Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-12-02

ural quickness, now failing altogether.
Another quarter of an hour passed-a
quarter of an hour which seemed an age
to the anxious watchers-and then the
doctor laid down the thin white hand,
and tenderly touching the head of the
orphan girl, said:
My dear, the Lord gave, and the
Lord has taken away. Your father has
passed to better world"
CHAPTER II.
\ year had passed away since Bernard
Hopes death, and Mary still remained an
inmate Of the house of Mrs. Murgatroyd,
the good woman whom we have seen in
attendance at her fathers last illness, and
who, TO her occasional occupation as
nurse, added the more permanent one OF
letting lodgings. Mary's sweet face and
gentle manner had quite won the heart
of her good natured landlady, who was
unccasiug in her cndeavoys TO soothe her
grief and minister TO her comforts Mary
still showed in face and figure the tokens
of the fiery trial through which she had
passed. Her slight form looked slighter
still in her soft black drapery, and the
shadow of an unforgotten sorrow still
rested on her delicate features. Mary
I Hope had been her fathers constant
companion: and she sorely missed the
happy hours in which his powerful intel
lect and varied experience had been un-
folded for her benefit, But she had, too,
another trouble-none the less hard to
bear that it was one in which she could
have few contidantS
Maj. Howard Of whom mention has
already been made. was not only her
fathers most valued friend, but had in
sensibly grown very dear to herself; and
when, six months before Bernard Hopc's ;
death, he was summoned with his regi-
ment TO India, he left Mary his promised
bride. Twice he had written within the
first few weeks of his departure, since
which time there had been a terrible ST.
lcnce: and in the same week which left
Mary fatherleSS, second blow fell upon
her. The One Hundred and Eleventh
had been engaged in a smart skirmish,
the number Of dead and wounded being
considerable Maj Geoifery Howard
was reported among the fallen; and
Mary had 10 mourn at once her lover and
her father.
The death of Maj Howard left Mr.
/ Slythrope sole trustee Of Mr. Hopes will.
This TO Mary was matter of most per
feet indifference. Suspecting evil of no
one. she was as willing that her little
j fortune, amounting 70 some five or SIX
thousand pounds, should rest in Mr..
Slythropc's hands as those OF any other
person. But OF late the attorney had
begun TO per>ecu,e her with attention.,
which under existing circumstances would
nave been d.staS,ctul from any one, but
were doubly So from person whom She
could uo, help regarding with an lnstluc-
T tive dislike. Aud IN truth, Mr.. SlythrOpe
VAS no; precisely the person 20 win u
fair lady fancy Uadgrsizcd, high
,houldcr,d, with blinking .a>A!csS eyes,
and general 4ngulauty, not to say
/ kuobbincss. Of feature, he might have
been expected 20 use superior TO any
weakness ~ pc,>oa.l appearance; but
,uch was b, 40 u.CaLs tuc case. In Nh
Samuel =. ,aIol~ own opmlon, Mr..
( Saugl. >..AIYp- VA, 90 gentleman OF
colSi.eIG.. p,.>oa4i advantages, and II
was his constant ,uu-a,og 10 make the
very best OF ,u,n. Il, Wus OJtusively.
We might a.mas. s~y ohc4sstl!, clean.
His shirt uout. celia. aud wristbands
were all OF tie most liberal dimensions,
and of intense whiJenesS, giving him the
appearance of being. 50 to speak, "all
shirt" while his hands, which were nat
urally coarse and red. were made coarscr
and redder by perpetual washing. He
was always profusely scented and his
short. scrubby hair was tortured by the
combined use of the brush and the po-
matum-pot into the semblance of split
almonds wherewith thipsy cakes are wont
to be decorated His hats and coats
were always intensely new, and he per-
petually creaked as he moved, his patent
leather boots maintaining friendly rival
~ in this particular with his we'll
starched shirt front In his habitual
gorgeous array-indeed, if possible, look
ing even cleaner and newer than usual
Mr.. Slythrope this morning knocked at
Mrs. Murgatroyds door. That good lady
was at that moment engaged in dusting
Miss Hope sroom, andcatching sight of his
approach, exclaimed:
There's that nasty worriting lawyer
again, do declare. Slythrope, indeed.
Id Slythrope him
1t would be hopeless to endeavor to
express on paper the intensity of mean
ing Mrs Murgatroyd threw into her new
ly coined verb: but it was evident that
"Slythroping' included all the tortures
Of theMiddle Ages, with supplement of
horse-pond and other modern inventions.
Mary smiled at the good old lady's yehe-
mence.
my dear Mrs. Murgatroyd, you really
should not be so severe. Mr.. Slythrope
is little peculiar, but | have no doubt
he means kindly, and you know he is the
trustee Of poor papa's will"
Il know he is, my dear, and | wish
he wasn't. know he shouldn't be
trustee to 4 tom-cat of mine, drat him :"
"Now, really, Mrs. Murgatroyd, YOU
are too bad" said Mary smiling in spite