Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1878-02-28

Of suitable clothes prepared,a and above
all took unwearied pains to teach her
all the little things indispensable to
place her on a level with the girls she
would meet when she went to school.
Meanwhile society wondered. 1t
saw little of Miss Buckingham. She
seemed always busy, yet she never
had looked so happy or so beautiful
as then.
AS for Nora, it seemed to her that
she had reached heaven. Can you
wonder? ....
Nora soon learned the ways and
manners of a lacy. She seemed to be
instinctively delicate and lady like.
She was pretty, too, when her face
grew plump and the hungry look
went out Of her eyes.
Miss Buckingham, though on the
sharp lookout, never discovered a vice
in her. Whatever may have been
original faults, she seemed to have
shed them with her rags, and the
great gratitude she felt for her bene-
factor overwhelmed everything. She
seemed to live but TO do something
for Miss Buckingham.
That lady began to feel that virtue
is its own reward. Not at all the
pleasures she had found in taking the
very cream of life had given her 50
much happiness as this one poor child.
Almost without knowing it, she went
out less, and her life gradually shaped
itself into something like a loving
mothers life.
To Nora, life was like a dream-a
dream of heaven, at that. Always
warm, always fel, always safe from
roughness, surrounded by things SO
beautiful, she scarcely dared to touch
them every want attended to before
it was felt. 1t was too wonderful to
seem true. In dreams she would Of
ten return to the desolate shanty
where the winds blew through the
cracks, and the richety c)ll stove
was no better fed than her mother
and herself. She would feel her faith
or's blows, and wake to find herself in
her snug, warm bed, in her dainty
room next to Miss Buckingham's.
Five years rolled away. Miss Buck
ingham grew to love this child o!
poverty very much, and to be grieved
that she showed none OF the Joys ol
youth. For Nora walked around as
though in a dream. She was always
anxious to please, always cheerful, but
never gay, Tie tragedy of life had
taken too deep hold Of her. She was
too sublued. She never spoke loud
She never slammed door, She never
laughed.
Nora said Miss Buckingham one
day, after studying her face sometime
in silence, why are you not like 9th
er young girls?'
why am I unlike them 2 asked
Nora, looking up from the book she
was reading.
'Yov're not a bit like any young
girl | ever saw, said Miss Bucking
ham; you're too sober, you never
laugh and play
Y don't know how to play said
Nora, in a low tone. I never did.
Poor child, said Miss Buckingham
her eyes filling with tears, you never
had any childhood. WANTED to give
you one, but you were too old when |
took you. Why, you're regular old
woman.
Am I ? said Nora with smile.
4 don't know what I'll do to you,
Miss Buckingham went on. I'D like
to make you over.
4 wish you could, said Nora ear
nestly. i try to be like other girls,
but somehow | cant. | seem always
to have sort of weight on my heart.
Nora, isn't there something you
would like that | haven't done for
you? Haven't you wish /?
"Oh |" cried Nora, II can't wish
for anything you make me too hap
py, but" she hesitated, and tears
began to fall fast 81 cant forget my
old life, it comes back in my dreams,
it is always before me. | don't want
to tell you, but | must. | cant help
about the many miserable
girls, such as | was, living in horrld
starved, frozen, beaten,
wretched.' y