New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16
THROUGH WIND AND RAIN.
BY MARY CELL HAY.

THRO UGH WIND AND RAIN
BY MARY CELL HAY.
Yes that's the portrait of the preseD
Squire Handsome. No, don't think W
old servants ever call him handsome.
daresay Won are right, though, and if WEI
known him less, we might have spoken @
his being handsome. We only know hin
as the kinIest master and the tenderest Sol
in all the world. Yet l daresay you ar
right, for when I'm here by myself amoB
the portraits THE servants wondering VIII,
their old huusekeeper wanders over tn
house 80 much alOnel it is alwas to his fac
turn with the best memories, and there il
nothing then to dim my spectacles, as there
is when my eyes rest upon the portrait
opposite-you see them? The portraits O
his father and grandfather.
It was just such night as this that ush
cred in the new year five and twenty years
ago; and even now, that evening is as clear
in my memory as this has been, though
Wesmede to-day is filled with guests and
gayety, and hat old house echos music and
laughter, instead of that one strange cry
Promised to tell you, did / Come neare,
to the fire, then, and throw on another log
Many night I've sat just here to see the
old year die. Sometimes in that wonderful
silence of the starshine; sometimes in bril-.
liant moonlight, when that line of heath
road beyond the park lay like broad white
ribbon on the brown; and sometimes, as ii
does to highland did upon that other
night Just five and twenty years ago-pant.
ing for its breath and dying in passionate
tears. You can see now how the poplars,
far away against the sky there, bend like
reeds; and when the hurrying clouds fly by
and leave the young moon uncovered, you
can trace that bride path across the heath,
glistening like shallow brook. just such
a night as this it W as, wild, wet. and gusty
when the old squire and stood watching
But how's this! ought not to be in the
see-there's another New Years eve that l
can remember, fifty years ago, when the
Squire held his new born infant in his arms,
with such smile as we had never seen
upon his face before, and stood there IN a
dream until they reused him to tell him that
his young wife could not live.
All in all was the boy to his father from
chat very night. yet at first there was some
times q fancy among US that our masters
great affection tor his son came second to
bis pride in his heir. He was growing old,
YOU see, and OF course there must have been
times when he feared that the proud old
name would ole, and the place he loved so
well 90 to that distant branch of the Caple-
tons, of which Captain Warder was the liv-
ing representatives cold, middle-aged
man, whom the old Squire never had liked.
But now that the son and heir was born.
Mr.. CapletOn, with come new feeling, turned
round and seemed to grow fond of this heir
presumptive-as they called him. But we
didn't, and there was conviction among
US that whenever he came to Wesmede it
was because he either wanted money IN
hurry, or had nowhere else to go.
For years after the little heir was born,
Captain Warder didn't come to Wesmede
at all. He might have been too angry, or
he might have been really abroad as it was
reported. But gradually his visits were re-
suned, and then. year by year, they grew
longer and more frequent.
At Wesmede everything went smoothly
and happily tor the squire tbrOug h his som
boyhoOd; for though, of course, Mr.. Will
got into trouble sometimes, as schOOlbOys
will, the trouble never lasted, for the boy
was gentle and true-hearted, even if he had
q share of his fathers selfwill. So the time
went on until within few days of Mr.. |
Willis leaving college, when he was to come |
iome for few weeks, then join a party of |
friends and travel tor year before settling |
1t Wesmede and taking the Sduire's duties |
Upon himself. just as we we're dreading |
est Mr.. Capleton should fret through his |
'on's long absence, distant connection of |
lis died, leaving an only daughter unpro-
'ided for. So the squire, when he heard
his, went Oft at once to Scotland anu
brought back the orphan girl with him.
Her portrait herel OF course it is, for
he was one of the Capletons, you know,
hough she was SO poor that I've seen her
urn the bows OF ribbon on her dress and
,atch the pages Of her music. Beautiful?
don't know, because | have heard go |
many different faces called beautiful. At
rst the servants called her 'puny," then
oticed that the maids grew to initiate her,
nd dropped their voices when they spoke
f her. AS for me, from the very first mo-
lent that my eyes rested on her l saw what
ION my heart. Her face was narrow and
elicate, vet there was sweet and stead
let light upon it which made it beautiful
eyond what had ever before understood
the word.
How well remember the day Mr.. Will
anne home from college and found her
landing sbyly at his fathers side waiting |
Dr. him. Such glance came into his eyes
hat, though Id known them all his life, |
BIT I'd never seen them properly till then.
u course l could only guess how he spent
hat evening, the first which he had ever
ad q girl companion at home; but before
eek had passed had seen what made me
I'd enough.
''If Agnes does her duty, Will" heard
10 SIuiIc ody Ouo uOTuluR, WAll0 Mr. Will |
God against the law oak chimney-piece in {
% hall, with his face bent, IL shall give her {
wedding portion, and marry her to War ,
n. 1 shall be doing both of them a good
m. And that reminds me, Will, Luxieiph |
LIS me his daughter returns from Paris | I
'xt year, to take her place at the head of G
8 house."
No answer from Mr.. Will out the Squire :
an e notice 1t, and Went on IL pleasant, c
tistied tone. !
1--we never kept you in the dark as to nv
'entions, Will, have L! You've always
en- fully aware of the good fortune in e
ire for you Luxleighs estate and Lux. t
CHS daughter go together. and the prize t
to be yours on your return: always sup.
sing, wv, that you act your own part g
e gent1man and-a lover. &
And if don't!" h
The Squlre's laugh rang out with a merri- d
mt which had not grain of suspicion in 81
''lf you lose your reason during the | fl
It year-put it that way, Will" when | "
Viii! looked up, l was passing him in b
wing the hall, and remember wondering
" it was the Squire could be go unsus.
citing. When I reached my own room, al
thinking over that expression on nv
ing masters face. l found Miss Agnes m
aiding at the window, looking out into til
park as she waited for me. When we to
held our usual morning discussion, she be
led to the window again before leaving | be
room. liz
Il you are looking for Mr.. VIII, Miss "a