The Opelousas courier., 1897-07-17

uedIL leu DIS IL d ueaVy uaHu u"oi
crushed all sweetness out of life. The
cold 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 a grieved child. harshly
reprove2 for a fault. She did try to
atone for that involuntary 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 the lost charms, she yet felt
creeping into her heart day by day a
love and respect for this homely girl
she had never felt for the beautiful
child.
Sometimes she sat and thought of
Amy with a wondering admiration, as
OF some strange specimen OF humanity
that had never before crossed her path.
"She is like a flower" she thought,
"that gives out its sweetest fragrance
when it is crushed. I 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 I
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 a
circle in society that looked beyond
beauty to find attraction. A circle
that hung entranced upon the pure,
highly cultivated voice that was al
ways at the service of friends circle
that found a charm in conversation
that could touch higher topics than
dress or the merits of the latest prima
donna. Mrs. Grantley made dress a
fine art, and Amy's toilettes were per-
lection, while the intellect visible IN
her large blue eyes and low, broad
brow, the sweetness of her smile,
atoned in q 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
fered her by the many who sought her,
made her heart thrill as did Mrs.
Grantley's gradual admissions of her
power to win love.
Leonard Gresham, a man of whose
love any oma might be proud,
sought her for his wife, and when she
gently refused his suit she was far
prouder 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 |" were 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 a 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.
It was a revelation to Mrs. Grantley
to find in SO many ways her comfort
and happiness increased after she once
allowed Amy to manifest her love. It
a 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 mental
care, but no servant could make Mrs.
Grantley's life overflow with new hap
piness as Amy's devotion soon did.
It seemed as if her heart would break
with JOY the first time Mrs. Grantley
drew her to her heErt, kissed her lips
and said, f%erventlY:
"My darl1ngl" /,
No lover yer gave his beloved a
moment of purer, more rapturous de.
than Amy experienced in that
hour. For two years after life flowed
in o pleasant stream. Society be-
secondary to home. "Dear
mamma" became a familiar title upon
lips, and no mother was ever
more andly loved than Mrs. Grantley :,
by her darling"
Then sorrow came in CHASTITY shape.
Mrs. Grentley was attacked by a can
cerous affection that, despite skill and ,
care, beeame an incurable disease, I
loathsome to fhe sufferer and to the I
nurfe. No hired care could ever have
been as tender as that given by Amy's !
love; no paid nurse could have 80 !
foughtfatigue OF disgust, All day, oil '
the most watchful care enfolded y
patient. Every amusement her <
could bear-music, reading, Z
,hatting, were given with such love as '
proved them an offering from the t
heart, and when the suffering was too I
great to bear any recreation, Amy was Q
devoted in nursing and soothing the I
sufferer. Her touch, firm and vet {
sentle, never added to the pain, and
while she was slender, she had the
strength of perfect health. Mrs.
irantley insisted upon having a
'rained nurse to assist Amy, but it was +
o her adopted daughter she looked for :
he many attentions that ~alleviate SUI :
:
1t was Amy who read precious words t
II comfort from the Holy Writ, too I
ong neglected in life Of frivolity and /
ashton. It was Amy who lifted her a
'oice IN simple childiike words OF /
prayer daily and nightly.
Not many hours before the last G
truggle life makes, Mrs. Grantley /
Yas with Mrs. Diusmore,. and, lifting q