The Portland daily press., 1875-02-10
Charles Van Rheyn.

Olldl 1CS Ou xOACJ lie
I shall always say it was singular thing
that should chance to 60 back to school that
time the day before the quarter opened. Sim
gular, because heard and saw more OF the
boy am going to tell of than otherwise
might have heard or seen. l was present
at his arrival; and was present at hls-Well,
let us say, at his departure.
Dr. Frost was puzzling over letter from
France. Turning its pages over and back
again, and staring at it through bis spectacles,
he at last brought it to me.
''You are pretty good French scholar,
Johnny; can you read this? can't, con-
pale, and the writing so small, could scarce
Iy see it if it were English"
As he said, the ink was pale, and it was
frightfully small and cramped handwriting.
The letter was dated Rouen, and was signed
CURLY. "Van Rheyn," French fashion, with
out the writer's Christian name. Monsieur
Van Rheyn wrote to say that he was about
to consign his son, Charles Aberleigh Van
Rheyn, to DIR. Frost's care, and that he would
arrive quickly after the letter. having already
departed ON his journey under the charge OF
a ''gentilhomme Anglais." 1t added that
the son would bring credentials with him
of English decent, though his mother, the
late Madam Van Rheyn, nee Aberlelgh.
Rather summary way of consignIng a
pupil to my CHARGE" remarked DR.. Frost.
stAberleigh ?-Aberleigh She must have
~ksen one of the Aberleighs of Upton. Per-
haps Hall knows?'
"There's none of the Aberleighs left now
to know, Sir,'' said Hall, when questioned.
'sThere never was but two-after the old
A I'll, Il icS m M
Aberlegh. Good fortunes the ladies had,
Sir, and both of them, remember, married
on the same day. Hiss Aberleigh to Capt.
Scott, and Miss Emma to French gentleman,
Mosseer Won Rheyn."
ST should think, by the name, he was
Dutch-or Flemish; not FRENCH" remarked
the Doctor.
sAnyway. sir, he was said to be French"
remarked Hall. ga dark, sallow gentleman
who wore braided coat. The young ladies
never came back to their home after the we'd
ding day, and the place was sold. Capt
Scott sailed with his wife for IDjia, and Mos
seer Won Rheyn took Miss Emma off to his
home in France, Not long ago, I heard it
sain that poor Miss Emmy was dead-Miss
Won Rheyn, this is. A nice quiet girl she
was"
'sThen conclude the new pupil, advised
to me, was the son of Mr.. Van Rheyn and
Miss Emma Aberleigh," remarked the Doc
tor. "You must hope to make things pleas
ant for him, Johnny: it will be change al
first from his own home and country. Do
you remember that other French boy we had
here?"
did. And the remembrance made me
laugh. He used to lament every day that he
had not plate of soup to dine of, and say
the meat was tough.
Strolling out at the front gate in the course
of the morning caught sight of the first boy.
He was walking up from the Plow and Har-
row Inn, with large trunk behind him.
And of all queer figures that boy looked the
queerist. His trousers and vest were nan
keen !; his coat was kind of an open blouse,
and flew out behind him like big round tail;
the hat he wore was great big tall chimney
pot with wide brin. Off went the hat, with
bow and flourish of the arm, as he
reach me and the gates.
81 ask your pardon, Sir This is, believe,
he pension OF Mister the Doctor Frost?"
The French accent, the French manners,
the French turn of the words told me who it
was. For minute or two l really could not
answer fer staring at him. He seemed to
have arrived with shaved head, as if just
out of Jail or of brain fever. Really and tru.
ly it was the most remarkable figure ever
seen out of picture. I could not guess his
age exactly-somethng prehaps perhaps be-
tween twelve and fourteen. He was slender
and upright, and, to all appearance, strong.
81 think you must be Charles Van Rheyn,"
/ said then, holding out my hand to welcome
him. 'eDr. Frost is expecting you"
AS he put his hand into mine, such glad
brightness came inc his rather large and hon.
est gray eyes that liked him from that hour,
in spite of the clothes and the freckled face
and the shorn head. He had crossed from
NIL. 4l,N ,so1f haa onA fhn 10
man, who was his escort to London, had
there put him into the proper train to come
on to his destination.
DIR. Frost was at the window, and came to
the door. Van Rheyn stood still when with
in yard of him, took his hat off with the
most respectful air, and bowed his head down
to the ground. He had evidently been
brought up with reverence for pastors and
masters. The Doctor shook hands; and Van
Rheyn gave him large ,isquare letter sealed
with two flaming red seals and coat OF arms
Il contained draft tor good SUM of money
n1advance of the first three months pay
ter in the grabbed hand of Monsieur Van
Rheyn.
''Are you Protestant or Roman Catho-
ic?" questioned DR.. Frost.
81 am Protestant, Sir; the same that my
mother was. We attended the Eglise of
Monsieur lie Pastor Mons, of the Cutie Evan.
gelique."
''This young gentleman is the son of Miss
Emma Aberleigh you once knew, Hail."
spoke the Doctor to her, with view, no
doubt, to put her on good terms with the new
pupil.
Eyes, Sir" she answered. she favors
his mamma about the eyes,"
"She must have had very nice eyes," put
Sand so she had," said Van Rheyu, look
ing at me gratefully. "Thank you for saying
it. Iwish you could have known herp
Sand might ask, Sir, what has become
of the other Miss Aberleigh?" asked Hall of
Van Rheyn. The young lady who went off
to Injia with her husband on her wedding
day. , ,,..,.....o O..
is well. She and the Major and the children
will make the voyage to Europe next year."
Van Rheyn said he should like to unpack
his box, and we went up stairs together.
Growing confident over the unpacking, he
gave me scraps OF information touching his
home and family, the mention of one item
leading to another.
His baptsmal name in full, he said, was
Charles Jean Aberleigh; his fathers was
Jean Marie. Their home was a tres jOH
chateau close to Rouen; in five minutes you
could walk thither. 1t was all much changed
since his mother died Che seemed to have
loved her with a fervent love and to revere
her memory;) the last thing he did on COM
ing away for England was to take some flow
ers to her grave. 1t was thought in Rouen
that his father was going to make second
marriage with one of the demoiseles De
Tocgueville, whom his aunt Gabrielle did
not klike. His aunt Gabrielle, his fathers
sister, had come to live at the chateau when
his mother died; but if that Theresine de
Tocqueville came into the house she would
quit it. The Demoiselles de Tocqueville had
hardly any dot-which would be much
against the marriage, aunt Gabrielle thought
and bad for his father, because when be,
(Charles) should be of the age of twenty
one, all the money came to him. 1t had
been his mothers and was so settled; and
his fathers property was but very small. Of
course, he should wish his father to keep al
ways as much as he pleased, but aunt Cari-
belle said the English trustees would be sure