Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-07-02
Selected 9eyistellanv,
MARGARET S ROMANCE.


for fairy land. Once in almost every
ones life shines out the golden radiance
through the wondrous gates, transfgur-
ing all on which it may chance to shine,
and this being part of the human in-
heritance, it would seem positive need,
even for such quiet natures as Margaret
Derwent's. And here l used the word
"quiet," because it is the received term
for characters like hers, apt to be so
styled, because of certain outward
calm--the rest of water unstirred by
storm of fair land not yet plowod by
earthquakes, yet holding within them
selves all the elements of unrest and dis
turbance.
Margaret Derwent was twenty-one,
with fresh round face that looked nine
teen, but gravity of manner that would
not have been amiss for thrty-with
fine gray eyes, and long lashes, superb
teeth, and abundant fair hair; but with
nose neither positively pretty nor ugly,
and an entire lack of the regularity of
feature, brilliancy of coloring, and gran
deur of figure that made her sister Sarah
the belle of Stapleton.
Stapleton was small town; and,
par consequence, Stapleton society
good socety--was limited, and the
growth of young men was sparse and
feeble. Feeble or vigorous, however,
it was of small consequence to Margaret
one or two had indeed thought that
there was something winning or attrac-
tive about Miss Maggie, but something
indcfinablo kept them at distance, and
Sarah's charms were much more easily
understood.
So Margaret bctook herself to the
making of delicious preserves, to house
hold comfort and neatness generally,
and to quiet reading, and much thought,
in her room. Her closest friends would
warmly urge her claims as a good house
keeper, tender and skillful nurse, and
a wcll-read and pleasing girl; yet all
Staplcton would have joined in coarse
laugh of derision at any one who should
have affirmed that there was anything
like romance about Margaret Dcrwent
while the fine, well developed Sarah was,
by one and all, supposed to be of an in
tense scnsibility, and possessed of much
fine feeling.
1t was this Margaret Derwert, TWEEN
ty-one, and admitted by all to be emil
nently practical, who dropped in one
spring twilight at Squire Lcighton's
There was an unusual hustle at the
squire's More glancing of lights than
usual, and strange steps and voices.
If it had been possible she would have
retreatcd but Adelaide, her friend,
had heard her voice in the hall, and was
already telling her, with flushed checks
and sparkling eyes, how her brother
George was home, and what splendid
fellow, and how like a lion he had fought
in the Indian mutiny.
"But he was so drcadfully wounded"
continued Adelaide, ''that he has been
invalided home, and though he has lost no
limbs, and his wounds are healed, yet
he needs the best of care. You must
come and nurse him, Margaret you
know VIC are such wrctchcd nurses.
And who knows-you may be preserv-
ing your future brother-in-law, for he
declares that he is going to fall desper-
ately in love with Sarah.
Margaret, all this time, was quietly
taking off her hat and shawl, and smooth
ing down her hair with her two little
pink palms-looking in the glass was
superiority for her. No one would care
how she looked. She had much more
anxiety on the subject of her future
brothcr-in-law's appearance than thought
for the impression that she might make
on him; perhaps she even secretly
sbrank from the thought. being in the
habit of painfully undertaking her own
prctensions to beauty.
Captain George leighton was as hand
some as his sister Adelaide. He was
pale and worn, of course, and looked, at
first sight, in his civilians dress, not
very much Of the hero; SO Margaret
thought at first, before she had time to
interpret the daring of his eye, the re-
solve about his handsome mouth. Evil
IDENTIFY he was vastly lazy or Indifferent
more evidently he viewed preserve
making, housekeeping young lady as
bore.
On these two topics on which Mar
garet was supposed to be at home, AIDE
laide Piled her vigorously. George lis