Year: 1873

LOON II CnalT near Tie one Sne OcCcuplcu
she silently drew herself up with quiet
grace snd dignity. and leaving her seat,
walked to the door with slow, gliding,
nOiseless step, and left the room. Per
haps it was well she did so. for will
frankly own she was distracting my at
tentiOn from my future landlady. But
became bOarder. and had no cause to re-
gret the shance which led me there.


And thus it was that | became an in
mate with that lovely being; and day by
day saw her come gliding into the room,
taking her place among us, affable still,
but with a calm-I had almost said
haughty-reserve which nothing could
break through, and which effectually
checked all familiarity; for though she
did not repel notice, she never cOurted it,
and it seemed to me she grew daily more
winning and beautiful.


have said | was confirmed old bach
elOr even then, and this is to be no
shcOol-boy's tale of youthful love. |
was long past all the enthusiasm of
my youth. Certainly | did admire her,
possibly l was learning to love her,
but it was the calm, unimpassiOned
love ore bears to beautiful and innocent
child, or to some unprotected dumb thing
whose very helplessness is constant ap.
peal to our kindly nature.


But let me describe her as she was
when | first saw her. | have said that
was old then-ay, old, no doubt, as her
father might have been, or even it may
be, as her grandfather, II she had one.
But yet she was not yOung-I mean she
was not girl, not in the first bloom OF
youth, and her beauty was not of the rosy,
pink and white. blushing type that poets
sing and lOver-like boys rave about. No;
hers was the early maturity of lOveliness.
perfect in rcpose, with mild, thoughtful
eyes, intelligent and tender. trifle sad at
times, but lighting up with quick bril-
liancy as some new object met her view.
or some vivid thought darted its
light through her brain-fOr she was
wonderfully quick Of percept;on-with
an exquisite figure, splendidly full
and symmetrical, yet swaying and
supple as young willow, and with un-
studied grace in every quick, sinewy mo-
ton.


She spent little upon dress RI was sure
she was noC wealthy; but though there
was little variety, her dress was always
exquisitely neat and in perfect good taste,
of some soft glossy fabric, smooth as
silk and lustrous as satin, and OF the soft
est shade of silver-gray, that color so
beautiful in itself and so becoming
to beautiful wearers; simply made,
but fitting with nicely more like the
work of nature than of art to every
curve and outline of that full and stately
figure, and finished off round her white
throat with something scarcely whittier !;
made to trail slightly, with graceful
sweep as she walked, but carried with an
easy Inconsistencies which gave 1t dig
nifty. have always looked upon trains
as awkward and unwOmanly appendAges,
but | must own that as she carried hers it
was graceful. ~


She never wore ornaments of any kind,
no chain, no brooch, no ring, no pin, not
even a wedding ring, that ever saw !;
with nothing.upOn her well-shaped head
but her own thick, glossy hair, always ar
ranged with scrupulOus exactness-nO
meretricious additions, no false braids, NO
waterfalls. no ringlets, no crimpings !;
she wore her hair ana naturet, conforming
as closely as possible to the shape of her
graceful head. Was not that the style in
which Grecian beauty was wont to adOrn
to mankind the peerless statues destined





wOrld?' But l have spoken of the ab.
serce of a wediing-ring, and that re-
minds me that 1 have not vet told you
that she was a mother. She had twins
two beautiful little rOlly-poly blue
eyed things wonderfully like her
self-little shy, graceful creatures,
always together, always playful. l
used to see them trOtting through
tho passages, or climbing up and down
the stairs, but they always avoided me,
and it was long time before could get
near them. They would stand peeping
out at me from behind halfopen door,
with shy, startled glances of furtive curl
osity; but if called to them. or reached
out my hand, or took step toward them.
they would dart away, and would hear
their little footsteps scampering down the
passages as if fear lent them wings. But
at last, by slow degrees, won their con-
fidence, and then they would come to me
uncalled, and climb upon my knees, and
rest fondly in my arms, or lay their
bright heads upon my shoulder in fearless
content. Ay, they liked to have the old
man toss them in the air, and rumple their
glossy hair, or admire the plant grace OF
their young supple limbs; but never from
their lips, or from their mothers did
ever hear any mention of their other
parent.


think she was evidently fond of her
beautiful little ones, and proud Of them
too. She would often lead them out into
the garden where, seated on a bench, in
the shade of its one tree, she would
watch their untiring frOlics with a
calm maternal tenderness and sometimes
sheltered behind my window blind, have
seen her, when she thought herself wholly
unobserved, join in their sports with 9
graceful abandon, and Zest apparently as
unaffected as their own; but If a chance
step or sound betrayed an observer, ther
she was in one moment calm, dignified
and reserved again; and if eithel
of the little ones, led on by the eagernes'
of play and the exuberance of anfma
spirits, became in the least rude or bOis
ferrous, she knew in moment how tt
check and subdue the. little offender, ant
never let them 60 beyond the bounds O
propriety.


Often. as 1 watched this pretty by-play
or saw her moving about the house in quie
dignity, had puzzled myself with vague
conjectures about her. had made up my
mind that she was not woman of wealth
and 1t seemed to me that she stood very


much alone in the world. No person eve


came to see her; no letters were brough


to her. / did not think she had hus


band but-was she widow? l did no


know that she was, and I could not in


quire. She never spoke of her owl


affairs; and aGable as she was. and gentl


in manner, there was something ab0u
her which repelled intrusion. had, in


deed, no right to inquire, and think nj


man living would have had the folly +


ask her such question, expecting to Oh


tain an answer. At least had not. Some


times flattered myself had almost VOL