The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-08-14

-. o' - " -iau -iihc person
for companion" g h'5gg
N . more old wom en- tor m @, !" shs
SAID savagely, in response to tn,
lawyers look of surprise, latter the
behavior OF Jane, who has been with
me thirty whine years )" and then
authorised him TO examine each ap
plicant, she sent him away and wait
ed. .,.rr..sg rf~r-s -. ~
Two days after the lawyer return.
Ell accompanied by . tall slende er
youag woman, VIII had come To see
II she tMiss Barbary) would engage
MISS earbara's '.lack eyes looked
keenly at her for = moment. and af.
ter enqairing SHARPLY into her ante
cedehts, reierenees and the like, Miss
Alice Woithinglon las the lawyer
called her. was duly installed in ,h :
ofhce OF "companion," and most a
delightful companion she proved to
be. ,.r-3 a,-a .a/s s# Is5
MISS Barbara was at first disposed
to be bit critical and captious !; bat
the young girl was so anxious to
please, so sweet.tempered and so
amiable, so quiet and self.forgetful,
that Miss Barbara's severity melted
away by degrees, and at last she be.
gan to love her attendan and to try
IN various little ways to make her
cheerful and contented in her new
home. .ar-s
"Alice," said she one day, as the
young girl sat opposite her before
the fire, show old are you 2" gl
"Not quite nineteen, was the shy
answer. -ar1 en-
And Miss Barbara looked at her
in surprise. "Not quite nineteen, !"
and yet so quiet and dignified and
womanly. 1t was almost incredi.
BILE. Miss Barbara looked at her
again, and with new appreciation
In her face, she saw how pure and
sweet the young face looked, with
the sky blue eyes half hidden by the
white lids she saw how smoothly
and plainly the brown hair was fast
ened back, how neat and trim the
dark dress, how snowy the cuffs and
the narrow collar, and her heart was
filled with wonder. A girl in the
nineteenth century without ruffie, q
putt, crimp, an overskirt, a sash, or
suspicion ola pannier about her |!
Truly, wonders would never cease !;
and as she gazed on this rara auis,
her heart was filled with pity for
poor John who had thrown himself
away. a sae-
"She is just the wife for him." she
thought, ''it he had only waited q
little he would have liked her, / am
sure" And then she dismissed the
thought with sigh, and turned to
Alice for consolation. ...
As the days went by, Miss Barba-
ra's heart began to yearn 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 sudden noise in
the hall, or at the door, she would
look up eagerly, half expecting to
zee him as she used to. - .I
III am getting DID," she said to
herself. 51 .g
~ perhaps I was a little hard on
Eim-my boy-I will ask Alice"
And so one night she called Alice
10 her and as she sat at her feet in
the freight, as John had done so
often, she told her all about it, and
how she longed to see him again.
IL am getting old, Alice" she
said, 81 may die soon and l want to
see my boy. Perhaps was wrong
about his wife. 1t would do me 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 a
scarlet flush on her face that was un.
usual.
The next day, Alice, under Miss
Barbara's directions, wrote a little
note to John Barton.
"Tell him to come soen," she said,
and as Alice wrote this, Miss Barba.
ra sat and thought intently for a
time, her face resting on her hands.
"Tell him." she said again, "that he
may bring his wife if he likes-I can
see her to please him." And so the
note was written and the messenger
dispatched.
Alter this decisive step was taken,
Miss Barbara was in a futter of ner.
yousness all the time She donned
her richest dress, and most costly
cap, and then sat expectant, until
she heard Johns step on the stair,
and John came in as old. OF course
there was a few moments during
which they both talked at once, and
then, when the first excitement was
over, Miss Barbara grew grave.
"Where is your wife ?" she asked
in her old grim way, and John rose
and rang the bell.
"She's down stairs. / told her tc
stay till l sent for herr And ther
as the servant made his appearance
ssshow my wife up" -
Miss Barbara waited quietly.
"You will love her little for mi
sake ?" pleaded John, as light foot
step was heard at the door, and then
greatly to Miss Barbara's surprise
Alice Worthington came in.
s'My nephew Mr.. Barton, Mis-,
Worthington," said she. "I am en-
gagged now and you may be excus
ed.n oiEE sd -ht 55ptoI 11ob
To her surprise, John coolly pu
his arms around the waist of his new
acquaintance and led her across th,
room. "Alice Worlhington Barton
Aunt Barby," he said and thel
with the old mischief in his eyes
"Love her little for my sake
please" Efff AbGA w
There are children's voices in tn,
great house now, and Jane, who wa
in the plot, is back in her old place
and Miss Barbara pets them almos
to death, while John,s the rogue
teases his aunt laughingly, about tn,
"doll- baby''to whom she coneidere,
him sacrificed. But if there is an,
one person whom Miss Barbar
loves as dearly as "her boy" it j
the sweet faced gentle girl whom
that boy married. To her mind al
feminine graces and virtues are DOS