Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-05-01

The words were ungracious, the tone
still more SO, and the sensitive, loving
heart felt as if heavy hand had
crushed all sweetness out of life. The
cod kiss, the few forced words of well
come, added to her pain, and, lifting
streaming eyes, she faltered:
81 am so sorry! I will try to be
good!" like grieved child. harshly
reproved for fault. Sho did try to
atone for that involutary crime, the
loss of her childish beauty, and while
Mrs. Grantley mourned over it, spoke
often of her bitter disappointment,
and vainly tried by every art of dress
to recall tho lost charms, she yet felt
creeping into her heart day by day
love and respect for this homely girl
she had never felt for the beautiful
child.
Sometimes she sat and thought OF
Amy with wondering admiration, rs
of some strange specimen OF humanity
that had never before crossed her path.
"Sho is like flower" she thought,
chat gives out its sweetest fragrance
when it is crushed. have let her see
too plainly how she disappoints me,
and she is humbly conscious of my
chagrin, and yet she is SO tenderly
loving, SO anxious to please me, that l
believe I shall end by loving her as
we'll as if she were beautiful. Leonard
Gresham says she is the loveliest wo.
man in society this winter! And yet
she is positively homely!"
And Leonard Gresham was not alone
in his opinion. To Mrs. Grantley's
amazement, Amy was the centre OF n
circle in society that looked beyond
beauty to find attraction. A circle
that hung entranced upon tho pure,
highly cultivated voice that was al-
ways at the service of friends; a circle
that found o charm in conversation
that could touch higher topics than
dress or the merits of the latest prima
donna. Mrs. Grantley made dress o
fine art, and Amy's toilettes were per-
fection, while the intellect visible IN
her large blue eyes and low, broad
brow, the sweetness of her smile,
atoned in a great measure for the want
of beauty in face and complexion.
But her greatest triumph was not in
society. No praise there, no love of.
fercd her by the many who sought her,
made her beart thrill as did Mrs.
Grantley's gradual admissions of her
power to win love.
Leonard Gresham, man OF whose
love any woman might be proud,
sought her for his wife, and when she
gently refused his suit she was far
proudcr of the adopted mothers pleas.
ure than of the offer of one of society's
most eligible parts.
my darling, I cannot spare you
yet |" we're words that echoed gladly
in her heart long after they were
spoken, with an emphasis that proved
they came from the heart.
There were times when Amy won.
dered if the pain the rejection Of
Leonard Gresham left in her heart
was not caused by deeper love than
she had realized she felt when she gave
it, but the girls whole mind was bent
upon proving her gratitude to her
adopted mother.
1t was revelation to Mrs. Grantley
to find in SO many ways her comfort
and happiness increased after she once
allowed Amy to manifest her love. 1t
was long time before this was accom-.
plished, for the girls sensitive nature
shrank from forcing her affection
where it was not needed. But. little
by little, the humble offers OF service
dictated by intense gratitude became
daily duties, and the loving heart soon
found new avenues of devotion. Well
trained servants took every menial
care, but no servant could make Mrs.
Grantley's life overflow with new hap
piness us Amy's devotion soon did.
1t seemed as if her heart would break
with Joy the first time Mrs. Grant!ey
drew her to her heart, kissed her lips
and said, fervently:
"My darling!"
No lover ever gave his beloved q
moment OF purer, more raptnrous de-
light than Amy experienced in that
houc. For two years after life flowed
on in pleasant stream. Society bc.
came secondary to home. "Dear
mamma" became familiar title npon
Amy's lips, and no mother was ever
more fondly loved than Mrs. Grantley
by her "darllng."
Then sorrow came in ghastly shape.
Mrs. Grantley was attacked by cam
cerous affection that, despite skill and
care, became IN incurable disease,
loathsome to the sufferer and to the
nurre. No hired care could ever have
been rs tender ms that given by Amy 's
love; no paid nurse could have so
fought fatigue or disgust, All day, all
night, the most watchful care EMBODIED
the patient. Every amusement her
state could bear-music. reading,
chatting, we're given with such love rs
proved them IN offering from the
heart, and when the suffering was too
great to bear any recreation, Amy was
devoted in nursing AMI soothing the
sufferer. Her touch, firm and yei
gentle, never added to the pain, and
while she was slender, she had the
strength of perfect health. Mrs.
Gfantley insisted upon having q
trained nurse to assist Amy. but it wa,
to her adopted daughter she looked fol
the many attentions that alleviate suf
fering.
Il was Amy who read precious word.
of comfort from the Holy Writ, toe
long neglected in n life of frivolity ant
fashion. 1t was Amy who lifted he1
voice in simple childlike words o
PRAYER daily and nightly.
Not many hours before the las
struggle life makes, Mrs. Granite,
WAS with Mrs. Dinsmore, and, liitin,