Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-01-18

| -@'NN hhS ticNONttN ltIt tuht UAluB W rs
spelled by my initials.
first made Mrs Loraine's acquaintance
about two-and.twenty years ago. when
l, then a girl OF twenty, went to be Ru-
peTt's goyerneSs. Mrs Lorraine was the
only child and hciress of old Mr.. Lorraine
OF Helmsleigh, aud she had married a
Col. Eliot. who had taken her name
Their own home was in London, for he
had an appointment at the Horse Guards,
but they were great deal at Hemsleigh.
When fiTst went to them, Rupert was
i've years old, Alice three, sud Bertha
only fifteen months. was kindly and
atectionately treated; was an orphan
without near relations, and the Loraines
and Helmsleigh became to me as my own
people and my own home.
Years passed on, and troubles came in
qgick succession. Col. Eliot Lorraine
went to the Crimea. and fell at the battle
OF The Alma; and his widow returned
with her four children (ior another boy
bad been born few months after went
10 them) TO live with her old father at
beautiful Heimsleigh, which would one
day be first hers snd then Ruper,'s. !
remained with her, as her companion sud
the govefuess ofthe little girls. Rupert,
OF course, left my care at ten years Old to
60 10 school, returning for the holidays
TO bc the pride Of our hearts and the
plague OF cur lives; bright. handsome,
merry Rupert, always in mischief, but
irycsis,ibIy loyable; devoted to bis
mother, alfecii9na,c to his sisters. and
kIndiy courteous 10 me, though devising
new schemes Tor our tormeu, with each
succeeding day!
l helped Mrs Loraiue % nurse her
father through the long and tedious i'll
ness which preceded lis death together
We watched over little Gerald, who died
OF injuries received by fall from his
pony at oish, years Old; and. sharper
griei still, we saw our sweet, gentle
Bertha slowly fade and droop, and die n,
sixteen, in spite OF all that medical skill
and the ieudsrest care could 10. We eft
our darling q, Mentone.
The following year. Alice. being
eighteen, was presented aud introduced
into society, aud LEFT Helmslcish. They
wished me TO remain there, but seemed
to Jc needed elsewhere; for OLD Mr.. and
Mrs + iJ'. the father aud mother of C1l.
10: Lorraine, required companion and
h3l,ckeep9y now tha. all ,hei. daughters
were married; and they were old and
iuli,m, aad urht to be alone together
They Anow me anl weye willing % have
me, and felt that could be Of more use
taere lhan at Hsimsleigh. For seven
years now l have lived with them very
happily, but / can rarely leave them.
Occasionally, however, | am able to
manage visit to He,msicigh and was
there Tor month this summer.
Mrs. Lorraine was now very much
alone there. for Alice had married Al
nineteen, and in every way to her mothers
sa'islact.on. but had died Ihe following
year at the birth o. her frs! child, which
enly survived her ira few hours. Rupert
was ECw the only treasure leN TO his
mother. and she idolizel him For his
sake she struggled, even in early days,
against her grief. and took care that
ueimsleish should continue to be a
cheerlu. home Ter lin. where his friends
were always welcome. Rupert was very
lord Of her and very copsiderate OF her;
bu. though lie nominany lived with her,
he was great deal away, either travel
ing or paying visits. Amusements OF one
Kind or another tempted him in every
direction. and he had 20 real duties at
home; for, though his fathers fortune
made him quite Independent, the property
was his m TIERS. and she had never alb
dicated her powers, though pleased to
have his help in her rule.
Rupert'S marriage had naturally been
always anticipated as likely and desira-
BILE. but when it came it was inevitably
an anxiety and a shock He had returned
home quite lately from visiting some
friends in Devonshire, TO announce to his
mother that he had engaged himself to a
Miss Herries. a young lady of whose ex-
isterce Mrs. Lorraine had never heard till
that moment. She did not even know
the Scott Parrys. the friends at whose
house Rupert had met her. 1t was easily
ascertained, however, that both Colonel
and Mrs. Herries were people Of good
birth, and that there was nothing wrong
about lheDI, except poverty, which in this
case could be of 70 consequence what.
ever.
Mrs. Lorraine did snd said all that was
kind ard unselfsb. and at once invited
Miss Herries and her parents to come 10
pay a visit at Helmsleigh. But Col.
Herries was an invalid and could not
visit, and his wife and daughter could not
leave him at the same time; therefore
Rossmond, otherwise Mona" must
come alone. 1t was rather a formidable
visit for all parties, and she was 10 arrive
in the afternoon Of the day on which Ru
pert had gone over to Clevelands. l was
very glad to be staying at Helmsleigh at