Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-07-05
SWEET CONTENT.
Why She Didn't Change Hel
Name to GlOriana.

Name to Gloriana.
Her real name was Gloriana Weston.
but everyone who knew her well
called her Sweet Content. 1t was to
her father that she owed both the
actual and the pet name. When she
was born, he was in the middle OF
writing his monumental commentary
on the "Faerie Queen, and wanted
ID name his daughter Britomart but
compromised matters with his mortified
wife bv consenting to the scarcely less
remarkable title of Gloriana. And
arain. when she was about seven, and
the ludicrOus appropriateness Of the
stately name for the rosy, chubby
child became every day more manifest
he came out into the garden one alter
noon. fresh from his critical survey Of
seventeenth century poetry and hum
ming the refrain of a song which
haunted his memory. 30 sweet con-
tent, o sweet content. he sang over
and over again. and then laughed as
his eve fell upon the little girl sitting
soberly on the grass at her mother 5
feet making daisy chains.
why, here is Il name for the little
one" he cried. "Wife. You must
never scold me again for calling her
G!oriana. From henceforth She IS
Sweet Content"
Nr. Weston died suddenly-a peace
rul. painless dcath-and his widow
forgot all the little clouds which his
tastes had raised between them in Hlc,
and scarcely murmurcd even when she
discovered the extent TO which his
ignorance and generosity had involved
the little property which was all on
which she and her daughter could de-
pend. They were obliged to move
from the large rambling Old house in
which Content had been born into a
much smaller One-a change which
was like an uprooting to the girl
But no one heard a murmur rom her
/ lips. and her tears on leaving the old
+ home were kept for times when her
mother would not be saddened by the
sight Of them 1t was she who took
+ the lead in rendering the new house
as home-lillc as possible, and her per-
sistent cheerfulness went far to rec
oncile her mother to the change.
People had wondered long and vain
F lv what had induced Sweet Content to
engage herself to Fred Pargitcr. for
they did not seem TO have a single
taste in common. lie was lawyer in
a country town-a rising man, but one
who was considered 10y his profession
al brethren as pushing rather than
plodding. His motive for wOOing Can
tent was an open secret all over the
village. thanks to the tongues of gos-
sips. 1t was Edith Barnard who first
hit upon it. and she did not hesitate to
communicate it to others. for she had
no liking for Fred Pargiter. Poor as
the WestOnS were, Sweet Content had
expectations" An old uncle of Mr..
/ Weston. who maintained an implac-
able enmity against his nephew, had,
nevertheless. declared his intention
of leaving his money in the family:
and tins" SAID Edith, Fred had
heard through a cousin OF his, who
was Uncle Antony's legal adviser.
If Content had been the only person
concerned, she might have gone on her
way and married Fred Pargiter to
lease her mother and himself, as she
thought. and have repented her timd-
itv when too late; but there was fac
tor in the case of which she had not
dreamt. Uncle Antony died less than
three months after his nephew, and
a .ft all his money to a home for crippled
dogs. Content had only heard mys
tcrious hints about the fortune which
was supposed to be coming TO her, anC
il had never seemed sufficiently real t'
her for its loss to affect her much; bu'
it was heavy blow to Mrs. Weston
who had counted largely upon it.
You see, mother" said Content
1--WE are no worse off than we were be
fore. To lose what we never expected
is not very dread full
But Mrs. Weston could not accep
this philosophical view of the case
She knew Fred pargtcrs character
Little better low than She had don'
before the engagcmct took place
and she could not avoid asking hcrsel
how this would affect him. The an
swcr to this question WAS soon sup
olied. Fred took an unexpected holi
av. and his letters were few and ia
between. Then there came rumor
rom the other side Of the county L
the effect that he was occupied II
ourting a rich heiress there AM
Gnallv there came a letter from Free
himself. He found that he had misun
derstood his feelings, he said. Tn
sentiments which he entertained 70
Miss Weston were not those Of lover
but of a friend, and he had felt for som
time that they were not suited to on
another
Content refused to be bowed to tn
earth either with shame or grief, an
this seemed to Mrs. Weston both un
kind and unbecoming. 1t was Mrs
Weston's frequent but secret, lamen
tation that a girl who had been Jilte
so openly need never expect TO find an
other suitor; but when the village ha
had ample time to become establishe
in its conclusions as to Contents haI
piness, it gained a new sensatio
through some ones observing tina