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

looking into the glass to see what an
like. Let me see; there am, Ruby Daven-
port, with my face not bit pale from the
dancing and fatigue o dear, l wonder
if I shall ever look sweet and interest
ing like Kate, or if this detestable color
will always flame in my cheeks, making
me look like an over-fed milkmaid, or a
bread-and- butter schoolgirl. what a
dance it was! and how the dancers Hooked
round Kate in shoals; and even l, Ruby
with the red face and round vulgar figure,
came in for one or two with that rich boy
Montford. What would our tutor have
thought if he could have seen me! Poor
Mr. Vivian, how I shock him! more than
when I was child and rode my pony like
boy, and used to call the rector "old
Sand boys" to see what his face would
look like. He will be home tomorrow
Charley too will come, and then Kate and
l shall be out in earnest. I'll keep my
diary for two years, elf live," I'll add
for my tutors sake; but I'm sure to live;
it would be too interesting to die young,
and I never do anything interesting; be-
sides, l am to marry my Lord Montford,
SO papa and mamma say, and even dear old
Brown seems to think so too; so of course
it's settled.
End Janury.-I did not stay in bed late;
l never can; l was up at seven, and went
| into Hates room. found her asleep and
looking so pretty; then Irouted cut Brown
and made her life burden to her for ten
minutes, and finally decamped downstairs,
and nearly ran into Mr.. Vivian's arms as
he came into the hall with Charley. BY
the by, how like boy he is i'll the way he
bushes! his face got as red as mine usually
| is, and that's no joke. Of course he only
bowed to me, and said, 81 beg your par
don, Miss Ruby" as if we had met but
twice before, and not lived in the same
house, man and girl, for the last ten years.
Mr.. Vivian is very old; since Kate and l
have been grown up he has stood absurdly
on his dignity. I must get on with my day
though. Well, papa and Kate arrived on
the scene in due time for breakfast; man.
ma as usual staying in her room; and
Brown in making tea grew so demoralized
by Charley's teazing, that she dropped a
cup, and forthwith apologized to our tutor,
whose grave mouth could not resist a
smile. Then I took possession of papa
and walked him out into the garden, and
Charley went out fishing, leaving our pref
ty sister to take her music lesson from MIR.
| Vivian. Papa certainly is worth fifty OF
our mother. l shock Brown by saying so,
but can't stand my lady's imaginary del
icacy. If it were at all possible, | should
say Kate and l were chaugelings; not
Charley, though, for he's like mamma
Owen Vivian wants me to resume my sing
ing; not that it's any use; | shall never
sing as Kate does, though he amused me
to-day by saying, 60 You are wrong, Miss
Ruby; you have a voice full of music; you
may not charm the majority of those that
listen to you, but those who can feel what
music is will wish to hear your voice
again." Then told him I did not care
for the admiration of the scrubby few; if
were not first, would be nothing.
3rd Jdnuary.-Ours is very happy
home. l don't know why girls want to
marry, at least not when they are like Kate
and me. Papa and mamma are so good to
US, and Charley is kind in lazy way, and
Mr.. Vivian, though he despises me, is kind
too. l don't wonder that he does despise
me, l certainly am unusually wicked and
unlovable for girl. Pm as unlike my
sister in character as / am in appearance.
AS | write SO, l think that our lives are
strangely happy. l never knew care or
a loss all my life; everything tends to make
one happier; the flowers and the sunshine
for though no one gives me credit for so
much feeling, everything lovely in nature
does make me glad. l know laugh at
our tutor when he speaks of flowers and
music as though they are worth more than
the other things in life that 60 to consti-
tute our happiness. l know it is poor and
weak to be moved by these things that
have so little intrinsic value. Mr. Vivian
is man who has long ago given up the
world, and is content to 1.-Two outside the
magic circle; but l am young and proud,
with position yet to win, and, goodness
knows, little enough beauty or charm to
win it with. l know Owen Vivian shrinks
from me as from something almost unholy:
he stands aloof from me; and when, one
day, forgetting / am no longer a child, l
put my hand on his arm, as did not hest
tate to do three years ago, he actually shiv-
cred. l noticed it and said, "Do you
think have anything of the snake in me,
that you start because l touched you, Mr..
Vivian 20 and then laughed, and Coubt
not he thought me hateful girl all the
time-and yet there is something I cannot
hate in that wonderful grave face of his.
4th January.-We went OH the ice to-
day; Lord Montford and his young brother
Hugh were there. Kate looked so pretty
in her furs; as for me- 1 knew my face
looked like the sun in fog, and his lord
ship made it twice as red by asking if we
had not walked very fast. l knew that
even my miserable nose was red too, and
felt such guy, and ashamed to look
even in our tutors face. Lord Montford
guided me over the ice, while Mr. Vivian
did the same for Kate. Once when Char
ley called my guide away, ventured off
by myself, and got fall, much to my dis
gust. Owen vivian helped me up, and
told me l was very foolish to try and 90
alone. My left wrist was sprained, but he
did not see it. l knew that had the acct
dent occurred to my sister, he would have
given her his sympathy, but that he would
have none for me. After while | got
rather faint, and had to sit down. Kate,
Charley, and Lord Montford fused about
it, while Mr.. Vivian stood apart by him
self; and once when l caught his eye
thought his face had softened, but l really
don't think it had. Going home found
myself bringing up the rear with the tutor,
and one of our complimentary converse
tons ensued
"Why do you trust yourself alone on
tho loo Mice Ruhy ,,bop Won o,,,,t