Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-13
Continued.

! herself to dwell upon them, and Cor
nelia was so much kinder and less
sarcastic than she had been, that her
study became kind of refuge,
though in the old times Esperance
had regarded it rather as a hornets
nest where one was always liable to
| be stung.
She was constantly on the lookout
for little ways of helping Cornelia
now, for she had a vivid remem-
| brance of her kindness to Gaspard,
and the trouble she had taken during
her illness; and Cornelia was not in
sensible to the attentions she received
it was pleasant to her to find the
holes in her gloves attended to, her
pencils ready sharpened, and her pens
mended-it was also a comfort to the
tempers of both teacher and pupil
that the actual lessons were ended
and an hour or two of solid reading
substituted.
Bertha, too, was a constant inter
est; she was much more loving and
dependent now, and Esperance was
so sorry for her in her trouble that
she learned to love her more than
ever, and forgot her own sorrows in
trying to comfort her
SO the autumn passed away, and
the frosty weather set in; furs and
winter wraps were brought out,
hcuse-keepers thought of their plum
buildings and mince-meat, and Lady
Worthington began to arrange the
Christmas festivities
eve must have a Dance" she said
10 her sister one December morning.
"a delightfully."- mixed dance, to which
all Rilchester shall be invited, from
the cathedral dignitaries down to
Mr.. Jones's dispenser. I do like
everybody to be happy, and for once
III the cliques will be fused
"They will keep in their own sets,
fancy" said Frances, whatever
you do
well, we shall do our best" said
Lady Worthington, hopefully, "and
at any rate they will be all under
one roof, dancing to the same music
surely that will establish a sort of
fraternity? Claude Magnay will be
here, too, and he knows everybody,
and will dance with any one: and
Henry will have some Of his cousins
down here. We can do a good deal,
you see, with our own party"
when does Claude Gomez"
"On the 23d, and he has solemnly
promised that he will not overwork
himself as he did last year, and dis
appoint US just at the last moment. I
have set my heart upon having him
for this dance"
"To dance with the Miss Smiths?"
said Frances, laughing.
Eyes, to be useful, and to brighten
everybody UP. 1t does one good to
look at Claude, specially when he is
In holiday humor. He is the most
unspoiled genius I ever knew, and
so delightfully."- fresh and young STILL"
eyes, he does not look four-and-
twenty. By the bye, will not Esper-
ance come out this winter?"
Il should think so, and we must
have her to this dance, whether or no.
Let us write the invitations now, and
we will send her a separate one, so
that Mrs. Mortlake shall not have
chance of preventing her accep-
tance."
"You most cunning Katharine! I
should never have thought of that"
"My dear, one must be careful
with such people as Mrs. Mort1ake-I
do not trust her in the least"
The invitations were received at
the deanery with much satisfaction.
Mrs Mort1ake did indeed demur
whether Esperance was old enough
to go, but Cornelia was determined
that she should have this pleasure,
and made her write to accept it,
even condescending to talk of sucn
trivial matters as ball-dresses in
order to please her.
Il seemed likely to be what every
one called an oldfashioned Christ
mas, for on the 23d there was a
heavy fall of snow, and Claude Mag
nay, as he travelled down to Riches
fer, was not sorry to find the usually
bare bleak country beautified by this
white covering.
On Christmas eve Lady Worthing
ton seemed bent upon making him
useful, and allowed him to be her
slave through a morning of church
decorating. In the afternoon a con-
tretemps arose. 1t was showing so
! fast, and the roads we're so bad, that
the coachman protested it was impos-
sible to take out the horses.
| Lady Worthington was greatly dis
tressed.
"But I really must go in to Ril-
| CHESTER she said, with concern.
There are not half enough things
for the school-children's Christmas
tree it is as bare as can be; and be-
sides, ten new children came to
school last Sunday, and have no
presents for them"
"They probably Joined for the
treat, my dear" said Sir Henry.
well, I can't help that; they must
have something, poor little things.
Surely Jenkins makes too much fuss
about the roads,"
ct shall be very happy to walk IN
to Rilchester'' said Claude. eff
can be trusted to choose the things
'That is very good of you," said
Lady Worthington, 'but I am moi
quite sure that I could trust you
/ Claude I believe you would ruin
: me-you would not buy anything that
= was not highly artistic. But if you viii
walk in with me we might really
: manage something together"
So the matter was arranged, and