Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-24
MISCELLANEOUS,
FORTUNES CAPRIcEs.

work, with his spade over his shoulder. when
he saw woman sitting close to the wall, weep
ing bitterly.
John had kind heart, and was easily NOV.
cd at the sight Of distress, 80 he stopped and
addressed the woman
You seem to be In trouble that was what
he said. The mourner lifted her face, and he
saw that she WAS very young woman, scarce
~ more thana girl, in fact. But this did not
lessen his pity at all possibly it increased it,
FOR his heart was human as we'll az kind.
"IroubleP Ah, yes; have come such long
way, and am 30 fatigued-so much weary I
went to the peoples doors, but no one said any
| thing only, Go way We have no room for
strangers. Go to the hotel, why do you not p !"
80 went to the hotel, but the landlord was
worse than all the rest. Oh! how he frightened
me- he Was so fierce, 30 loud He called me
trsmP-a thief because he found had no mon
| ey. NO money, yes, that WAS it, and he babe me
go about my business, and 30 / came out iuto
| woods to die alone"
:-"Cheer up, then, II that is ALL" said John
land come with me. My mother won't drive
you from her door, you may be sure"
And John spoke truly, for his mothers heart
was IKE his own She only needed to know that
the girl was stranger and in Distress to give
her cordial welcome.
Take of your things, my dear" said she re-
l
land sit here by the fire. How you shiver, poor
child You're chilled to the bone.n
"fou are 30 kind-so very kind! said the vis-
itor, taking the rocking chair offered her; and
then John Jaw that she was not only young, but
singularly beautiful, though thin and pale as il
| from recent illness.
You're out Of health. You're not fit to be
| abroad" said Mrs Mallory. "How your
mother would feel to see you looking so ~
Alas, have no mother y said the girl, and
fr HnU frao1 a Trry;lf III
| my story"
There, there, am sorry said tim such
| blunderer Never mind the story now, but
at5er supper, when you are warm and comfort
all that you wish to tell"
30, when the three had eaten their evening
meal, and Mrs Mallory had cleared away the
table and taken out her knitting work, the
young girl told her story.
she said that her name was Estele LIE Roy
that her father was French refugee but that
she herself was born in Canada, some years af-
ter he had left his native country he having
married Canadian. After the death Of her
mother, he had come to Boston, hoping to be
able TO support himself and her by teaching his
own language but just as he had found situ-
alton which promised to be permanent he be-
came very ILL., in fact the climate Of this country
had never agreed with him, and he WAS always
mourning for 'la belle France" He WAS sick
long time and when he died he left her penni-
less.
or her relatives in France she knew nothing
and although since her fathers death, she had
written more than once to her mothers friends
in Canada, no letters had ever been received
in return. She believed she could get there,
and that WAS now her aim. What she had suf-
fered since she left Boston, she said she could
never, never tell"
It's all over now, my DEAR" said Mrs. NAL
lory, so try to forget it, and just try to make
yourself contented with us till you are better
able to travel than you are now."
For whole week Estele stayed with the
Mallorys, gaining in health and beauty every
day, and developing careless lightness of
spirit, greatly in contrast to her first depression
That John WAS not insensble to her attrac-
lions, may well be imagined, and what the con-
sequences might have been, cannot tell, il his
heart had not been alreadyipre-occupied. That
being the case, there was no room there for the
fair stranger, save in the way Of friendship, and
he showed his friendship by bringing Mary, his
betrothed, to see her.
Curious it WAS to see the two together-Mary,
the staid New England girl, with her rosy
her plain dress, and steady Northern tongue and
Estelle, with her olive skin, her hair and eyes as
dark night, her fancful, idiomatic speech,
and her airy figure, which gave grace even to
the worn garments which clothed it. 1t was the
brown thrush and the canary bird sitting side by
side on an apple tree bough.
Still, they got On we'll together-these two
and kissed each other when they parted. But
when Estelle partedfrom Mrs. Mallory, she hung
on her neck as if it had been her own dear
mother she WAS leaving
John saw her safely on her journey, and when
he took her hand to say farewell, he left in it 3
sufficient sum for her expenses
II shall not forget you, ever--ever-no not
till hmy dying day comes," said Estelle, with
tears in her eyes. "Ihe good God bless You
for your kindness to the poor stranger-you and
the dear mother and the pretty Marie"
In few weeks the Mallorys received letter
fnua fI,at oinI nI,o 4 l,a-
journeys end in safety, and was among friends.
1t WAS the only letter they ever received from
her.
In course Of time John and Mary were married
and settled down on the Mallory farm, and there
for the present we will leave them.
One day handsome travelling carriage drew up
before the door of hotel ina quiet New England
village 1t WAS an event in the history Of that
hotel, for never had such az establishment been
seen there before Out came the two hostlera,
out came the stable boys, out came the barkeep-
er, and lastly, out came the landlord himself.
A gentleman alighted from the carriage, and
was followed by a beautiful and rchly-dressed
lady, Bobbing his bare head, and waving aside
his subordinates, the obsequous landlord led
the way to the parlor, took the orders of his dis
tingushed guests, and communicated them to
his servants. Then there was opening and
shutting of doors, a ringing of bells, rushing
to and fro-in short, tumult as II the queen
had come.
When the travellers were left to themselves,
the lady broke into merry laugh.
80, it is too droll, Sir Edward 1t is the same
landlord who, fifteen years ago. bade me begone
for thief and tramp"
1.-THE villain I should like to lay my cane
over his back" said Sir Edward.
sit isn't worth while-such an insignificant
back" said the lady "only don't take on airs,
thinking all this attention ia for us. 1t is only
for our carriage and horses, and olothes."
By and by, the landlord having made some fur
thor errand to the parlor, the lady, who was Bit
ting by the window remarked
" You have pleasant little village here"
" AS pleasant and thriving village as any in
the county" answered the delighted landlord.
'.Do you know il there is a family by the
name of Mallory living here ?" asked she.
'There's farmer by that name, ma'am. Mr.
John Mallory-if it's him you mean"
"The same, no doubt. He's living then-and
his mother ?"
'She died some six years ago, ma'am, and it's
well perhaps considering the misfortune that's
come TO the family"
misfortune ?"
"Then you don't know" said the landlord de-
lighted to have some intelligence to communi-
cate, but marveling much that this great lady
could feel any interest in the Mallory family.
"Well, it's great misfortune, and the worst OF
it is it WAS all his own fault. II people will be
30 foolish, they must take the consequences
There wasn't more prosperous man in town
than John Mallory, and his property being most
1xr in atata thara 1paa hu ha