The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-02-20


the difference in her from me, for I
never compared that, but in her former
self. She had grown up into woman,
and, as that glass told me, and my own
eyes told me, a very striking woman
too. / was little of judge in beauty
myself; still / knew well that every
body we met thought her handsome.
Likewise, she had grown up beautiful
in mind as well as in body. was very
proud oil, my dear child.
Iweil remember this day, when she
was nineteen and / thirty remem-
Der it, / say, because our kind friend in
India had Remembered it likewise, and
sent MS each a magnificent shawl; far
too magnificent it was for a little body
like me, but it became Zillah splendid
iy. She tucked me under her arm as if
i had been a little girl, and walked me
mp and down the room, for she was of q
Cheerful, gay temper now--juSt the one
to make an old heart young again, to
flash upon a worn spirit with the
brightness of its own long past morn
ing.
z i recollect thinking thus at the time
Il wish had thought so oftenefl But
it matters little; ] only chronicle this
day, as being the first when Zillal un-
consciously put herself on a level with
me, becoming thenceforward a woman,
and my egual-no longer q mere pet
and child. 4 s afflf
About this time-I may as well inst
state the fact to comfort other maidens
of thirty years standing Il received an
had. He who asked me- was n GENTLE
man If nv own aee mn old ac6nainf-
anceg tIfo,igh never 4 verv Intimate
friend n, r Examined MYSELF we'll with
great humility and reoret for he was
an, excellent man. INT + fond I could
NOT marry him II vas varv stranose
that he sRonld ask me I tlfonoht. Nv
mother nrond and nieased-first he.
caI,se + had the Honor az 4 nronosaI.
SECONDLY that If was refused ana she
Kent her child stiilMwmild have If, that
the. circumstance was not strange at ali.
MANY n M tSfv tan timer
had .evar I,een Il, their iiuas Nv n sSy
fond. delnded and deluding mother in
whose sioht even I was fairi Tibat
night r was foolish enongh to look ionS y
info the glass at INV nIiief IitfJa face
and and s Iale sraylhlneq aavs .la iaoS
like Zillah's,-foolish enoiIch To count
narrowly the white threads that were
coming one by one into NV hair This
trOIIbla@T mean the offer If marriage
II did NOT oliite get over for f,,anv
weeks. even months.
! The following wear of NV life there
befell me n great pang. Ofthis q grief
never to he forgotten n loss never IL
be restored-I 7eanI1ot even INV cav
more than il imnlied in. three yvnrds2-
diedi After that Zillah and
I lived torether alone for twelve
months orrs1ores1 -,
There are some SCENES in orr life
landscape scenes / mean-that we re-
member very clearly. one sfrikes me-
now "a quiet. soft Mayday: the hedg-
es lust in their first green. the horse
white with flowers: the long.
silent country lanes swept through bya
carriage! in which two WON
an enuallv silent sat-Zillah J,a Poer
and I
of ape. and she was going to meet her
who had inst returned from
india.
Mrs. Sutherland had received a letter
from Sonfhamnfon and immedjafelv
sent for us into the country to meet her
son. her ssbeloyed Andrew.n / merely
reneat the words No I renlamher Ziljah's |
doing while she Iaughed at the ugly
name I never thought N; 1Iolv. -
When we had really started. however. 4
ZiIlah ceased. laurhinr. and became
crave prohabIy MT fine recollection If
that humiliatino Circumstances which
FIRST brought her ae1painted with her
Rmt desnite this ill.omened
beginninr. her vouth had blossomed in
10 great perfection. AS she SAT there
before me. fair in person. well cultured
N mind, and pure and virgin in heart
Tor had so kept her out OF harm 9 way |
hat, though nearly twenty-0ne, | knew |
she had never been Yin love' with any |
nail-as she sat thus, 1 felt proud and |
glad in her, feeling sure that Nh. Suth-
srland would say had well fulfilled the |
,barge he gave. 5sa
We drove to the lodge gates. An
English country-house is always fair to
zee; this was very beautifil--I Temem-
1ered 1t seven years ago, only that It
VAS autumn, and now spring. Zillah |
it likewise; she drew back, 4
md heard her whisper urleaSily:
: Now we shall soon see MIR. Suther-
and.
did not answerher word.
We rolled up the avenue under the |
arge chestnut-trees. 4 saw some one
standing at the portico; then think
,he motion of the carriage must have
made me dizzy, for all grew indistinct,
except a firm, kind hand holding me as |
stepped down, and the words, Take |
care, my dear Cassia!" 1t was Mr..
He scarcely observed Zillah. tillinthe
hall l introduced her to him. He |
seemed surprised, startled, pleased.
Talking of her to me that evening, he
aid. he had not thonvht, she wnuld
nave crown i'm tbus. md I nof;ced him
ook at her III times with q nensive
Kindness. Mrs Sutherland wbysnered
% me that tho lady he had been enrared
d was n half-casfe like ZiIIah Which
for it. Ills mothers prophe-
cy had been right. he had come hack az
ie went ont--iinu,arrled
When Zillah went to he'd she was fuIl
IF admiration for her Guardian He
was so tail. SO stately. Then His thick
,urline fair hair-i1st like n voun1
mans. with scarcely a shadow Of grav
She would not believe that he was over
iorty--ten wears older than mvselfS,,n-
Ill bv some pertinacitv I had finnressed |
his fact upon her, And then she said i
ID did not sipnify. as she lilred s,,ch |