Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
MRS. HEPBURN'S COMPANION

Mrs. Hepburn, lady nearing eighty
years of age, but tall and erect, with
large, soft, black eyes, and noble yet
sweet face, sat in her boulder, listening
gravely to the lamentations of her
niece, a fussy, overdressed woman of
forty, or Whereabouts.
The older lade, being widow lady of
great wealth, was accustomed to re-
ceiving frequent visits from her vari-
Gus relatives, and being called upon to
sympathize IN all their troubles.
More especially did her present Wis
itor, Jennie Harkner, make such de-
mands upon her time and patience.
Robert Harkner, the only son of the
fussy widow, man of twenty-five, had
been from his babyhood to pride and
darling of his great-aunt, and rosy Wis
ions of her possessions haunted his
mothers dreams. From child the
willy woman had trained her son to be
all his aunt desired, and from a child
he had sturdily resisted all attempts to
force him into a slavish hypocrisy.
1t may have been this very manli-
ness, contrasting with the servile fatter-
ing of the others, that had first won for
him his aunt's affection, and it is GER
tain there was bond of love between
them entirely independent of bank ac-
counts and real estate. Feeling thus,
Mrs. Hepburn gave her niece grave at
tention when she said vehemently:
g [ am in such trouble about Rob-"
"Trouble? Is he ill?"
"Oh, no; far worse than that"
You cannot mean that he is in dis
grace?"
ooh no, indeed" and the little
woman ruff1ed her ribbons, as a bird
does its feathers.
"What is it them" said Mrs. Hep
burn, with most unusual ring of i'm
patience in her gentle voice.
"He has fallen in love with vulgar
nobody, and he declares he will marry
her, if all the world opposes him. Oh
it is just awful to hear him defy his
own mother, as he does, and such a
mother as I have BEEN"
"Who is the girl?"
Goodness knows [ don't She is
teacher now In seminary at Green
Valley where Rob has been visiting a
friend. An orphan, he says"
"She can scarcely be vulgar if she
teaches in the Green Valley Seminary.
/ know something of the school, and
no vulgar woman would be allowed to
teach there"
"Well, perhaps she is not exastly
vulgar, but she has no money, no fam
lily! Oh, Aunt Mary, if you will only
use your influence with Rob, he may
see things in proper light, and give
her up"
"What is her name?"
Edna Seabright; and Rob is going
up again in July, because she has no
home but the seminary, and will be
there during the holidays
"How did Rob come to meet her ?'
"She visits at the Holmes place,
where he was staying.
"H'm Well, [ will talk to Rob, but
not now. [ go away next week for the
summer, and [ had rather leave so i'm
portant conversation until [ 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 adj
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 the Green Valley Seminary in
the early part of July, to see Mrs. Hep
burn conversing with that gentleman
evidently upon the footing of an old
friend. Gentle Mrs. Holt knitted bust
y, speaking now and then, as Mrs
Hepburn pursued train of inquiries
eyes," Mr.. Holt said, in answer to
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 a pupil teacher, studying the higher
branches while teaching the lower
ones. Two years ago she took the
place as Mrs. Hollis assistant, with the
usual salary"
"She is wei educated, what more p