Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-03-23
A LIFE S REGRET.

l
I am the youngest of three SISTERS
Margaret, Louisa and Helen the last
named being CT course myself We re-
side in small village on the outskirts
of the town of Norton Folgate, and from
all appearances are likely to remain for
the rest of our lives, pursuing what
strangers would suppose the calm and
even tenor of colorless existence
Our income, though small, admits Of
our keeping two domestics, aud when
we pay visits, which at rare intervals we
do to some of the country families, we
Jointly subscribe and charter close car
rage, which enables us to make our call
with something like dignity. Not that
my two elder sisters are lacking in that
respect, for they never, either sleeping
or waking, l believe, forget that our late
father descended from an ancient and
honorable family. and that the name Of
Howard, which we bear, is derived from
a source which, even though it does not
acknowledge US, is ours justly, AMI Oh
the tree which testifies our pedigree our
relationship is clearly set forth. Our late
mother couldsalso boast of gentle blood,
so that on both sides of the house our
connections were undeniable.
In addition to those advantages, ma
ture had not been unkind to us, indeed,
in our younger days we had our own
share of admiration, and the three Miss
Towards had on many occasions been
pronounced the best looking girls at the
numerous balls which, chaperoned by
our mother, we used regularly to attend.
Our admirers were not few, and were
always engaged for every dance where
ever we went; bnt there, to all appear
ance it ended, for, after more seasons
than / care to record, none of us were
married. Palmer giils by far, even
penniless ones, in due time made their
appearance, had an interval of gayety,
and then announced their engagements,
| which duly ended in marriage; and they
would return in all the dignity of wo-
manhood to palronize and remind US in
more ways than one Of the wide gulf
that separated our unappropriated selve
from them and their positions as mar
| ried women At first it was not so gal
ling, but by and by began to feel it
keenly, and to long-as every woman
| does sooner or later for ties of my
own but my longings were not to be
graf fed, for the one hateful reason that
no ordinary man was supposed to be
good enough to mate with "a Howard,
though one degenerate descendant dar-
ed to wish it could be otherwise.
By degrees it became known that we
were hard to please, and though it was
true enough of Margaret and Louisa still
felt so different from them on the sub
| iect that 1t was rather hard to be inclu-
ded; but was "a Howard" and had.t
pay for my privilege.
Margaret was seven years my senior,
and Louisa five. Consequently I was
accustomed to being considered quite a
child until I had attained the ripe age
of twenty-five, when an event happened,
which, but for my precious pedigree,
might have changed the color of my
whole existence.
| We had received invitations to ball
given by cetain Lady Aylmer, who
always made point of asking us TO her
entertainments; and though l was be-
ginning to be very weary of gayeties, to
decline was out of the question, so after
some elaboration as to attire, etc., an
acceptatlon was sent; and when the
evening arrived, we, accompanied by
our mother, crushed ourselves into a
hired carriage, and set out for Aylmer's
! Court.
We were received as usual, most cor
daily; and after few dances were over
l became conscious of the presence of a
gentleman who seemed to regard me
with some interest. He was nice>leok
ing man of about thirty, rather fair, and
with small, red moustache slightly in
clining to red. He was not tall, neither
was be short; his figure was good and
he had soldier-like look about him
which l rather admired.
| As usual, I was we'll supplied with
partners; but when Laydy Aylmer ap,
preached with the individual ! have just
described, and introduced me to him,
was very glad l had spare dance still
l1left, for which he at once engaged me.
! did not catch his name when Lad,
! Aylmef brought him up; and vl1er m,