The Washington critic., 1888-02-11
JACINTH.

~
twainscoted walls. II softened the
worn face of Miss Penelope Macil-
vaine as she sat before the open fire,
\ glancing over her shoulder OCCASION
ally toward the nearest window, and
I sighing. At the two farther windows
sat her sisters, Miss Sarah and Miss
Judith, as they had done for thirty
years. They also looked out their
respective windows once in while,
but they did not sigh, that being Miss
Penelope's privilege.
They were three old women, for
Miss Penelope even, and she was the
youngest, would never again see fifty,
but they were all secretly stirred at
sight Of young Malcolm Dunston
walking by Jacinth' IS side at the foot Of
\ the garden, where the hawthorn
hedge divided the soft green lawn
from the high road.
80 tomorrow you leave Rothmere
and Scotland, Miss Jacinth," he was
I lust saying. "You will return to
America and forget us ~ He could
not look into her face and command
his heart, and so ewatched the river
over the way as it rippled and tum-
/ bled over tiny dam.
For moment Jacinth's lips quiv-
4 cred, but thu lshe lifted her downcast
eyes, and there was quiet strength
in their tender depths as they met his
/ that troubled him, and his heart re-
belled against his practical Scotch
mind and his sefff:made CARRIERS. --- e
II have had long holiday, and il
I do not go now shall forget how to
work, for my aunts are SO good to
me-" she said, and looked up lovingly
j at the old brick house, unconscious Of
! being watched by eager eyes.
"I hope" said Miss Sarah, "that he
jhas settled it; then the dear, child can
kstay witlt.Ay until they are ma ted"
4 81 can'tSNpderstand you, Sarah; he
y is poorer than OBJ; he's only clerk in
$ the bank, and he hasn't any pros
pects."
"He is Mr.. Dunston's son, Judith"
Miss Sarah replied softly.
"a nice, shfftless lot that, though I
shouldn't say it of the minister"
ooh, hush, please" Miss Penelope
interrupted; ''they are coming up the
walk Fetch the lamp, Sarah, do
btoh, I'm all of tremble."
- The door was quietly opened just as
Miss Sarah came in at another with
The lamp. She placed it among the
books on the table, and then, as if
with one accord, all three stared ex-
pectantly at Jacinth.
The family portraits on the walls
would have disowned her could they
have seen their hard-set features
softened into the tenderest curves,
their long, thin noses become thing
of laughter, and their dull, straight
hair turned to sunlight.
"Where is Malcolm % Miss Sarah
N broke the silence.
"He babe me good-by and went
back to the parsonage by the short
cut across the pasture"
"Is that all, Jacinth ?"
"All, Aunt Sarah" she said, smil-
ing, and drew, chair to the table,
while they still watched her as if
spell-bound.
II am glad of it," Aunt Judith
4 cried, and broke the spell.
Aunt Sarah shook her head, but
= she did not trust herself to speak, and
after moment of stupor they both
left the room.
No sooner were they gone than Ja-
cinth's face slipped into the palms Of
" her hands and lay hidden, until at a
soft touch on her shoulder she looked
up with hopeless eyes.
"You, Aunt Penelope?"
Between the two had stood the wall
of Aunt Penelope's grief, luckless
romance upon which she had built
the sad structure of her existence, by
right Of which she enjoyed unstinted
melancholy which her sisters bore
with the patience of long habit, but
which, in the uncharitableness Of
"A youth, Jaeinth called selfishness.
my DEAR" Aunt Penelope said,
and faint flush crept to the border
Ia of her lace cap, 'my dear, out of my
SORROWS and mistakes ] speak TO you.
Thirty years ago." she faltered, "the
man who once said he loved me told
me that the old feeling had changed,
There was nothing to do but to bear
it, but, God forgive me, how Ill bore
it, how selfish was. Child, be better
and stronger than /, and you will
yet be happy. You are young, dear,
and prettier than ever l was, and
you will forget.'' -, =. - '''''
"Aunt Penelope" Jacinth cried,
''he never once told me that he"-she
paused and hid heI face on the old
III woman's breast.
Al "I know, child, / know, it is moi
II only words that speak, God forgive
& him" o
"It was a mistake, that is ALL
Jacinth murmured, trying to smile;
then, with cry that broke down the
fbarriers of her good resolves, she
N threw herself forward on the table
and buried her face in her outstretched
vi arms.
"Have patience with me, Aunt
vi Penelope" she cried brokenly.
n "My dear, it is not for me to tel
1N you TO do at once what could not dc
IA in thirty years." Aunt Penelope sale
|l humbly, when the door opened, an6
M Miss Judith appeared. For a momen
\ she stared in speechless CONSERVATION
~ at Jaeinth, and then she sank intC
" the nearest chair with an eloquen
W bounce.
With q quick movement Jacintl
E was by her side, and threw her arms
about the old lady.
II love you so dearly. Aunt Judith
~ forgive me for my foolishness, for TO
morrow shall be 80 far away, anC
y who knows when we shall see each
4 other again 2"
"See each other again ?" an indig
|W nant voice repeated, and there stooC
IN Aunt Sarah with the tea tray. "Don'
M talk nonsense. You are coming bacl
= next year, sure Now come and hav,
tea by the fire." SO they sat abou
~ the blazing logs on the hearth
I with Jaeinth in their midst
resting her bright head OF
~. Amt panelona,a Ian uhila Ann,