The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-09
THE ADVERTISEMENT.

THE ADVERTISEMENT.
WANTED-By widow lady, young
ners to act as companion. Terms liberal.
Address, Box -, for three days.
A word-a look even. is sometimes
pregnant with our fate, and serves as
the portal through which we pass to
happiness or misery. 1t is not wonder
full, then, that the above advertisement
-tumbled on by accident while going
hopelessly. almost aimlessly, through
the morning newspapers list of wants"
was the turning-point in the destiny
of Marian Fosdick.
On her eighteenth birthday, an aunt
who had grudgingly doled sut to her
her living. gave her. by way of birth
day-gift, week of grace in which to
find some means of sustaining herself,
as she was now old enough; and on the
last day of the seven she had obtained
nothing more substantial as result of
her weary pilgrimages than little adj
ditional knowledge of the unmerciful
virtue of suspicious and immaculate
world when dealing with pennIless
youth and beauty.
Marian had nothing to lose; she had.
therefore, nothing to fear; and in less
than a week from the date of the first
note tremblingly addressed by her to
BOX -" she had patched up her
scanty wardrobe, gone through the for
malities of a dry-eyed stony parting
with her aunt, and was duly installed
as the companion of Mrs. Barrett, in a
fine old country house not hundred
miles from town.
The BarrettS were an old family
had traditions and ancestors, and titled,
of course. They had taken root and
ramitied over half the county, and been
careful to intermarry only in families
likewise powerful, and possessed of tra-
ditions and ancestors.
They had old servants, and an old
house-square, solid. and. comfortable
built on a gently swelling knoll by
trees a hundred years old, with brook
in front, and ugly, well-constructed, red
gabled barns in the rear.
Apart from the lOveliness of the sur
rounding country, without beauty of
any kind. yet SO thoroughly comfortable
and well-to-do-so suggestive of the SUBJ
stantial good things of this life in its
surroundings and outilankings of fields
of grain. a huge well-kept Kitchen
garden and heavily-burdened orchard;
with such good dinners cackling,
scratching, lowing, winged, feathcred,
hoofed, and horned about it-above all,
in itself so substantially squarely and
uncompromisingly ugly, that it actually
bullied people into styling it one of the
handsonlest places in the country.
There We're only two of the Barretts
to uphold the family dignity in this par
ticular section of the country-Mrs. Bar
rett, a fair, gracious woman, looking
younger than she really was, and her
brother, the owner of the vast estates,
and neither fair nor gracious; but their
simple neighbors spoke of them with as
much reverence as of an army, and Sc
lect and fortunate. indeed, was the
merry-making considered that was hon.
ored with their presence-that is to say,
with Mrs Barrett's, for her brother was
never seen, except ut church or on
horseback, and was understood to be
eccentric and something of misan-
thrope.
Mrs. Barrett was one of the best of
housekeepers; her household economy
was clockwork; her days were arranged
by system.
At precisely such an hour, Miss Fos-
dick was summoned to read to her; at q
given moment she was dismissed. From
that time she was free to sit under old
trees and work, or dream, or read; un-
disturbed quiet reigned everywhere.
She was treated with the same solemn
respect and observance rs the rest of
the family. There were romantic walks
and no end of marvellous views; above
all, no one to scold. to spy out faults, to
| irritate with inccssant tauntS and in
| situations.
For the first few weeks Marian was
enchanted; then she began to tire; then
she grew weary unto death. She was
only vegetating. instead of living; she
had no end to accomplish-nothing to
pursue; her faculties were stagnating;
| the peace she had found so delicious
| grew terrible; the monOtony CALLED and
irritated her; she was walled out from
life and its sympathies, and her soul
grew clamorous for release.
: 1t was at this time that the existence
of Mr.. Barrett first obtruded itself upon
her as fact to be considered.
Sitting idly under the trees after one
of her afternoon readings, she was
startled by his coming suddenly around
| the corner of the house, in close confer
ence with his steward.
Resisting as undignilied her first im-
pulse, which was TO run. she sat quietly,
and for lack of better occupation, began
to analyse Mr.. Barrett, whose dark face,
when lighted up by a smile, had, she
found to her surprise, something in II
both attractive and handsome, and SO
absorbed was she in the discovery that
she did not observe Mr.. Barrett coming
slowly towards her, and started violent
ly when he spoke to her.
You have been here six weeks" he
said abruptly. ''HOw do you like the
place?"
Not at all-that is" she added
hastily, shocked at her own incivility
..the place is well enough, but it DOM
suit ME
.'Oh, it doesn't! May enquire how
il is so unfortunate as to offend? Come
out with it. You have toll me my
place is well enough you can't say
ANYTHING worse. Is it the house you
object to? Don't you think it a model
of beauty"
Il think it a monument of taste, She
returned demurely.
Mr. Barrett caught the wicked sparkle
in her eye and laughed heartily.
You mean taste lies dead and burieC
under it. Good! You are both obstin
ate and malicious. Anyone must bt
that who doubts the beauties of anything
belonging unto Barrett So am l.
could never properly appreciate thu
beauties of this paradise, though it il
my own. There is to me, as to you. ;
something hateful in all this loveliness
as though the peace. the verdure, th'
very air Of substantial comfort MsE!