American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-03-04
A LADY'S COMPANION.

Mrs. Hepburn, lady nearing eighty
years of age, but tall and erect, with
large, soft, black eyes, and a noble yet
sweet face, sat in her boudoir, listening
gravely to the lamentations of her niece,
a fussy,. overdressed woman, of forty,
or Whereabouts.
The older lady, being childless wild
ow of great wealth, was accustomed to
receiving frequent visits from her nu-
merous relatives, and being called upon
to sympathize in all their troubles.
More especially did her present visit
or, Jennie Harkner, make such de-
mands upon her time and patience.
Robert Harkner, the only son of the
fussy widow, a man of twenty-five, had
been from his babyhood the pride and
darling of his great-aunt, and rosy Wis
ions of his inheritance of all her pos
sessions haunted his mothers dreams.
From a child the willy woman had
trained her son to be all his aunt desir-
ed, and from child he had sturdily re-
sisted all attempts to force him into a
slavish hypocrisy.
1t may have been this very manliness,
contrasting with the servile fiattering of
the others, that had first won for him
his aunt's affection, and it is certain
there was a bond of love between them,
entirely independent of bank accounts
and real estate. Feeling thus, Mrs.
Hepburn gave her niece grave attention
when she said vehemently:
81 am in such trouble about Rob-"
"Trouble? Is he illp''
"Oh, no; far worse than that"
"You can not mean that he is in dis
gracen'
ssOh, no indeed!" and the little wom-
an ruff1ed her ribbons, as bird does its
feathers.
ssWhat is it then?'' said Mrs. Hep
burn, with most unusual ring of i'm
patience in her gentle voice.
He has fallen in love with a vulgar
nobody, and he declares he will marry
her, if all the world opposed him! Oh,
it is just awful to hear him defy his own
mother, as he does, and such mother
as have BEEN
4" Who is the girl?''
Goodness knows! I don'ti She is 8
teacher now in aseminary at Green Val
ley where Rob has been visiting q
friendi An orphan, he says
"She can scarcely be vulgar if she
teaches in the Green Valley Seminary
l know something of the school, and
no vulgar woman would be allowed tt
teach there"
ssWell, perhaps she is not exactly
vulgar, but she has no money, no fami
lyi Oh, Aunt Masy, if you will only
use your influence with Rob, he may
see things in a proper light, and give
her up"
"What is her name?''
edna Seabright; and Rob is going
up again in July, because she has NJ
home but the seminary, and will b,
there during the holidays"
"How did Rob come to meet her?'
"She visits at the Holmes place
WAkSi . iC was Stdl
"H'm! Well, will talk to Rob, bu
not now. L go away next week for the
summer, and had rather leave so inn
portant conversation until I return. >
With this, as Mrs. Hepburn was
known to remain firm in all her plans
Mrs. Harkner was forced to be content
and the next week Mrs. Hepburn LEFT
the city, without giving her summer ad
dress to her dear niece.
1t might have somewhat astonished
that lady, had she looked into the pri
vate sitting-room of Mr.. Holt, the prin
cipal of Green Valley Seminary, in the
early part of July, to see Mrs. Hepburn
conversing with that gentleman, evi
IDENTIFY upon the footing of an old friend
Gentle Mrs. Holt knitted busily, speak.
ing now and then, as Mrs. Hepburn
pursued a train of inquiries.
eyes," Mr.. Holt said, in answer tc
one of these, "Miss Seabright is an
orphan, and her only home for years
was the alms-house. She came here
first as an errand girl, to attend the
door, clean knives and run errands.
But Mrs. Holt found she was starving
for education, and we took her into the
school. She well repaid all the efforts
we made to educate her, and at sixteen
was pupil teacher, studying the high
er branches while teaching the lower
ones. Two years ago she took the
place as Mrs. Hollis assistant, with the
usual salary"
"She is well educated, what moreP''
"A gentle, refined lady," said Mrs.
Holt; +" a conscientious, noble woman
have never met girl for whom felt
more respect, as well as Affection
'sWill you lend her to me for the hol-
idays? am going to take trip to the
White Mountains, Niagara, Canada, and