Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-08-21

OF things she knew, Things she guessed ana
things of which she knew nothing, 1t VIII De
better to learn it in its veracious entirety
than to CLEAN it from the saddened musings
that winters afternoon.
After the battle royal between Lady Clau-
son and her stepdaughter, and when Sir
Maingay weakly and for the sake Of peace
left his daughter at home, whilst he fed to
the Continent with that newly acquired
treasure, his beautiful wife, Beatrice settled
down to the dullest of dull lives, or what
certainly promised to be so unless the girl
could brighten it by drawing on her own re-
sources for amusement. On one point how
ever, she had nothing to complain of. A
childless widow with large income could
not have enjoyed more freedom of action.
Mrs. Erskine, the aunt in whose care she was
nominally placed, was old, wrapped up in
her own varied ailments, and so selfish as to
keep herself clear of suspecting people, be-
cause suspicion brought trouble and worry
Beatrice was free to spend her hours as it
best suited her; to come and go as she chose,
and generally to do what pleased herself
By this arrangement Mrs. Erskine saved her
self much trouble and responsibility things
which are extremely injurious to an old gen.
tlewoman in feeble health.
health, as all young girls of eighteen should
be, soon found that to render life at Mrs
Erskine's worth living she must find occupa-
ton for her lonely hours. Perhaps there
were times when the ideal pleasure and joy
with which an untraveled mind invests a
foreign tour made her repent of her hastiness
in disdaining to occupy secondary place in
her fathers heart. But if 1t was SO, her
pride forbade any proposals of surrender.
Nevertheless, something had to be done to
make life tolerable She cared little or
nothing for general society, and even had she
done so the fact of her possessing few friends
anywhere, and none in London, would have
rendered her going out into the world mat
ter of difficulty.
So that Miss Clauson, who was young
lady of no mean abilities, and who had some
how imbibed the modern notion that, if
rightly directed, woman's brain-power is
equal to a mans in acquiring knowledge, de-
cided that the most satisfactory rneuhod 10y
which time could be killed was by continu-
ing her studies from the point at which she
laid them down when she left the fashionable
finishing school.
Being also rather troubled by the feeling
that she ought to do something for suffering
humanity, she organized little charitable
scheme She had plenty of pocket money.
Sir Maingay, who, since old Talbert's death,
had received a considerable sum per annum,
paid out of the trust, for his daughters main
tenance and education, behaved most gener.
ously in this respect. There is no salve to
the conscience so efficacious as money sac.
rifcel
Beatrice, then, did what good she could OF
her own account. AS piteous tale ALWAYS
opened her purse, revilers Of indiscriminate
almsgiving may think little Of her efforts.
Perhaps they bore no fruit save in one note
worthy instance.
Charity brought her in contact with
woman, who, from a variety of circum-
stances, had been reduced from the state of a
superior domestic servant to abject poverty,
and who was lying almost at deaths door.
Beatrice heard her history, relieved her
wants, had her doctored and cured, and by
these acts made the woman her slave for life.
She riveted the links forever, when, fancying
she could do with maid she, in spite of a
grumble from her great-aunt took this
woman, named Sarah Miller, into her SER
vice. This happened in the early days of her
sojourn at Mrs. Erskine's.
The course of study progressed For the
most part Beatrice taught herself. After a
while it struck her she should like again to
take up her drawing. Here, as her ambition
rose higher than wishing to execute the
usual schoolgirl masterpieces, she needed a
master. A caller, an acquaintance of Mrs.
Erskine's gave her name and address,
which had been given to her by some one
else. Beatrice wrote and asked the artists
terms. He replied. She wrote again, &C
cepting the terms and begging him to call
on certain day. So Maurice Hervey came
into her life
When first she saw him the girl was sur
prised to find she had summoned to her aid a
young man of about twenty-five. But the
age of drawing master appeared to Miss
Clauson as a matter of secondary import
ance. So long as he knew his business what
mattered if he was twenty five or fifty-fve.
Mrs. Erskine troubled nothing about the
affair. She knew that a master gave her
niece lessons twice OF thrice a week. The
old lady never even acquired his name. To
her he was the drawing master, no more and
no less. There are many such old ladies as
this!