Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-30

the balmy air floated gently stirring the
rich lace curtains. He talked mostly OIL
Strassmere; said his mother found
daily delight in the beau
ties of the place. Now tina;
l had leisure to think, observed quite a
foreign accent IN his voice, though its
tones We're so gentle and musical the
strange emphasis was rather pleasant. ]
asked who was the artist OF an exquisite
painting just before me. He bowed ti-
rectly, and. with q generously loWIy tone,
said
81 am, Miss Wellborn.,
'EAnd that, and that" / continued.
pointing from one to another in different
parts of the room.
They were all his work. Ahl had I not
heard that he was a genius? [ found a
treat in examining them, and was glad
that father came in and gave me the priv
ilege of entertaining myself. So busy
was l in admiring that the entrance of q
lady did not arouse me. Fathers loud
voice did startle me as he cried out:
1'Hey ship ahOy! Come here, pigeon! :"
Was | getting ashamed of father? A
painful Eedness spread over my face as l
came near and was met face to face by a
lady of elegant appearance. Mr.. Will
liams had been called out, so father tried
to get through with the ceremony of in
PRODUCTION.
''Miss or Madame, alb! what did he call
you! Hang it! l will get names wrong"
She explained in very broken English
that her name was Miss MilanO.
YOU" she said, taking my hand, care
Aunt Miriam's favorite little girl"
You have heard of Aunt Miriam,
then?' said, trying to persuade myself
that felt quite easy, but was almost cry
ing in my heart to think father would be
so careless before this lady, who looked as
if she belonged to the nobility.
''Ah! indeed, yes" she returned. "One
could not live long on this beautiful spot
without hearing OF her."
She took her seat and motioned me to
one beside her. l can recall but very lit
tie of what she said, only that it was all
in such poor English my awe of her was
all that kept me from laughing. She was
very strengthening persOn-so straight
and elegant and precise even in her
broken language. She never touched upon
personalities, and troZe my confidence at
once. L intended asking her to let me go
and see the upper rooms (yOu, dear
reader, Will know why }, but it seemed
impossible to approach her Familiarity. L
was growing impatient, and was really
glad to see Mr.. Williams come in. He
asked me if l would not 90 up and see his
mother, who was too weak to come down.
Quite delighted | assented, and we were
soon going up the marble winding stairs
together. He said to me as we went:
''Aiy dear mother is very glad to haze
young people come in and sit with her;
she is so often confined. and surely you
will be one of her frequent yisitOrsY p
perhaps So" | was too honest to
speak positively, unless l knew what she
was.
All along the hall above were traces of
init ina of l.
companion were here also hung where the
light would most delight the eye to look
upon them. paused almost unconscious
ly as we passed. He did not wait for me
to ask questions, but gently and unassum-
ingly gave me some item Of history that
made each one grow in interest. How
long | would have paused there VIII never
be known had l not heard a pleasant
voice calling out:
''Eugene-Viens."
He smiled at nay startled look, and was
pleased, l knew, that his work had so alb
sOrbed me. How a smile illumined his
face! Such an honest opening of the
mouth it was! | followed him towards
the voice with consciousness that must
have made me awkward. Atany rate, the
sweet woman who drew me down beside
her, where she lay half Teclinging upon q
sofa, soon made me forget all but herself.
m0sphere seemed TO be full Of light and
Iove-she was so bright and loving. She
had the same power that her son pos
sessesed Of drawing out the thoughts of
others. She, too, talked in broken Eng
lish, so that her son had often to translate
to me. Now and then, when l could not
understand, he die not translate, and then
she would say, taking my hand and press
ing it softly;
Chow boone is my EugeneW
My little knowledge OF French assisted
me, and soon we were quite at our ease.
So much so that marYeled at myself for
saying almost c0nfdentially to this ac-
quaintance of an hour:
II am sorry that you are an invalid and
cannot run with me about this house, for
will you believe it, madame, though it has
been here so many years and | have
played hide-anG-seek all about among
those queer window recesses and hooks
away up in the attic, / am seized with a
new curiosity to roam about up there to-
day. Perhaps you think am very intru-
sive, MIR. Williams, and silly, too, to want
to be peering INTO your private residence,
but
stammered, trying to say something
lucid to excuse my strange words. How
could he know anything of Aunt Miriam's
closet, or why l wished to see it? Yet his
face Redeemed, and it was impossible for
me to avoid seeing that my proposal filled
him with confusion. He fixed his clear.
grey eyes upon my face as if he would
read my very soul. My ideas grew very
bewildered while trying to think what
could be wrong in what had said, Why
was l always making mistakes? NV
cheeks began to burn, and l Numbered on
"Aunt Miriam was so old, l suppose
you know, and she-she wrote me some
something strange about that part of
the hOuse-that's all"
Mrs. Williams had not understood me.
and turned away from her son to her
that l might regain cOmpOsure,
She took my hand and very gently drew
me closer still than before. 1t was then
that she observed my unlucky throat
band, which had entirely forgotten. Her
French Vlyacity was awakened. She
called the likeness of Aunt Miriam "bee-
utuful." Before she ceased her admiripg
scrutiny Mr.. Williams quietly went out.
was glad indeed that he was not there to
hear what that stiff Miss Milano said
about my wearing it. She spoke to the
Madame as we learned to call Mrs. VIII
liams }, aud said in French, which she
imagined did not understands:
''The child looks ridiculous in that or
nament. Pictures and diamonds and old
'geWgawS' all mixed will rot do"
| understood her perfectly and felt very
spiteful, but did not care to make a bad
impression on the true little lady, who
seemed to shrink from Miss Milano.
while she patted me on the shoulder and
tried to comfort me, as if she knew I'M
derstood the ugly speech. She kept say
ing:
'C'est jOlie-bee-utuful.D
Inc morning was well gone, and l felt
ready to leave the nrpEpnaa IF 81 Iooct o,o
OF the ladies Of the household until I
could lay aside my ornament. | babe
Madame adieu, after promising, at her
earnest request, to make her frequent
visits. Miss MilanO did not relieve me of
her embarrassing presence until she saw
me safely placed upon the back of Ma
lise.
Thus ended my first visit to Strass-
mere.