The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-09-13

see my sister or-Or my wife dancing"
go, yes; but what your sister or young
wife might not do may be good enough for
me-" l said.
l felt very angry at his daring to criti-
else what l, Ruby Davenport, chose to do,
and l wished to annoy him; true, his fam
lily is as Old as ours, and his father was a
baronet, but he is now only my brother
tutor, and holds no position emitting him
to dictate to me.
When we reached the door and said
goodbye to Lord Montford, took off my
hat to Mr.. Vivian, bowed, and ran into the
house; and late into the Winter evening l
saw him walking up and down, up and
down the avenue, till l am quite sure his
boots were worn through.
18th January !Sunday.-I never liked
Sunday, till l was grown up, and looked
upon it as day in which to do whatever l
like; to go to church or not as / please,
and in Summer to stroll about the grounds
among the flowers, and to lie on the grass
and pull the heads off the daisies: in fact,
"to dream the happy hours away" Papa
always goes to church-he thns it respect
able for the Squire to do SO; and Kate and
Charley go because it is something to do.
When our party walks up the aisle, those
who have to content themselves with the
lower grade in the social scale, look upon
pretty Kate and upon us all, and the man.
mon of envy and unrighteousness fills their
hearts and makes us all glad that it is So
The tutor goes, because-strange to say,
but do believe it-as he kneels down in
the house of prayer he finds himself in his
prayers somewhat nearer God and heaven;
but we are different. We have been told
that God is our creator, and heaven
place of happiness, to which we are sure
to go. Sometimes doubt this surety, at
least for myself, but 1 shall doubtless live
to be an old woman, and l can put these
fears away now. To-day | chose not to 90
to church, and was rewarded, for as sat
in the greenhouse, my future fate, Lord
George Montford, Joined me.
"Oh, Miss Davenport; like myself, you
think solitary reflection better than church.
going9"
81 don't know that DO, my lord, but
was not in mood to listen to our respect
able pastor to day. If he were only young
and good-looking Couldn't you give him
a hint to get curate who would be pre-
sentable, and then l would always go?''
He laughed. | am aware that if he had
4
been disguised with me; but this kind of
talk suited my admirer, and ! knew it.;
and after all, though he is foolish and
empty headed, still he is good natured and
a peer, and Charley says am lucky girl
to have attracted him. Not that he has
proposed to me yet, | am thankful to say,
but he will in time, and 1 am in no great
hurry to accept his lordly hand.
"When is your ball coming off, Miss
Davenport ?" he went on must say,
after being accustomed to face like Mr..
Vivians's, his is terrible contrast.
l told him that it was to take place on
the 25th, and he then asked me for the
first dance; and then we talked of balls
anu pa tiSo, tshu StiSli-lIhC SiD-
jects, till we saw the carriage coming.
He stayed to luncheon, during which my
sister did her best to amuse the lord
Sometimes I fancy Katie is surprised and
not over well pleased that the match of the
county has fallen to me, for she often look
ed down upon me as being ugly. How
ever, l mean to be my lady in spite of
what she thinks.
We always break up early, having pray
ers on Sunday at nine. My place is next
to Mr.. Vivian, who reads. l often smile
during prayers, and Charley does his best
to make me. Mamma sleeps as. a rule, and
Kate sits looking at her pretty white hands
and changing the rings from one finger to
another. Brown sits up as quiet and de-
mure as any old geverness need do, and
papa of course is propriety. After prayers
we take our candle, nod pleasantly to each
other, and go to our rooms. The tutor
sits up late into the night.
18Th Janusry-I never see anything of
Mr.. Vivian now. Sometimes / am sorry,
for he was always kind to me when he was
our teacher; and there are few sparks in
my heart of something that is not quite
worldly left, and he has kindled them
there, l know. He avoids me, l am sure,
and it is not quite kind of him, for in the
atmosphere in which l have been trained,
where love of the world prevails, he knows
that | need something to keep me straight;
and yet to day when l came across his
path, and tried to make up for my rude
speech few days ago, he was evidently
not happy till he got away. 1t happened
in this way: he came into the library where
| was looking for book, and l asked him
to reach it down for me. He is SO tall he
got it easily enough, but looked quite
astonished when he saw what it was.
Poetry! Do you care for that, Miss
Davenport ?'
{" l look at it sometimes. You think
can't appreciate something that is not quite
commonly place; well, perhaps not but |
have fancy how and then to see what
other minds are capable of which are less
filled with dross than mine is
" You are severe on yourself. / do not
attempt to judge what you are capable of
approaching. | have known you a long
time now, Ruby Davenport and l never
knew that you would spend ten minutes
over the best poetry or prose ever written"
He said it in such a way, using my Chris
tian name so quietly and SO evidently with
out fear of my displeasure, that | made
fool of myself, and did not answer word.
| only, as usual, blushed fiery and hide
GUS red, and then he went as he come, and
| felt that | hated him. l wish he was
rich and great, and lived somewhere where
l could meet him. | would make his life
weary to bear. l would make him love
me, and then | would throw his love away.
l can't now; he is poor, and full of some
thing that acts as a guard against me; e.
Sides man like Owen Vivian is beyond
the wiles of girls such as Kate and | are
| That's the worst of it. though | feel | hate