Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-02-20
Sslsfts' Storp.
lYrom Dickens Household Words
Ny Fortune.
(Concluded.)

member well his warm though silent
farewell to me that night. / remem.
ber, too. when they were all away,
how long lay and thought in the
summer twilight. ought to have been
glad, and ,cas glad, but yet some
low sad voice, that l thought l had
hushed to silence years ago for ever,
would awake in my heart again, max
ing me break the beauty of that sum.
mer evening with my repellious tears
1t was only for a little time, for /, who
had been so happy, what right had
to weep because some hopes had died !?
lpressed nv tears back. praying to be
forgiven, and soon the soa stiffness of
the night calmed me, and thought
again of my dear child, and eagerly
and hopefully as ever had done when
was young, dreamed bright dreams
for her future life. When l was young I,
was but nine-and-twenty now, yet
how far back my youth seemed |
Strange; there was scarcely two years
between me and Nevill, yet how every
one-how he, how l myself-looked on
me as old compared with him.
1t was late when they came home
that night, and l thought my darling
looked sad had thought so once or
twice Of late. She slept in room
opening from mine: and always came
the last thing to say good night to me.
Tonight when she came, was grieved
for she looked as il she had been weep
ing. She stood beside my couch
the light from behind that streamed
through the opened door falling ON her
bright. unbound hair, and also herself
looking so pure and beautiful-my own
Fortune. l kept her few minutes
by me. for longed to cheer her; but
she did not seem to care much to talk.
! said something about Nevill, and she
asked if he had been long here before
they came.
About an hour / sn;d
'Ah, ! am glad she answered. Il
was afraid my poor Aunty had b0en
alone the whole night. 1t was kind
Of him.
Yes, he is always kind, dear said.
Which she did not answer, but
smiled gently TO herself, and stood in
silence, with my hand in hers; then
suddenly she frightened me, for quick
ly STOPPING down she laid her head
upon my shoulder, and felt her sob
bing. At first she would not tell me
why she wept, but whispered through
her tears that it would grieve me that
l should think she was ungrateful-I,
who had been SO good to her, and loved
her SO we'll always. But when l press
ed her earnestly, it came at last. 1t
was because through the wide world
she knew not where to seek for father
or mother T; because to the very name
she bore she had no claim ; because to
all but US, she said, her life had ever
been a deceit, and was so still because
she felt SO humbled before those she
loved, knowing that she had no right
they should be true to her whose first
step had been falsehood to them.
She told me this, pouring it out rap
idly-passionately; and l understood
it all, and far more that she told me.
Alas might have guessed it all be-
fore.
cOmforted her as could. told her
that in her first grief she must be still
hopefully, if she could that for the
rest she should not sorrow any longer.
for all whose love she cared for should
know what her history was. told
her to have courage, and thanked her
earnestly, and truly, for how she had
spoken to me then; and presently,
weeping still, but happier and full Of
love, my darling left me-left me to
weep, because q grief / should have
known would come had fallen on me.
said that the Beresfortls were land
ed proprietors, and Arthur was their
only son; SO his coming OF age was to
be a great day. OF course, l very
seldom moved from home but it had
long been promise that on this Occa-
sion we we're to spend week with
them, and the time was now close at
hand indeed it was on the second day,
think, after had had this talk with
my child, that our visit was to begin.
So, early on that day we went.
l have not mentioned that, for the
last fortnight, besides Nevill, the
Beresfords had had other visitors with
them-a brother of Mrs. Beresford's s
a Colonel Haughton, with his wife
and their two children, little boy and
girl. They had just returned from
India. where, indeed, Mrs. Haughton
had lived many years. She was in
delicate health, and did not go out
much, so that she was as yet almost q
stranger TO me; but the little had
seen OF her, and all that Fortune had
told me about her, pleased me 20 much
that l was not At al sorry for this op.
. portanity Of knowing more Of her
There vas something graceful and
winning in her manner, indeed, it pre-
possessed most people in her favor