The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-08-04
FAMILY PRIDE

sWeiled face by referring to her visit &
the Widow Browns damp cottage
And Aunt Clementins wore her old bro
cade, in which she had figured forty
years before at her brothers WeddinS,
declaring that she would not diagraeC
the family namO by putting on thin,
Washy things they called silk nowadays
A few old, blear-syed, graysheaded
family servants cEept around IN The
shadows, and brought as up our daily
potatoes and occasional Joint fn th5
battered old family silver, and made
the huge old family beds, and sWepl
carefully the faded carpets, and tended
the old family horse, who was generally
supposed to be the oldest inhabitant q
the village. And amidst al this ruin
and desOlatiOn and decay. We grew up
into WomanhOOd-mY sister Gabrielle
and I; she fair, handsome, and holding
her golden head loftily among the deS-
cendautS OF shOemakers, tailors and
shop-keepers. who had only fine estates
and rich clothing, dark, pale and
always sad, being, unfortunately, Of a
practical nature, and unable to prefer
our watery potatoes to Giles BroadaX' 8
roast beef merely because they were
served up on tho family plate.
This and sundIy plebeian house-keep-
ing tendencies Of mine were the cause
Of endless dissensiOn; and, Of late, 50
fierce had Waxed their denunciations
that on the rainy afternoon, as I sat in
the recessed window, looking Wearily
out. my whole being rose in rebellion
against this miserably-PurpOseless life,
degraded, as it was, BY petty biCker-
! ings, and embittered by continual re-
/ pinings.
Like lightning I formed the resolve
that colored my whole after-Iife.
| ''Aunt Seraphinar'
Ny aunt laid down her embroidery
and looked prepared to be shocked.
''Aunt, am tired Of this life
Gracious gOodnessr' calculated
Aunt Clementina. The unhappy girl
/ Is going to commit suicide - =.
''No, am not. - I said, Indignantly,
81 mean to keep school"
/ My aunts grew stiT with horror, Ga
bTielle Redeemed.
''I know continued, "an you
would urge, and to save trouble, I tell you,
| at once, it is quite useless am de-
! termined. DisOWn me If you like. /,
for one, mean to rid myself Of this hOr-
rible family incubus"
"She's madr' calculated both my
aunts in chorus.
Gabrielle curied her handsome dps
and went over to the little old English
piano, as il determined to hear nothing
further.
put on my bonnet and shawl, and
went in the rain 70 Mrs. Forbes, the
kindly widow who kept the hotel On the
green, and eOnfded my plan to her,
''I'm glad there's one Of you got .
| little sense, she said. approVinglY.
''NeYer mind their talk, dear; they'll
be glad enough to come to you some
time. You shall keep school here. Pll
board you for nothing till you get start
ed, as you wouldn't find it any too
pleasant staying up ct that old rocker!
after this.
So the matter was decided, and in 3
day or two q little painted sign in
/ formed all whom it might concern that
Miss Helen Jocelyn kept a private
school within.
The village stared, wondered, but on
the whole approved. They were prac-
| teal children Of the nineteenth century,
who had carved out their own fortunes,
and were ready 10 extend 8 helping
| hand to others,
So the squire sent his children, to
keep them out Of mischief the par
son his, to encourage me; and the
| rest; because the squire and the parsOn
did; and when l had reduced these uu-
Tuly elements to order and accustomed
myself to pass Gabrielle, with q cool
nod, and my aunts without any recOg-
nitiOn at all, l was happier than I had
ever been in all my life,
I made an astonishing discovery,
however: l was a JOcelyn in heart sf-
ter all
I was nervous when any one stopped
to look at the little sign; and when, one
warm, drOWsy afternoon, q stranger
alighted at the hotel, and, walking up
to it, read and. reread it with a prOvOk-
ing attention, grew quite irritated.
What business had he to impress it on
his memory that Helen Joeelyn taught
q select private school?
He was q handsome, resOlute, but
kindly man, far superior 70 anyone /
had ever seen; but disliked him at
once, and when heard him inquire for
my aunts, and saw him take the road
for the old house, quite hated him.
It was almost sundOWn when he re-
turned. I had sent my children home,
and was sitting under the old elm that
shaded the house, but I pretended not
to observe his approach. He came up
to me with extended hand.
''AIiss Helen, am your cousin, Ar
thur Jocelyn."
1 looked up at the stately head bent
toward me, with its broad forehead and
clear, blue eyes. think I should have
liked him then; but detected a furtive
smile curling his mOustached lip.
Good evening, cousin" I ssid, cool.
"; but did not take his hand
They say blood is thicker than
water, he answered, laughing seating
himself beside me. you might have
shaken hands, Miss Helen, il ! am only
your third cousin"
81 only take the hand OF q friend" :"
I said haughtily.
"a delicate hint that l am not to con-
slider myself as such. But you viii find
have all the old Joscelyn Obstinscy.
You are q brave little girl, and / ike
you, # you are not over civil; and be-
fore leave, you shall tell me that you
like me, too.
shut my lips and closed my eyes, as
1 vowed never to fulfill that prophesy,
but it was q harder task than I had
thought He met al my sslf-Willed,
petulant airs with such unYsrying good
humor; he rebuked my unchRritable-
ness 80 mildly, vet 80 firmly; corrected
my false views Of life, gave me aims
and thoughts so nIlr'h IObler; lifted me
out OF the miserable, petty way Of
thinking I had contracted in the uu-
wholesome shadow of our old family
mansion; showed me life from the
standpoint Of his own earnest generous
purpose; in doing all this, won beforel ]
knew it, my respect, my admiration
and my love; for l did love him-I
knew it by the keen pAng 1 felt when 1
saw him at Gabrielle's side, looking
into the depths Of her lovely eyes and
watching the changing flush on her
cheek.
BY his arguments, or rather by the
exercise of his viii, which was as pOtens
H.