Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-09-17
UNQUENCHABLE LOVE.
Old Aunt Dorothy and Her Ever
Noble Prince.

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 sec. What
have | done with my gloves? bnotO /
brought them in here. Oh, there they
are, under that chair. What plaques
things are!-Coming, Annette, COM
ihg!"
"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, medltating, 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
abundant play of expression about
1t yet, and living evidence that
she had by no means outlived
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 uf .fo and
expression tnat 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 un-
quenched
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 lite, so pacidly content was the
countenance that lookedforth 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 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 us
soon have thought Of giving up one of
their pleasures to sit for an hour with
Aunt Dorothy as of be ng hospital
nurses. When she had come amongst
them some months previously, she had
looked forward to beng their contidante
on various points. All her soul kindled
yet over 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 ill-nature 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
as 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 oil, had never sunk into
the immovable habits that might have
been expected from her age and inflrm-
tiles, and she accepted the invitation
and enjoyed the change. She had long
ngo made her intentions plain as re-
garded the money she had to leave; it
was all to go to this, her only nephew,
with the exception only of few lega-
cies to old servants, friends, and God
children. One of these last was her
niece Laura; and whether it is that peo-
pie are by nature like their God parents
or not, Laura was very much the incest
of the four NJ IS Fieldings. She had
happy d sposition, and could bear d IS
appointment without gong into depths
of despair or getting thoroughly cross
until the next diversion dawned, as
her sisters did. 1t was, alas, very
uneducated character, for Mr.. Field
ing was easy-go ng and over-indul-
gent to his children, while their
mother was worldly woman of
Iady-like exterior, and very comfort
able principles as regarded coarse
minded schemes for marrying her
daughters .'well."
Laura, therefore, as might have been
expected, was no paragon of perfection,
but she was obviously improvable, than
which few better things can be said OF
any human being Not only good tenn
per, but little more earnestness of
aip, little more delicacy of feeling,
and greater warmth of affection dstn-
guished her from her sisters. Aunt
Dorothy took her home to her large
heart and believed in her, and Laura
was, half-uncOnsciously, already the
better from this sojourning of their aunt
among them. She came INTO the room
soon after her sisters departure, and
was asked the same questions given be-
fore.
at was an old Mr.. Pcardy, who
lives a few miles of, and had not been
in the town for ages. He has driven in
an open carriage up Friar's hill"
..Ihen he must return this wayp"
said Aunt Dorothy.
''Yes, | suppose so"
Humming tune, Laura went on
rummaging distant table-drawer for
something that she wanted-things do
mislay themselves in thoroughly un-
tidy house.
Laura said her aunt, ''come here,
my dear. i used to know this Mr.. Pi-
cary, formerly, and should much like to
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-roomP"
1t was ON the tip of Laura's tongue to
raise objections. Aunt Dorothy kept
entirely in her own rooms, and II would
be quite an innovation to establish her
in The drawing-room. But she just
looked at her aunt's face and saw there
so much eagerness and wistfulness that
something stirred her heart.
She was almost surprised at herself
for the alacrity with which she said:
"Certainly, Aunty. Let us try"
"The drawng-room door is OF course
wider than this" said Aunt Dorothy,
$50 we need take no measurements. Go,
my dear, and clear away the mats in
the way, and see that there is room
rade IN the best window for seeing from.