Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-05-26
CHAPTER l.

plexion. There had been vivacity and
brightness, too, in those brown eyes, but
the luster was gone now, and there was
left only the calm expression of resigna-
tion which follows a life of troubles nobly
borne. She had lived siXty-four years
in the world.
Her father and mother, the Marquis
and Marquise de Montolieu, had been in
high favor at the court of Louis the Six
teenth. They We're proud, handsome
aristocrats, and when the Revolution
came with it's fearful horrors, they were
rs.nd to fly for their lives. When they
reached England they were penniless and
compelled to earn their bread.
The marquis gave lessons in singing,
and the marquise made little money by
selling her paintings. A kind-hearted no
bleman, who had known them in former
days, allowed them fifty pounds year;
and with this, and the fruit of their own
exertions, they managed to exist. Three
years later daughter was born to them,
whom they named Marie Antoniette, in
affectionate and reverential memory of
their martyred queen. From her earliest
infancy she was deeply imbued with the
sad spirit of the time; and the unvarying
strong effect upon her. She was nat
urally bright and vivacious, but the at
mosphere of constant sadness was infec-
tious.
When she was seventeen~years old her
beloved father died, and from that time
I all her energies were strained to provide
for her heart-broken and widowed moth
er. Five years later the marquise died
alSo and Mario throyyT, 0n tho world
literally penniless and friendless. Then
all at once the nobleman who had be-
friended her parents came forward and
: offered her home in his house, in spite
of the remonstrances of his wife, who
was keenly alive to the imprudence of
bringing a beautiful young girl under the
same roof with her grown-up sons.
For time Marie Antoinette was hap
py, and then came the most bitter trial
of her life. She went out again as a
governess, and travelled abroad. At the
age of thirty-fve she went into Sir How
daughters, and remained with them
twelve years. The elder daughter made
a brilliant match, and the younger eloped
with a gentleman farmer. There being
thus no further occasion for her services,
ing a liberal although arrogant and des-
potic man, settled an annuity of a hun
dred pounds on her for life On this, and
the interest of what she had saved dur
ing her long years of teaching, she lived;
and small as was her income, she gave
away much. Hers was a grand life of
love, of charity and of self-abnegation.
Unsecured by her troubles, unimbittered
by her loneliness, she was the true picture
of a gentle, sympathizing and patient
woman.
Sir Howard cursed his younger daugh-
ter.solemnly on the Bible-from which he
erased her name, and commanded that it
might never be uttered in his presence
again. The whole household were awe
stricken, and crept about silently and
fearfully. Madame de Montolieu was
heart-broken.
Winifred bitterly regretted her false
step. She loved the world and the fash
ion, and so the comparatively humble life
she now led was gall and wormwood to
her. Her husband was fond of her, but
he chafed under her constant fretful re-
grets; she quarreled with his family, re-
fused to notice them, and made him bit
ter, contemptuous little speeches, which
drove him in anger from her presence!
The only link left to her between the
present and the past was Madame de
Montolieu, who came to live in a small
cottage near her, and was with her con-
stantly. But poor Winifred fretted night
and day at her loss of caste, and became
thin and i'll; and when her little girl was
born she died.
For some years little Winifred was
brought up and taken care of by her faith
er's sister; but when she was eight years
old Miss Eyre married, and her father
was somewhat perpiexed what to do with
her. Madame de Montolieu offered to
educate her, and Mr.. Eyre gladly accept
ed the offer.
She received a complete education from
Madame de Montolieu, who loved her as a
daughter, and had brought her up with
tender care and watchfulness. She spoke
French perfectly, was a good musician
and sang as sweetly as a nightingale.
Madame de Montolieu had devoted great
time and care to perfecting her accom-
plishments. hoping that, when she grew
up, Sir Howard might relent and give her
an opportunity of entering into society,
for which she was eminently fitted But
the baronet and his whole family sternly
persisted in ignoring her, and it was
very bitter grief and humiliation to poor
Winifred.
1t seemed so cruelty unjust Why
should Flora Champion her cousin, and
fattered, and received everywhere, while
she, who longed so ardently for the same
advantage, was compelled to live unnotic-
ed in farm house? Her father had Civ
en- her a pretty little pony and carriage,
in which she took great pleasure. She
would have liked to ride as well. but her
father could not afford, he said, to keep
two horses for her, and had given her a
chance of riding or driving; she preferred
the former, but chose the latter, remem-
bering that it was a pleasure which her
dear madame could share.
Mr.. Eyre was very fond of his daugh-
ter, and, moreover, exceedingly proud Of
her. He desired intensely for her the
advantages of wealth and station, person
ally Indifferent though he was to them.
His greatest truble, his most bitter NOR
in life, was that her grandfath-
er would not acknowledge her. For him
self he did not care, he had no wish to
rise from the position with which his fore
fathers had been contented. Once, at