Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-04-01
GOLD MIR. BINNgY.p


CHARLES L. H1LDRErH in Lippincon.
s'oLD MIR. BINNgY.p
All their friends had said, when Mrs.
Binney died, CHOW what good thing il
would be if old Mr.. Binney would but mar
ry Miss Bright"
Miss Bright had not been without her
troubles, and very hard ones they had been,
too, but she bore them with brave heart,
and carried a smiling face, and had a thank
full spirit within her, striving always to re-
member her blessings, and how much they
outnumbered any evils she was called upon
to bear.
Indeed, to listen to Miss Bright's show
ing, you would have counted her as one of
the luckiest persons ever born. She had
had the kindest of friends, the most COM
Portable of situations, and the girls she had
taught were endowed with an amiability
of disposition which made it a positive
pleasure to be with them. The only accu-
sation she could bring against them was
that they we're all in such a terrible hurry
to grow up and get married, and then Miss
Bright's occupation was gone, and she had
to step out into the world and find a fresh
field for her labors.
AS years rolled on, each one adding to
the score of Miss Bright's age, these hunt
ing grounds of instruction became more
and more narrowed. Children of eight be-
gan now where girls of eighteen used to
leave off, and history and geography, to
say nothing of the parts of speech and
grammar, were all so altered, that poor lit
tie Miss Bright had to acknowledge that
at times she really did feel quite confused.
every soon I shan't be left with anything
to teach" she would say pathetically, and
then Mr.. Binney's nephew Joe, or some
other good fellow who heard her, would
declare she should set up a school for
wives, for there never were such wives as
the girls whom Miss Bright had brought
up. She had taught Joe's wife Sally and
her sister, and though since then she had
had other situations, az holiday time, or
whenever she was seeking employment, she
don, their father.
When Mr.. Binney dropped in, as he fire.
quently did, to inquire after his old friends
the Brendons, he from time to time found
Miss Bright there, and happening on the
occasion of one of her visits to bring the
news that Mrs. Binney was i'll, with no
one whose business it seemed to be to look
after her, nothing was more natural than
that Miss Bright should volunteer, and a
great comfort they found her.
So sprightly, yet unobtrusive, was the
CHEEKY little woman that Mrs. Binlaey her.
self was influenced in her favor, until with
an eye to their mutual comfort, Mr.. Bin
ney proposed Miss Bright staying with
them ltogether.-"Why not? ?' he said.
'We could well afford to pay her salary"
But this word salary, acting like a magic
on Mrs. Binney, seemed to bring her to her
senses Immediately. She would be very
glad to have Miss Bright as a visitor as
long as she liked to stay, but as to living
with them altogether, "Nop' she would
not give her consent to that; she had al
ways objected to having a third party in
her house. It was then that Miss Bright's
friends pulled very long faces indeed. What
would she do? They asked her.
SO! something is sure to turn up" she
would say hopefully. "Whenever I have
come to my last ebb, an opening has been
made for me, SO I am not going to despair
now."
And she said this all the more emphati-
cally, because in spite of her confidence she
could not help feeling that voice which
she could not down still kept repeating
"What will you do when you grow older
Teaching will get harder than ever"
That was true enough, but what else was
there for her to do?
When Mrs. Binney died, which happen
ed quite suddenly about year before,
there had been some talk as to Miss Bright s
going to Mr.. Binney as housekeeper, but
this proposition had been made without
the knowledge or consent of the principal
person concerned, who, as soon as the hint
was given, negatived it.
Mr.. Binney thoroughly appreciated Miss
Bright, but he had lost his taste for matri-
mony; he remembered that he had spent
ferty excellent years with wife, and, not
withstanding that he was now widower,
he could not conscientiously say that he
felt his state to be SO very unhappy.
Susan, the cook, respectable and staid,
would, he felt sure, manage his household
properly, and if it proved that sine should
give way to extravaganza, as people seemed
to say, Mr.. Binney fancied he could better
put up with that evil than with too much of
the economy from which he had suffered al
ready.
So all the hopes that, on the death of
Mrs. Binney, Joe and Sally and the Bren-
dons had cherished for Miss Bright were
ruthlessly dashed to the ground. Evident
ly Aunt B. was not to have a successor.
"lf we could but have got her there as
housekeeper, said two of those arch-con-
spirators, s'the rest would have been easy.,'
But though they returned to the attack
several times, no good came of it. MI.
1Binney shared in their regret at the loss of
Miss Bright's pupils. wondered as they did
what would become of her, and, his visitors
gone, to make his sympathy apparent, he
sat down and wrote kind little note with
a check for e10 folded within it.
"He's an old stupid,' said Sally, ''and
now she is going away altogether, ever so
far''-for Miss Bright had had another
piece of news to tell. An old pupil of ear
~ days had been recently left widow; her
health was as delicate as her heart was
kind, and when she made the proposition
That Miss Bright should come and spend
the remainder of her days with her it was
not entirely of her own comfort she had
been thinking. Miss Bright had readily
accepted her offer, and she had written to
tell Sally that the next week she should
come up and see them
She could only stay a few hours with
them when she came. The farewell visit
was to be paid later. "But think" she
said as sheswas going, 81 will call on my
way home and say goodbye to Mr.. Binne !,
in case | might not have another oppor. ~, :
nifty" ~
DO" said Sally and away she wen,
Mr. Blnney was at home. He hs 4 not
been quite well lately; nothing more than a
cold, but it had kept him prison ar To.
lay ne might have gone out, bu,6 he had
not felt inclined GO, and he gal' antIv said
ne was glad to be in, as he > honid have
been sorry indeed to have r Used seeing
Miss Bright. ~ ~
And SO you are really sroinn To laaua