The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-09-17
UNCOMFORTABLE LOVE.
Old Aunt Dorothy and Her Ever
Noble Prince.

..What was all that commotion about
Just now?'
..Oh, nothing. 1t was only some
stupid old man who had not been in the
town for ever so long going by. and
Mrs. Brown called us to see. What
have done with my gloves? know
brought them in here. Oh, there they
are, under that chair. What plaques
things are!-Coming, Annette, COM
ing.''
'.Did she say who the old man was?'
But the words were spoken to empty
air, for the heroine of the gloves was
already flying down stairs in the best
approved costume for the fashionable
promenade.
Her great-aunt, Miss Dorothy Field
ing, bent back, meditating, in her chair.
She was cripple of many years stand
ing from rheumatism and sciatica, and
could move but little without assist
ance.
She was very old; but although her
face had many wrinkles, there was
pay va aDOut
it yet, and living evidence that
her faculties. An ordinary face it
never had been. although, equally, she
had never been beautiful. In her youth
some had called her plain, some good
looking, some pretty; but full of LIE and
expression that face had always been;
full of character, and that no ordinary
one. full of vivacity, the light of which
after four-scOre years was even yet I'M
4uenched.
Her eyes were dark brown, sensible,
true and very kindly. Any one with a
degree of Imagination in their brains
would have felt certain her companion
ship even now would not be dull; so
sympathetic, bright, and, in the evening
time of life. so piacidly content was the
countenance that looked forth under the
matronly cap and thick grey hair. She
had been full of love and lovers with
the brightest. once upon time; she
had dreamt many a waking dream, had
been attractive and popular; but she
had never married. She was Miss
Fielding now, as she had been at the
beginning of the chapter.
The young people around her were
on the whole a selfish, preoccupied set,
who had few thoughts to spare from
dress and gaiety, and who would as
soon have thought of giving up one of
their pleasures to sit for an hour with
Aunt Dorothy as of being hospital
nurses. When she had come amongst
them some months previously, she had
looked forward to being their confidante
on various points. All her soul kindled
yet over a real love affair, and she could
sympathize also with minor matters of
small Irritation and girlsh fun. But even
she could make little of these great
nieces of hers. Her innate good taste
recoiled from their fastness, with un-
scrupulous stratagems, their loud
spoken Immature toward other girls,
and the utter absence of all love,
worthy the name, from their scheming,
worldly, and unwomanly love affairs.
Their father had taken this house,
which was large and handsome, for the
four months season at Fairbeach, and
rs he was very fond of his aunt, and
rooms could be spared for her use, he
had asked her to come to them for that
period. Old Miss Fielding, being very
comfortably off, had never sunk into
the immovable habits that might have
been expected from her age and inflrnl-
tiles, and she accepted the invitation
and enjoyed the change. She had long
ago made her intentions plain as re.
garded the money she had to leave; il
was all to go to this, her only nephew,
with the exception only of a few lega-
cies to old servants, friends, and God.
children. One of these last was her
niece Laura; and whether tits that peo-
pie are by nature like their God parents
or not, Laura was very much the incest
of the four Miss Fieldings. She had a
happy disposition, and could bear dis
appointment without going into depths
of despair or getting thoroughly cross
until the next diversion dawned, as
her sisters did. 1t was. alas, q very
uneducated character, for Mr.. Field
ing was easy-going and ovcr-indul
gent to his children, while theil
mother was worldly woman O.
iady-like exterior. and very comfort
able principles as regarded coarse
minded schemes for marrying hel
daughters well.
Laura, therefore, as might have beer
expected, was no paragon of perfection
but she was obviously improbable, thar
which few better things can be said O
any human being. Not only good tenn
per, but a little more earnestness O
aim, little more delicacy of feeling
and greater warmth of affection distin
guished her from her sisters. Aun
Dorothy took her home to her large
heart and believed in her, and Laur:
was, half-unconsciously, already the
better from this sojourning of their aun
among them. She came INTO the room
soon after her sisters departure. ant
was asked the same questions given be
fore.
1T was an old Mr. Picardy, wh<
lives few miles off, and had not beer
in the town for ages. He has driven il
an open carriage up Friar's hill"
''Ihen he must return this way?'
said Aunt Dorothy.
Yes. suppose so.''
Humming a tune, Laura went OF
rummaging distant table-drawer fol
something that she wanted-things d.
mi1ay themselves in a thoroughly un
tidy house.
.sLaura," said her aunt, ''come here
my dear. l used to know this Mr.. Pi
cary, formerly, and should much like t.
see him passing back. Do you think
without saying any thing to any one
you could manage to wheel me in my
chair into the drawing-Eoom?'