The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-17
MILLICENT.

The Rev. Archibald Bland, NJ. A.. rector
of Western rarva, aud Honorary Canon of Cotswold
considered himself mucli-worricd man aud victim
OF his surroundings. Travelling tourists u modest
ambitions, noting, with IN apptecative eye, the
pretty whic-w washed cottages With their plump
rosy checked Inmates, aud The gray walls ~ the
cradle old church. which Father Time had painted
With soft, many -c0lorud nchets, and catching from
the top ot the sigc-coach glimpse Of the iyy-cad
quaint diamuud-pa Window, tho smooth, we'll
Kept carriage drive, and the Veyoty emorald green
lawn, with It's famous nurcls aud gigantic magnolia
were won't oeXpCnd some unnecessary envy the
ractor's happy lot ana 10 declare enthusiastically
that mortal man could wish Tor no happier fate than
70 spcnd his lie In this peaceful home, writing out
his weekly sermons under the purple shadow Of the
majestic mountains overlooking the morals of
naturally ViriuouslOcR, and nnay sleeping peacefully
under the daiscd sod ~ thequet dOl acre, followed
by ne tender regrets VI Ills fearful aud reverend
Practitioners.
Apparently. tho Reverend Archibald himself could
not always take this Wow of his condition, and
generally made the most ut his crumplOd leaves
The prospcctlyoly fearful patisonors he was well
content to leave In the Ubscurly Of vague, far.
distant future, while In the more important present
he was undergoing tho suferings of rigid antlqua
ran aud Archaeological OF severely cultured tastes con-
demned 10 preach twice every Sunday In early
Norman church with q painful anachronism Of
pointed Gothic windows Then the misery squire
Of Weston parya was wont TO emphasize his Low
Church views unpeasanty whenever the poor rector
nually-wOrst grievance Of a-hls bright capable
pretty Milly hal taken It into her head to Imagine
/
grace son, stephen oorcoran-'' muscular Idiot, W
Canon Biand mentally designated him. IL was an
alteration NJ taste unaccountable In his daughter
The younger man had called tho rector IN the
morning and, with mach confidence, requested his
permsson to pay his addresses to his daughter Miss
Millcent Inland, and had seemed decidedly surprised
when that permission was enphatlcally refused,
lyon are barely twenty-five, MIR. Corcoran, AMI
have not yet taken your degree and Mllly is only
nineteen ~ said the rector impatlently ''Pray do
not let me have any repetition OF such childish nom
sense and poor Stephen considerably crestiallen
/ had reluctantly Withdrawn.
Mily was the eldest daughter; aud this fresh worry
was so novel and unprecedented that the rector de.
clded upon taking the usual step OF consulting his
wife and seeking advice aud consolation In that rather
hopeless quarter; he made his way stairs to the
charmlngy aesthetic little boudolr where Mrs. Bland
carefully withdrew herself from vulgar household
cares and sought distraction In the last fashionable
| three volume novel.
The rector's wife was lady who never forgot that
| she had been nbeauty and an helress, and expected
other people TO have equally retentve memories, She
! had been suffering Tor tine last two years from AN
| Imaginary complaint with mysterious complications
and the cares OF the family had fallen the slender
shoulders OF energetic, fair-haired Mlliy.
The poor rector, seated on Chippendale chair
with unconplomislng angles, poured ont the tale Of
his into his wte's unsympathetlc oar, aud, as
the recital heightened, his Jolly countenance gradu
ally assumed the woe-begoue expression of some
| long suffering medieval saint
"It Is really unaccountablo To mo how any girl of
mine-and OF yours, my DEAR added the rector,
glancing round the pretty room, "shoud have such
very bad taste. ~
/ "He is the only young man she has ever seen In
| this wro,ched little hole' answered Mrs. Bland.
/ v,
husband. 90 Hut what are we to do about II ?''
"You had better send NIIlly away for few
mon,hs,'' At length suggested his wife.
/ The canon face heightened considerably. Milly
was his pet and comforter his right hand In all parish
work, aud this prescription seemed to him infinitely
worse than the malady.
'But where shall we send her?" he inquired
pathetically.
Margaret Is very fond OF her. and will be glad Of
! her society; let her go therc.n
Margaret was an elder unmarried sister OF Mrs.
| Bland.
| q I mill
graco'' murmuted the rector rs though reconsider
| Ing his decision. % iiut Fred told me very
awkward stories of his oxford life which one can't
of course. repeat To Miily though You might just
| hint To her, my dear---''
"Yes; and then he's got red halr.'' said Mrs
Bland, though that etectualy closed the discussion
And so the important question was settled within
the Enclosed doors and velvet portiees that screened
] ''mamma ~ from her unruly children. Miss Buck.
ley consulted In lengthy epistle from Mrs. Bland,
aud expressed herself delighted at the prospect of
lengthy visit from her ''dear little Mily.'
Milly shed few mutinous tears when told Of the
projected visit, and poor Steve vented his wrath In
little strong language against the unconscious rector
and the lovers INDUCED in very pathetic farewell
Interview, when Miliy protested her undying faith
and spoilt her blue eyes, and made the tip OF her
dainty little moss nnbecomingy red, while Steve
sOemnly placed little turquoise ring her finger
at the same time expressing his regret that he
$50 confoundedy short Of cash and could not afford
diamonds: though, To atone FOR that deficiency he
presented her with lock OF that auburn hair to
which Mrs. Bland had so unieellngy alluded.
Milly was, however, naturally too amiable to sulk
long the parental DEGREES, besides she very
fond of Aunt Margaret, and visit to her charming
| coy house was generally welcome change from the
round of My' IS rather hard working life
'roor papa! How will you manage without me?''
she asked the evening before departure gently
| rubbing her soft peach. bloom cheek against tho
| rector $ stalwart shoulder.
! ~ shall miss my little girl very much ~ replied
! the rector. strokng Milly's golden hair; 'uut 1
shall console myself by thinking how much she is
IOying Aunt Margaret's society. have the greatest
respect and admiration for Miss Bnckley,''
Eyes. she IL darngin responded Milly heartily.
"When they Were girls at home your mother was
supposed represent the beauty, and Margaret the
/ talent and common sense of the family. ~
"And you chos, the beauty?' reiolned Miliy,
rather syiy.
''Yes, ~ answered her father, with q faint sigh;
81 chose the beauty. -
1t was a bright. sunny, September morning when
Milly started, and, Notwithstanding the melancholy
of the OCCASION she could not help feeling bright and
sunny in sympathy, except when she remembered
how unhappy poor Steve must be feeling at that
ment unable even to anticipate the faint consolation
of gazing at his divinity In church every sunday; and
then she called herself ian unnatural little wretch,
for feeling moderately happy, though could she
but have known II, Steve was at that moment con-
soing himself with the smiles of the buxom barmaid
| at the 50 Red Lion ~ at CotswOd.
Her father had intended to accompany her, but had
that morning received note from the Bishop requir-
ing his presence at Cotswold; so Milly was travelling
alone, and ''the boys at home had been improving
the occasion by relating for her comfort all tho tales
OF railway horrors they could collect and. when the
supply ran short, experimenting 1t by blood curtng
Inventions that did much credit to their powers of
imagination.
OF course Milly had professed scorn the Idea of
being frightened, but that did not prevent her from
looking out In alarm at every stoppage, and feeling
much relieved that nobody came into the cOmpaTt-
ment where she sat in solitary dignity. Upcott
/ junction specially alarming because here the
local trains Joined the London line: and Milly AS she
the guard preparing to give the signal to proceed
was just beginning To congratulate herself when
there was hurried scamper
"FirSt class? This way, sir from an ObsequiOus
porter.
''Look sharp there !'1--seyeiey from the guard;
and male being with all his various impedimenta,
was bundled into her carriage; and the train would
not stop again for another hour. Poor AIily
Haunted by confused memories of Muller and Lee
troy, 1t was several minutes before My ventured TO
steal glance At the ogro, who was apparently alb
sorbed In the pages of the Fieh
90 Really he does not look very alarming, ~
her verdict; but then he might he what the boys
called "sweI- mobsman. What IA delightfully."-
long, silky musache !''-and Mily remembered with
regret that poor Steve's was, yet conspicuous by
its absence. " Nice dark eyes too -
Here this critical examination came Ia an abrupt
termination, as she found with sudden dsmay that
the eyes in question We're looking at her with some
amusement in their gray depths.
tWOuld you like To see PuHchg'' asked the owner
of the eyes, politely handing her that periodical.
THANK You, - said Miy moekly, glad to hide her
bushes behind It's friendly pages, while the stranger
opposite noted with critical approval the dark brown
tailor made costume that ala full justice to the grace
full gir.ish figure and the brown felt hat contrasting
well with the fair golden hair man like too, he
took special notice of the well-shaped hands In the
small four-bntton suede gloves, and of tho dainty
Pihet boots
Punch was handed back, when My felt her cheeks
little cooler.
marked the gentleman, with the same amused twinkle
In his eyes
"Yes-very,' she answered, feeling that she must
appear like stupid little school girl.
Here Milly, who was blessed with sense OF humOr,
felt suddenly struck with the aIsuTdity of the siua-
tion. 10 be sitting calmly discussing Tennie's ear
toOn with possible murderer already armed with
the necessary weapons for taking her life for Mily
had been furtiyoy regarding the breec
leaders, but had cOnsOled herself with the reflection
that rev0yeIs and pistols generally preferred by
such people; and, is she tried TO hide tho subduel
smile under u cloak of lady-like mpassiveness she
looked charming, with tho sparkle In her violet
eyes and two antallzlng little dmples playing hide
and seek In the rounded cheeks that tho young man
opposite, admiring 1t ALL said - himself:
"What little darling: should like To know heI
name.n
Somehow they seemed TO become good friends after
that and chated gaily, with the freemas0nry OF youth
and high spirits while the train dashed past busy
corn fields, where swarhy sunburnt men tossed Tho
golden sheayes on to thD nearly laden wagon, while
the strong, patient horses d0zed azly In the warm
sunlight, aud the rcapers In their pink white sun
bOnnos lent color 10 the scene, then rushing n0siy
into some short tunnel, aud emerging upon quiet
woodland lane with It's tall, shady hedgerOws.
, ''ThTee o. clock - exclaimed Milly CHANGING al
her venerable silver watch. - How quickly the time
passes. We shall b0 AZ sherborne In ten minutes.
! - sherbornon repeated her fellow traveller, with
| auuiCk iuuuiTlug glance. there