Year: 1865

beautiful Miss Varian. 1 don'tspeak OF


this from vanity, but so that you may be
iable'to identify me. Your mother can


tell you all about the great belle Of
Thirty years ago, and then you will be-
lieve my story to be true. Frank was
the only son of my brother Charles, who


died and left him to me when he was


but few months old. His mother
tair, weak, delicate creatufeAhad but
lived to look upon her babes face, and


then close her eyes to open them again,


I hope, IN Brighter, better world than


this. Charles never recovered from the
shock of her death. His greatest sor-
row, though, was at leaving his child,


the inheritcr of a bankrupt estate, and
his bitterest regret, to the last, that his


boy must begin the world penniless from
the Gay Of Of his birth. I had not been
a widow long at that time, and after the


first burst of grief for the loss ofmy hus-
band had subsidized, I longed and yearned
for something to expend my love upon.
I was ohildleSs, so Welcomed the little
one warmly to my heart, and vowed to be
a mother to it if I should be spared to
wait and guide its little feet.


You will love him for my sake.
Bessie, said my dying brother


He shall be to me the most precious
thing on earth,9 Ireplied, and smiling
his content, ny brother slept.


promised, and know have kept
my promise well. Thus Frank had
grown up under my own eye. I was all
the mother that he ever knew, and my
own child, had I one, could not have
been dearer to me. l might have mar
ried again-it was not for the want of
suitor chat I did not. When was there
ever a pretty widow [for I was pretty,
and especially a rich one, who was not
incensed With love and Eattery? Yes, I
had opportunities of becoming Mrs.
Somebody Else, and changing the name
on my pocket handkerchiefs oftentimes.
But had vowed that Frank and Frank
only should have my money, and so I
never permitted myself to fall in love or
think of discsrdiug the solemn-l looking
white caps which I had begun wearing
after my husbands death; and thus it
was that Adrian Bertram has never had
a successor, and I am still single.


Frank had been man now for several
years he was pretending to practice at
the Bar, and had an Office down town
with ever so many books in it. But
do.not think he labored very assiduousIy
at his profession. Why need he? He
would be rich enough without it In
fact had opposed him when he wished
to study law, but Master Willful would
not listen to me, so I gave upthe contest
in despair and let him have hisowr way,
as be usually aid in all things and he
became legal gentleman, though not a
very great or profound servitor of
Themis." And now for the first time
since I had adopted him he was to leave
me, not for days but for months. It was
trial to me to think Of being without
my boy, sven for day-then what
would six months loss ofhim be? had
many private crying spell before 1
could make up my mind to let him go ;
but it was for his good, and reasoning
thus I at length determined that it must
be. Ny good cousin Philip Walton,
upon his last visit to our city had brought
with him two daughters, Maggie and
Cecilia. They we're very pretty, artless
girls, and I speedily became extremely
fond of them; Maggie rather my favorite,
if I had any choice, and principally I
believe, because she seemed to like my
Frank the better of the two. Philip
was rich and these were his sole heir
esses, and when I looked around upon
the manageable girls of society I saw
none whom should like SO well to vel
come to my hearth and home as my
adopted sons bride, as little Maggie
Walton. So my worthy cousin and
soon came ro an understanding uron the
subject. Frank was to visit their Louis
lana home, and if six months co1nmun-
ion with his fair daughters should lead
to love of either, Philip Walton would
place her hand in his and bid them % God
speed" with all his heart. And this was
where Frank was going, and why I sent
him. He knew my wishes on the subject
of marriage, for I had always told him
that good old stock" should be the first
thing he must look for in a wife, and
then came anability and money. That
I wished the Varians to come to be rich
men, and that he must not be satisfied
because he had enough, but must look
to the future of bis children. This
might not be Christian advice, but it was
good, sound worldly sense for all that
I did not exactly tell him to fall in love
with either Maggie or Cecilia, knowing
ir I IL q. IL ~ IL ;.,rt e. enn