The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-28
A FOUR LEA VEDSIIA MR0CK
"I'll seek the four-leavod shamrock
Through all the fairy dells,
And if | find the charmed leaves,
Oh, how I'll weave my sDells,r

'If / could but find one !" said Grace.
pausing suddenly in the midst of her
song, and letting her hands fall from the
keys of the piano into her lap.
"What is the special virtue supposed
to reside in the fourth leafiet of sham
rock"
"Do you not know that four leaved
shamrock is supposed fairy talisman
giving its posscssor an influence for
good over all with whom he comes
in contact lie can heal feuds
reunitc parted friends-;n fact, be every
ones good genius. l think l shall look
for one, Laurence"
"ro what use would you apply your
magic powersp
81 would make your uncle relcnt, of
course"
81 am afraid that nothing short of a
fairy spoil will accomplish that, Grace;
reason has no effect whatsoever upon
him"
''Have you been administering much
of that article latclym
81 spent more than an hour this morn
ing in trying to make him see that
after five years of hard work have a
right to a fixed salary, be it much or
little, would we not, GraceO lie will
not admit my right to anything, but
says that if | marry to please him, he
will take me into partnership at once
AS do not, however, intend to CRAFTY
him in this respect, his liberal offers are
not of much USE
did he name any particular person
whom he wished you to marryl"
IN -,
seems that he and old Blake have been
talking the matter over after the manner
of the farmers, and have come to an I'M
dcrstanding concerning the number of
COWS and pigs, or their equivalents, to
be contributed on each side. NV uncle
arranged marriage the other day on
strictly commercial principles, between
the foreman's son and old Tom Byrne's
daughter, and he is so proud of his per.
Torrance that he is burning to try his
hand on my affairs next
calico Blake is pretty girl and
nice girl, Laurence.
. She is about the prettiest GIRL |
know, but for all that i don't mean to
marry her Nor do think the arrange
meN would suit her much better than it
does me. If am not much mistaken,
she, too, has plans of her own. But
while my uncle has the notion in his
head, we sha'n't be able to make him
look at things from our point of view
Try to find the four leavcd Shamrock,
Grace, and conjure up little common
sense for my uncle. very little would
do. | must go now; Will you come as
far as the gate with me-"
And the two lovers sauntcred out
into the twilight and reiterated their last
words at the garden gate, leaving the
pretty little drawing-room to its sole
other occupant, Grace's cousin Ger
aid, slender, fair haired lad of about
fourteen, who was lying lisllcssly on a
low couch in the bow window.
Grace and Laurence had been plavfcl-
lows for so many years, that no one but
the uncle of the latter felt any surprise
when they appeared in the character of
lovers.
Mr.. Latouche, however, was thunder
struck ut the announcement of his
nephew's attachment to Grace Neville.
and declared, in language of which he
aftcrward felt somehow ashamed that .
should Laurence persist in his de
termination to marry the daughter
of a beggarly half-pay captain. he might
bid farewell to his present home and
future prospects at Glenallan Mills.
Laurence was quite dependent on his
uncle, with whom he had lived from
childhood; he had always been treated as
son of the house, and on his return
from school, had begun to assist his
uncle in the management of his extern
sive fax mills.
Looked on by every one as the future
master, and literally supplied with
pocket money, he was nevertheless with
out any fixed salary, and sometimes felt
tempted to envy the mil-hands, who re-
ceived their weekly pttance, not as a
gift. but as right
He resolved, however, that come what
might he would marry Grace, and he had
already begun to make inquiries rs to
the probability of his being able to util-
ize the experience gained at Glenallan
Mills in obtaining a salared post in some
similar concern.
While Grace and Laurence were loiter-
ing in the garden Gerald was bordering
over the only portion of the foregoing
conversation Ineligible to himself -
Grace's testing wish for the four lcavcd
shamrock.
Poor Gerald was but hali-witted; his
brain had been injured by fall in baby
hood, and had never properly developed
He was still child in mind, with all a
child's belief in the marvelous-a belief
which Grace was chary of discouraging,
from an instructive feeling that his i'm
agination was his highest gift, which,
once weakened or destroyed, would never
be replaced by reasoning powers.
She was very fond of him, and devoted
much time and trouble to the work of
training him, and drawing out what lit
tie intellect he possessed; while he. on
his part, repaid her care with a passion
ate devotion, obeying her slightest wish,
and following her about like a shadow.
He was also fond of Laurence, a ride
on whose horse constituted his greatest
pleasure; and, though quite unconscious
of the reason, he understood, in his own
dim way, that Laurence's uncle was an
and that Irana