Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-22
THE MISSING FORTUNE.
BY LUCY II. HOOPER.

BY LUCY H. HOOPEK.
WHAT comfortable thing a holiday is
TO us tired-out ideainsertersl There's q
compound worthy of German philoso-
pher. / wish Christmas came six times
year: don't you, Patience? Why, Patti
ence-5ister Patience-you cannot surely
be asleep? My first evening home, too,
Of all evenings! Patience! wake up, l
say, Patiencen'
"What wouldst thou with me, AIDE
laide?"
as that quotation from Shakespeare,
you sepulchral female?"
"NO-KOtzebue. Didst never see The
Stranger?"
q should like to see a stranger just
now-one that would made himself agree
able I feel restless: [ want to talk, and
I do believe you are half asleep again.
Patience, such s0mnOlency must surely be
a symptom Of approaching illness-brain
disease or typhoid fever most likely. 1t
isn't natural: it's lethargic."
"Leth-what? Say that again, please,
| could not take the whole world in at
once"
"Patience, don't be provoking. Talk to
me little, please: [ want to be amused.
And you have not told me one syllable of
news Any new scholars coming after
the holidays"
'Two-Teesie Wilson's little sister,
and"
"Teesie Wilson! That child is well
named. What torment the little witch
is Confess now-dOn't your fingers often
ache to give her a cufffingp
Sometimes. Then Rosie Gray is COM
ing back, and have the promise of two
more-Mrs. Ralston's oldest girls. The
l, ELL rhor,
and / think matters look very fairly alto
gether And you? How are you getting
on, Adder"
'sOh, very well. The children tease
sometimes, but Mrs Jamison is very kind
and always upholds my authority. And
then the girls are really fond of me, and
the whole family made me such pretty
presents. | must show them to you as
soon as my trunk arrives"
We were alone in the world, we two
sisters-Paticrce Carr, the schoolmis-
tress, and /, Adelaide, the governess. Ten
wears before we had known the extreme
of luXury-a house in the fashionable
quarter of New York, horses, carriages
servants, French dresses and diamonds
for Patience, broad saShes, worked mus
Inns and velvet suits for me. That was
when Antarctic Mail was selling at 1870,
and Richard Carr, our father was con-
sidered one of the shrewdest and most
successful of Wall street spectators.
Then, one bright day, Antarctic Mail took
downward leap, and carried my fathers
fortune with it; his reason followed, and
in the end his life. So one morning a
woman and a child patience and y set
forth into the world to seek, not our for
tunes, but our daily bread. There was a
difference of twelve years between Pa
thence and myself-years that were ex-
pressed by neat row of five little graves
with elegantly carved tOmbstones out at
Greenwood, where our brothers and sis
tiers slept calm Slumber that no depre-
citation in Antarctic Mail had power to
disturb. Our mother had died when
was only two years old; she too had gone
where Wall street ceases from troubling
and the bulls and bears are at rest. SO
Patience took care of me for six long
years, and then being eighteen, went
forth to win my own bread as a gov
erness.
| cannot say that the usual adventures
which novel writers describe as Detailing
every young woman, whether attractive
or otherwise, who goes out as goVerness,
ever happened to me. No handsome
youth, the only son of the family in which
/ taught English, French, the rudiments
of German, music and drawing, ever fell
at my feet and besought permission to re-
move me to a more congenial sphere. /
found out no dark and deadly mysteries,
no hidden maniac or undiscovered crimes !;
nor was | ever subjected to a series of
petty Sights and injuries from narrow
minded nlereS de .fGnliHe. | was usually
very we'll treated and fairly paid, SO
never had chance of posing myself
either as a victim or heroine of 70
nance At the time of which | write |
was indeed as pleasantly situated as it is
possible for g0yerneSs to be- Nv en-
ployers were cultivated, kind-hearted
people, my eldest pupils intelligent, we'll
broughtup- girls, and the rest of the chill
dren not more unruly or tormenting than
healthy children, especially boys, are
apt to be. So that particular Christmas
Eve ofwhich | write found me very much
inclined to enjoy my holiday, and fully
prepared to enter into all the little festiv-
tiles of the season which might fall to
my share.
1--WE are TO have roast turkey for din
ner tomorrow" remarked Patience after
brief silence.
''Golrma1ad6, OF
"And what do you say to matinee
as a pleasant method of passing the
day ?'S
You know love play above all
things Where shall we go?-to Wal.
lacks? Booths? the Fifth Avenue ~
"Choose for yourself, Addie: you are
company, you know. There is the news
paper on the table"
sat down to pore over the advertise
ments with as much eagerneSS and eN,
element as though my twenty-five years
had been suddenly diminished by ten a
the very least At last looked up: ''Pa
tiencer'
''Well, dear?"
"Don'tyou wish that something would
banpen to us, as so often happens il
plays ?-that is, don't you wish that some
unknown relative or rich old uncle woulC
make his appearance and shower untolc
wealth upon us?"
Building castles in the air is not
useful occupation" said Patience.
Not much use, only some amusement
Castles in the air are easily erected, ano
cost nothing for bricks, mortar or labor
ers' hire
Eyes, but when they tumble down, a:
they invariably do, you may chance tt