, 1876-05-13
MY GEORGIE.

<~AN AA
all old woman now, and If ramblc and maun-
der ut times, why, perhaps you would do the
same If you were 60 years oil. It wasn't
necessary to sec through milestone to see that
one Of the girls loved him with ier whole heart,
while the other-but there! hare got into the
middle Of the story, and haven't told YOU the
beginning yet.
There wasn't any great harm In Ida,-lb believe
that thoroughly the child was too much OF
kitten to know her own mind. Pretty? Oh,
yes, very pretty, even to my old eyes; just the
sort Of beauty that old age likes, with plenty OF
light and color about it-great soft dark eyes,
and heaps Of dark tangled hair, and the bloom
OF the da1nask rose on her soft oval checks.
She WAS good little thing in the main, but
fanciful and flighty and capricious as u will-o'-
the-Wisp, and with O whole storehousc of 70
nance treasured up in her foolish little brain.
It was really as good as play to see that dainty
luxurious little creature sitting there in her
silks and laccs, talking about sclf-sacrifce and
tho pleasure Of working aud economizine
for the man one loved. Work and
economy, forsooth! and sho knew about
as much of either Us q mollusk does
OF algebra Not that know what mollusk is
Heaven forbid!-but it seems to be the
fashion now to talk the most of what you un.
derstand the least. Yes, Ida was nice little
thing, bright and good-natured, and generous
in an fmpulsivc, opcn-handed way but, bless
you! she had about rs much power of loving in
her as kitten. She could like people and be
fond Of them, and all that sort of thing, as long
as everything was smooth and pleasant but al
the first touch ofadversty-putf! Of her little rush
light Of love was out with Whit, Instead Of
burning up clearer and stronger and tiercer for
the blast, US it ought to do il 1t were the right
sort.
What is the use OF being hard upon the child,
though, for what she could no more help than
she could the mole upon her check, which
troubled her SO? Love is a gift and I. talent,
like any other. Some people have it and some
haven't, and whether it is u gift to be prayed
for or not is q question my poor old brain can
am, and believe in insanity, but it's precious
little l'ye seen of either the one or the other.
They say we are all crazy, more or less, only in
most people it never comes out very strong, and
perhaps it's much the same with love. sup
pose most Of lis have more Or less Of tho
commodity lying loose about us, ready to be
squandered on anybody that comes along.
People in general are satisfied to dribble it out,
here little and there little, until it is all
gone, and nobody the better for it-or tile
across somebody who has hoar11e1 up the whole
stock, and kept it intact until the one comes
along who claims it all. Is that the better waya
I'm sure can't tell. 1t oil depends upon who
comes in for it at tue end
George vas one Of that kind, think; a little
mite Of i creature, with none OF lda's bright
ness or bloom about her, but taking, in her way,
tho, with the look Of quiet resolution about
tic square cllin and firm little mouth, and
the wistful, yearning spirit that seemed
always peeplug out of the blue-g1ay
tlc face that could wake up and sparkle with
life when anything stirred or amused her-that
was Georgia And both of the girls thought
they loved him, though what there was about
him that was so wonderfully attractive never
enough, tall and manly with brown mustaehc,
and clear frank look in his brown eyes. You
see hundreds as good ns he is every day, and
what there was about hi1n-Wel1, well, girls
are mysteries, aud very different from what they
e 0un Hhen Te dan }Rn
We took the good the gods gave us in that
line, and were thankful; OF, if we didn't
choose to take It, We went without, and never
vcxed our heads about any "migA hare
1ae'ts." That's what did,, and I'm none the
worse for It now. Perhaps, though, if Georgie's
that Is Ill over and done with long
ago. Sometimes think, though, that that
may be the reason love the girl SO well-bet-
ter, yes, certainly better, than Ida, though she
is my own niece.
views and my own thoughts and my own fecl-
ings, and haven't told you who they al arc Jet
Ida, you see, is my niece-Ida Merton, my
brothers. only Child Georgia is GcoEgic Gresh-
am, 4 distant connection OF Ida's, who
by rynr '4a suc pasnt
plucEy, indonitable little mite as she
Is, tr.ldgng out in all wcathcrs, and coming back
paic ana tired, but with never q complaint from
lcr hrm little lips, and always with q bright
.f.&1
Is she, too, calls me. I believe the child really
hoes love me; and so does Ida, only hers is i
lircrcnt sort Of love You feel that If you
we're away, Ida would lore stick, or stone,
'r anything that might happen to be in your
lcycr. . The youlfs man is Mark Drayion, and
'c is onl clerk IN my brothers. store; but, for
III that, he is OF good birth and breeding. The
fhctl Of fortune has strange ups and downs,
md he was glad enough OF the place when Alr.
memory Of carly benefits which he had received
rom young DIayton's father. Neither Of
'cnt the step, for Mark had proved to
Ec steady and honorable, with rare flashes
# what vas was almost LIKE & genius f9r bus 3aa
i5cn steadily, until 1t was quite understood that
lext year ho was to be partner in the large
wholesale and retail dry-goods house Of Merton
: Co. All things considered, lie would not J
ave 0cen h1lcl4 u uau QllLCu lof Ala, only tAAL
new that the child did not really care
bout him, aud there was Georgia break !
lg her proud, patient little heart |
Or his sake, and nobody saw it but one old |
;oma11, who had been through it all herself |
nj knew what it meant 1t Was hard enough |
Or her sometimes, but she was not the kind to |
ret or bemoan herself. |
OF course the young man was caught by lda's
for the little puss was as fond OF all
liration Us 4 cat is OF sparrows, and spared no |
aims to fascinatc him. wonder that the two !
iris continued Us good friends as they did; but
think George saw that Ida was not really to
lame, and was only acting out her nature, in |
crfcct ignorance OF the deadly hurt which she |
as innlcting upon her friend. For though |
eorgie had told her Of long, long friendship
-ith Mark Drayton when he was only poor,
Eruggling clerk, she had never told OF the
,oks and words and ways with which he had |
on away her heart before either Of them knew
. Not that the young man was dishonoruble ]
lther. She had been his only friend III those
ays, you sec. That was while her widowed
lother was still living and George was living
it'll her It was not until after her mother
al died that the girl came to live in Ar. Mer-
3n's house Sympathy and friendship are very
scet, and Georgia had been patient aud tender
nd true, and tile young man had learned
, think Of her rs sister, and perhaps
most to love hef as something more, but it
L seemed so hopeless that he never spoke.
nd then he met Ida, and was dazz1ed and be-
itched by her, and SO Gcorgie was eclipsed for
for awhile. I felt sure, il he and