The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-03-31
mi / SC g IIaneO us.
A Piece of PRESUMPTION.


Every body knew that the Bellescheyau,
were an old family, with lands and stocks
to which they seemed to have ACQUIRED
such aprescriptive right that it never cross
ed any body's mind that Providence hat
any right to take them away. And grea
was every body's CONSERVATION when Provi
dcnce exercised the right, and Mr.. Bellies
chevaux, having fallen over into fit, was
found to have left his estate insolvent; ant
every body wondered, and every body pitt
cd, and nobody helped. Those who had
partaken ofth Beleschevaux' bounty, had
sat at their table, slept under their roof
been relieved, prospered, battered by the
BelleschevauX, called and condoled, but
asked no leading questions. Perhaps il
would have been presumption to offer helr
there. At any rate, they didn't presume
And perhaps Mrs. Belleschevaux' stately
manner made it impossible. And so, when
every thing was settled, and she could sec
what there was before them, she found
nothing left but the little disregardcd dow
er she had brought with her. The family
mansion, with its ancient splendor. its
woods and gardens, was sold to upstarts
who had never heard the name of Bellies
chevaux, and the family moved into cot
taSe, which in year or two they made
beautiful with vines and shrubs.
or course Louise Belleschevaux, with
her spirit, was not content with life in that
cottage on her mothers dover, with the
children yet to launched upon the world.
She had been taught, simply as matter
of fact, that they were of noble descent 4;
and the best way to prove nobility, she de-
cided, III this country, where work was
honorable, was to earn it over again. "In
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 about beg.
ging to be taken, and it was only when a
six months search enlightened her that she
accepted chance as teacher of music and
painting in an establishment employing
some dozen other teachers.
70 say that Louise BelleschevauX did
not regard this as IL degradation of the
dignity of her name would be untrue, and
she would have been herself untrue to the
traditions of her blood If she had not so
regarded it. No Beleschcvaux lady had
ever yet dressed her own hair; n body
servant had always been an integral por-
here she was, waiting upon ounces for
pay But she had sense enough to know
it would be worse degradation to sit down
in idleness and make more scanty vet the
household supplies; and she used to re-
peat daily to herself:
who sweeps floor as to Gods praise
Makes that and the action tne;"
and nobody ever knew what it cost her to
sweep this floor, till the time when she
laughed at the woes for which then she
had no respect.
the aristocrat in the little lady's looks !:
her sonorous name Henriettc Desiree
Louise Belleschevaux, her old Huguenot
cat-grandmother's name-was more i'm
posing than her appearance. She was a
tiny woman, but perfect as tiny, with her
faultless hands and feet, her shel-pink
bloom, her delicate features her luminous
brown eyes, and her hair, whose braids sat
upon her head as gold crown might sit
upon queens; yet if you looked closer
you saw her always erect, now so gracious
now so imperiOus, every inch of her a
queen. But this discrowned queen was
apt to lie perdue, unless it was necessary
to assert herself, and perhaps nobody but
John Mowbray had ever come into omen
contact with her.
He was the teacher OF mathematics, which
duty lie assumed only while using all the
time it left him for the study of his pro-
fession--a stalwart, well knit fellow, with
broad intellect stamped upon his face, who
had worked his way through college, and
apparently thought it no dishonor to work
his way through life. Yet he knew the
hardships of teachers life; none better !;
and when he saw this little lady enter the
school, he could not but feel pang of pity
to think OF the unused path before her, and
of the suffering from the ounces who were
to- play on her nerves as on the keyboard.
There was something very winning about
her gracious yet reserved manner, her calm
smile; he thought he should like to make
the way easier for her. He left on her
desk, one morning as he went by, single
rosebud, like work of welcome
1t was not the season with her of flowers
plentyi it was long since she had flowers
in plenty; and this was lovely one She
took it up eagerly, and when the bell tink-
led she pinned it in her throat, with some
thing OF tie color deepening her cheek
John Mowbray, seeing her through his
glass door, could but think the little flow
er had frightened the path Of the little
feet that day. Some days afterward he
laid, not one, but two or three stems in q
cluster, on the desk again, taken from his
own window garden that he tried to keep
in bloom all the year round-a carnation
a bit OF heliotrope, white bud, gerani.
nm leaf. She looked up, as he passed
with smile; they were so sweet, the sight
OF them, the breath of them, gave back the
days when she was surrounded with them
she kept them with her all day, and took
them home at night. AS for the givcr, il
never occurred to her to remember him
she had always had flowers, and here was
some kind fate still bestowing them join
Mowbray was merely the servant of thi.
fate. 1t seemed, though, AS if the littlt
flowers were in some sort seol ofhenisor