The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-31
SWEET CONTENT.
Why She Didn't Change Her
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
to name his daughter Britomart, but
compromised matters with his Mortified
wife by consenting to the scarcely less
remarkable title of Gloriana. And
again, 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 after
noon. fresh from his critical survey Of
seventeenth century poetry, and hum
ming the refrain of q song which
haunted his memory. 20 sweet con-
tent! o sweet contentv" he sang over
and over again, and then laughed as
his eye fell upon the little girl sitting
soberly on the grass at her mothers
feet. making daisy chains.
"Why, here is 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" -
Mr.. Weston died suddenly--a peace
full, painless death--and his widow
forgot all the little clouds which his
tastes had raised between them in life,
and scarcely murmured 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 q
| much smaller one-a change which
was like an uprooting to the girl.
But no one heard murmur from her
| lips, and her tears on leaving the old
home were kept for times when her
mother, would net be saddened by the
sight of them. It was she who took
the lead in rendering the new house
as home-like as possible, and her per-
sistent cheerfulness went far to rec
oncile her mother to the change.
People had wondered long and vain
ly what had induced Sweet Content to
engage herself to Fred Pargiter, for
they did not seem to have a single
taste in common. He was q lawyer in
country town. rising man, but one
who was considered by 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. It 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 eWestons 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;'
land this" said Edith. Fred had
heard through cousin of his, who
was Uncle Antony's legal adviser
If Content had been the only person
concerned, she might have gone on he,
way and married Fred Pargiter t.
please her mother and himself, as she
thought. and have repented her timid
ity when too late; but there was fac
tor in the case of which she had mo-
dreamt. Uncle Antony died less thar
three months after his nephew, ane
left all his money to home for crippled
dogs. Content had only heard mys
terious hints about the fortune which
was supposed to be coming to her. ant
it had never seemed sufficiently real t.
her for its loss to affect her much; bu
it was heavy blow to Mrs. Weston
| xvbo hol o1uv,<ad 1orna1u ,,rnn ~
"You see, mother" said Content
1--WE are no worse off than we were be
fore. To lose what we never expecte'
is not very dread full"
But Mrs. Weston could not accep
: this philosophical view of the case
She knew Fred Pargiter's character
little better now than she had don
before the engagement took place
and she could not avoid asking hersel
how this would affect him. The ar
aver to this question was soon SUI
piled. Fred took an unexpected hol
day, and his letters were few and fla
between. Then there came rumoI
from the other side of the county t
the effect that he was occupied i
courting a rich heiress there, an
uudlly tueTc CdIuc u ActJcT AIOAA 4 ! .
himself. He found that he had misu1
derstood his feelings, he said. Th
sentiments which he entertained fo
Miss Weston were not those of love-
. but of 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 VI
kind and unbecoming. 1t was Mr.
Weston's frequent. but secret, lamel
tation that girl who had been jilte
SO openly need never expect to find a,
other suitor; but when the village ha
had ample time to become establishe
in its conclusions as to Contents hal
piness, it gained new sensatio
through some ones observing th'
young DIR. Barnard" was somewh'
. frequent visitor at the Westons.
1.-TWO letters for you, mother" sa