Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-30
,ptECE OF PRESUMPTION.

APIECE OF PKESUMfIioN.
r.orvbody knew that the Bellesche-
,sere An old family, with lands and
Faa ahs 10 which they seemed to have &C
800 auch prescriptive right that it
Gun erossed anybody's mind that Provi-
1 1e.os had any right to take them away.
a ilS creat was every body's CONSERVATION
ANY w providence exercised the right, and
W. paIleschevaux, having fallen over in
~ .. was found to have left his estate in
~, and everybody wondered, and
so,aa,rhodv pitied and nobody helped.
Tsase who had partaken Of the Bellies
iro,y,s bounty, had sat at their table,
ia,t under their roof been relieved, pros
s salpod hattered by the Belleschevaux,
Pued and condoled, but asked no leading
aast;ons. Perhaps it would have been
glo resumption to offer help there. AT
ny rate they didn't presume. And per-
Sans Mrs. Belleschevaux' stately manner
m ndpde II impossible. And so, when every
. .h was settled, and she could see what
there was before them, she found nothing
left but the little sisregarded dover she
had brought with her. The family man
s;on with its ancient splendor, its woods
and gardens, was sold to upstairs who had
reyey heard the name OF BelleschevauX,
and the family moved into cottage, which
in q wear or two they made beautiful with
vines and shrubs.
az couree Louise Belleschevaux, with
hpr snirit, was not content with life In
that cottage on her mothers dover. With
Inc children yet to DC launched upon The
world She had been taught, simply as
matter of fact, that they were OF noble de-
scent and the best way TO prove nobility,
che decided in this country, where WORK
was honorable, was to earn it over again
aIn old times you fought for it, now you
work for it, she said; " and l shall take
the first situation that offers" The poor
child had an idea that situations went
sbout begging to be taken, and 1T was
only when a six months search enlightened
her that she accepted chance as teachel
of music anp painting in an establishment
employing some dozen other teachers.
10 saw that Louise Belleschcvaux dc
not regard this as degradation OF III
DIGNITY of her name would be untrue, ant
she would have been herself untrue Il
the traditions of her blood If she had no
co regarded it. No Belleschevaux lad.
had ever vet dressed her own hair;
body. servant had always been an integra
norton of a Belleschevaux gentleman
and here she was, waiting upon ounce
for pay! But she had sense enough 7
know it would be worse degradation
sit down in idleness and make more scant
vet the household supplies; and she use
to repeat daily to herself:
"Who sweeps a floor as to Gods praise
Makes that and the action line;
and nobody ever knew what 1t cost her
sweep this floor, till the time when sh
laughed at the woes for which then sh
had no respect.
Yet, after all, there was not much OF ID
aristocrat in the little lady's looks; M
sonorous name-Henriette Desiree Louis
Belleschevaux, her old Huguenot grea
grandmother,s name-was more impo
ing than her appearance. she was tl l1
woman, but perfect as tiny, win her Iaul
less hands and feet, her shell-plnK plool
her delicate features, her luminous pro"
eyes, and her hair, whose bralds sat upo
her head as gold crown might SIT upe
queens. yet if you looked closer ye
saw her always erect, now SO graclou
now so imperious, every inch OF her
queen. But this discrowned queen W
apt TO lie perdue, Unless it was necessa
to assert herself, and perhaps nobody D
John Mowbray had ever come into OPP
contact with her. :.
He was the teacher of mathemati'
which duty he assumed only while usil
all the time it left him for the study OF
profession-a stalwart, well-knit fello
with broad intellect stamped upon
face, who had worked his way throu
college, and apparently thought IT no q
honor to work his way through lie.
he knew the hardships Of teachers II
none better; and when he saw this III
lady enter the school, he could mol l
feel pang of pity to think OF the unus
path before her, and of the suffering III
the ounces who were to play on her ner'
as on the keyboard There was son
thing very winning about her gracious
reserved manner, her calm smile;
thought he should like to make the '
easier for her. He left on her desk, I
morning as he went by, single rose-D
like a word of welcome.
1t was not the season with her OF now
in plenty; ii was long since she had
flowers in plenty; an this was a 10y
one. She. took if up eagerly, ana w
the bell tinkfed she pinned 1t IN
/ throat, with something of the color &c
ening her cheek. John Mowbray, see
her though his glass door, could
aegthink the little flower had frightened
i path Of the little feet that day. St
days afterward he laid, not one, but
or three stems in cluster, on the q
again, taken FROM his own window