Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-06-21
THE LooKlNG-GLAss.
e. Nesbit in Atalanta.]

Il. Nesblt in ATLANTA.
- HE was q puny, yellow-skinned,
" big-eyed, big-mouthed child, with
- thin arms and legs, and brown,
untidy hair. The eyes were red
and the mouth tremulous with
- tears when she stood alone in the
world in the drawing-room of her aunt's
house in Highgate, quite alone, now
that the friendly doctor who had taken
charge of her on her homeward voyage
had brought her to the house of her
dead fathers only sister; and, being a
busy man, home on a short furlough
after long Indian service, had kissed
her, hidden her be good girl, given her
half a sovereign and a box Of sweets, and
left her.
The old servant who had opened the
door had said that her mistress was at
tending a clothing tea-meeting-had
said it with no appearance of surprise
that her mistress should be absent at
the hour which she herself had fixed
for the arrival of her only brothers
only child.
Una walked round the room, looking
at the pictures in their heavy, dull
maple frames: 1.-THE Woman of Sam
aria ;" "Bolton Abbey in the Olden
Time, +" ''The Maid of Saragossa." She
looked at the marble top of the chiffon
Ter, where the case of stuffed birds was:
at the heavy, stiff damask curtains, the
sombre Responsibility of the Brussels
carpet, the severe uninviting orderliness
of the red-covered chairs.
She looked out of the window at the
garden, in intention as formal as the
rooms itself, but where the lavish hand
of autumn had scattered golden leaves,
to the despair of the gardener and the
littering Of the lawn. 1t was chill,
damp lookout. Una shivered, and
walked back in the room.
The chiffOnier attracted her most.
The stuffed birds were pretty; besides,
there was at the back of them looking
glass, in which she could see her face,
her poor little pale, frightened face.
There was glass in the doors of the
chiffonier, too, rejecting her black
stockings and the little skirts that were
trimmed with crepe, because it was not
vet four months since jungle fever had
killed father and mother. She was tired.
The chairs looked at her forbiddingly,
yet with sort of challenge, as though
they dared her to sit on their neat
cushions. She was too tired to accept
the challenge and too tired for the little
feet to support her longer without pro-
test.
So she sat down ON the Brussels car
pet in front of the looking-glass door OF
the chiffonier and peered into its
depths. 1t was a comfort to her to see
her own face. That, at least, was not
strange as everything else was. 1t was
almost like having friend there, and
she sat looking at herself in the glass
and pitied herself very much indeed, as
children do, and grown folks likewise
She was lost in sad dream of the
time when the face had had a soft
shoulder to rest on, kind hands to stroke
it, dear lips to kiss it wheneverit would
and she did not hear the door open and
her aunt come in. She had just reached
out little clammy hand with an i'm
pulse of affection toward the image
which seemed all that was left of the
old life, when her arm was caught
from behind, and she sprang to hel
feet, literally speeches. with the sud
den shock.
$50 you are my niece" hard voice
said; and Una, looking up, saw an ell
derby woman, with pale banded hal
and black shawl and very ugly bon
net.
Una opened her lips, but the eyes
aunt would not pass them.
"And what are you doing sitting
down there on the floor as if you were
dog?o The voice was not unkind, 81
Una managed to answer:
81 was looking at myself in tn,
glass"
"Why?" asked her aunt.
because | like to-" was Una's sum
mary of the many reasons that haC
to that contemplation.
IInIooI - &c mr.
what is your name?"
'sUna,n said the child.
'tAnything else?
"Una Mary Vincent"
'Well, Mary" said her aunt, instant
ly adopting the name unfamiliar to he
niece, ~ shall not call you Una, be
cause think it is high flown and TO
mantle, and not at all suitable for a lit
tie girl"
'Mother and father called me Una,
the child found courage to reply, cling
ing to that in the mist Of the waves o
terror and loneliness and loveiessnes:
that were closing round her.
lind sd, . replied her aunt, as if that
made no diforeuce. ..'But ! shall cal
you Mary. Now, Mary, you viii hav,
govern sses and teachers, and every
advantage / can give you;and | hopt
You viii be a good girl, and not tire
some. Give me q kiss, and | viii rims
for fraser to take You upstairs"
Una lifted b T lips obedi-ntly, but il
was hard, unresponsive cheek tina
they touch, q. There was no lingering
pressure no touch of a hand on he
Lair, no arm put round her for a mo
menl, no love. She followed the ole
srvant patiently up the steep carpstet
stairs into large dreary room, fur
nished with mahogany and seri0 dsnsss
Lett alone, she tooA OF hat and jacket
wash ID her hands and face, aud die
her hair as we'll az she could ut the biz
looking glass between the two dee
windows.
IS WAS growing dusk she did no