Year: 1870

/ TO IGau III a New ALACdlL5 DdDCl du
advertisement, offering an almost fab
ulous salary to one of thorough quail
| fications to become a governness in
the family of a wealthy planter.
Believing herself possessed of the re-
| quisite qualities, she resolved at once
to avail herself of the opportunity
Time rested too heavily on her mind
and heart to wait for an engagement,
so she determined to entrust her life to
the wave, and her fate to the cold
charities of the world. But the. sea
breezes waited her to a sunny shore,
and she soon felt that she was still
where kind hearts beat tenderly. The
trials through which she had passed
had proved as the refiner's fire, and
her character was like gold that had
been tried.


She gave considerable attention to
literary pursuits, and the intervals of
time between her duties as teacher
and social companion were sufficient
to enable her to prosecute her schemes
with marked success. But while Der
literary attainments were acquiring
each day new lustTe, her social charms
were fast waning, for our characters
grow by what they feed upon.


Her instructions were confined to
three rather more than ordinarily in
teresting pupils. Miss Fannie Gran
ger, a beautiful and lOvable young
girl of fourteen, her spirited sister,
Mary, with quick, irascible temper,
and their brother, Ben, bright boy
of seven years. These children all
possessed kind, affectionate hearts and
quick understanding, but their edu
cation had thus far been fashioned af-
ter the educational standard of the
country in which they lived, and each,
even down to Benny, had a course of
training, as they termed it, fully
marked out. Miss Fanny was going
to study French and German, not
withstanding she was unacquainted
with the first rule of English Gram
mar. She also was going to take les
sons on the harp and in dancing, and
was to practice the calisthenic and
the equestrian arts, and learn several
kinds of embroidery and she must be-
come thoroughly cOnversant with all
in a year, for Papa had just been
elected to Congress, and she must be
prepared to spend the second winter
with him at Washington. Dear, she
should have to work yery'hard, the
only part of the exercise she seemed
to duly understand.


Mary was to study French, Music,
Drawing and Dancing, with q slight
mixture of English; and Benny was
to practice fencing and Boxing, and
the early use of the knife and pistol.
He was to listen to Miss Walford's
recitations from History, take lessons
in penmanship, and devote a very lit
tie time to elementary instruction.


Miss Walford's first suggestion that
a more simple as well as instructive
course of study would be better suited
to their capacities, showed her at once
that Southern blood boils at a very
slightly increased temperature.


dare you the lady who answered
Papa's advertisement from the news
paper?p inquired the much injured
Mary.


az came here in response to such
notice?r was the reply.


mamma told Papa that he would
never get a good teacher in that way;
that the persons who answered adver-
tisement, were usual ly persons of very
inferior qualifi catious, else they could
obtain situations nearer home. Nam
ma wanted teacher that could teach
the branches she had marked out for
Us. or else she did not want any. Any
body can teach reading and spelling
and mental arithmetic, which you
say is all we ought to study"


''These may be very proper subjects
for study at the North, where every
one is expected to work as soon as
through school, but here it is quite
different" chimed Fannie. 'I never
expect to be reduced to the necessity
of teaching school or keeping my
fathers books; if 1 did, 1 might think
more favorably of your plan"


"And what assurance have you that
that may not possibly, sometime, be
your lot, and should it be, would it not
be desirable to fill deposition honOra-


bly?'


dWhat assurance! Why, don't my
father own two thousand acres of rice,
three thousand acres of cotton, and
over four thousand slaves Does that
look much as if it would ever be nee
essary for me to work.


WRiches often take to themselves
wings, and fly away; and varied are
the Vicissitudes of fortune" but her
simile was not understood, and the
controversy ended; and Miss Walford,
knowing herself entire mistress of
tle difficult studies they wished to
pursue, with the exception of Benny's
athletic sports, whom she turned over
TO a master of the arts spoken of, pre-
Dared to comply with the tastes of the
darkened understanding of her en-
Movers, Her own musical perform
ances were grand-and had she per-
formed the rest of her work in a very
imperfect manner, there were none
who would have ventured to sit in


judgment.


After staying at the residence of the
Hon. Mr.. Granger quite long enough
to prepare his eldest daughter to ap-
near as reigning belle at Washington,
where real education and true intelli-
gence are always at discount, Miss
WalfOrd was married to a man OF
broad acres and numerous slaves.
She gave but hand, and did not con-
slider ii a transaction in which hearts
were concerned. Her husbands NOR
al nature had become so blunted by
the institution of his native land as to
allow no lust appreciation of the mar
rage relation; and in soliciting her
hand he had not sought for more, for
in obtaining this his pride and vanity
were fully gratified. She was q lady
who could preside well at his table,
entertain with ease and grace all the
company he should bring to his pala-
tiaI home, and attract unbOunded adj
miration when appearing before the
world as the wife of one of the veal
thiest slave owners of the. South. She
was satisfied, for she had a home of
splendor, all that she could dnow enjoy;
for she had buried every sentiment Of
love or devotion, and was moved and
governed only by the unfeeling con-
ventionalities of society.


Two years after their marriage,
when the memory Of other scenes had
grown somewhat dim in the distance,
they were attending magnificent re-
csption, such as we seldom see except