The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-07-11

there was in the city, and for three years hae
behaved entirely according to his aunt's wish
in every RESPECT.
One day, however, the peace and tranquil
ity of Miss Barbara's household was broker
up by whisper which came to her ears
John. her John, was '''paying attention" te
somebody ! She was at first incredulous, buI
as the days went by she was forced to believe
it /; for one night. John, sitting at her feet
with his yellow hair shining in the freight
told her with much confusion and embarrass
,nent that he was going to be married.
Miss Barbara was good woman. but she
was very whimsical, little selfish, and above
all, very Jealous of her own dignity, and the
knowledge that John had asserted his inde-
pendence and actuallw planned out his future
life without consulting her beforehand, was
very hard thing for her to bear. She was
not patient nor forgivipg. and the result of
Jshn's confidence was q very unpleasant
scepe.; she who had never spoken to him
harshly before overwhelmed him with hard,
bitter words, and then. when he was gone,
wept herself asleep over his ''ingratitude,"
as she called it.
When at last he was really married, her
anger knew no bounds, aud his first visit to
her after that event, euded as we have seen.
The days passed slowly after John, with
his bright face ard ringing voice. was ban=
ished, and Miss Barbara, half-regretting her
harshness, was Otter tempted to send for him
again. but her .obstinacy, or s.pride." as she
called it, prevented her. and so. she fretted
and worried until Jane was almost driven
distracted by her irritability and unreason-
ableness She was, go cross, SO hard to suit,
and SO lawfully savage as John would have
said, that Jane became at last entirely worn
out, and one day when her; duties had been
more than usually hard, she surprised her
mistress by packing up her movable property
aid departing from tire house. Then Miss
Barbara was wretehed For threS- aays she
sat 10 solitary state, and then, sending for her
lawyer, directed him to, insert an advertise.
ment 10 the leading papers to the effect that
she wanted '"young, neat and lady-llke per-
son" for ''companion."
aNo more old women for me-" she said
savagely, in response to the lawyers look Of
surprise, .after the behavior Of Jane, who
has been with ME for thirty years." and then
authorizing him to examine the, applicants
she sent him away and waited.
Two days after the lawyer returned accom-.
panied by tall, slender, woman, who had
come to see if she (Miss Barbara) would en-
gage her. Miss Barbara's black eyes looked
keenly at her for some time. apd after in
quiring sharply into her anteccaents, refer
epces and the like, Miss Barbara pronounced
herself satisfied, and Alice Worthington Gas
the lawyer called herJ was duly installed in
the Office Of ''compapion," and a most charm
ing companion she proved 10 be.
: Miss Barbara was at first disposed to be
b. critical and captious, but the young girl
was SO anxious to please, SO sweet-tempered
and amiable, so quiet and self-forgetful, that
Miss Barbara's severity melted away'by de-
srees and at last she began to love her atten.
dant and try in various little ways to make
her cheerful ard cQntented in her new home.
..Alice," she said one day as the young
girl sat opposite her before the fire, "how old
are you" IL.
"Not quite nineteen" was the shy answer
And Miss Barbara looked at her in sur
prise "Not quite nineteen," and yet SO
quiet and disni6ed. and womanly it was al
most incredible. Miss Barbara locked at her
again, and with new appreciation in her facej
she saw how pure and sweet the fail face
looked. with the shy brown eyes half-hidded
by the white lids; she saw how smoothly and
plainly the brown hair was fastened back, how
neat and trim was the dark dress, how snowy
were the cuffs and the narrow collar, and her
heart was filed with wonder. A girl in the
nineteenth century without puff, crimp,
an overskift, sash, or suspicion Of panicr
about her Truly, wonders would never
cease, and, as she gazed on the rare avis, her
eyes filed with pity for poor John, who had
thrown himself away.
''She's Just the wife for him. she thsught,
If he had only waited little-he would have
liked her, am sure" And then she dis
missed the thought with sigh, and turned
to Alice for consolation.
As the days went by Miss Rarbara's heart
began to yearu for her nephew. She loved
Alice dearly, but even she did not take the
place of the absent one. His handsome face
haunted her day and night, and often as she
heard a sudden noise in the hail, or at the
door, she would lock up eargerly, half ex
pccting to see him as she used to do. - am
getting old" she said sadly to herself. "Per-
haps | was little hard with him-my boy
L II ask Alice"
And so one night she called Alice to ler,
and as she sat OF her feet in the freight, as
John had done SO often. she told her all
about it-and how she lcnged to see him
again.
Il am getting old, Alice" she said, II may
die soon, and want to see my boy. Per-
haps was wrong about his wife. 1t would
do no harm to see them just once, Alice"
And Alice answered gently that perhaps it
would be better for them all to do SO; but
she avoided her kind friends eyes and there
was scarlet flush on her face that was uuu-
sual
The next day, Alice. Under Miss Barbara's
direction wrote little note to John Barton.
F.Tcll him, to come soon," said she; and as
Alice wrote this, Miss Barbara sat and
thought iutectly for time, her face resting on
her hands. TELL him." she said again,
"tell him he can bring his wife if he likes
can ut least see her to please him." And
SO the note was written and the message dis
patched.
After this decisive step was taken Miss
Barbara was in futtes Of nervousness a,
tho time She donned her richest dress. sher
most costly cap, and then sat expcctant until
10 ho.rd Iohn's stem on the stairs and !, hn