The Morning herald., 1876-09-28
REALIZED WISHES


There is no fairer valley in England thar
that in which nestles the small but cheer
fnI 1t town ofSt. Edwins. Surrounded on all
s;des bv finely-slopiag hills, covered tt
the;r sommits with rich beechwood, the
sar-famed musical chimes of the antique
church penetrate to many sheltered home
steads slumbering in "grsnerie," far
enough away from the din Of a moderately
nopulous and busy town for the sounds
!ss',inp thence to float refined and softened
over verdant meads and sunny garden
slones even as the rushing Of waters in the
dist.nce falls dimly and mysteriously on
the listeners ear. Ut. Edwins still f1ourishes
hit Maud Chapel Farm and adjacent ruins
have disappeared from the face Of the
earth, to make way for rows Of tidy cot
tapes. rented by labering men and their
fa1ilies, Thither still il borne the echo
ofSt Edwins' beautiful bells and in the
twilight, when birds and little children
seek their nests, perehance the melancholy
vetsoothing influence of the swelling and
diving cadence may be felt unconsciously
by some anxious nursing mother, whose
tender woman's heart beats, nevertheless,
beneath the folds of a peasants garb. The
site of the ancient monastic pile is still
pointed out to the casual observer, but the
pleasant homestead, modern in comparison,
is laid low in dust, together with It's inhabi-
tants.
Maud Chapel Farm was once the abode
ofacertain Mr.. Walaing ham, an humble
and unpretending individual, who, after a
few years practice as a country surgeon,
retired from active life on his well and
hard-earned gains, which were eked out by
a small addition to his income, bequeathed
Unexpectedly by distant relative. Mr..
Wal,ingham, in the society of a worthy
wife, gladly gave up his arduous profession
for the more congenial routine OF rural
existence; it might be that the loss of an
only child, who had married young, and
died soon after her marriage, conspired to
render Mr.. and Mrs. Walsingham averse to
worldly pursuits, and esirous of secusion,
where the best panacea Was found for such
griefas theirs. This lamented daughter,
however, had left namesake behind her,
and it may readily be surmiaed how dear
the little Agnes was to her bereaved
grandparents, and how grateful they were
to Captain Dorper, their son-in-law, for
permitting her 10 reside with them during
his long intervals OF absence. Captain
Dormer was shipowner, commanding one
Of his own vessels, and trading to foreign
lands--his favorite headquarters when on
shore being at distant port, whittier Mr..
and Mrs. Walsingham, with their beloved
charge, were wont sometimes to repair, to
greet the bluff mariner on his re urn home.
He was q rough man, enthusiastically
devoted to his calling, and seeming to
think the only way he could show hi. love
for the fair creature whom he called daugh-
ter was in lavishing a profusion of rare
gifts wherewith to adorn her person
choicest products of the sunny climes to
which he traficked. As to her mode of
education, or introduction into society,
that Captain Dormer never dreamed about;
it was left entirely at the disposal Of the
good Walsinghams, who were simple and
unpretending folks themselves, and much
inclined to the primitive mode of bringing
up young people. Maud Chapel being
situated about a mile from the town of st..
Edwins, the means of proper instruction
according to Mr.. Walsingham's ideas Of
solid and fanciful lore) were easily procura-
bic from thence.
Agnes, though delicate child, was an apt
scholar; for nature had been bountiful,
both as regarded her mental and personal
charms If there were deficiencies, whose
eye was to discern them, when the exqui-
site Unfinished casket contained undoubted
jewels of price, even though not arranged in
conventional setting? Not Mr.. and Mrs.
Walsingham-not Captain Dormer, Ger
tainly; to the former Agnes embodied
every idea of brightest earthly perfection i;
othe latter, whose perceptions were not
particularly lucid, Of oceanicl She was to
him siren, or pearl, or mermaiden !;
his fancy had no wider scope. To them
asunbeam, fAiry-queen, rosebud. No
terms of endearment or praise were too
extravagant, for "out of the abundance Of
the heart the mouth speaketh." Had it
oeen possible for indulgence and caresses
to have spoiled Agnes, she doubtless must
nave been thoroughly SO but she was one
ol those creatures whom it is not in the
power of weak or blind indulgence to in.
Jurs. There were depths in her blue eyes,
ana depths in her heart, unfathomable and
mysterious ; but she was more thinker Of
poetry than Of prose-a sensitive plant,
existing in an atmosphere redolent Of
sweets Yet, like all real thinkers, she
was We lowly in her estimate ofself--not with
.ae .s mock humility, indeed, Of a sentimen-
"a, inslpid drawing-room young lady for
agnes was one Of the rarely y-gifled, spiritual
creations met with now and then on the
crowded, jostling highway Of the worlds
lourneyings-unmarked by anything un-