Year: 1872

My name Is Dorinda, and l used to
live until quite lately with papa, in such
a love of villa overlooking the bay. 1t
was perfectly beautiful, it was so covered
with roses and clematis, and the croquet
lawn was just perfectl and ought to
have been completely happy, only for
two things, the caterpillars and Aunt
Judith, who kept house for us-I mean
auntie, not the caterpillars, for the nasty
things went away in winter, but auntie
never Gid, and never had neuralgia or
anything that might have kept her in
her room, like other old ladies, and it
was really dreadful to have her sitting
up quite straight, and never even doing,
and looking squarely at dear Vincent
and me the whole time.


1t wasn't so bad in the summer, for
then we could 20 out and play croquet,
and as auntie was dreadfully nervous
about the caterpillars sticking to her
hair, she could only sit in the window
and keep steady eye on US through a
lorgnette she kept for the purpose.


"I have no opinion of engaged peo-
pie ,philandering," she would say when
dear papa would beg her to leave off
watching; sin my young days such
thing was not thought of; and really,
Reuben, could not rest in my grave if
I failed In my duty to that silly little
Dorinda, and t must own that / don't
trust sleepy-looking young men with
black imperials."


Poor dear Vincent is large, stout fel-
low. as dark and indolent-looking as a
Spaniard, but dear me, he is quite dread
ful when any one rouses him. Isn't it
queer that such great tall dark man
should fancy such little white thing as
I am? Why, don't reach within half
head of his shoulder. He says l look
beside him like a rose leaf blown against
a great black bear. Isn't that sweet?


1t used to vex me dreadfully the way
auntie would abuse him and snap at
him; not that he minded bit, but he
didn't like to see me unhappy. You
see we could not end it all by getting
married directly like other young people,
for Vincent was not to come into his
property until he should be twenty-five,
and we had a whole year to wait before
that; SO one evening when Vincent
came and found me crying on account
of things Aunt Judith had been saying,
he got in such age that nearly went
into Mysteries directly.


recollect had on nv white grena-
dine with the pale blue stripes, and he
crumpled all the frills dreadfully when
he put his arm round my waist to soothe
me, and j recollect nearly tainted when
Aunt Judith came softly behind us and
said:


"Come in directly, Dorinda; the dew
is falling. Good evening, Mr.. Black
thorpe; some people might have more
consideration than to keep a delicate
thing like my niece out in the damp.
Ahem."


"I should think the evening air far
worse for old people," said Vincent, look
ing hard at auntie, who dressed very
young, and only admitted to thirty five
when every one knows poor grandma
died forty years ago when Aunt Judith
was great girl of ten.


I had to cram my handkerchief into
my mouth, though l was horribly fright
ened, but 1 squeezed Vincent's arm
warningly, and on my account he left
off, and Aunt Judith sailed into the
house, her curls quivering with rage, and
presently we heard her through the cur
tains rating poor papa soundIy for allow
ing our engagement to go on, and 1 very
nearly cried again.


81 tell you, Dora," said Vincent, pat
ting my head kindly, see if don't put
a sudden stop to that woman's interfer
ence. Pm a lazy fellow generally, but
can be energetic when I'm reused
Therel don't cry any more, darling. By
the bye, didn't tell you of that Rus
sian friend of my poor fathers, who hai
just come on visit to New York? I'n
going to bring him with me tomorrow
if 1 may"


The novel idea of seeing a real live
Russian banished auntie from my head
and it was quite supper-time before W,
went into the drawing-room and,
must say, Vincent behaved beautifully
He told such funny anecdotes about hi
friend, General Kyncheloff, that Aun
Judith bade him good night quite gra
ciously, and papa told him to bring hi
friend to dinner the following day, whicl
Vincent promised to do.


1 must say auntie spent a long tim,
dressing the next afternoon, and she &C
ta1ally called me into her room to dres
her front like mine-all frizzed. yol
know, on the forehead, with little ring
of hair here and there, like the Kim
Charles pictures that are so pretty; an
then she sent me to the conservatory t
get a white cameia to finish her coli
nj