The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-04-25
A Life's Regret.

am the youngest O! three sisters
Margaret, Louisa and Helen, the last
named being Of coarse myself We re-
side 10 small villa on the outskirts Of
the tcwn Of Norton. Folgate, ind, frcm all
appearances, are likely to remain here
for the resi- of our lives, pursuing what
strangers would suppose was the calm
and even tenor of colorless existence.
Our income, though small, admits Of
our keeping two domestics; and when
We pay visits. which at rare intervals we
do to some Of the country families, we
Jointly subscribe and charter close car.
riagc, which enables us to make our calls
with something like dignity. Not that
my two elder sisters are lacking in that
respect, for they never, either sleeping or
waking | believe, forgot that our late
father desccndcd from an ancient and
honorable family, and that the name OF
Howard, which VIC bear, is derived from
source which, even though it does not
acknowledge lis, is ours justly; and on
the tree which teStifies to Our pedigree
our relationship is clearly set forth. Our
late mother could also boast Of gentle
blood, so that on both sides OF the house
our connections were undcniable.
Iu addition 10 these advantages. nature
had not been unkind to us--iniecd, il
our younger days we had had our own
share of admiration, and the three Alisso,
/ Howard had On many occasions been PRO.
nouuccd the best looking girls at the nu
merous balls which, chaperoned by oul
mother, we used regularly to attend
Our admirers were not few, and we were
always engaged for every dance when
ever we went but there, to all appear
ance, it ended, for after more seasons
than | care to record. none Of us wer,
married. Palmer girls by far even pen
nilcss ones, iu due time made their ap
pearauce, had an interval Of gayety, ant
then announced their engagements, which
duly ended in marriage, and they woulC
return in all the dignity of matronhoo,
to patronizc and remind US in more way
than one Of the wide gulf that separated
our unappropriatcd selves from them ant
their position as married women A
first it was not calling, but by and by
began to feel it keenly, and to long-a
every woman does sooner or later--fo
ties Of my own; but my longings wer
not to be gratifed for the hateful reasol
that no ordinary man was supposed 10 b.
good enough to mate with u "IIoward,
though one degenerate descendant dare'
to wish it could be otherwise.
BY degrees it became known that ",
were hard to please, and though it wa
true enough of Margaret and Louisa
still felt so differently from them on tn
subject that it was rather hard to be in
cluded bnt was Howard" and :
had to pay for my privilege.
Margaret was seven years my senio
and Louisa FIVE, consequently was &C
customed to being considered quite
child until had attained the Iipe age Q
twenty-five, when an event happened
} which, but for my precious pedigree
might have changed the color of m
whole existence.
We had received invitations to ba
given by certain Lady Aylmer, who a
ways made point Of asking us to he
! entertainments and though | was bt
ginning to bo very weary of gayctios, t
decline wns out of the question so aite
some dclibcration as to our attire, etc
an acceptance was sent and when III
evening arrived We, accompanied by ou
mother, crushed ourselves into a hire
carriage, and set out for Aylmers Coui
We were received as usual, most COZ
. daily and after a few dances were ovC
r became conscious Of the presence Of
g gentleman who seemed to regard me wit
some interest. He was 4 very nice lool
ing mau Of about thirty, rather fair, an
with a moustache slightly iucliniug
red. lie was not tall, neither was |
=. very short his figure was good md !
had soldier like look about him which
c rather admired,
As usual, was well supplied wi
u partners, but when Lady Aylmer a
IS preached with the individual have iu
described aud introduced him to me
was glad had spare dance still lei
for which be at once engaged me
| did not catch his name when Lac
p Aylmer brought him up, and when n
eldest sister inquired who my new a
y quaintance was, could only say ho W
. Captain Somebody; iancied Bru
e was the name.
4. sol ,...o - -or,., LII M....,