Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-08-01

You have chosen.' The Phynx could
not have looked more uLmoved. L order
ed them not to admit you-you need not
come again.
IF you will only hear me-
But / won't good afternoon And so
John Barton left her, with her face turned
away from him and her hands still claspcd
before her.
Miss Barbara Snyder was proud. Miss
Barbara Snyder was wealthy. Miss Bar
bara Snyder was fond of her own way.
But she was still woman, and in her
heart of hearts she loved John Barton, her
handsome nephew, dearly. His mother,
her only sister, had died when he was q
little child, and his father dying soon after,
Miss Barbara had, in a fashion, adopted
him. She had indulged him from the first
day of his entrance into the house she
had watched over him and made him her
own object in life. He had been the gleam
of sunshine in her life, and to his honor be
il said, he had never been unworthy of the
love and confidence which she gave him.
Aunt Barby' was to him the only person
in the world, and although people marvel
led at the affection of the bright-faced
young man for his grim old aunt, it was
genuine and true. He had gone through
college in a thoroughly satisfactory man
ner, and afterwards had settled down into
as steady and Trustworthy young busi-
ness man rs there was in the city, aud for
three years had behaved entirely according
10 his aunt's wish in every request.
One day, however, the peace and tran
guilty of Miss Burbara's household were
broken up by a rumor which came 10 her
earS-John her John, was paying attention
to somebody She was at first incredul-
GUS, but as the days went by she was Iorc-
ed to believe i: for one night John, sitting
at her feet, his yellow hair shining i'll the
freight, told her with much confusion and
embarrassment 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 asserted his
own independence, and actually planned
out future without consulting her before
hand, was hard thing for her to bear.
She was not patient nor forgiying. and the
result of Johns confidence was very un-
pleasant scene. She who had never spoken
harshly to him before, overwhelmed him
with hard bitter words, and then, when
he was gone, wept herself to sleep over his
'ingratitude,' as she called it.
When at last he was really married, her
anger knew do bounds, and his first visit
fater that event ended as we have seen.
The days passed slowly after John, with
his bright face and ringing voice, was ban
ished, and Miss Barbara, half regretting
her harshness, was often tempted to send
for him again but her obslnacy, or pride
as she called it, preserved her, and so she
tretted and worried, until Jane was almost
driven distracted by irritability and unrea.
sOna6lencss. She was so cross, 50 hard to
please, and 50 lawfully savage as John
would have said, that Jane became at last
worn out, and one day, when her duties
were unusually hard, she surprised her
mistress by packing up her movable pro-
perty and departing from the house. Then
Miss Barbara was wretchcd. For three
days she sat in solitary state, and then
sending for her lawyer, directed him to in
sert an advertisement in the leading papers
to the effect that she wanted young,
neat and lady-like person for compau-
ion.'
mo more old women for me- she said,
sayagely, in reponse to her lawyers look
of surprise, after the behaviour OF Jane,
who has beenwith me for thirty nil years
and then authorizing him to examine each
applicant she sent him away aud waited.
Two day afterwards the lawyer returned,
accompanied by tall, slender young wo-
man, who had come TO see if she Miss
Barbara) would engage her.
Miss Barbara's black eyes locked keenly
at her for moment, and after iuquiring
sharply into her antecedents. references,
and the like, Miss Alice Worthington tan
the lawyer called herr WAS duly insta led in
the office of companion and n most de-
lightful companion she proved TO be.
Miss Barbara was al first disposed to be
bit critical and captious ; but the young
girl was So anxious " please,so sweet-tem-
pcred and amiable, SO qulctand sclftOrset-
ful, that Miss Barbara's severity melted
away by degrees, and AT last she began to
love her attendant, and TO try in various
little ways to make her cheerful and co..
tented in her new home.
Alice said she one day, as the young
girl sat opposite her before the tire, how
old are you 2
Not quite nueteen,' was the shy an
swcr.
And Miss Barbara looked at her ia sur
prise. Not quite nineteen and womanly.
1t was almost incredible. Miss Barbara
looked at her again, and, with II new ap-
probation in her face, saw how pure and
sweet the fair face looked, with the Rky-
blue eyes half hidden by the white lids !,
she saw how smoothly anl plainly the
brown hair was fastened back, how neat
aud trim the dark dress, how snowy were
the cuffs and the narrow collar, and her
heart was filled with wonder. \ girl in
the nineteenth century without ruilie, n
pun, "a primp. an overskirt, sash, or a
suspicion Of panier about her Truly,
wonders would never cease As she gaZea
on this rdrG driS her heart was filled with
pity for poor John, who had throwH him
self away.
She's Just the wife for him. she thought,
if he had only waited a lille he would
have liked her, i'lu sure And then she
dismissed the thought with II sigh, and
turned to Alice for consolation.
As the days went by Miss liarbara'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 hand
some face haunted her day and night, and
! often, MS she heard sudden noise in the
hall or at the door, she would look up
eagerly, half expecting to see him, as she
used to do.
j am getting DID, she said to herself
Perhaps was little hard with him-my
boy, III ask ALICE