The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-27
THE BARRISTER'S BRIDE.


The Reverend John Derby, one of
the most pious and learned minis
ters of the English church, died in
1912, sincerely regretted not only by
the friends who had known him in
timately in private life, but also by
those who had listened to his preach
ing. His family consisted of an on
ly daughter named Caroline. Just
before his death he determined to
leave her to the guardianship of the
only man he loved, a former pupil
whom he only thought of as Col.
George, but who had since become
Lord Wilton.
AT that time Lord Wilton was
with his regiment in Spain. At
Victoria he heard of the death OF
the worthy John Derby, who by his
last will had left him a pretty child
to protect, Il ward to educate. At
such distance he could only, after
accepting the legacy, write to his
sister, Mrs. Fame, and beg her TO re-
ceive the orphan at her home at
Brentford until his return.
A short time after, being wound
ed at the battle of Victoria, he re-
turned to England, and fastened to
receive in person his old friends
legacy. He expected to find under
his sisters care a child to bring up,
a pupil to educate. To his astonish-
ment he found a young lady, with
more than ordinary beauty and in
telligence she was about seventeen
and even at that age was distin-
guished by a certain ardor and exal-
tation of mind which gave bold
ness and originally to all her ideas,
bCullulClllS uilQ WOIuS.
To the eyes OF Caroline the world
was a poem, romance.
She lived in imaginary and fairy
like universe, peopled by the wand
of those enchanters called poets and
novelists. The realities of this dali
ly life actually terrified her, and it
was with the greatest reluctance
that she returned from her imagina-
ry rambles through space. She was
so easily startled by the faintest
sound, so quickly touched by sin
gle word, and so intensely excited
by the Smallest adventure, that her
friends at Brentford gave her the
name of "POetry" personified.
Lord Wilton was very much as
tonished at the eccentricities which
he daily discovered in Caroline's
character, and at first distressed
and even alarmed but he was
young, rather an origional himself,
and he quickly became passionate
ly attached to his beautiful ward.
On her side, Caroline was much as
tonished to find her guardian a man
of thirty, clever, intelligent, and full
of poetic enthusiasm, instead of an
elderly, dull, commonplace soldier
such as she had expected. The dis
covery delighted her, and in little
while she was deeply in love with
her guardian.
The double danger Of this mutual
affection did not escape the observa-
ton of Mrs. Fame, and she determi-
ned to put an end to this extrava-
gance, this mysterious passion
which was offensive alike to her
pride and her principles, She
spoke plainly to her brothers pref
ty ward, told her what she had OBJ
serve d, and begged her to think SER
iously of the enormous distance that
separated the peers mansion from
the humble parsonage, She ap-
pealed successfully to her modesty,
her virtue, her courage and her graf
itude. At last Mrs. Fane's eloquent
indignation triumphed, and Caro-
line, weeping bitterly, promised to
love and admire her guardian no
longer. For complete security, Mrs.
Fame at last induced her to marry a
rich baronet who had made her an
offer.