Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-22
A HEART SKETCH.

summer, ana stopping nfSI aJ tIle
hotel, she registered her name as
Kate Burbank, of New York. She
might have been two.and.twenty-
not older than that-aud was very
pretty. No-pretty is not the
word. She was beautiful, with
that style Of beauty which belongs
to true, living womanhOod. Ex
anime her closely, and you could
discover nothing grand or regal
about her. She was easy, affable,
and very pleasant, with dimpleS in
her checks and chin, about which
bright smiles lurked most allu-
riuglyj and, Furthermore, she was
not regal at all in stature, being
rather below the medium height of
woman. And yet when she walked
away alone, in the fresh, bracing
air, you would declare there was
something regal about her after
all.
But she did not remain long at
the hotel. She brought letters of
recommendation to the rector of
our parish, and was soon admitted
a member of his family. To him
she told the story OF her life. She
was an orphan, without brother or
sister. She possessed property
enough to support her, in an hum
BILE way, until she could turn her
hand to some profitable and pleas
ant employment. She had friends
ready and willing to help her, but
she preferred to be independent.
At the end of a fortnight, Mr..
EdgartOn, the rector, had made up
his mind what profession Miss
Burbank should follow. She should
be a teacher of music. Her skill
at the piano was a marvel, and her
voice was sweetest melody. During
those two weeks sue had become a
source of sunshine in the house
hold, and all had come 10 love her
She romped and played with the
children, tearing over hill and dale
with bounding glee; she sang and
played not only for the family, but
for favored visitors when they
asked it; and when opportunity
offered, she would sit in the rectOI's
study, and converse with an under
standing and eruditlOn that sur
prised hin.
Towards the end of July the
rectots nephew, Arthur Grafton,
came on a visit. He had gradu-
ated at college, had studied law
and had been admitted to the bar,
and now, before commencing prac-
tice, he had come to the mountain
village for recreation. He was
four-and-twenty years Of age, tall,
strong and robust, the very picture
of manly health and beauty. And
his beauty was Of the vigorous
kind, with heart and soul in it. His
brown cprls shook over his high,
fair forehead when he laughed,
and his laugh was contagious. At
all events, Kate Burbank found 1t
so, and a new enjoyment was added
to her life.
And how about Arthur Grafton's
life? Did he find a new enjoyment
in this unexpected inmate of the
rectOry? Somehow Kate stopped
romping with the children, and
walked with Arthur instead. He
had been leading oarsman at col
lege, and now he cleaned up and
cushioned an old boat belonging to
a neighbor, and rOwed Kate over
the silvery bosom of our Lake of
the Clouds. And then the evenings
What melody hoated out upon the
listening ears that gathered around.
Arthur was a superb singer, with
a cultivated baritone voice, and
Kate made such music as had
never been heard in our village be-
fore.
OF course all this could tend but
one way, and the good rector saw
at a very early period whittier that
way would lead. He had a strong
love for his dead sisters child, and
was anxious that his opening man
/ hood should not be clouded. To
this end he wrote to friend in
New York from whom one of the
/ young lady's letters of introduction
had come, stating frankly the
circumstances, aud asking for in
formation touching Miss Burbank''
antecedents. He received an an
swer, by due course of mail, tina
the lady in question was one whom
any man, with courage for the rea
work of life, might be proud tC
gain for a wife.
With this Mr.. Edgarton wal
content, and thenceforth he allowed
matters to take their own course
Certainly Arthur Grafton hat
never before met a woman to hin
like this woman. Strong ant
intellectual as he was, there wa
no department in his life into which
she could not enter with heart ant
soul. She joined him in his sports
gay aud frolicsomo she Joined
him in his sylvan rambles, dwell
ing fOndly on tho poetic side o
nature ; she joined and led him il
music; she discussed with hin
understandingly subjects and au
thors which he had deemed under