Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-12-09
LADY DELIGHT.
BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.

BY ESTHER SERLE KENNETH.
A Golden-haired little girl in a
purple dress would not under
stand, perhaps, when you heard
them call her Lady Delight, until
you observed her graceful, exquis-
itely modest manner, and heard
the fine enunciatioD of her speech.
Hardly the place you would look
for either-a tumble-down hut, half
fisherman's home, half farmhouse,
ON the flats of Jersey. 1t was but a
brown dot upon the wide yellow
sands, where the blue sea turned a
line OF white surf for miles in line
upon the bare salt shore, and yet
there were other brown dots, with
now and then a more pretentious
house, all the way to the town over
the hill in the hollow-Belletown,
a rather gay seaside resort. At
least, it had a pretty good hotel,
and summer boarders from the
neighboring cities. The hotel was
the Larch House, where Lady De-
lights father, Skipper Doyle, sold
his fish frequently; but his daugh-
ter never came thither, and could
not have learned her nice speech
and the gentle manners OF the city
people. Her neighbOrs remarked
this and observed that she was
like her mother" who was intelli-
gent and refined. The present Mrs.
Doyle was not intelligent and re-
fined.
She was energetic and unrepress-
ed-Or, as the neighbOrS said, "driv-
ing and scOlding," and perhaps il
is not to be wondered at when /
add that the good woman had seven
sons and honestly endeavored to do
her duty by them. They were not
like Delight, but they were her
brothers, and she loved them all,
from the 3-year-old twins to Dan
who was 10, and old enough to raise
the potatoes and catch the fish when
his father was ill-as occasionally
happened. The family's only other
sources OF income were derived
from the prodigious labors of Mrs.
Doyle, who raised chickens, culti-
waited asparagus, made butter, and
sewed straw. 1t was strange that
in none of the undertakings Delight
had never been allowed to share
much. Mrs. Doyle, though the
mother of many children, had no
taste for the care of them.
81 can't putter around all day
with the children, Delight. You
have knack at getting along with
them. Just keep them from under
my feet to-day, for I've got to get
the eggs and asparagus to market,
wash, churn and finish off dozen
of them straw hats"
So Delight, winning, persuasive,
kept the four smallest boys under
her rule, while she ran with them
up and down the yellow sands in
the bland summer weather. When
she was Is, taller and lite more
SGdate, she often CHANGED to meet
Rick Revere, who strolled with
them, or took them out in his boat.
The Reveres were morU prosperous
than the DOyles; they had more
fishing boats, larger farm; and
then Grandame Revere was De-
lights gOdmOther. 1t was she who |
gave Delight her pretty purple |
dresseS-in the autumn a fine meri- |
no, in the spring an Organdie; !
taught her to sew eXquisitely, and |
encouraged her taste for flowers. !
She was a splendid old lady, portly |
and brave in snowy caps and Rick
had her blue eyes and handsome
presence. Skipper DOyle's family
always liked him but after Lady |
was is, his firm tread was often
heard on the bare floors, his ringing
laugh under the low roof. He
walked on the shore with her some
4 IN oh !
with her or the two rOwed away
towards the sunset and parted ling
ering in the moonlight.
you'll be taking Delight away
from us some day." Mrs. Doyle re-
marked, fixing her black eyes on
him sharply.
81 hope So" he replied fearlessly;
and she fain to turn away, half fret
ted, half flattered.
"What shall l do with the child
rem when Delight marries ?-Tom,
and Ned, and Ben, and Will, and
~ for soon there were
eight sons under the roof-tree.
But, come what might, Lady De-
light never fretted nor frowned. She
the baby's tlannels,
swung it to sleep in a hammock
made of tishing-net, played with
he twins, taught the others to spell,
md sewed for the whole family.
Only she must have her evening
stroll with Rick.
"Bunny'll sleep, mother. I've
had him out in the fresh air all the
afternoon. And I'll finish the lit
lie jacket for Ben in the morning"
md the sunset would CLEAN across
he golden head and purple dress as
lady Delight fitted away to meet
Ter lover.
Its plain enough to be seen the !
way things are going and I'll have J
ny sister Roxy come and live with
me-" muTmurGd Mrs. Doyle. "I'm I
lot going to be left in the lurch this I
way"
So Roxy Reed came from her own /
rowded fathers family to make (
ne in Skipper Doyle's. She had cur S
v black hair, she was plump, she 4
vas coquettish. Mrs. Doyle plumed /
erself on her young relatives v
races. AS for Miss Roxy, she set c
er cap instantly for Rick.
HES engaged to Delight" said
Irs. DOYLE, in low tone. s
II don't care" answered Roxy. t
He's the only good-looking fellow
,und here, and I'll get him if | y
ln." a
Delight overhead this converse
on but Rick did not. He did not
cognize Roxy Reed as bold and s.
the red cheeks and
mnIed shoulders and veil Of curls q
at a glamour over his eyes. And =
first ii was only offering eivility L
one of the family when he took Il
NV ont in his little white boat. i
e Petrol, which was large enough q
hold but two. But the girl was g