The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-11
MISS ARNOLD.
Another Story Of Love that was True,
but Didn't Run Smooth.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "Two OLD MEMS
TALES" ETC.
CHAPTER vi CONTINUED.


beheld her, had quite won her heart
Her elegance of appearance, the dove
like softness of her countenance, the
gentle sweetness of her voice, all con-
spired to make the most charming i'm
preston. Could there lie anything
under that sweet outside, but the gen
test and the most indulgent of tenn
pers?
No, she was right there; nothing could
be more gentle, more indulgent, than was
Mrs. MeIwyn's temper; and Lettice had
seen so much of the rough, the harsh,
the captous, and the unamiable,
during her life, that, grant her the
existence of those two qualities, and she
could scarcely desire anything more.
She had yet to learn what are the evils
which attend the timid and the weak.
She had yet to know that there may
be much concealed self-indulgence, where
there is a most yielding disposition; and
they who are too cowardly to resist
wrong and violence courageously, from
weak and culpable indulgence of their
own shyness and timidity, will afford a
poor defense to those they ought to pro-
tect, and expose them to innumerable
evils.
Lettice had managed to become easy
with the general; she could have been
perfectly happy with Mrs, Melwyn, but
nothing could get over the difficulty with
the servants. Conscious of the misruIe
they exercised, jealous of the new conner,
who soon showed herself to be clever
and spirited girl, a sort of league was
Immediately instituted among them; its
declared object being either to break her
spirit, or get rid of her out of the house.
The prosecutions she endured, the daily
minute troubles and vexatons, the dif
ficulties cast in her path by these dan
gerous yet contemplate foes, it would be
endless to des rbe.
Whatever she wanted she could not
get done. Even Bridget, under the in
tlucnce of the upper-housemaid, proved a
broken reed to lean upon. Her fire would
never be lighted, nor her room done in
proper time; and when she came down
with red hands, purple checks, and,
worst of all, a red nose, looking this cold
spring the very picture of chill and
mi-ery, the general would look cross, aud
Mrs Melwyn not pleased, and would
wonder chow she could get so starved,
and why she did not make them light
her fire"
She could make no reply but that
she would ask Bridget to be more
punctual.
1t was worse, when, do what she would,
ring as she would, nobody would come to
fasten her dress for dinner till the last
bell was sounding, and when it was i'm
pos ible to pay all these nice attentions
to her appearance which the generals
critical eve demanded. Though he said
nothing, he would upon such occasions
lock as if he thought her a sloven; and
Mrs. Melwyn, on her si;ie, seemed excess
siveiy frctted and uneasy, that her
fayorite would do herself so little justice,
and run the risk of forfeiting the gem
erals favor; and this last piece Of in us
ticc, Lettice did feel it hard to bear.
II was all the same in all the other
minute of domestic life. Every tritling
circumstance, ike midg sting, though
lISlg gIliithHt III Ilotllj wa lNlldIlSd III
sum total very troublesome.
If they were going out walking, Miss
Arnold's shoes were never cleaned. She
provided herself with several pairs, that
G.ie at least might always be ready, and
she not keep the general and Mrs. Mel
wyn waiting. 1t was Of no use. The
shoes were never ready. If there were
several pairs, they were lost, or odd shoes
brought up,
She did not care for labor. She had
no foolish pride about serving herself,
she had been used to that sort of thing;
she had not the slightest wish on
earth to be fine lady; but that was
forbidden. 1t was one of the things
Mrs. Melwyn had made a point of, and
continued to make point Of; but then,
why did she not take care that she should
be better served?
She, the mistress in her own house!
W as it indifference to her guests COM
forts? No, her unremitting personal
kindness forbade that idea. What was
it, then, that left her helpless guest thus
exposed to want and insult? Yes, want
| NAV use the word for in her new sphere
of action, the things she required were
absolute necessaries. The want in it,
way was as great as any she had ever
known. Yes, insult; for every little
negligence was an insult. Lettice knew
too well that as an insult it was intend
ed. What made this kind Mrs. Melwyn
permit such things? Weakness; nothing
but weakness, culpable weakness, horror
of that which would give her feeble spirit
pain. go, o.,
Lettice found it extremely difficult tc
be candid 10 this instance. She, who
had never experienced what this weak
ness of spirit was, found it almost i'm
possible to be indulgent TO it. She fel
quite vexed and sore. But wher
She looked so, poor Mrs. Melwyn would
put on such sad, anxious, weary face
that it was impossible not to feel con
cerned for her, and to forgive her a
once. And so this good, generous, kind
hearted beings temper achieved anothe
victory. She was able to love Mrs. Mel
wyn in spite of all her weakness, and tn
evils she in consequence suffered; AM
this indulgent affection made everything
easy.
There were times, however, when sh
found it almost too difficult to get on
and upon one occasion after another oc
curing of this nature, and still NOR
when she discovered that Mrs. Melwy
was vet greater sufferer from this sci
vile tyranny than herself, she at las