New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-18

Len0x.
Il thank you," said the girl, simply; !
Miss Strong is my cousin, and II you VIII
be SO good as to bring light for a moment
l will take OFT my cloak" ,;,+
Shirley found a candle, with hSh.
heart, the clear, low voice OF the new eoiuea
seemed to create new atmosphere IN the
house.
She met him in the parlor, and held OUT
her hand again, frankly, to be shaken.
II know you now," She said. 81 saw you
with Miss Temperance at the commence
ment.' r,:,,;,o
and stood before Shirley the Identical 'siri
in gray ..,,,,,so :,
This is my cousins room, | suppose
she went on with q smile which might
mean confusion to Shirley, in the memory
of their first meeting, or might NOT. ohe
rave him no time to decide, but pushed open
the door and stood with him beside the PEG
where Miss Temperance lay moaning IN her
sleep.
There are her bureau and wardrobe, OF
| course. She must be undressed first OF ALI.
| and while | do that you may make "a good
| fire in the kitchen and | will come to you
| there
Now You may go for the doctor" said
| the girl in gray, coming into the Kitchen
with no more hustle than if she had spent
| her lite there.
Shirley went cheerfully, feeling that ne
| must be entertaining an angel unawares. .
! The fever would run its course was the
| doctors verdict Good nursing was all the
patient needed for few days: All
| thought Shirley, as he measured ms great
strength with the intelligent weakness 81
the "girl in gray who Instlnctveiy diu 'he
| right thing in the light time.
Il must look for some one to'help you,
| he said when they were again alone.
THANK you; but there will be no need.
Sickness is my strong point
II begin to think 1 have 10 strong point,
unless it is Greek verbs
She gave mellow little laugh. 'lf you
are turning meek you must be hungry
IL believe l have eaten nothing to-day
IL thought So You shall show me the
pantry, and l will see what there is for our
supper, for am hungry too
Shirley wondered at himself that he could
eat SO heartily in that presence, but hunger
and the good example of the girl in gray
were too many for him.
my name is Rachel Gordon" she said,
as soon as she thought of it. My mother
was first cousin to the Gordons. There was
some 'unpleasantness' between them while
she lived, but she was deeply anxious that
/ should win over Miss Temperance if pos
sible.'
Shirley was Immediately convinced that
she could win over anybody to anything,
but, having no practice in compliments, he
remained silent, and stared at her unmerci-
fully. Rachel kept him busy all the even
ing with bringing in wood for the night and
making all sorts of slight changes for Miss
Strong's comfort.
Now l have no more need of you she
said at last. II will bid you good night,
and if l need anything before morning
will go up stairs and knock at every door
till l find yours
"But-but-" stammered Shirley, who had
fully made up his mind to share nights
vigil with her.
Il know no such word.
You must need rest, and | am muci
stronger than you are"
, The last clause is self-evident, but you
don't know SO well how to Use your Owl
strength said Rachael, opening Mis-;
Strongs door.
.'But-but' persisted Shirley, utterly a
a loss for the proper phrases Tor such al
emergency.
That must be one of your Greek verbs
; YOU are SO fond of it. Good night, and
! | will see you in the morning She dlsaI
pears, and Shirley was routed in his frs
| campaign. He certain that he SHOULD
not close his eyes. but exhausted natur
overcame him, and the small hours wer
= growing large again when he stole dow
stairs, and was guided to the bedroom
. door by dim light within. He mean
: only to look at the invalid, but his eye
were caught before they reached Mis-
;. Strong. Rachael had been sitting by tn
bed. and. laying her head where the leas
motion of the sick woman would wake hel
= she had fallen asleep.
o Shirley thought latter he came to thu
thinking point that he had never seen any
thing so lovely in all his days. Rachel ha,
. put on a white wrapper with a long cap
to it, and, for comforts sake, had taken til
;, pins cut of her hair This light brown hal
= rppled round the small ear, and s,rave
!. over the dress, and finally lay on the foo
in soft, wealthy way that was bewilderin
- 10 Shirley, who had never before seen
; woman's hair--her GLORY" passionat
!, longing seized him to touch it once to see
: it felt like his own stubborn curls. Rachel
: face was too earnest to be pretty. She ha
. more of the romance of your stone ideal
- than those ripe and real women who,
7 Byron preferred Her best feature Wa
: says, will give blear look to an
: face. Hers bore marks of trial an
!, hard earned rest, but its purity strucl
e Shirley with awe. He never knew ho'
= long he leaned against the door post. gain
:, with his soul in his eyes at the sleeping CIR
: lie learned her by heart in that look, as
II she had been lesson, from tle little pun
- veins in her forehead. He saw "A wona
for the first time, and he never after sa'
another with the same eyes.
- From that moment the current of Ii
. eager soul set only to her; a rage of cove
= BUSINESS possessed him; she was the on
thing needful to round his life; it must hav
:, been for her that his heart had waite
20 through his youth.
" He drew back at last with an inwar
y wrench, in the fear that she might wax
:, and find him spying on her solitude. II
r went into the cold Kitchen, ana there K;
chel found him, sitting bolt upright on til
q old fashioned settle.
- "YOu have not been sitting here all nigh
- hope" she said.
= NO" said Shirley, with a blush of n
=. pentance that he had not done SO. and s
. have been worthy of a little scolding O
- her part. She had twisted up all her wal
~ dering hair into loose knot but that di
! not alter the picture which was newly huI
- for all time in Shirley's memory. He longe
- to tell her somehow that she must use hi,
= in every possible way to save her ow
a. strength, but the right words were slow
% coming.
a Miss Gordon" he began more tina
y once
u The name sounds odd to me- she sal
! 81 have never been anybody but Rache
- NY mother belonged to the Society
FRIENDS, anu tHouRu sHe never iHdNt III
quite Quakeress,. grew to love their sI
y, pIicities. You may call NE Rachel if Sc
~ like"
-, Shirly only bowed, and set about maxim
= the kitchen fire. To call her Rachel was L
.. comfort; it seemed to put her farther ava
y from him, when their acquaintance did NJ
" warrant it; but he now recognized II
Quaker element in her face. the pure quie
\ ness which so often looks ont of those era
- bOInets.