce, or on her offers OF change and
country air; but she was very dependent
on Mrs. Lorimer's knowledge of the world
and society, and on her advice respecting
servants, houses, and tradespeople; and
Mrs. Lorimer was kindly liberal In allow
ing her the benefit Of both, and found IL
pleasant to Chaperon her rich, shy, spin
ster cousin to shops, and calls, and dinner
parties, that she swallowed the annoyance
Of having TO take up u somewhat second.
ary position. Nor could she help being
sOitened and prOpitiAtGd by the simplicity
and nodesty with which Priscilla bore
her new honors Perhaps Mrs. Lorimcr's
conscience reminded her Of many slight,
and sign of careless indifference 10 her
poor cousins feelings, which the latter
might now have resented, II she had
chosen. She was half touched by her gen.
Ito humility, and half ContemptI0us OF IT,
"Priscila was always poOr.spiritGd Crea-
ture, poor tbingp she said 10 herself.
She did not understand that Miss Brown
could still distinctly remember every NOR
tinCation and annoyance, even while she
silently fOrgavo them, and tried 10 view
them as not having been intended But
she did understand that Priscilla wis
"ailer all, good creature. And I'm sure,
for my part" she said to her brother, ~
don't grudgo her her good luck. And
it's well for her TINT she has us to take
care of her, for she's as simple ms n child
insome things. But she's really so good
tempered and amiable, ono can't help
liking her" Ithad taken Mrs Lorimer
long time, apparently, to find ont her
cousins good Qualities; and even Mr..
Dixon smiled 4 little TO- himself ut this
sudden recognition of them. -
Five months passed away, and the first
novelty OF Miss Browns change Of for
tune had subsidized. She was still very
hAnDy In Il Every morning and evening