The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01
MATHlLDE BEAUMONT.
4 Story Of a DarkGned Life Made
Bright.

81 verify believe she.would stop the birds
singing, the brooks babbling, the flowers
from hossoming, the leaves from rustling,
and the sun from shining, if she had the
power" and Ethel May glanced up eau
tlously at the darkened windows to be GER
tain she had not been overheard, and then
fitted away to more distant rose-trees TO
gather their blushing and daintily perfumed
wealth and revel in the sweets of nature.
bright, sunny, enthusiastic, and indie
pendent girl was she. Born amid Northern
hills, she had drank in much of self-reliance
from the free winds and grand old rocks, and
when misfortune came to her father had
sought selfsupport, and drifted away to
moreg genial cimes, where the orange bloomed,
the palm spread its feathery leaves, and the
hooking birds held high carnival among the
groves.
But the previous evening she had arrived,
eaten n lonely supper, and been shown to
room, and all she knew of her employer was
gathered from the brief and business-ike
letters of n lawyer, who had negotiated the
arrangement, that Mathildc Beaumont was a
woman, excessively nervous and suffering
from great pain, but whether young or old,
or the pain mental or physical, she had not
the slightest conception.
Enough, however, had she seen of the
house to chill and depress, but the occupant,
being woman, Ethel fanced she must love
flowers, and so had risen early with the
double purpose of enjoying herself and gath
ering bouquets to make the breakfast table
attractive to the eye and pleasant to the
senses.
| Strolling along through the gardens that
were TO her wonder, and bordering the prob
lem as to what the lady was like, what her
| duties as companion " would consist of, and
| what her future life would he, she came upon
an aged negro working among the plants, and,
| as he respectfully touched his brim!ess hat,
she enthusiastically complimentcd his skill
| and taste.
"Yas," he replied, looking upwcll pleased
into the fresh, young, ardent face, "de
roses am now jes er glory, an de time war
when took monstrous pride in dem, but
dun do so any mo-"
"Why p was naturally questioned.
"The negro glanced at the house suspi-
ciously, drew wrnkled hand over his eyes,
sighed heavily. and responded: Case dar
am no one to sec 'em now. Oar am great
slladder ober the hartll-stun, and"
Although lie had dropped his voice to a
whisper, he stopped suddenly, and, as if he
had said too much, moved silently away,
gathered huge bunch of the most beautiful
roses, gave them to Ethel, and continued
|
an keep dem from tears, dc same sweet
smile round yer mouth and yer heart singn'
all de day long as de happy lub birds in de
orchard blossoms
She thanked him warmly, would have
questioned. was longing TO know more of the
strange house and strange occupant, but
delcacy forbade her doing SO of a servant,
and she slowly wandered, keeping her eyes
fixed upon the closed shutters of the room
she had been informed was occupied by the
mistress of the mansion. Yet she could moi
but pause before entering TO note the sur.
rouniinrs.
II stood upon a narrow point that jutted
for a considerable distance out into the sea,
whose waves eternally dashed the rocks and
moaned as some human beinr jmprison.d
within. Before and aroupd upon three sides
was nothing hut waste of waters. and So
guarded Inv shoals and breakers that reaol
the shore, even in little boat, was danger.
ous. Behind The house the neck of land
grew wilder and stretched away. n varied
landsoape of tree and lawn and garden
Evidently the location had heen chosen 70,
its isolation. None better on that account