The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-15

She was pale and thin, but might
have been pleasing had she not been
ghastlv with the motion Of the snip; Tor
there had been quite swell on from the
hour We cast off. As it was, she lay
back, Indifferent to life or death or the
1eceding world, and received as to the
manner born the kindly attention OF
Mrs. Prideaux. who has crossed so often
that she is as much at bone at sea as Oh
shore.
Who is she ~ I said to my sister, co
serving her case.
my maid. Annis Beecher, she an
swered and she afterwards told me she
had engaged the young woman the week
before, because she had shown pretty
knack in the arrangement of hair and
the designing of gowns, the young Wo,
man having also declared tnat she GU
not know what seas ckness was. one
told the truth perhaps; she ala not know
at that time she had evidently found
out since. And Mrs, Prideauy, half
compassionate and halt amused, was
by way of winning eternal gratitude,
in seeing that the deck steward made
the young woman comfortable, and in
not happening to think of men
tioning the relation between them.
Nv sister had been visiting at
a country house which some of
our American friends, desiring to t}y
English life, had taken for a few seasons,
when she first came across the girl,
Annis Beecher, the daughter OF laDorer
on the neighboring estate OF the Earl OF
Saverleigh, i'll fed, scantily clothed, and
running wild. The good housekeeper al
the castle had presently sent for her to
take some subordinate position, and
noting her aptitude had promoted her
till chance brought her to the atten-
ton of the old Countess; after which
she was more or less about that person
age, waiting on her and reading 10 ner.
She had been taught at the village
school, and, quick to mark and heed,
she soon acquainted and tamlllarlzed
herseli with the gentle movements, the
low voices of the drawing room, ana tne
observance of the table. linen nef
father had received some INJURY, De-
lieve, and she had been obliged to leave
these pleasant places and go back to the
cottage and care for him, feeling sharp
". it NAV be, the contrast, the rough
tone, the rude habit, the hardship, too,
and the unloyeliness of life. When he
died, another lady ruled at saverleigh;
and without a relative in the world, with
heart aching with ambitions and de-
sires. and with nothing before her but
service. she had conceived the HAPPY
thought of procuring a reference from
the old housekeeper, and had begged
Mrs. Prideauy, who was then visiting
her friend again, when she should JON me
at Southampton to let the service be with
her. Perhaps she thought that IN the
life over here, which gives all chance,
she would find her own. But certainly
she could then have had no idea OF play
ing ally other part in it than that Of a
skilful lady's maid, which was III ltseil a
great step on the ladder Of life for the
Young factuum Of the housekeeper' lt
may have occurred to her, however,
when in any interval of comparative
ease. after she had been brought on
deck. she saw certain Of the young girls
gaylv promenading with as much OF their
warpaint and feathers as wind and
weather permitted, realized with her
quick Wit a difference between their
WAYS and manners and the exquisite
breeding Of the ladies at Sayerleigh, had
se45ge Of injuatice in the inequality Of
position, and felt sudden purpose
spring within her soul.