Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-02-08
really am speaking in earnest. I do promise
IL IL L

With this promise given in Minnie's reck-
less, halflaughing way, Ethel was obliged to
be content; yet her sisters careless words re-
Cured more than once to her afterward, bring
ing an uneasy feeling to her mind.
II don't know how I shall get on without
you, Ethel" Arly said when she told him good
bye. II half repent my advice to you about
going"
And her grandfather said, as he placed her
in the carriage,
"Child, you are the sunshine of the house.
Who will cheer us up when you are gone r
"It is pleasant to be missed" thought Ethel,
as she drove off, And then her thoughts
went travelling before her to her childhood's
home, which she had not seen for over year.
Her journey was an uneventful one, and
she arrived safely at Summer6eld, where the
warmest of welcomes was awaiting her. Her
old friend and schoolfellow, Mary Lawton,
was delighted to meet her again.
81 declare, Ethel, it's perfect age since
you went away, or at least it seems so. How
did you leave Minnie?' Are you quite we'll
yourself? You look so pale"
Ethel confessed to being little tired, but
said she was quite we'll. Her friends, howev-
! er, all decided that she was certainly thinner
than when she went away, and kind, mother
ly Mrs. L awton declared that what she
needed was change Of air to fatten her up,
IL H.. 70 or hor looy
them until the desired effect had been accom-
plished.
"Your native air will do wonders for you,
1 know. Are you glad to see Summer6eld
again, Ethel?" Mary asked.
eyes, very" said Ethel, smiling through
the tears that rose to her eyes, for there were
such sad as we'll as pleasant associations con-
nected with her childhood's home, that she
could not find herself once more in the we'll
remembered places without thrill Of sorrow
full regret and yearning for the past.
eve will have such delightful times togeth-
er /" pursued Mary, anxious to change the cur
rent of her thoughts. "Father gave me
beautiful horse at Christmas, so spirited, yet
as gentle as lamb, and you know there's old
Gray-you remember Gray, don't you? 80
we can ride out every afternoon. Then there
is to be picnic soon, at Meadow-bank, and
of course we are all going. And everybody
here has been so anxious for you to come back.
"Oh Ethel, I can't tell you how we have
missed you! I have your class in Sunday
school, and don't believe the children like
me half as we'll. By the way, you know the
Bishop is coming next month, and Barton El-
lott is to he ordained"
"Is he3" Ethel's interest was aroused by
this information regarding her old friend and
playmate. "Is he going anywhere after
ward ?"
"He will stay here and do duty for his faith
er for time. You know wrote you that
the old gentleman had been very i'll, and he
has not recovered yet. We have been having
Mr.. Wells every other Sunday until lately,
but now we have only lay-reading. Our
choir is wonderfully improved, Ethel Clara
Holmes resigned, and Miss Phillips has taken
her place, and she has such delightful voice.
Only think, they are going to make me or
ganist when Barton gives it up; am fright
ened at the idea Of playing on the Sunday
that the Bishop is here, but I practice very
hard, and I hope 1 won't break down. You
must help us in the choir again while you are
here"
every we'll; but I never did much, you
know"
"And now T have given you the village
news, you must tell me something about your
self. How do you like Oakhurst
"It is pretty, pleasant place, but don't
60 there a great deal, except to church am
good deal at home. There are a great many
nice people on the different plantations
around; Annie Harris is my most intimate
friend. You would like her 80 much, Mary,
if you knew her."
"And Minnie goes to school still -? | should
think she would consider herself quite young
lady, now"
$50 she does, but after all, she is barely
sixteen you know, and she needs keeping back
little Her head is rather too full of COM
pany and dress"
"At her old tricks, I suppose" laughed
Mary "I do think it was comical to see how
Minnie used to Airt even when she was little
child By the way, Ethel what was all that
about Mr. Eversham, that she wrote to
Lucy Elliott you never mentioned it in your
letters"
"About Arly Eversham?'
"He is the deformed one, isn't he, who
lives in the house with your meant about
the other one"
"It was very sad story" said Ethel, busy
ing herself with her trunk that Mary might
not catch the changing expression of her face,
which she could not quite control.
"There was mistake in the name, or some
thing, was there not? I did not seethe letter,
and Lucy was not very clear in her account
of it, but she said Minnie wrote that it had
caused quite commotion, and made you all
dreadfully gloomy"
1--WE could not help being gloomy Brooke
was a very intimate friend, just like grand
papa's own son, and he and Arly were devo-
tedly attached to each other"
"They were not brothers after all, were
they?"
"No, but Arly never can realize that; he
loves Brooke just the same"
can old woman changed him as nurse
didn't she
eyes that was her story"