Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-03
Gales aud Skstfhes.
THE SILVER LOCK.

hundreds die yearly Of overwork and anx.
iety. to how many wonder, is II given,
by one favorable turn of the wheel OF for.
tune, to recover both their health and hap
piness.
Such stroke of good luck befel me
three wears ago, when life was looking
very black to me, and was recommend
ed the simple expedient of making
walking tour, in order to chase away its
shadows.
My father was an officer in the army.
and his only child. My mother died
when | was born, leaving her husband
heart broken at her loss. From heceforth
all his affection was lavished on me my
will was never crossed, and every whim
or caprice l chose to indulge in wss. 20
tar as it was possible, satisfied. So grew
up idle and selfish, careless OF the future,
and encouraged to continue in the same
path by my father, who vaguely hinted
that, at some future day, l should have
more money than should we'll know what
to do with, and need therefore choose no
profession.
did not know that this dream had ref.
erence TO anything 20 uncertain % mere
speculations, but l was rudely awakened
one morning. when my poor father with
trembling lips told me that his EldoradO
had vanished into thin air-in plain En-.
glish he was beggar. That evening he
was stricken with paralysis, never TO rs-
cover; and before week was ont found
myself, comparatively speaking. alone In
the world. at three-and-twenty, without
money or profession, with a misspent
youth. and no prospect Of Advancement
before me. had few dilettame tastes.
and could play the violin, and draw AMI,
mails fairly we'll but my heart Was In the
country, and could have chosen the
means of earning my livelihood, IL would
have been as farmer. ,,....,, .f, eas, n5,.
As 1t was. had not sufficient money to
educate myself for this life, at al times .
precarious one for an ameteur; 90 I had
to swallow my pride, and with the assist
ance Of my friends obtained. after long
waiting, what was considered favor, .
clerkship in one Of the great banking
houses in London. set TO work resolute-
ly turning my back on the past, employ
ing all my leisure moments 10 studying
drawing. with dim visions in the future of
following-very humbly-in the footsteps
Of Landseer and Ansdell, and Of turning
my back tor ever to pen and ink, high
stools and Iedgers. t.i.fA fnn A5s.a9se fsi
But Fate was apparently unkind to me
and threw in my way a woman, With eyes
as soft and bright as those OF the deer I
loved to delineate, and even less money
than myself possessed. l met her u Tie
house of one Of my friends, and no soon
er saw her than, with the perversity Of
poverty, loved her. Alas! she was only
the governess, and only bankers clerk!
What hope had L? 14 .lBossiM nj boz
After the first time saw her often. ] II
could not 60 to the Garw ood's house with.
out meeting her. for she was petted by the
whole family. and treated more asa guest
than as the ehildren's governess. They
told me she was an Italian, but when
grew to know her better. | learnt from
her that she was half English. and that
her name was Olivia. As for her surname
that always remained puzzle. for shs
could not rightly pronounce it, being En-
glish, and always called herself by that Of
her stepfasher, an Italian-the only father
she had ever known. He and her mother
were both dead, leaving her destitute. %,
she had come over to England with some
friends, to seek a situation as governess.
Fortune had befriended her, and her lines
were trueIy cast in pleasant places 1t the
Garwoods - I -tf.. sa
She was so pretty, with her soft gazelle-
like eyes, red lips. and quite English
brown hair, striking by its contrast with
the clear olive complexion and dark eye
brows. with her quaint foreign wsys and
gesticulations, that one could not wonder
at the fascination she exercised over all
who came in contact with her.
One defect she had. which no doubt
marred her beauty to the ordinary OBJ
server. This was small, perfectly white
lock Of hair. just above her forehead.
where 1t CLEANED out among the luxuri-
ant brown masses by which 10 was sur
rounded, like a streak of FURNISHED silver.
To me, however, it was no blemish, for
strange to say myse! had the same de-
feet. only my white lock was thicker and
more prominent than was Olivia's. The
Garwoods were much amused by this. our
common physical popularity, and joking
ly said we should discover each other to
be cousins, by means of the silver lock.
Olivia had inherited hers from her Eng
lish father, but mine must have been .
freak Of nature. a.EF .rsasiu Hrr
Signor Belzoni, Olivia's stepfather, had
given her thoroughly good education,
and had insisted on her learning her
fathers tongue. She spoke English with
the prettiest foreign accent, generally
quite intelIigibly, except when It came to
her own surname. and of that we could
make nothing. But 1t mattered little to
me or to her what her name was.
loved her. and she loved me. We wore
both young, both penniless,, ratson dc
plus that we should gravitate towards
each other, and resolve to unite our des-
TIMES at some future day. o-ln- 49
The Garwoods shook their heads. bot
gave their consent. We both worked
hard. saving every penny that We could
spare; but Olivia was well fed. and free
from care in that respect whilst IAnearly
starved myself. working with nv pencil
to late hours in the night and early in the
morning. on insufficient food. The con-
sequences were that, ere two years had
passed away, found myself growing
nervous and hipped. afraid Of the sound
of my own voice. irritable to all around,
and even to my sweet Olivia. Mr.. Gar.
wood took me in hand, sent for doctor,
and gave me f20 to pay for his prescsip-
tion--a walking tour. And thus Il shap- .
III =