The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-21

girl was very ignorant. Her youngest
cousin was far before her even in the
commonest knowledge; and, as in all
cases OF deadened intellect, it cost her
incalculable trouble to learn the sim
plest things. took infinite pains with
her, aye, and felt in her strong inter-
est-ten times stronger than in the 9TH
er two; yet for weeks she seemed
scarcely to have advanced at all. How
ever, IL must be taken into account
that she was rarely suffered TO remain
with me half the schoOl-hOurs without
being summoned to some mental duty
or other; and the one maid-Servant be-
slowed on me many black looks, as be-
ing the cause why she herself had some
times to do morning 5 household work
alone,
often puzzled myself in seeing how
strangely Incompatible was lillian $ po-
sition with Mr.. Sutherland'S expressed
desire concerning her. Sometimes |
thought | would write and explain all
To him; but did not like. Nor did
tell my mother half the deSaQrcmeatS
and odd things belonging to this fami-
ly-coN >idering that such reticence
even toward her nearest kindred is
every governess S duty. In all dOmes-
llt CllCltS llltIt lllhSl uf a AIkllt Islt'iS-
mia, the secrets of which chance OBJ
servers should strictly keep.
More than once determined to take
advantage of the very polite and sOcia-
bic terms which Mr. lie Poer and my
self were on, to speak to him on the
subject, and argue that his benevolence
in adopting his brothers unfortunate
child might not suffer by being testified
in a more complete and gracious form.
But he was so little at homeland no
wonder: for the miserably dull, seclud-
ed and painfully-ecOnomical way in
which they lived could have little
charms for man of fashion and talent,
or at least the remains of such, which
he evidently was. And so agreeable
as he could be, His conversation at
meals-the only time | ever saw him
was a positive relief from the dull
blank, broken only by the girls Squab-
bles and their mothers faint remOnS-
frances and complaints. But whenev-
er, by dint of great courage, contrlved
to bring Zillah's name on the taps, he
always so adroitly crept ont of the sub
ject, without pointedly changing it,
that afterward used TO wonder how |
had contrived to forget my purpose,
and leave matters as they We're.
The next scheme | tried was one
which, in many family jars and family
btternesses among which my calling
has placed me. have found to answer
amazingly well. 1t is my maxim that
"a wrong is seldom one-sided wrong;"
and when you cannot amend one party
the next best thing is to try the other.
Likewise. always had doctrine that
it is only those who have the instinct
and the sins of servitude who will re-
main hopelessly oppressed. | deter
mined to try if there was anything in
Zillah's mind or disposition that could
be awakened, so as to render her worthy
of higher position than that she had
held. And as my firm belief is, that
everything and everybody in time rise
or sink to their own proper level, so |
felt convinced that if there were any
natural superiority in Zillah, all the
tyranny in the world would not keep
her the pitiable Cinderella of such ordi-
nary people as the LIE Peers.
To be continued.