River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-08-05

tranquility of Miss Barbara's house-
hold were broken up by rumor which
came to her ears--,John, her John. was
paying attention to somebody She
was at first incredulous, but as the DAVIS
went by she was forced TO believe Il
for one night John, sitting at her feet,
bis yellow hair shining in the freight,
told her with much confusion and EN-.
barrassment 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
had asserted his own independence.
and actually planned out his future
without consulting her beforehand. was
a hard thing for her to bear. She was
not patient nor forgiving, and the re-
suit of johns confidence was very
unpleasant scene. She who had never
spoken harshly to him before, over
whelmed him with hard, bitter words.
and then, when he was gone, wept her
self to sleep over his ingratitude, . as
she called it.
When at last he was really married,
her anger knew no bounds, and his
first visit after that event ended as we
have seen.
The days passed slowly after John,
with his bright face and ringing voice,
was banished, and Miss Barbara, half
regretting her harshness, was often
tempted to send for him again; but
her obstinacy or pride, as she called
it, preserved her, and so she fretted
and worried, until Jane was almost
driven distracted by irritability and
unreasonableness. She was so cross.
SO hard to please, and so lawful saw
age, as John would have said, that
Jane became at last worn ont, and one
! day, when her duties were unusually
| hard, she surprised her mistress by
packing up her movable property and
departed from the house. Then Miss
Barbara was wretched. For three days
| she sat in solitary state, and then send
| ing for her lawyer, directed him to in.
sert an advertisement in the leading
paper to the effect that she wanted d
young, neat and lady like person for
companion"
!" Ne more old women for me- she
said, savagely, in response to her law
yer's look of surprise, after the be
havior of Jane, who has been with me
for thirty-nine years and then au-
thorlzlng him to examine each appli-
cant, she sent him away aud waited.
Two days afterwards the lawyer re-
turned, accompanied by n tall, slender
1 young woman, who had come to see ii
she Miss Barbara would engage her.
Miss Barbara's black eyes looked
| keenly at her for a moment, and after
inquirlng sharply into her antecedant's
references, and the like, Miss Alice
Worthington (as the lawyer called herr
was duly installed in the Office of ICON.
panion,' and most delightful con-
panion she proved to be.
Miss Barbara was at first disposed TO
he bit critical ana captious but tho
young girl was so anxious to please, so
sweet tempered and amiable, 80 quiet,
So self-forgetful, that Miss BarDara'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 contented in her
new home.
" Alice, said she, one day, as the
young girl sat opposite her before the
fire, how cid are You
: Not quite Nineteen" was the shy
answer.
And Miss Barbara looked at her in
surprise. Not quite nineteen, " and
yet SO quiet and dignified and womanly.
1t was almost Incredible. Miss Bar
bara locke at her again, and, with a
new appreciation in her face, saw how
pure and sweet the fair face looked.
with the sky blue eyes half hidden by
the white lids; she saw how smoothly
and plainly the brown hair was fastened
back, how neat and trim the dark
dress, how snowy were the cuffs aud
the narrow collar, and her heart was
filled with wonder. A girl in the nine
teenth century without ruffle, puff,
a crimp, an oyersklrt, sash, or sus-
piclon of a papier about her Truly,
wonders would never cease. As she
gazed on this rdrd dUis her heart was
filled with pity for poor John, who had
thrown himself away
" SHE'S Just the wife for him, " she
thought; if he had only waited
little he would have liked her, I am
sure. " And then she dismissed the
thought with a sigh, and turned to
| Alice for consolation.
As the days went by. Miss Barbaras
heart began 20 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 aud night, aud often, as she heard
a sudden noise in the hall or at the
door she would look up eagerly, half
expecting To see him, as she used to dc.
/" am getting old, she said to her.
self. Perhaps | was little hard
with hin-my boy. I'll ask Ahce.'
Aud so one night she called Alice TO
her. and as she sat at her feet in the
freight, as John had done 50 Otter,
she told her all about IT, and how she
longed 10 see him again.
/" am getting old, Alice. she said,
II may die soon, aud | want TO see
my boy. Perhaps | was wrong about
his wife. IL would do me no harm to
see them once, Alice.
Aud Alice answered gently that per-
haps it would Ice better for them al TO
do so; but she avoided her kind