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HOUSEHOLD ANGEL IN DISGUISE
MADELINE LESLIE .
NEW YORK
BURST COMPANY,
PUBLISHERS .
Entered, acoording to act ofCongress , in the year 1869, by
A R a A K E R
[A the Clerk’s Office of the D istrictumrt for the D istrict of Massachusetts.
E bI5 U o lun! 3
Is AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED To THE MEMORY orR E V . L E O N A R D W O O D S , D . D .
or ANDOV ER , muss ,
MY LAMENTED FATHER , IN TEST IMONYor an CRATITUDE FOR H IS INV ALUABLE INSTRUCTION AND nxm m
WH ICH DEEPLY IMPRESSED MY YOUTHFUL MIND WITH Ti l l
MANNER IN WH ICH PIETY MULTIPLIES AND swm ms
THE J O Y S OF DOM E S T I C L I FE .
2061 920
I'HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL IN DISGUISE.
C H A P T E R I .
Let me l ive amongst high thoughts and smiles,As beautiful as love ; w ith grasping hands
'
,
A nd a heart that flutters w ith diviner life
When e’er my step is heard.
” —P roctor.
ON a slight eminence, i n front of which lay a smooth
lawn,uninterrupted except by rows of aged efm s that met
over the avenue i n a lovi ng embrace, stood a large stone
mansion . D irectly opposite the front en trance,and
about three rods di stant,was a spacious gateway with
immense stone posts,and an arch over i t from which
hung a ponderous lamp . Advancing up the avenue,be
fore named , about two thirds of the distance to the
house,were carriage drives turni ng to th e right and left
,
and winding around to the rear of the building. The
house itself was an i rregular.
structure , w i th here a wing,and there a luthern , or a bow window ; but altogether
i t formed a pleasing scene,and was not without some
claims even to arti stic beauty.
The owner of th is mansion was Mr. Hugh Stanley,
who had accompanied h is father from the North of
England to the United States when a lad of te n years
of age . Mr. Stanley the elder,purchased a large tract
1’ 5
6 THE HO USE HOLD ANG EL
Of land in Queenstown on the banks Of the Hudson.
w here he erected this noble dwelling, which at his death
fel l i nto the possession Of h is son and only heir. From
a large and beautiful grove Of Li nden trees i n the rearof the house , the esta te had early been called Li ndenwood . By its elevation , i t commanded an extensive
view of the surrounding country ; and by its rare natu
ral scenery and numerous embelli shments, del ighted the
eye Of the many travel lers along that majestic river.
Mr. Hugh Stanley was educated for the bar, but hadnever practi sed law except as a justice Of the peace, and
in cases Of minor importance in h is ow n neighborhood.
Being Of a reserved and quiet temperament,and pos
sessed Of a handsome fortune, he had heretofore occupied
himself with the care Of h is estate . H is family consi sted Of three daughters, Gertrude , Emma and Edith ; andone son
,a feeble child n ine years Of age . There was
also a young girl named Al ice, a foster-s ister of Edith ,who spent most Of her time at the Hall ; her widowedmother living at the end Of the park .
An addition had lately been made to the family i n the
persons of Stephen Forsyth,Esquire
,and his ward
,
Clarence Sydney. Mrs . Stanley had been deceased
about five years, during which time her husband hadbeen unfortunate in some of h is moneyed transactions
,
so that when Uncle Stephen returned from India with
nume rous bags Of gold,Mr. Stanley’s daughters were
very earnest that he should fulfil a promise,he had made
to their mother more than sixteen years before,that he
w ould some day come home rich as a Jew,and settle
wi th them for life.
IN D ISGU ISE . 7
Mr. Forsyth landed i n New York . In answer to a
letter i nforming his nephew Of hi s return , he had received an urgent invi tation to hasten at once to Li ndenwood . He wrote
,i n reply I am prematurely Old, and
people call me Odd, or eccentric i s , I believe , their word.
Unless your daughters are sweet tempered, l i ke their
sainted mother, I do n’t think they would find my society
agreeable,for I have lived so long among Hindoos , l
scarce know how to behave among civil ized people .
Then I have a ward who wi ll live with me while he
finishes hi s studies i n preparation for the bar. SO weigh
the subject well,and let me know whether you are wi ll
ing to devote yourselves to the whims Of a petul ant Old
man .
UNCLE STEPHEN .
P . S . How could I forget to tell you that I am con
fined to the use of a speaking-trumpet, and that I keen
two monkeys .“ If
,after knowing the above , you should conclude to
conti nue your invi tation , I shall start at once for L i ndenwood
,for there are no words i n the Engli sh language
strong enough to express my disgust Of this ci ty, which
i s a perfect Babel ; and the cold bends me almost
double .”
After many discuss ions i n the family,Mr. Stanley
commis sioned his daughter Gertrude, a young lady Of
eighteen , to write to her uncle to come ;” and i n ten
days after the receipt of the letter,he arrived
,bag and
baggage , ward and monkeys , at L indenwood Hall .I do not intend any disparagement to IVIr.
'
ClarenCe
8 THE HO USEHOLD AN GEL
Sydney by placing his name in such close proxim i ty to
the animals of a lower order, for he was considered bythe family a great acqu isition , affording as he did a
pleasing contrast with the grotesque appearance of
Uncle Stephen .
The young ladies had been easily persuaded by their
father that the Old gentleman , i n h is letter, had on ly
W i shed to try them by representing himself i n as anfa
vorable a light as possible ; but when they saw him
descending from the . carriage, assisted by his ward and
the coachman,i t was with difficul ty that they could
suppress a scream Of horror, that such a man was hence
forth to be an i nmate of their home .
Uncle Stephen Was naturally small of stature,but now
he w as so bent down - and shrivelled with the cold,that
it'
w as difficult to tell how he woul d look if he stood
upright. He was so bundled up that but l ittle could beseen Of his face, except a huge pair of goggles . He
made no reply to the Offers Of assistance from Mr. Stan
ley or from his n ieces,when he had ascended the steps
,
but pushed them aside,motioning to h is ward to lead
him to the parlor,where he saw a fire blazing on the
hearth . When he was seated i n the~
large arm -chair,he
poi nted to Gertrude to place a cricket under hi s feet ;then , In a low, grum voice, asked Clarence for hi s trum
pet, who took from one Of his outer pockets a large
horn , with a long coi l attached to it, surmounted by an
ivory mouth-piece. The leaf man immediately placed
the tube against h is ear passing the other end to h is
nephew, w ho stood by looki ng on with amazement.
But he instantly put it to hi s mouth,and said i n a loud
'N D I SG U I SE . 9
voice,We are happy to see you back agai n i n your
nat ive country .
”
Glad of it,” repl ied Uncle Stephen
, gruflly,“ though
you appeared rather glum ; and the girls there look at
thei r Old‘
uncle as i f they took me for an ogre .”
Speaking through the tube,their father assured him
that they had been very impatient for his arri val .“ Well
,perhaps so , said he, looki ng from one to
“
another as they stood near ; but they don’t altogether
make up to me for the loss of Emma, their. mother.She ’d have had her arms about my neck before I had
time to step my foot upon the ground ; but it’s no mat
ter,
” he continued,as i f speaking to h imself, while he
removed-
the goggles suffici ently to wipe away a tear
which had gathered at the mention Of the deceased .
This, I suppose, is Mr. Sydney,” resumed the host
,
endeavori ng to gi ve a more lively turn to the conversa
tion . He i s so much altered that I should not recognize him .
’T an’t any body else .
Mr . Stanley co rdially shook hands with hi s guest, and
i ntroduced him to the different members Of the fam ily,when the conversation became more general . In the
midst of i t,Alice came i n from the nursery accompanied
by Louis,Of whom she went i n search
,after witnessing
with much curiosity the appearance of th e Uncle , Of
whom she had heard so much . “ He loved aunty.dearly,
” she whi spered , as they advanced through the
hall, aird I want him to see that we love him for her
sake .” But when Loui s saw the Odd figure,almos t
buried in shawls and outer garments,he started back ;
10 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
but she whispered again , and he permitted her to lead
him up to his uncle’s chair, where he said , timidly, as he
held out hi s small, white hand, “ I am glad you have
come,because Alice says you knew my mother and
“oved her.
”
Uncle Stephen eagerly caught the l i ttle hand , and
kissed it ; but laying it quickly down , as if a shamed Of
betraying so much emotion , he passed h im the tube, in
quiring,as he put i t to hi s ear
,What did you say
With a deep blush overspreadi ng h is pale countenance
the boy tried to speak,but was unable to articulate .
Taking the trumpet from him and giving i t to Alice,he asked
,W ho i s he
,and who are you
,and what does
he want
Though her li p quivered,the chi ld replied
,“ He is
Louis, and I am Alice Carey. He says he loves you,and he ’s glad you ’ve come .”
With a softened voice and manner,Uncle Stephen
repl ied, And are you glad, too ?”
Yes, s ir, I am always glad when Louis is .Honest well, I like that. DO
‘ you l ive here ? ’
I live here part Of the time . My mother lives i n the
cottage at the end Of the park .”
What is her name ? ”
Susan Carey,s ir.
”
Was her name Susan Brown,and did she live at
the Hall once, as nurse to Mrs . Stanley9Yes
, sir.”
Well, you may tell her she’s got the best behaved,and most civil li ttle gi rl I ’ve seen since I arrived inAmerica.”
IN D l SGUl SE . 1 ]
The chi ld blushed, courte sied, and taking Loui s by thehand retired to a seat i n the window. Al l this time , Mr.
Forsyth had sat with h is outer garments on , j ust as he
entered ; but now he motioned to Clarence to remove
one Of h is coats . When he took Off hi s hat he retained
not only hi s wig, but velvet cap with a long tassel fall ingover his shoulder, which added not a l ittle to his gro~
tesque appearance .
Clarence Sydney deserves more than the passing
notice we have given him . He was tall , of a ni oble
figure,and uncommon ly erect. His face was serious,
even sad, when in rep ose ; but there was a vei n Of mirth
in his composition,as was seen from an ar ch tw i nkle Of
the eye,and a rogueish curl of the lip, on witnessing the
astonishment of the family at the appearance and con
duct Of his guardian . His eyes were large , and Of a
deep blue . Hi s hair w as chestnut, and was pushed back
from his forehead,disclosing a broad , noble brow. H is
nose was decidedly large but his mouth was small and
finely formed,giving evidence not only Of great sweet
ness Of temper,but Of firmness and resolution . Of the
relation in which he stood to Mr. Forsyth , we shal l
speak hereafter.
Mr . Stanley,after directi ng the servants where to
place the baggage, called Mr. Sydney from the room to
consult about future arrangements . Emma ,” said Gertrude
,when he had retired , “ what an Old barbarian
Uncle Stephen i s . If i t were not for the young man , I
would persuade father to sh ip him , and his disgusting
monkeys back to India,i n very short notice .”
12 THE H OUSEHO LD ANGEL.“ But
,
" said Edi th , eagerly, “ if he wen t, he’d carry hismoney with him .
“ Oh,
” exclaimed Alice, “ how c an you speak so,when he says he loved your mother so cl early ? I’m
sure I shall always love him .
”
“ I should l ike to know, Miss Alice, retorted Edi thangrily
,who asked your Opin ion ? I’d have you to
remember that you are only a servant.“ Hush
,Edith
,
” whi spered Emma, looki ng at the oldgentleman
,who was gazing abstractedly into the fire,
“ don’t speak so loud
N O fear of him , said Gertrude ; he i s deaf as an
adder, and it i s fortunate for us that he i s so .
”
A few weeks later,when the family had become some
w hat accustomed to the whims and caprices of Uncle
Stephen , Mr. Stanley started for N
place he was to bri ng home a lady to preside over his
establishment, in place of the w ife he had so tenderly
loved.
from which
C H A P T E R 1 1 .
Beauty and worth in her alike contend,TO charm the fancy, and to fix the mind ;
In her, my Wife, my mistress, and my friend,
I tas te thejoys of sense and reasonjoined.
”—Hammmd
M ARION THURs 'r ON was the daughter Of a clergyman,by whose suddendeath she had been left an orphan , and
desti tute Of any near relatives . She was alone , and her
heart yearned for the sympathy and love fl) which she
had bee n accustomed in the society and affection Of her
beloved parent. He had filled to her the places Of father,
mother and fri end . He had been her teacher as well ascompan ion ; had watched with fond riride her expanding
i ntellect ; had directed her studies and her reading ; and
as she had grown Older , consulted her i n all hi s plans for
the welfare Of his pari sh , and associated her with himself
in his vis its to the poor and afflicted.
Marion had a face, which , though not handsome i n
the strictest sense of the word , yet awakened feelings of
i nterest i n the most casual Observer. There was a purity
i n the low,broad brow, from which her soft hair was
s imply parted ; a clear, truthful expression in her deep
blue eye ; and when animated, such a sun light spreading
over her whole countenance,that one turned i ns ti nctively
to look again . Brought up in i ntimate associati on with
a gentleman of truly refined tastes , and )f a high orde r
Of intel lect ; shielded as far as possi ble from al l per
2 Is
14 TH E H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
n icious influences , she was now,at twen ty-five, a young
lady gi fted with rare endowments of mind and person ,and wi th a heart peculi arly susceptible to kindness and
love ; She had received Offers ofmarriage, but had never
been sufficiently i nterested i n thos e who sought her hand
to wave’r for a moment i n the determination she had
formed not to leave her father. Such was her character
at his death,which was the occasion of her first heart
sorrow. Her mother died before her remembrance,and
from that time her l ife had flowed or. i n un interrupted
peace and quietnes s . But the loss of her only survivingparent crush
gd her
,and for a long time she was no t able
to leave her bed . After the expiration of several months,she was urged by dear fri ends to Shut up the cottage
,
and Spend the summer with them . This she at length
consented to do, though i t cost her a dreadful struggle to
leave,even for so short a time
,the home rendered sacred
by the memory Of her beloved parent. It was in the
family of her dearest friends,Mr. and Mrs . Churchill,
that she met Mr. Stanley, who V i s ited them on h is way
to the East . He was much pleased with her appearance,
though her countenance was rather pensive,and her
manner i n the presence of a stranger very retiring . Hecontinued hi s j ourney, but, wherever he went, a pa ir ofdeep blue eyes seemed ever appealing to himfor kindness and sympath y . He cut short his stay i n Band returned to N where he Obtained rooms at the
public house, but spent most of his time i n the family
of Mr. Church ill . He gradually w on the confidence of
“ani on, encouraged her to talk Of her father, and at
IN D ISCUISE . 15
length offered to fi ll the place i n her heart rendered deso
late by that fathe r’s sudden death .
Miss Thurs ton was at firs t startled at his abrupt pro
posal,as She had never thou
ght Of him in the character
of a lover, and especially as he wished to take her with
him on his return to Lindenwood . But her friends were
enthusiastic in hi s praise ; and Mari on at length yielded
herself to the de light of being once more the dearest
object of affection to a true manly heart, though she
posi tively declined accompanying him to Li ndenwoodunti l he had made his in tentions known to his family.
She urged him to consent that their marriage should be
postponed unti l the next summer ; but to th is he would
by no means agree, and at length the twentieth of N O
vember was decided upon for the celebration of the
nuptials .
When Mr. Stanley communicated to h i s family his
" e nded marriage , he met with no sym pathy from hisdaughters, who were very unwilling to give up the free
dom they had so long enj oyed of acti ng out the impulses
of thei r ow n free will . Louis,however
,w as charmed
Wi th the description Of his n ew mother ; and many were
the conversations he held with Alice upon th i s in teres ti ngtherrie. But Edith more than either of her sisters openlye xpressed her displeasure
,and her determination
,what
e ver Gertrude and Emma might do,to show Miss
Thurston that her i nclination s and pleasures were not
to be restrained .
On one occasion , when she was unusual ly earnest in
asserti ng her own rights i n Oppos ition to those of a mere
s tranger, Alice ventured to exuostulate with her, aski ng,
16 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
Why should you suppose she will wish to tyrannize
over you
Even Louis undertook her defence,and
,with a flush
upon his sick ly countenance,said
, You ought not to
talk so,Edith
,when you’ve never seen her. I think she
wil l be very kind ; and I mean to love her with all my
might.” Exhausted by/ his emotion , he put his handfeebly into that of Al ice, when , looki ng up, he beheld his
father standing behi nd him .
Mr. Stanley drew a chair near the group,and sat
down,taking Louis upon hi s knee . For a m oment he
pressed the artless boy to h is heart,when he turned to
Edith , w ho, with a heigh tened color, stood before himw i th a seeming determination
, now that he had heard
her passionate words, to brave i t out, -and said, gravely,I shall give you no opportunity
,my daughter
,to make
your new mother unhappy by your undutiful conduct.
Youwill leave for school, and continue there unti l you
can command your temper,and can learn to treat her
with the respect and courtesy which are her due .”
Edith’s only reply was an ugly pout.Leave the room ! ” commanded her fath er
,sternly.
When she had gone,Louis whispe red, “ You wouldn’t
send Al ice away from me,father ? ”
“ No, my dear, Alice shall not leave you . She is a
good chi ld . I wish Edith were more l ike and
Mr. Stan ley sighed as he thought how much more like
his departed Emma was the tearful girl w ho stood clasping the hand of his li ttle son
,than either of hi s ow n
chi ldren . Alice,
” he resumed,after a short pause
,“ i f I
am not very much mistaken, you wi ll have cause to
18 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGE L
been an emgma to her parents . They could not di scern
a s i ngle trai t l ike her sister’s . Though the younger,yet
by her proud , imperious will , she had , even before the
death of her mother, exercised control over her elde r s is
tors, especially over Gertrude , who was natural ly i nde x
lent, and would yield rather than defend her righ ts . Per
haps there was no one i n the family who could influence
Edith,and calm her passionate bursts of temper
,so
quickly as Alice . Though v ery unobtrus ive and unpre
tending, yet she was bold i n her defence of righ t,espec
ially when Louis was assai led . Mrs . Stanley had hoped
much from the i nfluence of th i s lovely ch ild , and had
obtained a promise from her husband,on her death bed,
that she should remain i n the family,and be educated
wi th her ow n,children .
In the course of the week following Mr . Stanley’s con
versation with Edi th,he completed h is arrangements for
her and Emma to go to the boarding-school, i n Tfrom which Gertrude had graduated the previous sum
mer. He was only persuaded to pos tpone it anotherquarter
,after hearing of the arrival of Uncle Stephen
1
and their strong desire to see h im before they left home .
l rripelled by this curiosity, they gave their father a pledge
o f good conduct,and were to leave a short time after the
i n troduction of their new mother to Li ndenwood ‘Hall .This w as the si tuation of the family when Mr. Stanley
s tarted for N Often during hi s j ourney he askedhims’elf, Can I make her happy ? Can I return hei
warm and tender affection , as breathed through everyline of her letters ? Is it a fair return of such love , to
offer her a heart whose first,best affections, are buri ed
(N mseurs s . 19
w i th my Emma ? Am I not too mature , too reserved, tc
be a companion for one so artless and impulsive in her
temperament ? ” But these momentary thoughts were
entirely diss i pated as he approached the place of his des ~
tination , and looked forward with deligh t to meeti ng
agai n his dear Marion .
At the press ing i nvitation of her friends, Miss Thurs
and to have theton had consented to rem ain in N
wedding take place at their house . By her des ire Mr.
Churchil l rented the cottage,where she had li ved so
happily with her lamented father, to the new clergyman
w ho had come to take hi s p lace . By the ki ndnes s of the
same friend the res t of her property had been co nverted
into money, and placed at i nterest. She had dwelt upon
the image and character of her betrothed until he had
become her ideal of al l that was true,noble
,and good .
With eyes streaming with tears of joy and gratitude , she
thanked her Father i n heaven for providi ng her a friend
and companion to take the place of the one she had
lost. This w as Marion’s first love , and she poured out
free ly her best and warmest affections,the whole wealth
of her generous heart.
Mr. and Mrs . Churchill witnessed her devotion to him,
and , though much pleased at her prospects , yet they
warned her that there might be many circumstances con
nected with the relation of step-mother which would be.
wounding to her feelings . But Marion answered , W i th
a husband’s love I can endure any thing . And I mean to
show them,
” she added,her eye brightening
,and he r
whole countenance glowing with the generous resolve“ that I love them for his sake, and that I hope to win
20 T H E HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
their respect and affection . I feel sure that I shall sue.
ceed)’
Her friends said no more, believi ng that the heart mustbe i ndeed cold which responds not to such a sentiment.
Now Marion Stanley was to test the character andfeel ings of her new frie nds , and certai n misgivings, ari s
ing from remarks of her husband as they drew near Lin
denwood,made her breast heave
,and her eyes fil l with
tears . They had been talking of Edith,and her father
had expressed his determination to keep her at school
unti l she coul d o vercome her passionate temper, and her
unreasonable prej udices .
How, then , can I w in her confidence ?” asked Mrs .
Stanley, smil ing through her tears . I wish she were to
be at home, certain ly for a time.”
But her husband shook hi s head , and began to talk of
hi s gentle Loui s, whose arms were open to receive her.
N or did he fai l to speak of Alice , w ho . w as as dear to
him as hi s own ch ildren . With slight embarrassment
ne continued Her mother was brought up i n thefamily with my deceased Emma
,and
,from our marriage
to her own , lived with her as companion and nurse.
Edith i s on ly a few days older than Alice , and my Emma’s health was then so feeble
,that Susan
,her mother
,
took our l i ttle one and kept her unti l she w as nearly two
yeal s old. I thi nk Edith retain s some of the affection shethen exh ibited for her foster sister
,though she often makes
remarks which bring a tear to the eye of the sensi tive
ch ild. When first separated from her compan ion she
screamed so violently that her mother feared she would
IN Drs eursn . 2]
have convuls ions . And thus it came to be the habi t for
Alice to live almost entirely at the Hall . I tried to prevail upon Mrs . Carey to live with us ; but she prefers to
be al one at the cottage , except when she i s needed for
Louis, who is as dear to her as her ow n child . Since
the decease of Mrs . Stanley she has been subj ect to fits
of despondence ; and at such times , even the presence
of her child adds to her melancholy ; but generally she i s
cheerful and very efficient.
l\Ir. Stanley related to his wife hi s conversation with
Al ice and Loui s in regard to her, and the young bridewas comforted with the thought that she cou ld i nfluence
these dear children for good ; and , perhaps through them ,
win her way to the hearts of the‘
others . She asked
many questi ons concerning the uncle, of whose arrival
she had been at once informed , and was quite amused
at the graphic account her husband gave her of the old
gentleman and h is oddities
For a number of weeks Uncle Stephen had confined
himself almost entirely to his ow n suite of apartments,where
,i n the company of h is ward, he passed his time ;
though,whether i n reading, writi ng, amusing himself
wi th the trick s of Sally and Pollo, or whatever w ay .
could not be ascertai ned, as no one ven tured , uncal led,i nto the presence of the deaf nabob, as he was styled by
the servants . But on the day of the expected arri val of
Mr. Stanley and h is bride , he appeared at din ner, ar
rayed i n a new sui t,consisting of a g ayly embroidered
smoki ng cap over h is wig (though smoking was the old
gentleman’s abhorrence), with the long gil t tassel fall ingas usual over his shoul ders and with slippers, em
boss ed with gold bullion .
22 TH E HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
When he en tered the di ning-h ail, Gertrude and he rs isters were at no loss to account for the perfect roar of
laughter which they had heard from his room,at several
differen t times duri ng the forenoon , and which , indeed ,was no unusual sound from that quarter. Their i llyconcealed mirth did not by any
'means escape his notice .
Indeed,his eyes
,though shaded by the huge goggles
,
a llowed nothing to pass without attention . The young
ladies Often remarked, that if h is heari ng were as perfect
as h i s sight, they would not be able to' l ive i n the house
with him ; but on th is occasion the only perceptible
result of their rude conduct was an incessant demand,on his part, for attention . He was continually mumbli ng to himself, only now and then a sentence being
spoken i ntelligibly : “ In my dotage when I left India ;Heathen Hi ndoos more civilized than some Christiansbut ’twa’n’t always so.
”
After dinner,Clarence Sydney having learned that
Uncle Stephen would remain i n the parlor unti l the ex
pected arrival of Mr . Stanley with h is lady,went out for
a walk to the village .
After hi s departure,Gertrude and her sisters
, unre
strai ned by his presence, began to discuss various items
of family matters . “ I wonder,
” commenced Emma,“ hat Uncle Stephen th inks of our new relative
“ The great Mogul h as condescended to give no
opin ion upon the subject,
” replied Edith .
I suppose,remarked Gertrude
,
“ that he iS '
w aiting
until he has seen her before he gives his Opinion . She
must feel flattered at her new connection . How ridicu
lously he looks, decked out like a peacock . I saw Clar
m D I SG UI SE . 23
ence had as much as he could do to retai n hi s digni ty.
I noti ced that he never once glanced at hi s guardi an all
the time we sat a t the table.”
A 11 expressive cough from the subj ect of thei r remarks,
startled the eager group i nto an awkward si lence , during,
which Alice , who had occupied her favori te seat i n the
wi ndow with Loui s,advanced to the old gentleman
,and
quietly placed a cricket under his feet. He started as iffrom sleep
,and something li ke a smile fiitfed for a mo
ment across h is features .
How the old fel low frightened me,said Edi th
, in a
low voice , and drawing a long breath .
Nonsense,ch ild 1” excla imed Gertrude
,shr ugging
her shoulders as she left the room . He was snoring.
”
How Clarence can be so devoted to him i s a mys
tery to me ,” said Emma
,as sh e and Edi th j oi ned their
s i ster.
On th e verge of evening - a cheerful fire was blazing
on the hearth,throwing out i ts fitful gleams Of ligh t to
the farthest end Of the apartment. It was truly a pleas
ant scene to look upon . Ally and Louis were si tti ng i ngraceful attitudes upon the rug near a large globe
,which
they had drawn up to the light ; whi le Clarence , W ilu
appeared inspired wi th animati on by the rapt attention
of his hearers, was pointing out places Of interest which
he had vi si ted . Uncle Stephen had so far lost hi s prcs~
ence of mind as to push back the goggles from hi
eyes,and di sclosed a pair of bri lli a nt orbs, w hos e mild ,
loving glances were resting upon the group before him .
“ And did you li ve there too ? ” i nquired Louis ofCl arence
,pointi ng to the southern part of Hmdoostan ,
24 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
while the heat and reflection from the fire gave an almost
unearthly beauty to hi s usually pale countenance.
Yes,my little cousi n , I l ived there with Uncle S te
phen,amids t the elephants and tigers youwere reading
about this morning.
”
“ What a pity Uncle Stephen can’t hear,murmured
Alice, looking tenderly in his face . I always feel as if
I wanted to tell him what we’re talking about.”
He wouldn’t always be edified by the conversation, "responded Clarence, with an arch smi le.
N O,
” said Alice, blush ing pai nfully , “ but when,as
now ,he’d like to hear i t.”
Tell him so,then .
”
Uncle Stephen moved uneasi ly i n his chair,as the
child put the trumpet to her mouth ; but he placed the
tube to hi s ear, and said, kindly, “ I know,li ttl e girl
,
you’ve been talki ng about the old man . I’ve seen the
pitying glances you cast up here”
I told Clar Mr . Sydney,sa id the child
,hesi
tati ng, “ that I wanted you to hear too , because we’re
having such a beauti ful time .”
Ahem ahem said the Old gentleman,clearing hi s
throat ; so you can’t enjoy yourself unles s I enjoy i t
too ? D id anybody ever tell you,Alice
,
” he said,ah
m ptly, after she had returned to
.
her seat on the rug,
“ that you w ere like Mrs . Stanley ? ”
Alice shook her head as she repli ed,No
, sir.
Got no eyes then ,” grumbled he
,i n hi s old tone .
My li ttle cousin Ally ,” s’aid Clarence
,laying hi s hand
on‘her arm ,
“ do you wish to please me
O , yes, s ir !
26 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGE L .
vigorous use of h is bandann a , and Mr. Stanley intro
duced to him his wife .
Marion caught the glance of k i nd interest with wh ichUncle Stephen regarded her, entirely forgetful that. his
goggles were lying useless upon the top Of his head , and
w i thout ceremony sh e took the Old gentleman’s hand.
She was agreeably surpri sed at the warmth with which
it was returned,and from that time knew ,
however
Uncle Stephen might appear,there was a warm heart
beating beneath all the seeming coldness of his manner.
Where are the girls ?” asked Mr. Stanley of A lice .
“ I wi ll call them ,sir
,
” she replied : “ we did not hear
the carriage drive up ; and they do not know you have
arrived .
” They immediately made their appearance,and greeted their father with affection , and their mother
at least with politeness . Mr . Stanley spoke i n a low
tone to Al ice, when she went toward the stranger, say
ing,Will you please come with me to your room
The lady immediately arose, and Louis put h is handin hers, asking, May I go too
The even ing passed pleasantly away . Even UncleStephen
,as he turned to watch the countenance of . one
and another,seemed unconscious of the lateness of the
hour. But the young bride felt sad as the family sepa
rated without havi ng first thanked God for the favors of
the day ; and she repressed a sigh as she asked hers elf,Have I come into a prayerless family ?
CHA P T E R I IL
“ Perfumes, the more they’re chaf
’d the more they render
Their pleasant scents ; and so affliction
Expresseth virtue fully , whether true
Or else adulterate.
” J . Webster .
Two weeks passed away, during W hich time Mrs
Stanley had so endeared herself to Ally and Loui s , thatthey were never so happy as when si tting by her side
,
and listen i ng to her pleasant i nstructions . The prepara
tioii s were completed for Emma’s and Edith’s departureand they were to leave for T the next morning. The
ki nd interest her new mother had manifested for her,touched Emma’s heart, and she would have thrown awayher reserve
,and treated her with affecti on
,had i t not been
for the i nfluence of her younger sister, w ho found some
thing to ridicule or sn eer at in every action , though she
to ok good care not to do so in the presence of her father .
She ascribed her mother’s kindness to the worst motives,
whil e Gertrude,though ceremoniously polite, took no
pains to conceal the fact that she considered Mrs . Stan
ley as an i ntruder. The word mother had never passed
her li ps,and she had made a solemn promise not to call
Mrs . Stanley by that sacred name .
Poor Marion ! It needed all the attention of her hus
band, all the confiding love of the younger chi ldren , all
the sympathy expressed in the countenance of Uncle
Stephen , to enable her to endure this chi lling indifference27
28 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
on the part of those whom she longed to be able to regard
as her own chi ldren . She had always been so beloved byher friends
,had lived i n such an atmosphere of peaceful
affection , that she was often obliged to retire to her room
to give vent,i n tears
,to her grief and disappointment.
L ittle did her husband imagine the constant annoyances to which she was subjected, for i n his presence
Gertrude,and even Edith , restrained any outward m
'
ani
festation of the feeling of di slike which i ncreased with
every fresh i ndulgence ofunki ndness toward their gentle,unassuming mother. Indeed
,he i nwardly congratulated
himself that hi s daughters conducted themselves toward
her much better than he had dared to expect ; but they
had seen her quietly submit to insulting language, and
they began to feel contempt for her as a tam e character.
They never dreamed of the severe conflict which was go
i ng on i n her soul . They could not understand, or appre
ciate, the agony of spiri t with which , night and morning,she plead wi th her God
,and her fatherjs God
,for wisdom
so to conduct herself as to win all the dear members of
this beloved family to her Saviour. Sometimes,i ndeed
,
she was tried beyond endurance ; and, though a sudden
flashing of her eye,which was dai ly growi ng more seri
ous i n its expression , and a flush upon her cheek, migh t
have convinced her daughters that she fel t,keenly felt
,
their unkindness ; yet she would qui ckly retire to her
closet,and there give way to a passionate burst of gri ef.
Oh ! why, why will they be so cruel, so unjust, to
me ” Why will they persist i n ascribi ng all my words
of love, all my in terest in them ,to the worst of motives ! ”
Thi s question she often asked,while tears were stream
IN n i sours s . 29
ing down her cheeks . How can my husband be so
bli nd as not to see this ? He has spoken of my depress ion of spirits, and feared I was disappointed either l l .
him or i n my home . I assured him truly th is was not
the case ; but oh ! I could not speak of the cruel unladt
li ke taunts I constan tly received from h is ch ildren , when
not restrained by hi s presence, or th at of Mr. Sydney .
No,I wil l not make him unhappy. I will try first to con
quer myself,for oh ! how hard my heart must be, when I
find it. so difficult to love them ; and then to conquer
them by ki ndness.”
Duri ng the evening previous to the departure of Emmaand Edith , Mrs Stanley went to her room for the pur
pose of writn a note to them , begging their acceptance
of some bracelets which she had ordered for them, of
beauti ful and chaste workmanship. A stone of rare value
was set in each , and underneath i t the in i ti als of their
n ames . To E . S ., from their mother. Mr. Sydney had
returned from N ew York that evening, and had just
given them to her. On advancing toward her dressi ngtable, she perceived i t had been removed , while al l the
contents of the drawers were thrown carelessly upon thcbed . She stood for one moment in amazement. Thi~
w as but a fresh i nstance of the annoyances to which s ln
had every day been exposed,and she doubted whether
she ought not to resist such treatment ; but she shrank
from the thought of a contest with Edith , w ho, she.
doubted not, was the principal i n th is offence. Alreadyshe had seen i n her such a disposi tion to tyran nize over al l
around her,she w as sure the proud girl would not yield
to her authori ty without a struggle . After a few moments
3'
30 r un l l O l l S r . fl O l .D ANG EL
she knocked at (icrtrude’s docr, and w as i nstantly admi t
ted. Indeed, she seemed to be expected by the young
ladies,who were making themselves very merry upon
some subj ect ofwhich they had been conversing. Ed ithwas standing i n fron t of the miss i ng table, the to p of
which was strew n with combs,brushes
,and hair-pi ns
,
while she had unbound her hair, and was deliberately
proceeding to dress i t for the eveni ng, havi ng just heard
o f the arrival of Mr . S vdney.
I th i nk you have appropriated my dressing-table,said the young mother i n a voi ce which slightly trembled
,
notwithstanding all her efforts to appear perfectly calm .
I found my laces and other articles i n rather a confused
statef’
No one answered .
“ I hardly expected young ladies would h ave treated
one so much of a stranger with so li ttle courtesy,she
conti nued,brush ing away a tear which fil led her eye .
You needn’t look so w oe-begone at Gertrude,
”re
plied Edith,with a coarse laugh .
“ She wanted the
table,but she never would have had the spunk to take i t
,
so I t’
ook it for her ; not doubting your wi lli ngness to
oblige,” she added
,with a low courtesy of mock respect.
Mrs . Stanley was so indignant at the tone and manner
of this rude speech,that i t was with d ifficulty she re
strai ned herself from a sharp reply. She turned i n stantly
to leave the room,but had not shut the door, when she
heard Edith exclaim,i n a triumphant tone
,“ There !
didn’t I tell you so ! She’s a mean,craven-spiri ted
woman ! . She dared not speak a word i n her ow n de
fence ! I’d li ke to have anybody try that game on me
IN D I SG U I SE . 31
I’d storm and rave ti ll I raised the roof, before I’d submit
to i t.”
I never was so thoroughlyl
mortified i n my l ife ,” said
Emma .
“ If she had staid one moment more , I s hould
have told her so .
”
Mrs . Stanley retired to her own room ; but i t was
som e time before she could compose herself to the taskbefore her. Agai n and agai n did she throw herself upon
her knees,in prayer for strength to endure all the trials
which her heaven ly Father thought needful for her.
When she arose,th e memory of the past — the quiet
and happy li fe she had led with her sain ted father stood
out i n such bold contrast with the insu lting abuse— the
petty annoyances which,by their constant recurrence so
embittered her present li fe , that she could only weep
afresh . She felt herself alone,and unprotected and
for the first time hard thoughts of her husband began to
ari se i n her heart . She felt that she had been deceived .
Not for worlds woul d she have left her pleasant home,to
live a life of such wretchedness as she now saw before
her. Then the questions agai n arose,whether she ought
to submit to i t ; whether i t were not a si n toward those,
w ho, however they might regard her, stood in the tender
relation of children . She wrung her hands i n agony .
Oh ! what can I do ? I am altogether unfit fo r sucha. responsibi l ity . Naturally timid and wanting i n decision, with my whole heart, I shrink from these tria ls .
”
But Marion S tanley was not alone . The good Spirit
whispered, I am with thee . As thy day i s, so shall thy .
s trength be . She aga ii i bowed her head , not i n prayer,but i n praise. Yes
,Marion w as comforted . An Al
32 THE HO USEH OLD A NGE L
mighty arm was underneath her, and though cloudsovercast her sky
,yet she was
'
enabled by faith to look
forward to the time when these precursors of storm
should pass away,and the sun shine forth unclouded in
h is brightness . A glorious future rose too
her vision, in
which she saw husband and chi ldren bowed with her
around the fami ly altar, blessing God for her presence,who had led them to happi ness and peace. The thought
of Al ly and Loui s, also, came to cheer her, and sherealized that she had stil l many mercies . Her husbandno longer appeared unsympathizi ng, and she rej oiced
that h is heart was spared the pang he would feel if ao
quainted with the conduct of his daughters . She re
membered,too
,the respectful manner of Mr. Sydney
,
w ho had from the first treated her with the affection of
a brother ; and also the appreciati ng glances of k indness
and sympathy from Uncle Stephen . She laid these
th ings up i n her heart, as preventives to the recurrence
of the overwhelmi ng despondence she . had heretofore ex
perienced ; and seated herself at her desk to wri te to
her daughters. The two small cases,containing the
valuable gifts,lay before her. She Opened one, and
taking out the bracelet, touched a spri ng and disclosed
to V i ew a min iature of herself,exquis i tely painted on
ivory. Though very minute,yet th e features were per
feet, and the expression , which met her own , was full of
earnest affection .
Mrs . Stanley was an arti st, though the knowledge of
her skil l was as yet a profound secret i n her family . She
had Copied these from her mi niature executed by a ski lful arti st. She again compared them
,and w as more
34 THE HOUSEHOLD ANG EL
in .the parlor, with a countenance so full of peace a nd
tranquill i ty that some of them at least looked upon herwi th amazemen t ; and, when she repli ed to a casual
remark of Emma’s, her ton e was so full of motherlytenderness that th e eyes of the young lady were suffused
w ith tears . At the close of the even ing, when her sisters
left the room ,she remained behind, and, putting her
arms for one moment about her mother, k issed her good
night.
0, what a thrill of j oy and gratitude that affectionat e
embrace sent through the lovin g heart of the youngparent ! What an earnest did she consider i t of her
success in the great work she had undertaken
There was one presen t who rej oiced with her i n th is
token of chi ldlike affection . Quick as thought, Uncle
Stephen pushed hi s goggles to th e top of h is head , that
he might see more di stinctly ; and when she turned to
leave the room,wi th his usual expressive cough he
called “ Emma ! ” i n a tone so different from any shehad ever heard from him , that she could scarce beli eve
the sound came from his li ps ; but, on her approaching,he said, with emotion , God bless you, ch ild ! youmay
yet be worthy of the name of your sai nted mother.
There, go !” he added, impatiently, seeing
“her stand
gazing at him i n wonder ;“ what are you stoppi ng for ?
With an impul sive motion , the young girl caught
Uncle Stephen’s hand, pressed i t to her l ips , and darted
from the room . She did not wai t to see the effect of
her action .
“What an old fool I am,grumbled Ur cle Stephen,
fumbling imp atiently for his handkerch ief. One would
m D I SG U I SE .
think I had never been ki ssed before . But I should l ike
to know who there i s to feel for her, i f I dou’t ;
” and,
with thi s apology, he allowed his tears to flow unre
strai ned until he had overcome his sudden emotion .
When Mrs . Stanley at length advanced to bid hi n
good night, havi ng taken care to keep out of his sight ,he muttered
,“ Bad girls, very ; what
’s to become of
them
0 ,no ! she exclaimed , eagerly putting the trumpet
to her mouth .
“ Emma has a warm heart. She willmake a fine character yet.”
Humph Edith,too
,perhaps ? ”
A shade passed over the an imated countenance of the
lady as she answered, slowly, “ Edith i s higho tempered ;
but she is sti ll young, and, with proper trai ning, may yet
do well . She has a great deal of energy .
”
Chari ty covers a mul ti tude of si ns,
” muttered the old
gentleman i n a low tone . Then , speaking aloud, Ali ce
is worth the w hole troop . She’s honest - well, good
night, ma’am .
”
She held out her hand,which he at first appeared not
to notice, when he suddenly turned again , saying, Doyou know how to pray ? ”
Marion’s cheek flushed as sh e bowed assen t.“ Pray, then ; pray for them all . They need it.
”
CH A P T E R I V
Tho’ losses and crosses
Be lessons right severe,There
’s wi t there, ye’ll get there
Ye’ll find nae other where.
” Burns .
UNCLE ST EPHEN and Mari a Forsyth w ere the onlychildren of their parents . Their
'
father died before Ste
phen’s remembrance
,leaving them to be the comfort and
support of thei r widowed mother. Maria was five years
older than her brother,and dearly did he love h is s ister,
whose whole affection s were lavished upon her affl icted
paren t and the li ttle pet of the household . E ight yearsafter the death of their father, these orphan chi ldren were
called tofo llow the remains of their mother to the house
appoi nted for all l iving. And now Stephen would have
been disconsolate indeed,had i t not been for h is bel oved
si ster, w ho watched over h im with almost a mother’s
solicitude and tenderness . To her teachings, warning
and entrea‘ay, he was i ndebted, under the care of his
heavenly Father, for preservation from many of the follies
and vices of youth . Her finger poi nted to the paths ofvi rtue and holi ness as the only paths of peace. Herprayers ever as cended to God that the good Spirit might
i ncli ne himto walk i n them .
At the age of twenty,he left the shores of hi s native
land for a lucrative si tuation in India . Hi s si ster h adbeen married for several years
,and had tw o chi ldren
86
T HE HO USE HO LD A N GLL IN D I SG U I SE . 37
Emma , who afterwards became Mrs . Stanley,and S te
phen,named for h imself. It w as a dreadful affliction for
her to part with her brother, for he had no expectation
of return ing for many years, until h e had made a fortune
sufficiently large to secure hi s i ndependence . The strong
est hOpe of hi s si ster for his speedy return cen tred upon
the tearful girl w ho clung so convulsively to h im at part
i ng,begging him in heart-rendi ng terms not to leave her.
Keep up good courage, Is abel,” said the young man,
as he tried to force back the tears he considered it un
manly to shed “ I shall soon make a fortune, and thenwe will have a beautiful home, and I will never leave
you?’
Al as, alas, for human calcul ations ! Before s ix years,
he had heard firs t of the death of his sis ter and of her
on ly son, and then of the marriage of h i s Isabel . The
latter even t threw him into a state of such gloom and
despondence that he lost more than half of the fortune
he had accumulated ; and, after livi ng on a year or two
in melancholy amounting almost to i nsan ity, he returned
to hi s native country, hardly thirty years old, but bent
and wri nkled li ke an old man . H i s whole character hadundergone a change . From being light of heart
,trust
i ng and hopeful,he was morose, distrustful, and despair
ing. About six months after hi s return , he was called
to the bedside of the one whom he believed had violated
her solemn vows to h im , but who was now a widow and
dyi ng. She revealed to him a plot of vi llany by which
sh e had been led to believe him married i n India, and
that,shocked by his want of fidelity, and hopeless of th e
future, she had given her hand to Mr. Sydney, a ma n
4
38 run HO USE HOLb A NGE L
whom she soon found had deceived her, not only with
regard to her beloved fri end, but as to his own character.
He had taken delight i n her distress, w hen he boasted to
her of the forged account of Mr. Forsyth’s marriage ,which he had caused to be i nserted i n the papers . She
confessed her si n i n having married a man whom she did
not love,and
,with panting breath
,begged his forgiveness
for the injury she had done him .
It would be impossible to describe the nature of Mr.
Forsyth’s feelings as he sat by the couch of the dying
woman,and heard her confession
,i nterrupted as i t was
by groans and tears as she w i tnessed the agitation of
the bowed man sitting before her,and learned from it
that h is gri ef had even surpassed her ow n .
Isabel,my own Isabel ! ” he exclaimed
,hi s voice
choking with emotion , “
you must not di e. We may
yet be happy . God forgive me for having doubted you ;nay, for having distrusted h is goodness . 0 ,
my Isabel,l ive for me
,
” he continued,grasping her pale
,emaci ated
hand tightly in his own .
“ I cannot give you up .
”
The dying woman lay gasping for breath , almost terri
fied at the wi ldness Of hi s manner. At length she spoke
feebly.
“ It i s too late ; I am even now dying . But
you can grant me one favor ; then I can lay my bodyin the grave in peace?“
Overpowered with grief,Mr. Forsyth could onlybow
his assent.“ Take, then , my boy, my on ly , child. I give h im to
you . He wi ll be the heir to considerable property. I
wish you to be hi s guardian,hi s fath er. Clarence, my
chi ld , come here ‘
xN D I S G UI SE . 39
The boy advanced from the farther end of the apar t
ment, where, unobserved, he had witnessed all that had
passed . Hi s countenance bore the marks of violen t agitation , but with a matur ity beyond h is years he restrain ed
hi s feelings,and put his hand into his mother’s . Th is,
Stephen ,” sh e faltered, “ has been my daily prayer, that
God would spare my life unti l I could tell you how
truly, faithfully I have loved you, and give into your care
my best earthly treasur e . Will you take him
Mr. Forsyth opened h i s arms, and , at a motion from
his mother, Clarence advanced, and was clasped tightly
to the heart of her early friend. Isabel,
” said he,after
a pause of i ntense emotion to both of them Clarence
is henceforth my own son . Why will you not give me alegal right to the name ?
Isabel started .
Why not give me the bliss of call ing you mine, for
the brief remainder of your life . Even now God has
power to send health through your enfeebled frame. Oh,
God ! ” he added, throwing himself upon his knees, “ I
will bless thee all my days !
A beautiful sm ile of affection played about the mouth
of Mrs. Sydney, as she put her hand i n his .“ Youwil l ! you do consent ! ” he exclaimed
,joyfully ,
you w i l l yet be my ow n bride, my w i fe and he
warmly pressed the cold hand to hi s lips,while hi s frame
s hook with struggling emotion .
Yes, Stephen, i f my life is spared unti l morning, I
will be your wife . I wil l not try to conceal from you that
it wil l give me a pleasure I never looked for i n thi s world
40 T H E HO USEH O LD A NG E L
Ther. Jlarence will be your ow n your ow n .
” She
repeated the words fai ntly, as i f falling asleep .
Isabel Isabel ! ” he almost shouted, as she sank back
fain ting ; You will not leave me thus.” He pulled the
bell violently,when the nurse entered from an adjoi ning
chamber. Mrs . Sydney’s countenance so nearly resem
bled deathjthat Mr . Forsyth rushed wild ly from the room ,
utterly unable to restrai n his grief.
By the application , however, of powerful stimul ants,she soon revived, and looked anxiously around. A shiver
seized her, and she put her hand to her head as i f fearful
she had been dreaming.
He has gone below,sa id the k ind nurs e , Observ i ng
her look of distress . I will cal l him .
”
Clarence, who had been weeping bitterly, advanced to
the bed-side,while she hastened to th e parlor
,where she
found the afflicted man leamng on the table, with his face
buried in his hands .‘He started up as she en tered
,and
gazed at her wi th horror, as i f he shrank from the tidings
he feared she had come to impart~ Mrs . Sydney has re
vived,” sh e said , and seems anxiou s to see you .
’
He started forward, when she detained him . It i s
necessary to be more calm . It woul d not do for you to
see her thus. Can you command your feeli ngs ? ”
I can , I wil l, I must be calm he answered, impa
e
tient at the momentary delay.
During the hight the pul se became more feeble . The
last sands Of life were ebbing fast away ; but her mind
remained clear, and the dying woman besought her fri end
to look to the Savi our,i n whom she trusted for support
under this trial. Again and agai n she thanked her beav
42 T HE HOUSE I OLD ANGEL
was succeeded by a perfect torrent of s elf- reproach , i n
which he humbly begged forgiven ess . 'Under the judic
ious management of Uncle Stephen who never for a
moment forgot,i n hi s care of the boy , his mother
’s dying
w ords, “ bring him up i n the fear of the Lord,” Clarencebecame all that the fondest parent could wish .
At the expiration of that time , havmg become restless
at so long a period of inactivi ty,Uncle Stephen con
cluded once more to go to Indi a, and did so, taking Clar
ence with h im,havi ng remained i n the family of his
ni ece,Mrs . Stanley
,for the last six months of his stay in
the country . In that period he tran sferred al l the devoted
affection he had felt for hi s sister, to her child ; and when
he left her,his grief nearly equalled that he had experi
enced i n leaving hi s dear Mari a . She exhibited a tender
affection f:fr Clarence, and begged her uncle to leave the
boy under her care ; while she l istened with pleased in
terest to her uncle,when he prophes i ed that h is ward
would some day become a disti nguished man,and claim
a relation with the li ttle mi ss who w as now clapping her
hands in ecstasy at the sight of the high house he had
made with her blocks .
At that time Gertrude was only tw o years old, so that
she remembered nothing of th e bri llia nt future prophe
si ed for her. But Clarence was a tall,mature boy of
eight, and w hi le he seemed only inten t upon amusing his
little companion,he heard and rem embered all that was
said . In the years which had in tervened, he had often
called to mind the li ttle,fairy-like figure enti cing him to
play, and rewarding him with a svscet kis s from her coral
lips, until she was associated i n h is mind with all that
m D I SG UI SE . 12}
w as lovable and lovely . After h is return to Ame rica
six years before Uncle Stephen , he often longed to vi sit
Li ndenwood Hall, and renew his acquaintan ce w ith hi syoung compan ion , of whom he could never think , except
a bright, laughing ch ild . But hi s time had passed so
rapidly in college, and at the law school , that he had
never done so . When Uncle Stephen an nounced his
in tention to return , and spend the remainder of hi s days
in hi s native land,and added, tha t if it was agreeable to
the family of h is nephew, i t was h is wish to iive with
them it is not strange that the opportunity thus afforded
of seeing once more one w ho had been a part of his daily
as well as nightly dreams, should quicken the blood in
his veins .
Afte r the letter of his guardian to Mr. Stanley,h e
waited impatiently for the answer ; and when i t came,written by Gertrude, he evinced so much pleasure that
Uncle Stephen looked upon him with aston ishment .“ Don’t you remember, s ir, said the young man , archly,you assigned this young lady to me
Humph ! ” exclaimed Uncle Stephen,at the same
time chuckling to himself ; “ so,young man
,that’s the
way the land lies . Well, we shal l see ; we shall see.
’
Though he would by no mean s have acknowledged it,
yet the i nterest displayed by Clarence was very pleasing
to his guardian . But be determined to test w ell her
character before he trusted her with the happiness of one
so dear to him as his adopted son . Of som e of the measures he adopted to attain that end we will speak more
hereafter. To tel l the truth, the thought that h is res idence
wi th h is ward in the fami ly of his nephew, might result
44 THE n ouseuohn A NGEL.
i n the fulfi lment of the old prophecy, had been no slight
inducement to h im to make such an arrangement. So
far i t had proved satisfactory.
From their firs t introduction Gertrude had been mu: h
pleased with Mr. Sydney, and i n his presence appeared
al l th at was amiable. We have seen he was much pre
possessed in her favor, so that there appeared every prob
ability that he would soon be deeply in love. Whatever
Uncle Stephen thought of her, he kept hi s opi nion , as
yet, strictly to himself.
C H A P T E R V
The seeds offirst instructions are dropped into the deepest furrows.
h was now mid winter. After the departure of Em
ma and Edith , the family spent more of their time in
the large sunny parlor . The Hall was warmed throughout by a
l
furnace ; but in th is apartment there was
always a cheerful fire blazing on the marble hearth . Onone side
,close i n the corner, stood the easy-chair
'
w hich
had been assigned to Uncle Stephen . Here he read,
w rote or slept, j ust as he felt i ncli ned . Here, too , after
din ner,he submitted to th e tr icks of his favori te ani
mals,allowing them to take liberties which he would
have h ighly resented from any human bei ng.
In the recess,formed
.
by the bow-window,could be
seen at almost any hour of the day, Louis with hisyoung companion . The window was large
,and afford
ed ample room for the small table which stood partially
lil front of the low divan occupying the space . Heavycurtains fell in rich folds from the arch above, which
were usually 100ped aside to admit the cheerful rays of
th e sun ; but by allowing them to fal l to the floor,the
young people could be enti rely secluded from observa
tion . A table stood i n the middle of the room near
which Mr. Stanley usually sat, when not i n h is study.
Here also his wife occupied herself wi th her readingor sewi ng.
46 m s aous s now ANGEL
The greater part of every day Clarence remained in
hi s ow n apartment, busy i n hi s studies ; but whenever'
he appeared below,h is presence was hai led with j oy not
on ly by the chi ldren , but by the . older members of the
fami ly . During his lei sure hours Gertrude was as usualin the parlor
,engaged with her drawing or embroidery .
Though Alice was within a few days of the age of
Edi th,yet both in person and mann er she appeared
several years younger, and could hardly have be en sup
posed to be much older than Loui s . Her form w as
sligh t, and her motions as graceful as those of a young
fawn . Her hair was dark auburn , and being p arted
smoothly on her brow,hung in rich curls upon her neck
and shoulders . Her complexion was of transparen t
whiteness, the blue veins bei ng disti nctly visi ble , whi le
the changi ng color was ever mantli ng her cheek . Hereyes
,when she was quiet
,were hazel
,and had a soft,
dreamy expressi on , though when she was an imated , they
kindled an l dazzled by thei r dark bri ll iancy. But the
greatest charm i n the face of Alice was her earnes t
truthfulness , the calm purity of expression . And her
countenance was a true index of her character ; for though.
a simple,artle ss ch ild of thirtee n years
,sh e was striving
after holi ness . Every morning, in her room ,which opened
out of the nursery occupied by Loui s, sh e asked herFather i n Heaven to guide all her thoughts, words andaction s thrbugh the day, and to keep
’
her from all evi l.
When tempted to i ndulge in unkind feeli ngs, she remem
bered that an omniscient Eye was watching over her,and she looked up for strength to overcome. She w as
naturally quick to feel when wronged, and sometimes
m D i scuse 47
her eye flashedfand bi tter words of retaliation rose toher l ips
,but she suppres sed them, and i n one moment her
passion subsided,and she was able to speak calmly and
peaceably . Her companions often wondered at her sel f.control , not realizi ng the source to which she looked fo
s trength . Louis considered her the impersonation of a l.
goodness,and her word as sacred . N or w as he alone
i n th is. If, as was often the case, any di fficul ty arose
between the sisters,she was often referred to by one or
another,and her statement was received with perfecf
confidence .
Mr. Stanley had kept hi s promise to h is first wi fe,and
so far Alice had received equal advan tages wi th his ow n
ch ildren . She had regularly attended the Academy in
the vi llage with Emma and Edith . In their absenceLouis was so dependent upon his little friend for com
pany, that h is father was puzzled to know what to do
with her . Mrs . Stanley proposed laying out a simple
course of study for them through the wi nter, to be pur
sued under her i nstruction ; but her husband obj ected
entirely to the confinement th is would cause her,and she
yi elded to his argument that lessons i n order to be of
use, ought to be regular. As her time was not at he r
ow n command,th i s -regularity could not be obtained
She then proposed that Gertrude should attend to them ,
but when asked by her father to undertake the task, she
at once decli ned,saying she had neither talent nor in
clination for school-keeping. But at length arrange
ments were made which proved i n the highest degree
satisfactory to both parents and scholars .
Happening to be si tting i n the parlor one day w i th
15 T HE H O US E HOLb ANG E L
Uncle Stephen and Mrs . Stanley, Clarence , who sa t read-
ymg the dai ly paper
,while the old gentleman w as takin
g/
his siesta i n hi s chair, had his attention arrested b y amonotonous sound from beh ind the curta in . Hi s earnesttook of inqui ry as he started from his paper, and leaned
forward to l is ten , brought a smi le to the mouth of Ma
rion, w ho said i n a low voice, “ It i s Ally reciting her
h istory lesson to Louis . The chi ld i s very fond of s tudy.”
She advanced to the wi ndow, and putting as ide the heavy
folds,peeped cautiously i nto the recess
,then motioned
Clarence to her side .
Sitting near each other on the divan , the chi ldren were
so i n tently occupied they did not perceive the observers.
Al ice was repeating a page of h istory, which she did
with such purity of‘ language
,and such an enti re appro
el ation of the subj ect, that Clarence was delighted . Hercompanion sat with h is eyes intent on th e page, his thi n
fingers followi ng line after li ne, as she went on with the
recitation . But h is face was flushed with excitement,and hi s brow was kni t as if weary with the close at
tention .
Mr . Sydney returned to h is seat,and continued for a
long time to gaze abstractedly i nto the fire . At length
be asked , Has she no other teacher ?-Mrs . Stanley shook her head
,and then related to him
rer ow n wish with regard to them ,.to which her husband
obj ected.
“ Would not Gertrude 7 he asked .
She did not feel i ncl in ed,
” was the serious rep ly.
Well,then
,for want of a better, I will offer my
unvk es ”
50 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
returned,and
,advancing to the s ide of her new teacher 7
said,Will you please to let Louis recite too ? ”
Yes,Louis too
,
” he answered,for one i n stant detain
ing her to gaze into her bright face . He had neverbefore thought her so beautiful
,and i t was a pleasant
sight to look upon .
Louis was exceedingly pleased with the idea of goingto school to Clarence, and sat quietly by while Ally ran
for her books to show h im how far she had advanced.
He proposed to her to take a rapid review of her studies,that he might better judge what course she ought to
pursue . He then took Loui s on his knee, and asked
what he wished to study .
“ I suppose I must go on with geography and arith
metic,
” the chi ld answered,with a sigh ; “ but i t makes
my head ache to study much , and I don’t th ink anybody
but All y could make me understand the sums .
What study do you li ke best 7
O,I l ike to hear Ally read the Bible stories
,and then
she asks me questions , just as if i t was geography or
spell ing. I can answer all those questions .
Clarence glanced quickly at the young mother,as the
boy, having answered the i nquiry, lay back agai nst n is
breast. “Well,Louis
,
” he resumed,trying not to betray
his emotion,“ i f Ally will let me j oin her clas s , you and
I will study the stories i n the Bible .”
L ouis started from the kind arm thrown around Inm,
and looked eagerly i n Clarence’s face ; but, firrding that
he was seri ous,lay back agai n wi th a calm expression
of happiness upon every feature .
While thi s conversation was goi ng on , Uncle Stephen
IN D I SG UI SE . 51
awoke , and was gaz ing from one to another to ascertai n,if possible , the subject which so much i nterested them
As soon as Al ice perceived it, she sprang to his side.
O,Uncle Stephen ! ” she exclaimed through the tube
,
Clarence i s going to be my teacher. I’m so happy ! ”
Ahem ’ happy, are you? Well , were you ever other
wi se ? tell me that,” he added, catching her hand as she
was dancing away .
What, sir ?
Are you ever unhappy ?
Alice cast down her eyes, while a rosy blush spread
over her cheek ; but as Uncle Stephen was i ntent upon
hearing her reply, she reluctantly placed the ivory to her
mouth,and, in a low voice . answered, Yes, sir.
”
Yes,sir
,
’ he repeated “ and I should like to know
what cause you have to be unhappy.
”
The chi ld cast a hurried glance of embarrassment
around the room,and then added, “ Please
,Uncle Ste
phen , I had rather not tel l now .
”
“ But I wish to know'
now . You needn’t fear to speak
before your friends .”
She looked beseechingly at Clarence , who arose and
went to the farther end of the apartment, but not beyond
the sound of her voice . He was evidently anxious tohear what she would say .
“Well,Ally ,
” urged the old gentleman , impatiently.
Though the tears trembled in her eyes, she answered,I can’t help being sorry when I have don e wrong.
”
This reply,so different from what had been expected
,
caused a momentary s ilence i n the room .
A nd pray, then ,” continued the in terrogator, “ why
52 THE HOUSEH OL D AN GEL
don’t you leave off? Precious li ttle need you have of
grief,
” he murmured.“ I do try to ,” was the almost inarticulate response,while a tear tri ckled down her cheek ; but I often get
angry , or feel wrong in here,” and she laid her hand upon
her heart.
And what do you do then“ I ask God to take away my naughty fee li ngs, and to
forgive me for the sake of Jesus Christ.”
What then
Then I feel happier .How often do you feel angry ? every day ? ”
0 , no ! not every day, not as often as I used to.
Why is that ? ”
I th ink God helps me to keep my resolutions .
Al i ce, i nquired Uncle Stephen , wiping his eyes,who taught you to pray ?
My mother,s ir, and my father, before he died .
“When you pray again , ask God to bless Uncle Ste
phen ,” and the old gentleman , whose fountain of tears
seemed ever ful l, no longer able to repress h is emotion ,wept without restrain t.
Mrs . Stanley was much affected at the ch ild , who had
unco n sciously let her friends i nto the secret of her hope
and trust i n her Maker,and revealed the struggles she
had with her own si nful nature, and her entire confidence
i n her Saviour to wash away her gui l t. She had no
opportuni ty of as certai ning the effect th is had upon
Clarence, for he had wa lked into the recess, and was
completely hidden from her vi ew. Alice immediately
teft the room, and w as j oined by Loui s, who returned,
IN D I SG UI SE . 53
however,i n a few moments, and w hispered to Clarence,
asking him if he would please tell Uncle Stepheni t
made Ally cry to ask her so many questions .
Is she crying nowYes
,and I can’t get her to speak , she sobs so much .
Tell your mother,and ask her to go to Alice .
It had, i ndeed, been painfully embarrassing to the child
to be obliged , as i t were, to proclaim the i nward conflicts
which had only before been known to her God. But
from this time the dear chi ld found great comfort and
support i n the sympathy of Mrs . Stanley. A holy ti e
bound their hearts together.
The next day lessons were commenced i n earnest,and
Alice applied herself diligently, determined to show her
teacher how much she prized hi s k indn ess .
Mr . Stanley was delighted with any plan whereby
the child could be kept with Louis without injury toherself.
After dinner, Clarence asked Alice to come“ to hi s
s tudy w i th her books, and Loui s to accompany her, andbring his marbles.
The boy—
looked in amazement. “ Shall I n eed them
in the school ?
“ I’ll have a game with you at recess, replied Clarence
,laughing. 3
‘Will you be my scholar too ? ” he
whispered to Gertrude .
The young lady smiled , and her father looked much
pleased, as he always did at any attention to his daughter from Clarence . In what branch she asked .
In anythi ng you please . ’In drawing
54 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
I fear I should make but a poor teacher of draw ing
I am but a four th-rate artist.”And I am but a begi nner.
“ I shal l be but too happy to be of use ; and so says
i ng he followed the chi ldren,where he was equally aston
ished and delighted at the progress Alice had made,and
her great thirst for knowledge . He questioned her closelyto be sure that she ful ly understood the subj ects of her
s tudies, and came to the conclusion that h is first pupil
was possessed of a mind of uncommon force and clear
ness . Now, Louis ,” he said gayly, after he had givenAl ly her lesson for the next day, let us have a game.
How many marbles have you
A whole bag full .”
“Well,don’t be partial ; divide them into three parts .
Ali ce put out her hand to assist h im ,but was re
strained by a glance from her teacher,who said
,pleas
antly,“ Be fair now, Louis, and give me as many as you
do Alice .”
I’l l divide them equally .
These three parts proving too many for the game
3larence wished to play,Louis divided them i nto four,
six , eight, twenty, multiplyi ng and dividing until he
began to think hi s teacher was very diffi cult to please.
At length Clarence appeared sati sfied,and the game
commenced, when the teacher became the pupil , and
begged Louis to impart some of his ski ll . The three
were laughing very heartily,when Uncle Stephen ap
peared at the door.
Hoity, toity ! fine school this,” he muttered, as
he step p ed cautiously over the ring in to the room.
IN D I SG U I SE . 56
Pre tty w ork for a young lawyer . Who’s scholar now,
prav“ We have had a good game
,sa id Clarence
,ri sing
from hi s humble position on the floor. Come,Alice
,
now i t’s your turn to be teacher.”
She don’t know anything about i t,exclaimed Louis,
eagerly ; but if you w ant her to hear you just as she
does me,I know she will
,because she says she l i kes you
the best of any
Alice put her hand across hi s mon th, so that he could
say no more . Clarence gently took her hand , sayi ng,Wil l you take me into
‘
your Bible-class,Ally ? ”
I don’t know what you mean,sir.”
“ Loui s says you hear him recite,after tel ling the
s to ries, and I think you could also instruct me .”
Hi s manner was very serious,and the poor chi ld did
not know what to say . She looked so much embar
rassed that he continued : “ Perhaps we w i ll postpone
our Bible lesson u nti l Sabbath afternoon ,” and she left
the room .
“ Rather think,
” said Uncle Stephen , when they were
a lone, you’ll get as much as you’ll give .”
“ I feel that I shall be wel l repaid,” repli ed Clarence ;
she has a very bright mind .
And a very pure heart,
” added hi s companion .
Strange,how often she reminds me of my si ster.”
What kind of a woman i s her mother ? I can’t
make much of her. She came to thank me for the in o
terest I took i n her child ; but she did it in such a strange
way, that I could hardly unders tand her.”
56 THE HOUSEHO LD ANG EL
She was formerly a very good woman . 1 have
hardly seen her since we have been here .”
“ Mrs . Stanley told me she thought her parti ally in
sane . She was very anxious fO‘
I‘ Edith to go away
,say
ing she ought to be under restraint, as she never was at
home ; and now she is constantly fretting that Alice
didn’t go too . She told Mrs . Stanley yesterday,that the
first wife promised that ‘Al ice should have as good an
education as her own daughters . However,she seemed
grateful that I would teach her. Poor Alice ! Her fatewill be a hard one i f she should be deprived of her
friends . She has been educated like a lady, i s refined
and cultivated i n her tastes,and therefore but ill -pre
pared to struggle with the world .
Ahem ! we’l l see to that,
” said Uncle Stephen,em
phatically.
Weeks flew rapidly by . Alice pursued her studies
with great ardor,while Lou is took lessons i n ari thmetic
,
geography, and grammar, never complai ning of weari
ness, but th inking al l the time that he was only enjoyi ng
some new game . Gertrude had commenced her lessons
in drawing, but found no interest i n them unless Mr.
Clarence Sydney were sitti ng by her side and , i n truth,he appeared nothing loth to do so . He patiently taughther the same lessons day after day , i n structing her to
shade a little heavier here,and a l ittle lighter there.
He praised her success,and where he pointed out a fault,
he did i t so te nderly,that she was almost incli ned to
commit the error agai n . On the whole, Clarence hadnever passed so happy a winter, and he loved to bri ng
the blushes to the cheeks Of Gertrude by telli ng her so.
58 THE H OUSE HOLD A NGEL
To what trial s do you refer ? ” asked her mother, her
face growing very pal
The trial of finding out th at he has married a mere
nobody ! ” retorted She, angri ly. The moment She had
Spoken,the young girl keenly regretted her hasty words,
and would gladly have recalled them ; for she was really
frightened at the result.
Mrs . Stan ley tried to speak , but was un able, and fell
back faint and trembli ng i n her chair.
Uncle Stephen started from his seat exclaiming an
grily, Begone,girl ! What have you been doing to
your mother ? Begone, l say !” He rang the bell fur i
ously. Mrs . Carey happened to be i n the house , and
when she heard what had occurred,came directly with
sal-volati le and stimulants, by means of wh ich the un
happy lady soon recovered her consciousness, and was
assisted to her chamber ; and the old gentleman retired
to his room in great excitement, muttering as he went,“What fools we make of ourselves . I’l l have my eyes
Open, if I can
’t hear. Yes, and I
’l l make good use Of
them after thi s . Begone, si r !” he said
,to one of the
monkeys that had escaped from his confinement, “ I’ve
no time for fooling.
”
Clarence thought h is guardian must be more than
commonly absorbed i n business,when he stopped from
hi s walk a 3ross the room,and encountered the expression
of the angry man .
“ I wanted to talk with you,” he
began , “ upon a subj ect intimately connected
Can’t attend to i t,sir
,
” i nterrupted Uncle Stephen .
O ther business on hand .
” He jerked a chair from theJvall, and threw himself in to it, where he sat muttering
IN mso UISE . 59
unintelligibly for ten minutes . Though his compan ion
l istened eagerly,he could get no clue to the cause of thi s
sudden anger. He left h im read ing quietly i n the parlor,
and now he was more excited than he ever remembered
to have seen h im . At length Uncle Stephen said,in a
subdued voice, Call Alice ; I want Al ice .”
Cannot [ do what you wish ? ” asked Clarence, te
spectfully.
“ I feel angry,and I want her to come and pray for
Dear Uncle Stephen , replied the young man, bowing reverently before him ; you taught me to pray.
Can’t you pray now ?
Uncle Stephen made an effort to control him self,and
,
covering hi s face with his hands,sat thus for a time in
S ilence . At length he motioned his ward to si t by him,
and asked,Did you want my advice on any important
subject
Yes,sir
,replied Clarence
,though somewhat embar
rassed.
Well,wai t unti l to-morrow. I’l l talk with you then ..
One piece of advice you need,and I’ll give i t now
Keep your eyes open
The following day the young man again introduced
the subject,and wished Uncle Stephen’s approbation of
his choice of a companion,telling him he lov ed Gertrude,
and believed her pos sessed of al l th e qualifications he
could ask to make him happy.
What quali ti es do you donsider necessary, youngman ? ” asked Uncle Stephen
,rather gruffly .
Why, she i s wel l educated, of a good mi nd, has an
60 T HE HOUSE HOLD ANGEL
amiable di sposi tion , and — well, she is very handsome
and very lovely .
Handsome is that handsome does,muttered Uiiclc
Stephen,i n an under tone ; then , speaki ng aloud , be con
ti nned,Well
, if she is all that , I’l l settle a cool hundred
thousand upon her the day you’re married ! ” and,the
goggles bei ng off, di sclosed his eyes twinkling with sup
pressed mirth .
Clarence arose, stood before hrs guardian , and began
w armly to express his gratitude ; but Uncle Stephen cut
him Short. You’ve got first to p rove to me that she hasthese qualifications .”
That will not be difficult, I think . You are an excel
lent judge of character. How long wi ll i t take to prove
this to you
Three years,replied the Old gentleman
,decidedly.
T hree years repeated Clarence,with dismay de
picted on every feature .“ Not a day less . You know nothing at all Of her
character. Try her,prove her well . If she comes out
scath less from the trial, I
’ll giv e her to you, with my
blessing.
”
It required many arguments, however, to persuadeClarence that he was not perfectly acquai nted with the
character of the one he loved . But at length he eon
sented to say nothing Of h is affecti on to the object of i t,but to do as his uncle wished
,and watch her closely
,
fully assured that he should find her i n reali ty al l that she
was in appearance,and believi ng, when he did so, that
he should be spared so long a term of probation .
Uncle Stephen w as perfectly satisfied , and gave Clar
m D I SG U I SE . 61
ence his hand , saying, That i s enough . I can depend
upon your honor. It has been the favorite wi sh of my
life, si nce I adopted you, to unite you with one of my
nieces .”
Surely,
” in terrupted hi s ward, there can be no com
parison between Gertrude and her sisters .”
I acknowledge Emma is not so prepossessi ng i n herappearance ; but she may have a good heart, and Edith18
A very shrew. Del iver me from the taming of her.
C H A P T E R V I .
None but an author knows an author’s cares,
Or fancy’s fondness for the child she bears .
"
Cowper.
Mas . STANLEY did not leave her room for several days ,but A lice and her mother were unweari ed i n their attentions . Mr. Stanley really loved his wife
,and he went
often to her room to sit by her,as sh e lay weary and
fai nt upon her couch but every time he did so,his pres
ence seemed to add greatly to her distress, and caused
her tears to flow more freely . He knew not what to
think . If Edi th had been at home,he wou ld have sup
posed she had wounded her mother’s feelings . It could
be noth ing connected with h is children,for only the day
before she was taken sick, she had shown him , with apparent pleasure
,a l etter from Emma
,with whom she
kept up a regul ar correspondence ; and in it the young
girl expressed much affection for her mother. Al ice and
Loui s were, as she had often told him ,a real comfort to
nor. He would as soon suspect himself of i n ten tionallywounding the feelings of his wife, as of believing Ger
trude capable of i t ; for, i n her father’s presence, she was
i nvariably polite to her mother. As day after day passe d
without abating the di stress of his wife, he at length
became seriously alarmed,and retired' to his study to
consider what he had better do . He walked back andforth
,reviewing h is married l i fe . First he called to mind
62
THE H OUSEHOLD ANGEL IN D I SGU I SE . 63
the years he had lived with his Emma his first love ;then his meeting with Marion . How lovely she had
appeared to him . He could disti nctly see her as shelooked when he went to bring her to Li ndenwood . How
bright and happy her face how warm and impul sive ht r
manner ! But all was now changed . Some great sorrow
appeared to have fallen upon her, and he became con
vineed i t was connected with himse lf. Could he have
misunderstood her character? Had he not been too
much absorbed in hi s cares,and too l ittle attentive to
her,w ho had left beloved friends and delightful society
Ah ! he li ttle realized how cold and reserved he appeared
to Marion , w ho had lived i n the closest companionship
and confidence of her father, had been accustomed to
receive hi s morn ing and eveni ng caresses,to share with
him every joy and sorrow which fil led her heart, or that
this coldness , for which Gertrude had so unfeelingly ac
counted, was breaking her heart.
Havi ng i n vai n sought,by him self
,a sufficient cause
for the sadness and depressi on of his Wi fe,he determined
to seek her once more , and endeavor to regain her confi
dence . He wondered he had not before done thi s,and
immediately ascended to her chamber. As he si lentlyentered he saw her si tting i n an easy-chair, the back of
which was toward the door. He had taken but one stepi nto the room , when hi s atten tion was arrested by her
violent sobs . He advanced toward her ; but her wordsleft him powerless . She was holding a miniature
,which
he could see was rich ly set,to her li ps ; then her tears
rained upon i t as she exclaimed,i n heart-broken accents
,
Oh ! what shal l I what can I , do ? Oh t hat my dear
64 THE HOUSEHOLD ANG EL
father were alive to advi se me ! ” Then , again and again
kiss i ng the miniature , she sobbed out, And I loved him:
so dearly when , starti ng as if she heard a sound, she
thrust the precious treasure i nto her bosom .
He had heard enough . The mystery was revealed.
Mari on loved another. He returned si lently to h is studywhere he sat for a time w i th h is face buried in hi s hands .
He,too, asked himself agai n and again , “ What can I
do "” There was but one person i n the fami ly who
could answer,and that one was Al ice . Young as she
was,she had watched
,with sympathizing tears
,the sor
row of the gentle wife, w ho had been so true a friend to
her. ' She had heard the cruel taunts of Gertrudfi
‘
and
seen their with ering effect: She had observed the slight
m isunderstandings between the husband and wife,
through the influence of the same person . She knew,
too , how tenderly, how truly Marion loved him ,and how
wounding to her feelings had been many occurrences
unnoticed by others . But Alice could say nothing ; she
could only,by her winning gentleness, her arden t affec
tion,soothe the grief which she could not remove.
When Mr. Stan ley was called to tea, hi s anger had
enti rely subsided . Hi s love and pity for his wife determined h im to try, at least, to make her happy, even
though she loved another.
Tw o days later, Marion appeared below. Though
ex tremely pale,yet there was a light i n her eye
,and a
look of firm resolve,which had not shone there for many
weeks . The family gazed upon her with wonder. From
this time she gradually gained her strength and, though
never gay,she went resolutely on in the performance of
66 TH E H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
young wife found a true friend i n Uncle Stephen . Man)a time
,when weary and fain t i n well-doing, did she seek
hi s room,and never fai led to receive the encouragement
and sympathy which she needed . Her li terary laborsw ere of benefit to her, by allowi ng her no time to brood
over her ow n trial s, for Gertrude , though more cautious
than before, yet often , by her unkindness, brought tears
to her mother’s eyes .
Mrs . Stanley was often at a loss to understand her
husband . She frequently looked up to meet hi s eye
fixed upon her with sadness,and sometimes as if he
read her very soul ; and at such times she was con scious
of appeari ng much embarrassed .
She had an Obj ect,and was determined to win back
the love she supposed she had lost .
Early i n the spri ng,the whole family were startled by
Uncle Stephen,who
,after receiving h is daily packet of
letters,opened one containing intelligence w hich greatly
exci ted him . He sprang from his chair, threw down hisspeaking trumpet
,overset everything which stood i n h is
way to the door,then ran up stairs, calling, Claren t e !
Clarence
It was not more than fifteen minutes before Clarence
came down,equipped for a tri p to New York
,saying
,
Uncle Stephen i ntended to go,but he has at length
allowed me to take h is place .” He merely stopped tosay good bye, and a few whispered words to Gertrude,before he hastened away in order to reach the boat.
Nothing could be ascertai ned from Uncle Stephen asto the cause of Clarence’s sudden departure , o r the time
when he might be expected to return . Gertrude, in her
(N D I SG U ISE . 67
anxiety,even condescended to employ her mother to
obta in fo r her the des ired i nformation , but in vain . Thc
old gentleman w as res tless and excitable unti l the third
day after his ward’s departure , when a letter was received
from him which appeared greatly to r elieve his anxiety.though he said not a word of i ts contents . A fter thi s, a
letter came from Clarence every day for more than two
weeks,unti l one morning Uncle Stephen announced to
Mrs . Stanley that Clarence would soon return,i f i t
would be convenient for them to receive a young man
with him . Assured that i t would , he then told her that
the firs t letter he received w as from a physician i n NewYork
,contai n ing intelligence of the dangerous i llness of
a young man whom he had known in India . He hadnow recovered sufficiently to be removed, and Clarence,impatient to return , had asked permission to bri ng him
to Li ndenwood.
Mr. Stanley answered the letter,urging them to come
at once . He also asked Clarence to take the care of hisdaughters
,who were to return from school
,directi ng him
where they would meet him . In three days after thi s,
the party arrived,consi s ti ng of Emma, Edith , Mr. Syd
ney,and Mr . Huntington
,who was sti ll an invalid.
Uncle Stephen received the latter with the - affection of a
parent.
The young girls could hardly express their pleasure at
being once more at home . Emma w as really warm in
h er embrace of her mother ; and Edi th , who had grownto be taller than her sister, appeared much improved.
Her father and mother gazed at her i n surprise . She no
longer seemed a ch ild . Her hair which she had formerly
US THE HOUSE HOLD ANGEL
worn braided i n her neck,was now twi sted in to a kl ot
,
and fastened with a comb,making her appear li ke a
young lady of seventeen . While at school,she had
been much praised for her beauty ; and , i ndeed, her luxu
ria nt hair and brill iant color gave her some claims to be
considered handsome . She kissed Alice as She would
have petted a chi ld, saying, I do bel i eve youwi ll never
outgrow that baby look .”
Marion smiled,and hoped not. Louis was delighted
to see his sisters,and
,while Alfred Huntington remained,
the time passed pleasantly.
Alice went on with her lessons ; and her teacher,wi l ling to ascertai n whether she had advanced as far as
Edith , playful ly proposed to examine the latter i n thebranches She had pursued at school . There was no
shade of diffidence i n the character of Edi th,and she
willi ngly consented that either he or his friend should do
so . Young Huntington had from the firs t looked withan admiring eye upon Edith
,so free
,Open and frank she
appeared . He compared her with others whom he hadmet, and thought her very superior to them . Clarence
found she had pursued a great variety of studies , and
that she had a ski lful way of coveri ng her deficiencies
by aski ng questions connected with the subj ect. To an
interested obs erver like Mr. Huntington , this appearedto Show a great desire for knowledge ; and he did nothesitate to express hi s admirati on in looks, if not in
words . But upon Mr. Sydney the impression was dif
ferent. He perceived at once that some faculti es of hermind were very mature
,that she had a smatteri ng of
many subj ects,but i n force and thoroughness could not
rN D ISGU I SE . 69
be compared with A l ice . Ed ith was far i n advance ofhi s pupil i n her know ledge of the world, and in the
variety of her accomplishments ; yet Al ice had incom
parably the advantage i n the ease of her manners, and
m the winning grace and modes ty of her expres sion .
Mr. Huntington regarded her as a lovely chi ld,but as
yet he had found no opportunity of comparing their
dispositions .
In the meantime,Mrs . Stan ley progressed rapidly with
her tale . She lived i n it,and wove into it many scenes
i n her ow n life ; and so ful l was i t of thrilli ng pathos,so entire ly did she identify herself with the characters of
her story, that many pages were blotted with her sympa
thiz ing tears, while, as She read, Uncle Stephen laughed
and wept. So i nterested did he become in th is tale that
he could allow her to w rite but a few pages before she
read to him . Hi s approbation stimulated her efforts,and rendered her more hopeful of success .
After remaining at home a month , Emma and hersister returned to school . During this visit, Mrs . Stanleytook great delight i n the society of Emma
,and parted
from her with regret. This dear chi ld confessed that
Upon her firs t receivi ng the affectionate note Of her
mother,which accompanied the valuable bracelet, she
was overcome with Shame and mortification at her un
kindness,and that she then determined to become at
affectionate and dutiful daughter. While at home, she
listened with unaffected delight to nurse Carey’s at count
of the goodness of her mother. “ I am sure, Se id the
nurse,as she was in Emma’s room preparing her dresse s
for her return , “ I never can be grateful enough for the
70 THE HousEHOLD ANGEL .
kindness she has shown Alice,who loves her more nan
any other person livi ng, unles s i t be Louis .”Not more than she does her ow n mother, urged
Emma , l augh ing.
Putting her apron to her eyes, Mrs . Carey answered ,You know she would have felt differently i f I’d brought
her up . She takes n aturally to the fami ly where She’salways been treated like a , hild . If your ow n mother,who was so fond of her
,had lived
,she couldn’t have
been more kindly cared for.
Emma asked her mother if there was an engagementbetween Clarence and Gertrude
,adding
,“ She will tel l
me noth ing, but it’s easy to see that she loves h im .
”
I th ink ,” repli ed Marion
,there is an understanding
between them , though there may not be any positive
engagemen t.”
C H A P T E R V I I
This is some token from a newer friend
As the warm weather came on, Louis failed i n strengt h .Hi s lessons were disconti nued, and he was encouraged
to be out i n the open air» Hi s father purchased a smallpony for his exclusive use but the boy could hardly be
persuaded to ride, because Al ice could not accompany
It was a mild, pleasant. morning in the latter part of
May. The physician on the previous day had expressed
his wi sh for Louis to be on horseback as much as poss ible ; and Mrs . Stan ley was trying to persuade him to
overcome his languor,ri se from the sdfa, and go out i nto
the clear air.“ If Al ice could go too,
” he began as usual,when
with a perfect shout of delight,the person named came
bounding i nto the room . She was breath less with her
haste and joy, and catch ing the hand of the sick boy,pulled him quickly to the wi ndow. There stood the
Shetl and pony,and by its Side a beautiful wh ite horse
,
saddled and bridled,pawing and stamping with impa
tience at the delay .
Louis gazed at the horse, and Al ice gazed at Louis .when ,with a spring from the floor, she exclaimed , that
’s
mine , dear, dear Louis ! Now ,won’t we have a fine
time ? Oh ! how very glad I am ! ”
72 THE H OUSEH OLD ANGFL
“ But where did i t come from ? ” asked Mrs . Stanley,
who, with the whole group, had ap proached the front
window.
A likely story exclaimed Gertrude , scornful ly.
What makes ‘
you think i t i s yours she added,
qui ckly changing her tone. as she saw the eyes of Clar
ence fixed upon her i n astoni shment.“ Because a man brought i t, and the letter said so,
ep ried Al ice , her w he lc countenance beaming with ani
mation .
“What’s all th is about ? ” i nquired Uncle Stephen,f
o oking at Clarence for an explanation .
The young man smiled as he pointed to Al ice , who
eagerly took the trumpet and said , j oyful ly, Oh , UncleStephen ! somebody has given me a beautiful white
horse ! and we can’t find out who i t i s .”
Humph ! what can you do with a horse, I should-ike to know ? You never were on a horse in your life .
Oh yes,sir ! ” replied Al ice, i n her enthusiasm speak
ing very loud, I have rode on Louis’s pony .
”
“ But Clarence led you,
” suggested the boy.
Well, now I can learn to ride myself, and you’l l like
to ride a great deal , now you’ll have me for company
and she joyfully kissed his pale brow again and again .
When they turned from the window,they saw Mr .
Stanley beh ind them w i th an Open letter i n hi s hand,
from which he had taken a bank -bil l . He had a mostmysterious air, and waited, without speaki ng, until Gertrude said, Is it so, papa ? i s the horse sent to Al i ce ? ”
“ Yes ; Alice has strong friends somewhere , certainly
weal thy ones. A man came this morning,leading this
74 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
the attention of all present : “ Alice ought to be very
thankful for your valuable gift. Perhaps , as She g row s
Older She may appreciate the kindness which has singled
her out as the receiver of your bounty.
”
Uncle Stephen was very angry ; at lea s t his h eigh t~
ened color,and the impatien t stamp of hi s foot made
him appear so . He started to h is feet,and giving the
cricket before h im a violent push , exclaimed, Who said
I had bestowed any bounty upon her,or any one else
Gertrude was about to make an angry reply ; but she
saw Clarence,whom she thought had left the room
,
standing by Alice i n the door-way, and she turned
haughti ly to the window.
“ Could i t be Uncle Stephen ,” thought Al ice
,“ who
gave i t to me ? ” She started forw ard,then checked
hers elf, and finally fol lowed her teacher to the door,
where Louis was impatiently call ing her to come andtry her new pony.
Gertrude retired to her ow n room ; but the sight from
her windows did not by any means dimin ish the angershe felt toward Alice .
Clarence mounted the horse,rode h im gently around
the yard, trotted and cantered him ,and finding him to
be perfectly gentle,placed Alice upo n his back . Louis
followed , laugh ing gayly at her fear, for the horse, though
not a large one,was so much higher than the Shetland
pony, that she trembled exces sively. Clarence, however,encouraged her
,walked by her side back and forth
,until
she became used to the height. He then asked if she
w ould venture to have the animal trot,saying he would
s till hold the rei n.
i N D ISGUISL . 75
Though very pale, Alice said, Yes ; and after a few
moments,thought she could go alone . He showed her
how to hold the rei n , made her si t erect, bearing upon
the stirrup, and then let her go, following closely beh ind
her. She rode down to the gate and then s topped, but
her k ind teacher soon came up and taught her to turn
about, when she trotted bri skly up to the door. She then
begged Clarence to si t upon the step while She rode
alone , and this time she and Louis trotted side by s ide
down the grayelled road , turned, and trotted up to the
door,when the young gentleman told her she had done
bravely, and Mrs. Stanley from the window nodded her
approval .
I wish Uncle Stephen could see me , said the happy
girl,'
and looking up to his window she saw him , laugh
ing hearti ly at her success .
The more she thought of it,the more was Alice con
v inced that Uncle Stephen was the donor ; but she w as
sorely puzzled i n what way to express her thanks wi th
out giving offence. At length , after revolving the subject
unti l a very late hour at n ight, she resolved upon a method
by which She .might do so. She was i n the habit of
writi ng tw o compositions every week ; sometimes it w as
an abstract of her lesson,sometimes a simple tale, and
often a Bible character. Her next,she resolved
,should
be a letter addressed To my unknown benefactor.
This she did i n a neatly-written note of tw o pages,and
,
hav i ng shown it to Mrs. Stanley,and received her kind
approval,she carried it to the parlor
,and
,watching her
Opportunity when she found Uncle Stephen alone,she
to ld him she had a letter which she wished to show him ,
76 T H E H O USEHOLD ANGEL
before she gave it to her teacher for a theme. The old
gentleman pushed back his glasses, and took the envel
ope, l ittle thi nking it was addressed to him self. Heopened it
,commenced readi ng, then gave a start of
pris e ; but, seeing Alice standing anxiously before him,
he read it through with no other comment than by fro
quently wipi ng his eyes . He then careful ly folded it, and
returned i t to her,saying
,
" Good child, good c/til i n
such a tone of tenderness , that she kn ew her humble
thanks had been accepted . When she presented the com
position to h er teacher,he did not
,as was usually the
case, return it to her with corrections ; and, when she
asked for it,told her he had forwarded it according to the
address .
During the weeks following, the children, as they werecalled in the family
,improv ed the fine weather unti l
Alice became qui te an accomplished equestrian , Clar
ence often obtaini ng another horse,and accompanyi ng
them to the village . But whi le th is exercise was of great
service to the young girl,Louis appeared more and more
exhausted,unti l at length even h i s physician became con
vinced he could not endure the fatigue . Dr. Jenks thenrecommended a change of air, and Mrs. Stanley pro
posed starti ng with him and Al ice on a j ourney to
Her husband accompanied her,and after wai ting a few
days, and finding the change likely to prove beneficial, he
returned home,leaving her to prolong her visi t wh ile the
poor boy continu ed better. It was his firs t j ourney, and
Loui s was not soon weary of talking with Alice, aboutplace s of interest they had passed. He gained rapidlyin s trength, and Was able to ride almost every day. His
IN D I SG UI SE . 77
mother went with him to C her n ati ve place,vis ited
the house where she was born,poi nted out to him and
his companion w e study where her father wrote his ser
mons,received the call s of h is people
,and heard her re
citation s .‘
She showed them the garden,and arbor
, w i th
i ts clusteri ng vi nes trai ned by her ow n hand . Nor d idshe fail to visi t with them the graves of her father and
mother. 1
Seated on a low mound, Mrs . Stan ley called to m indthe early teachings of her beloved father
,the only parent
she had known,and repeated them to her attentive li sten
ers . She reminded them of the home, the Sav iour has prov ided for all those w ho humbly believe on him
,w ho love
him, and try to do h is will . Pointing to the grave before
her,she told them how she had longed to lie down there
by his side . But,” she added
,that des ire was a mur
mur agai nst the kind hand that had for so many years
given me a teacher,guide
,and friend . Long ago I
learned to thank Him th at my prayer was not answered.I have now many dear ones for whom I des ire to live and
labor and she drew the children nearer to her side . “ I
want you, my dear Al ice ,” she conti nued, “ to remember
tha t God sends no more tri als than he sees to be needful
for us,and no more than he wi l l give us strength to en
dure,if we call upon him . Sometimes he takes away
our fri ends,sometimes deprives us of the affections we
most nighly priz e,lest we should make idols of them ,
and forget him ,the author of all our blessings . Let us
trust him,feeling sure that he doeth all things well and
let us prepare for that mansion above the skies, where
78 THE H OUSEH OLD ANGEL
there wil l be no more sorrow, no more tears, but when
all wi ll be free from si n .
”
Mother,
” said Louis,gazing for one moment i nto her
face, and then letting his eye rest upon the graves“ I
shall go there very soon . I often dream about i t.”
lVIrs . Stanley pressed the dear child to her heart, and
fel t that it would i ndeed be a trial to part with him,whil e
Al ice caught hi s hand, her eyes fil li ng with tears . Don’t,
Louis,don’t say so ! You know I couldn’t do without
you ; and you are a great deal better.”
“ Yes,
” replied Louis,I’m better ; but i t won t last
long. I lie awake at night, and th ink about it ; and
sometimes I’m glad,because then I shall n ever do w rong
any more . And now it’s so hard not to feel impatient
when my head aches ; but,” and he drew a long sigh ,
sometimes I feel afraid to d ie and li e in the cold
grave .”
My ow n dear Louis ! ” exclaimed his mother, whileher tears fell thick and fast
, youwill not l ie there . You
will be with God,with your Saviour
,with your dear
mother. It i s on ly th is poor feeble body which will be
put in the grave to rest until the morning of the resur‘
rection .
“ Alice reads to me about heaven,’ repl ied the boy,
rai sing his eyes to the clear azure Sky above them . I
love to hear about it.”
Oh,Louis ! ” exclaimed the weepi ng girl , “ I never
knew why you wante d me to read those chapters i n the
Revelation so many times . You didn’t tell me you were
going there so soon .
Mrs . Stanley w as received with great j oy by her old
IN D I SG UI SE. 79
fri ends, and she passed nearly t wo weeks among them ,
going from house to house with her chi ldren . On the,she once more ben teven ing before she returned to N
her steps to the quiet cemetery, and there alone, on her
knees,at the side of her dear father’s grave, She implored
wisdom to guide her i n all her efforts to do good . She
prayed that her fai th and pati ence might n ever fai l, but
that all her affl i ctions might be so improved,as to become
blessings to her soul . She besought her heavenly Father
to grant unto her the unspeakable sati sfaction of seeing
her dear husband a ch ild of God, and all the chi ldren
following the example of their brother,and looking for
ward to an inheri tance in the ski es.
Louis seemed so much benefited by the journey,and
his constant exercise in the open air,that Mrs . Stanley
postponed,from time to time
,her intended departure . It
was the las t w eek i n August when she wrote her hus
band that she should return i n a few days . She had not
yet sent the letter to the office, when she was summoned
to the parlor by her kind friend,Mrs . Churchil l
,and there
found Louis tightly clasped in the arms of Mr. Sydney.He had been absent from Li ndenwood for six weeks
,
travelling with Uncle Stephen .
“ And where is the good man, now ? ” asked Marion,
eagerly.
He i s at the public house, but a few rods dis tant.That i s
,i ndeed
,good news ! Wil l he return d irectly
home , from here ?”
He says he cannot decide unti l he has Seen you.
Mrs . Stanley started .
“ I wil l go to him at once. Ihave a letter written to my husband
,i nforming him of
80 T HE H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
my i nten tion to leave here in a few days . Perhaps i twil l
not be neces sary to s end i t.”
Is Alice well ? ” asked Clarence,when she had re
turned to the room , equipped for the walk .“ Perfectly so , here She comes, up the yard .
The young man started toward the window . Ali ce
had thrown off her sun-bonnet as she came through the
gate,and was singing gayly
,when her atten tion was at
trac ted by a sound i n the street. Wi th her neck and
arms bare,her small head bent sl ightly forward as she
li stened, her lips parted, disclosing two beautiful rows of
pea rly teeth,Alice stood for one moment unconscious of
the eyes gazing upon her with pride and affection . But
turn ing to enter th e house she saw Clarence,stopped sud
denly for one earnest glance, to assure herself it were
really be,then
,with a light bound
,sprang forward in to
the room,her eyes sparkling, and her whole countenance
lighted with joy.
Clarence ! Oh , Clarence ! ” she exclaimed with del ight, as he grasped both her hands and impri nted a ki ss
upon her willing li ps,I’m so happy to see you .
The young man said nothing i n words , but the com
placency with which he regarded hi s enthusi astic pupi
told h is pleasure at the meeti ng.
Uncle Stephen i s at the Hote l,
” remarked Mrs . Stan
ley to the child. You and Louis may go with me tosee him . As I Should like to have some pri vate conversation w i th h im
,
” she con tinued,turn i ng to Mr. Sydney,
I will entrust you to the care of the young people for
half an hour.”
“ I am well convinced there i s some plot going on ,”
82 THE Housn now A N GEL
once to New York,and make arrangenn n ts for its pub»
. icatio n . Wi ll you leave the bus i ness with me ? ”
“ Certainly, cc-rtai'nly ,
— I am entirely ignorant how
such thi ngs are managed .
I have an acquai ntance with a publisher, who w ill, l
think,be glad to take it upon my recommendation .
” II
didn’t con s ider it neces sary to say to her . that he w ould
furni sh the requ i s ite funds .
Mrs . Stan ley then presen ted her kind friénd with a
small case,con tai ni ng the miniatures of herself and the
ch ildren ; and he had not done admiring i t when they
returned .
Mrs . Churchi l l cordially i nvited Mr. Forsyth,and his
ward,to spend the n ight at her house ; but th e old gen
tleman preferred remaining at the hotel,as they were to
start for New York early the next morning.
Mrs . Stanley parted from her friends with regret,after
receiving from them a promise of a speedy return of her
long visi t ; and arrived at home greatly improved i n
strength and Spiri ts . The children were delighted to beagain at home
,and resume their wonted occupati ons.
They vis i ted th e stables to see Felix and Dobbin , then ames they had given to their favori te animals, and found
them i n good condition,having by order of Mr. S tanley
been exercised every day .
When Uncle Stephen returned , he i nformed Marion
that he had been able to make satisfactory arrangements
i n regard to the publ ication of her tale,°
which would
soon be i ssued from the press .
As the time approached for the work to appear, the
author began to tremble for its success ; and, though
m D l SGUISE . 83
it was entirely anonymous,she almost wished she had
never undertaken it . These fears,however
,she was
obliged to keep to herself, for Uncle Stephen was indignant at the first doubt she expres sed
,and took i t as a
g, when she said,timidly, The public will not receive my li ttle work as
reflect ion upon his power of judgin
ki ndly as you have done .
The next few weeks passed rapidly away. Mr. Stan
ley was i n unusual spirits at the return of hi s wife,and
the apparent improvement i n Louis . Gertrude was occupied with Clarence, who gave himself up to thepleasure he experi enced i n h er society
,though as yet he
had kept“
hi s promise to his guardian,and had not dis
closed to her his love . He had , i ndeed , experi enced asudden pang
,when he observed any appearance of
asperi ty i n her temper ; but love is proverbia lly blind , so
that many events prejudici al to her passed before his
eyes without hi s'
notice,or i f he observed them
,he w as
ever ready to i nvent excuses for what appeared unlovely
in her conduct .
Gertrude loved Clarence as much as with her cold ,proud temperament she was capable of loving. But she
was vexed at his delay to ask her hand,and ascribed i t
to the influence of her step-mother. She was also dis
trus tful of Alice,and determined that the child should
be made to feel that she was too familiar, and that she
must learn to keep her appropriate place . She begged
her father to s end the ch ild to school , as Louis was somuch better ; but when he mentioned the propos i tion i n
the presence of Clarence , the young man would by no
means consent to give up his pupil ; and said, with
84 THE HOUSEH OLD A NGE L .
warmth It wi ll be quite time for her to attend school
and learn accomplishments, when I leave here ; that i s,if you are satisfied with her progress .”
So Alice went on , qu ietly laying the foundation for a
thorough education ; though her i nstructor sighed , as he
thought of what might be her futur e des tiny. And
Louis,who was always present, at her recitations, and
who of late had li stened very att entively, became fond
of study, and progressed rapidly.
C H A P T E R V I I I .
To meditate, to plan , resolve, perform,
Which in itself is good, as surely brings
Reward of good, no matter what he done.
ABOLT the middle of October, the fami ly at Li ndenwood Hall were seated at their evening repast. UncleStephen
,having finished h is meal
,requested Alice to
pass him the New York Journal of Commerce. He wasan inveterate reader of newspapers ; and, after reading
to himself several columns of sh ipping, and matters
connected w ith trade, he came upon the following notice,which he read aloud : Works in Press — A Simple
Tale of Home Li fe , publi shed by S . D . 85 Co. This
work,from an anonymous author, i s now before the
public . With an unostentatious title, i t makes i ts way
to the heart,stirri ng our very souls to purer
,higher
,and
nobler purposes . It i s full of pathos and simple beauty,
and the style is chaste and clear. We prophesy for i t a
wide circulation .
”
“ Then follows a score - or more of similar notices of
the same book,
” conti nued Uncle Stephen , as i f he were
about to pass on to something else .“What is the title ? ” i nqui red Gertrude, eagerly.
Clarence looked over Uncle Stephen’s shoulder,and
repeated it.“W ill you send for i t
,father ? [ should li ke to read it ’
8 85
56 TH E H OUSEH OLD A N GEL
Yes,my daughter, though probably we should be
able to Obtain it from the bookstore i n the village .”
During the reading of the notice,Mrs . Stanley grew
very pale,but the fami ly were so in tently lis ten ing that
they did not notice her agitation .
The next morning, Gertrude borrowed Felix from
A l ice, and, accepting Clarence as an escort, w as just
starti ng for the vil lage, when a bundle was brought to
Uncle Stephen . He untied the wrapper,disclos ing a
pile of books elegantly bound .
Pshaw ! ” said he, im patiently, as he saw several
p airs of eyes earnestly watching him . He took up aletter lying at the to p of the bundle
,and
,having hasti ly
read i t,muttered, “ A pretty piece of impos ition
,truly !
Send me a doz en books to give away for Christmas
presen ts ! Wonder what will be don e next ? Turn au
thor myself,most likely.
” Then,taking one volume from
the pile,“ there
,Gertrude
,
” he said, “ no need of going
to the bookstore , unless youwant to take these and sell
them there . Here are a dozen copies of the very bookyou were i n search of.”
Gertru\ de advanced eagerly, and took i t from his hand“Well ,
” he resumed,“ suppose can’t send ’em back ,
so you may keep that one, if you’l l promise to read i t,
and profit by it.”
Thank you,
” she replied,gayly, I
’ll certain ly prom
ise to do the first.”
He then placed a volume in the trembling hands ofMrs . Stanley
,and also of Alice
,and of Louis, who were
present.
With a flushed face,the authoress retired from the
IN nrsomse . 87
room , while Clarence proposed to Gertrude a l‘ l(I( i n
another direction .
In the eveni ng, when the family drew around the fire,Mr. Stanley proposed reading aloud
,while the ladies
employed themselves wi th their needles . This propos i
tion was joyfully received ; and Uncle Stephen , find ing
he could hear di stinctly when hi s nephew held the tube
a short distance from his mouth,raised the horn to his
ear, and sat back i n h is chair with an appearance of
perfect content. Al ice nestled herself close to Mrs .
Stanley,who had turned a l i ttle from the light
,while
Louis, w ho begged to be allowed to si t up an hour, and
hear the new book , laid his head i n his mother’s lap .
Be fore her father had read many pages,Gertrude dropped
her work,and , leani ng her head upon her hand , gave
herself up to the enjoyment. of l isteni ng. As the work
progressed,no one was more i nterested than Uncle Ste
phen,who clapped his hands
,then , as i f fearful o f los ing
a word,he caught up his tube , and as suddenly shed
tears . And, indeed, Mr. Stanley, who was a fine reader,was often obliged to stop and clear hi s throat . At
length they came to the death of the heroi ne, whose
touching story had come home to every heart, who was
represented as a young bride yearni ng for the affection
of her husband . He had mis taken her character, andfound
,when too late to atone for his neglect, her diary,
where she had poured out freely all her sorrows . HereMr. Stanley was unable to proceed , and pas sed the book
to Clarence,while Uncle Stephen wept aloud , wholly
unmi ndful that the trumpet had for some time been
lying unused upon the table . Mrs . Stanley also wept,
88 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
but hers were tears°
of j oy and grati tude . Her agita tionattracted the atten ti on of her husband, who , ascribi ng it
to a w rong cause , made many noble resolutions sug
gested by the subj ect of the tale .
At a late hour the book was reluctantly laid aside, to
be fini shed the following eveni ng,when Uncle Stephen
said, I forgive the Old fellow for sending me the books .
If i t ends well , I’l l order a dozen or tw o more .
It was with great di fficulty that Gertrude restrain ed
herself from readi ng in advance ; but C larence put hi s
h ands over her book,telli ng her i t was not fair. Through
that day,nothi ng else was talked of.
Marion ! ” exclaimed her husband,“ I have not yet
heard your Opi nion . Are you not i n terested“ The characters are dear to me as personal fri ends
,
”
she replied, while her l ips quivered from suppressed emo
tion .
There was something inexplicable i n her manner,and
,
addressing her with unwonted tenderness,he said
,My
dear wi fe, you take i t too much to heart.~ Early in the evening the family assembled
,eager for
the reading to begi n . ' Clarence sugges ted that Uncle
Stephen should take a Oopy of the work,and read to
h imself,which he willi ngly agreed to do
,and Mr. Sta n
ley commenced.
As the story progressed,the hero
,rendered de solate by
the death of his wife,gave himself up to bi tter remorse ,
and then,through the i nstrumentality of the earnest
prayers i n hi s behalf,which he found interspersed through
the pages of her private j ournal,became a humble , con .
s istent Christian . There were no unheard Of escapes
90 TH E HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
how to move the hearts of others . The book i s above
praise . I am willi ng to confess that I ow e to it many
new resolutions ; many desires after the peace experi
enced by that desolate husband,as described i n the clos~
i ng chapter .
Mrs . Stanley left the room hurriedly,to conceal the tears
of grati tude which were well ing up from the deepest
fountain s of her heart.
For a number of days the characters described in th e
new book were the all-engrossing themes of conversa
tion . Favorite chapters were read again and agai n,and
each time some new beauty was discovered . Gertrude
was exceedingly anxious to ascertai n the name of the
author, who, she said, “ must be a lady of the keenest
susceptibi lities , as well as the most refined tas te , for there
is not a low expression in the wh’
ole book .
”
N or was Gertrude the only one who was curious to
know the wri ter of thi s popular tale,the most flattering
notices of which were daily coming from the press . Mrs.
Stanley saw one day an extract from a New York paper,
which pained her exceedingly. It was as follows The
question has repeatedly been asked,who i s the author of
‘A Simple Tale of Home Life .’ She is,as w e under
stand upon good authori ty,a lady residi ng not a hundred
miles from thi s c ity, who lives a very sad life with a
cruel, tyrann ical husband . The story i s said to be a h is
tory of her ow n trials,embelli shed with some fiction .
Marion took the paper to her ow n room , and tore i t to
pieces , wondern w ho could have thought of such an
explanation . But the next day the mistake was rectified,and the author was said to be a young lady residing at
rN D l SGUISE . 91
the south , - name unknown . After reading the latter,
the author breathed more freely.
Uncle Stephen conducted h imself i n a most mysteri
ous manner. He had ordered bundle after bundle of
them from the publi sher,and sent them to hi s friends in
every direction . Louis watched him o ne day,as he sat
reading selections from the Simple tale,
” while he
chuckled to himself, as if very merry at h is own thoughts.
Al ice,” he whispered , “ I shoul dn’t wonder if Uncle
Stephen w rote that book .
N O,he didn’t,
” sh e repl ied , decidedly.
Well,he can say it all by heart. He has read noth
ing else s i nce i t came out, except the notices i n the
papers .”
And indeed Uncle Stephen might well be i nterested
i n Marion’s complete success . I prophesied i t from the
first,” he repeated to her agai n and again . He had been
the only one i n her confidence had heard i t as soon as
written ; nay, had talked over and over the plan w ith
her,and she had realized much assi stance from his h ints.
Now,he thought, was the time for her to make herself
known . But she said,“ Not qui te yet .” She shrank
from the denouement, even i n her own family.
In less than tw o months the publisher w rote to Uncle
Stephen that the first edi tion was exhausted , and that he
had many orders for the book yet unanswered . He w as
ready to make his first payment of one thousand dollars,and he should immediately put to press a second edition
of ten thousand copies .
When asked what she would have done with the
12 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
money,Mrs . Stanley answered ,“Please direct them to
deposit it i n a New York bank , subj ect to your order .”But what shall I do with it ?
I wish to use it here ,” she answered, laughi ng.
I wont promise to keep your secret much longer,he said to her one day, when they were alone . I
wouldn’t, on any account, fai l of being present when the
family discover the author ”
“ I shall tell my husband,” said Mrs . Stanley ; butyou shall h ave the pleasure of revealing the secret to the
others,though I am far from wishing it known
,except to
the immediate members of our ow n family .
”
It was a joyful,merry Christmas, that year at Li nden
wood . The trees, bushes, and ground, as far as the eye
could see, were covered with pure, white snow . Emmaand her si ster had returned for the holidays
,and wi th
them also,by especi al i nvitation , Alfred Huntington . So
that,with the family already at home , they made qui te a
large and pleasant circle .
Louis,whose health had not been so firm for years ,
ran from room to room,wish ing h is fri ends a “ merry
Chri stm as .” The choice of suitable gifts had been a
grave question of di scuss ion between him and Alice,
especially as on the previous week,each received
,from
an unknown friend,five dollars to be appropri ated i n that
way. But at length they took Mrs . Stanley i n to their
confidence,and she at once rel i eved them ; Alice had
,
during the summer and fall,employed her le isure in
worki ng a pair of sl ippers for Uncle Stephen,as a small
toke n of her grati tude for hi s kindness . She also wished
to make something for her teacher ; but had been unable
lN D i s e UISE 93
to decide upon any article,unti l her kind friend suggested
a purse .
After breakfast there was a general distribution of
gifts, followed by joyful exclamations of delight ; none,however
,w ere received with more pleasure than that of
Ali ce to Uncle Stephen,who immediately threw off his
richly;braided India slippers , substituting hers i n their
place . Mr . Stanley threw over the neck of hi s wife a
heavy gold chain,from which was suspended a valua
ble watch . In return,She gave him a quaint old
fashioned ring, of great worth , begging him to wear i t
for her sake . Clarence and Gertrude exchanged books,
whil e Ally and Louis were perfectly delighted by apresent, from his father, of a bright-yellow Canary bird,i n a handsome cage .
When the confusion arising from the pleasant scene
nad somewhat subsided,Marion took her husband by the
hand, and led him to the small room she had used for a
study . Inviting him to be seated,she presented him
with an envelope contain ing bills to th e amount of one
thousand dollars . He took them out— one,two, three,
four,and so on , until he had counted ten one-hundred
dollar-bills . He looked at hi s wife i n surpri se,but She
only blushed and laughed .
What do you i ntend to do with all this ? he asked .
It i s your Chri stmas present.”
From whom
From your wife,i f you will accept i t.
“ But where did you get i t ?” and for one i nstant a
pang shot through his heart,as he thought of the origi
nal o f the mi n iature she prized so highly. But she Sat
9 1 THE HOUSEHOLD ANG EL
the re , loo ring i n his face wi th her calm ,truthful eyes
and he spurned the idea as unworthy of her.
Will you forgive me,i f I tel l you all
Certain ly,my dear
,
” he repli ed,unco nsciously laying
the notes upon the table, and growing pale about the
mouth . He evidently shrank from the disclosure .You are ill,
” said Marion,ki ndly
,though with a
m ade of sadness passing across her features,as she
saw the contraction of her husband’s brow,and little
dreamed the cause . Some other time will do as well .”
No ! no ! ” he replied,I am quite well. It has been
a lready too long delayed .
You know it then,and are displeased
,and Ma
rion brushed away a tear,that her surprise should have
resulted so differently from what she had an tici pated.
Go on , Marion , I know nothing. At leas t,noth ing
defin itely,I only had my suspicions .”
Oh ! ” said the young wife,l aying her head on h is
shoulder,and weeping bitterly, “ I had hoped so much
from th is,I did not imagi ne th at
‘
you would be dis
pleased, or I would never have undertaken it .
”
Undertaken what,my dear wife ? 1 do not under
s tand you,
” and he put his arm about her.
To write the book,
” she answ ered , sobbing.
What book,Marion he asked, starting to hi s feet.
Why,the one Uncle Stephen gave you.
”
For a full mi nute Mr. Stanley stood gazing at his
w ife, as if he could hardly beli eve his senses . Then he
caught her i n h is arms,and held her tigh tly to hi s breast.
My own Marion he wh ispered , “ can you forgive me,
who have so misjudged you ? ”
IN D ISG018 8 . 95
Oh ! ” exclaimed the loving wife , if you will onlylove me
,I shall be so happy.
”
At that moment, a servant knocked at the door, and
requested her mistres s to go below. There was to be a
great dinner at the Hall, to which Mr. Badger, their goodrector
,and his family , together with other friends from
the village,had been invited . Mrs . Carey had the super
vis i on of the whole , and had sen t for Mrs. Stanley toadvise . Al ice could set the tables , and adorn them w i th
flowers,but she wished for her mistress’s approbation of
the general arrangements . Mrs . Stanley accompanied
the servan t to the pantry, though keenly di sappointed at
the interruption .
In the meantime, Mr. Stanley replaced the bi lls i n the
envelope,returned them to Marion’s desk
,and com
menced a vigorous walk across the room,as he impa
tiently awaited her return . He was filled with remorsethat he had given her pain , and caused her to utter an
exclamation expressing a fear that she did not possess
h is love . “ If she had remained,” he soliloquized
,“ I
would have asked her to have explai ned all— could i t
not have been her father’s picture ? ” he exclaimed,stop
ping short in his walk . “ But then , why should she
conceal it ? Yet,I am sure she i s i nnocent of wrong .
”
Then hi s mind reverted to her late disclosure,and he
thought of her with pride,as the author of a book which
had found such great favor with the publ ic. “ Howcould she have accomplis hed it wi thout hi s knowledge ? ”
Then he became. convi nced that Uncle Stephen had been
i n her confidence . But w hat would his daughters say
Would she be wil ling they s hould know i t ? Or was
96 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
she determined to remain the wnknown author ”7 Pride
at the thought of the rare talents of his wife, and regret
that he had not better appreciated her, by turns swelled
his breast,unti l at l ength he became tired of waiting,
and determined to seek her below. But nei ther i n the
parlor nor di ni ng-room could he find her,and he reluc
tautly j oined the family.
Mrs . Stan ley w as by thi s time deep in the mysteri es
of the kitchen . D ifferent k inds of soup, game , and othermeats, by turn s, engaged her attention . There was, in
deed,much to be done
,and She saw no way but for
her to spend the forenoon i n its accomplishment. She
ran for one moment to her room to put on a large apron,hoping to find her husband still there ; but he had just
gone below,and She returned to her work .
Alice flew about here and there, beating eggs, grati ng
lemon and nutmeg,while Louis was busi ly engaged i n
picking raisi ns and sultannas . When the puddings
were prepared for the oven , Al ice ran gayly to the
dining-room,and Mrs . Stan ley having unlocked the
side-board,proceeded to take from thence plate and
gass . Ever and anon shouts of l aughter came fromthe parlor, i n which the young girl most hearti ly j oined ,though without knowing the cause. She had carried all
the dishes to the table,and was singing gayly
,as she
placed them i n order,when Clarence
,attracted by her
fu ll melodious voice,came to find her .
I have been wondering for the last five mi nutes,” he
said,as he stood i n the door-way
,“ who could have im
porte d that nightingale . Really, Alice, you are a famous
98 THE HOUSEH OLD ANGEL
had directed,stopping occasionally to watch the tas te
with which h is young compan ion assorted colors,and
the despatch with which she formed the flowers i nto
cones,tying the stems of the roses and camellias upon
short pieces ofwire . She was using up her las t flowers,
when they heard a sound of suppressed mirth,and
,
turn ing quickly,saw Emma and Edith standing at the
dOOL
The girls laughed merrily as they entered,and Emma
said,good-humoredly,
“ I woul d gladly have assis ted
you, Alice, though I doubt whether I could have been
so successful .”
“ There has been great i nquiry about you i n the par
lor,” said Edith .
“ One young lady has been exceedingly anxious concern ing your welfare .
Young Sydney started up i n haste,and
,taking two
of the vases from the table, fol lowed Al ice to the dining
room,and then returned to the parlor. Soon after
,Mrs .
Stanley,having finished her preparations, and dressed
for dinner, entered in season to receive her guests .
Gertrude cast a reproachful glance upon her lover,and
a haughty one upon her mother, supposing her to be the
cause of his absence . But he made no explanation ;and
,as Mr. Badger, the aged clergyman , and his family,
were soon announced , the conversation became general .
Mr. Stanley took an opportunity, how ever, to speak in
a low voice to his wife, saying, “ My love, where have
you hid yourself ? I looked i n vain for you to return to
the chamber.
”
Marion had only time to give?
him a glance Of affec
tio n 7 before she was addres sed by one of the company .
m DISGUl SE . 99
When the more substantial viands had been di sposed
of, and the des sert brought in , Mrs . Warren, one of the
company,remarked that the flowers were exceedi ngly
fresh,supposi ng they had been brought from the city .
With a smile,Mrs . Stanley replied
,
“ I have :a fai rywho arranges my flowers for me , and , look ing around
the table , for the first time noticed that Alice was no t
present. “ Where has the child vanished ? ” she asked,quickly.
She did not come to dinner,mamma, replied EmmaGo to her room , Sarah ,
” said Mrs . Stanley,address
ing a servant, and tell her I cannot excuse her.” - From
the expression on Gertrude’s face,sh e feared the chi ld
had been‘
purposely kept away .
Sarah soon returned,and whispered to her mistress
that Al ice was weeping bitterly .
A shade passed over the bright countenance of the
hoste ss , but she said no more . She noticed, however,that Gertrude was talking in an excited manner to agentleman opposi te , and that Uncle Stephen , w ho was
the first to miss h i s little favorite , and to suspect some
thing wrong,scarcely moved h is eyes from her face .
The very first moment Mrs . Stanley was at l iberty,
she hastened to Alice,but found Lou i s had preceded
her . The poor child had wept herself s ick , and was
leaning her aching head upon her arms,which were
lying on a table . It was a long time before her ki nd
friend could obtain any satis factory account of the cause
of her grief. She at length told her, however unpleasant
i t might be to complai n o f anoth er, i t was plain ly herduty to confide i t to her.
100 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
l know ,said the child
,with an affecting appearant c
of humility,
“ I know that I ought not to feel so badlyI do forget that I have no right to be treated like theothers
,for I am only a
Al ice ! ” said Mr s . Stan ley, wi th decision , “ tell me
instan t ly what has happened . You are as dear to me
as any of my children .
The young girl tried to suppress her sobs, as she said,After I had finished arranging the table
,I came to my
room to prepare for dinner. I had just curled my hair,
and mother had been up to assist me to dress,when
Gertrude came in,and told me that my conduct had
been so improper that I could not go to the table ; that
the whole family were ashamed ofme for forcing myself
upon them as if I were a daughter, or any thing but a
servan t.”
“What had you been doing that sh e considered so
improper ? ”
“ I think it was that Clarence helped make the bou
quets ; but I did not ask h im to do so . I told him he
had better return to the parlor .”
“ Yes,I understand,
” said Mrs . Stanley, sighing beav
i ly.
“ Now,A lice, I am sure you have no wish to
render me unhappy .
No,i ndeed , ma
’am .
Then bathe your eyes, go down and eat your dinner.
Your mother i s at the table now. Then I w il l come upand dress you
,for Lmust have mv li ttle girl look her
best to-night.”
“ I h ad rather not go i nto the parlor, murmuret
Alice. “ I could not keep from cryi ng.
”
102 THE HOUSE HOLD A NGEL .
there was a s l ight diffidence, arisi ng from the reflections
called up by Gertrude’s unkindness , which deepened the
color i n her cheeks,and added greatly to her beauty.
The young people pressed forward to speak with her,
and to interest her i n some games they were plann ing
for the evening. But during the whole afternoon she
kept her place at Mrs . Stanley’s s ide,w ith Uncle Stephen
near her .
At length Clarence approached,and
,i n a grave tone
,
asked her i f she were doing penance,that she sat so
quietly while her companions i n the recess were in such
a frolic.“ She i s not doing penance for her ow n si n s
,replied
Mari on,quickly
,seeing Al ice was distres sed .
“ Nor for mine,I hope,
” exclaimed Clarence,hi s brow
contracting with a sudden thought. He did not wait foran an swer, but, drawing a chair near the group, entered
warmly i nto conversation with Mrs . Jenks,wife of the
fami ly phys ician . They talked of India,and Clarence
persuaded hi s guardian to give the ladies\
an account ofone of the feasts of the natives . Before he had finished
,
Mr. Stanley and Mr . Badger joined them ; and, when
they were called to tea , Al ice thought she had never
passed a more pleasant hour than the last.
C H A P T E R I X .
Alas I am but a woman,fond and weak,
Without even power my proud, pure love to speak
But, oh ! by all I fail in , love not me
For What I am, but what I w ish to be.
” M rs . Osgood.
THE Christmas holidays were certainly not wanting i n
exci tement to one, at least, of the family at L i ndenwoodHall . Having gained the ready permission of her husband
, Mrs . Stanley proposed to Mrs . Carey to adopt
Al ice, and educate her as she would her ow n child .
The mother’s on ly response to th is proposal was a
sudden burst of tears .
I have property of my own , conti nued the lady,a nd I have no claims upon me. If I should be taken
away,I do not wish her
,with sensibil ities and tastes
h ighly refined and cultivated,to be left to the cold charity
of the world . If you will give her to me, I promise a t.
once to make suitable provision for her, and henceforth
to treat her as a child,though I can hardly love her more
than I do at present . Youwill probably see as much of
her as you do now,for I s hall certa inly do noth ing to
diminish her affection for you.
”
Well , then , take her,” answered Mrs . Carey, abruptly
and may she prove a comfort and a bles sing to you
and she turned suddenly away, and hastened to an i nnerr oom
,leaving her fri end in doubt whether her strong
emotions were to be ascribed to her excess of gratitude,103
[04 T HE HousE HOLD A NGE L
or to her great affection for the ch i ld . If the latter,she
certainly had a strange manner of exhibiting i t. Her singular conduct had sometimes led Mrs . Stanley to thi nk
her even prej udiced agai nst Al ice . But, thankful for the
permission to take her, she left Mrs . Carey’s cottage and
w alked slowly home, wondering what Alice would say
to the change i n her relation to the family .
She had scarcely entered the park,when a merry shout
of laughter reached her, and she soon saw the young girl
drawing Louis, who, loos ing h is hold had fallen off
the sled, with which Alice was running away at fu l l
speed,unconscious that she had lost her charge . Mrs .
Stanley join ed i n the laugh at Louis’s expens e,and left
them , requesting Alice, on returning to the Hall, to cometo her room .
An hour later they joi ned her,when she beckoned the
rosy girl to a seat at her side,w hile Louis took h is favorite place on an ottoman at her feet.
I am glad you came,too, my son , she said, pushing
back his soft hair from his white forehead,because I
have some good news for you.
”
And forme, too ? ” asked Alice , gayly .
Perhaps so ,” she replied, smili ng pleasantly. Loui s,
she added,
“ how should you li ke a sister about your own
age
The boy started to his feet, and gazed earnestly at her
for a moment, and then said , in a plai ntive tone , Ishould rather not have one, i f Alice mus t go away. Nobody else will love me as she
Well,then
,
” said his mother,“ you shall have her for
your si ster. What say you to thi s,Ally will you be my
li ttle daughter ?”
[06 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
behind them . When he had heartily j oined i n the laugh
his sudden appearance called forth , his wi fe i ntroduced
her new daughter, w ho looked very lovely as she stood
before him with downcast eyes .
Remember, you are mine, too,” he said, tenderly, as
he drew her to him,and kissed her brow.
Louis could not sufficien tly thank hi s parents for sodear a si ster
,and said earnestly, I had rather have Al ice
for my own,than a whole bag full of Uncle Stephen’s
money,about which Edith talks so much .
”
Well,she is your ow n
,now ,
” replied his father,though rather sadly
,as he thought of the
'
mercenary
spirit h is daughter displayed ; but go now to play. I
want to see your mother .”
When they had gone , Marion resumed her sewing,while her husband took a seat near her ; but seemed
somewhat embarrassed. The truth w as,he had watched
her very closely for a few days,and had become fully
assured that she could explain the circumstances con
n ected with the mi n iature,to his entire s atisfaction . He
had come now to her room . to ask her to confide al l her
trials to him ; but he found her looking so happy i n the
loving embrace of her children,
and, indeed , he thought
her unusually so since Christmas eve,that he did not
‘
like to allude to so disagreeable a subj ect.
Marion glanced up from her work , and smiled pleas
e ntly, though she wondered a li ttle that he did not speak .
My dear wife,
” he said at length,I have one ques
tion to ask you, and I am sure youwill answer it, i f you
can properly do so . You'
know I am a very plain ma‘n,
rN D I SG UI SE . 107
perhaps rather too reserved i n my expres s ions of afl'
e
'
c
tion ; but I hope you have never doubted my true love
for you .
”
The young wife dropped her work,and hid her face
on her husband’s shoulder . Her heart beat wildly ; butshe suppressed every outward demdn stration of her feel «
i ngs and said, with as much calmness as she could as
sume,Is that the question
Yes,that i s a very important one to me
,my love, but
no t the one to which I then referred and he drew her
nearer to him .
I cannot th ink Of any subj ect upon which I should
be unable to be perfectly frank with you,
”she resumed
,
w i th some surprise .“ It referred to a miniature I once saw in your hands
,
and which you thrust out of sight,” continued he
,speak
ing quickly,and not without some difficulty .
The lightbeamed_
from her eyes,as she drew a locket
from the pocket in her boddice, and held it up to him ;was it this ? ” she asked
,eagerly .
He recognized the setting at once,and the deepest
mortification took possess ion Of his breas t, as he saw it
was a flattered likeness of himself. Hi s eyes seemed tofastened upon i t, as he held it attached by a chai n to her
neck .
“ I h0pe you are not displeased ? ” asked Marion,not
understanding hi s grave looks . I pain ted i t from mem
ory, before we were married ; and it was only a foolish
pride , which I much regret, i f i t has given you pai n,which prevented me from showing it to you .
”
I regret only, my true-hearted wife,
” said Mr . Stanl ey
108 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
with moisten ed eyes, - though he seldom shed a tear,
“ that I have never known your real worth,and that I
should, even for a moment, have been di strustful of
you.
”
A long conversation ensued, i n which all former cold
ness was explained , though Marion passed very lightly over
her ow n trial s . She wondered now ,how she could ever
have called them so ; though she frankly acknowledged
what had led her to undertake the task Of writing a book .“ Now
,
” she added,
“ that I am sure of the confidence
and love of my husband,I have done with publishers
forever.” When the supper-bell called them below,she
said,archly
,as she replaced the precious min iature , “ I
wil l give you anything but thi s , i n my possession . This
i s my dearest treasure . When you are grave,I have
only to come up here, and gaze a t your smiling face .”
It i s very much flattered,
” he said,pleasantly.
She shook her head and whispered, as they went
through the hall,
“ It looks just as you did then , and
just as you do now .
”
I wil l endeavor never to drive you to your locket for
a smi le,” he added
,impressively.
Their countenances expressed so much happi ness, that
the whole family gazed earnestly at them as they en
tered.
“What a fine-looking pair ! ” whispered Mr.
Huntii gton to Ed ith , who laughed merri ly.Ali ce came to my room to tell me some news, re
marked Uncle Stephen,when they were seated at the
table ; “ I rej oiced w i th her i n having found such a
mother, and now I rej oice with you i n havi ng found
such a child.
”Thi s w as a great speech for the old
110 THE H O USEHOLD A NGEL
book for this eveni ng’s reading, as good as ‘ The Tale
of Home Li fe .’Oh , Uncle Ste phen interrupted Emma, “ I have not
thought si nce I came home to thank you for my beau
tiful presen t.”
“ Nor I,
” added Edith,getting up
,i n order to Speak .
I wrote my thanks at once, said Mr. Huntington toEdith: The .w ay that book sold, at the stores i n NewHaven
,was a caution
,as the students say ; but there
was great enthusiasm to know the author . Have youever heard the work ascribed to Mrs . L
No,
” answered Edith ; “ but I think it likely it may
be hers .
What does she say ? ” asked the Old gentleman,lean
i ng forward in his chair.
Emma repeated her si ster’s remark .
No,it i s n’t ! ” exclaimed he, starti ng up from his seat,
and looking very triumphantly around,as i f he were
about to claim the authorshi p h imsel f.
Mr. Stanley gazed proudly at h i s wife , who bent over
her work ; but the rest exhibited unmitigated astoni sh
ment.“ Ask him i f he knows who is the author,
” enjoined
Gertrude , impatiently .
Your mother does,
” he replied .
Then ,” said Clarence
,“ I hOpe, Mrs . Stanley, you will
urge her to use the talen t God has gi ven her for writi ng,and give us another work speedily .
I should think,
” resumed Gertrude,i n a low voice
,
she might have gratified our curiosi ty by te ll ing us
before this.”
IN D I SG U I SE . I“
Mr. Stanley took no notice Of thi s speech i f he heard
it ; but, as his wife secured pai nfully embarrassed , h .
remarked,
“ I heard the authores s say that she only
wrote for a specific purpose , and, having accomplished
that,she w as satisfied to lay down her pen . This
,ho w ~
ever,I agree with you, Clarence , she ought not to do.
”
“ Then you know her, too, father,” said Louis
,after
looking earnestly i n his father’s face .“ I declare
,
” exclaimed Edith,
“ I do bel ieve,after all
,
it was Uncle Stephen himself. Jus t see how mys terious
he looks .” And certainly he did appear rather suspicious.
He clapped his hands, and shouted, “ It’s the best j oke Iever heard Can none Of you guess ?
”
“ I can , replied Alice, walking up to him,and taking
the trumpet. I can , i f I may .
”
“ Out with it, then ,” said the old gentleman,unable
longer to con tain himself.“ I think ,
” conti nued Al ice , pausing a moment, and
looking at Mrs. Stanley to see if she disapproved,
“ my
new mamma w rote it.”
That’s it ! ” shouted the Old man,catching her i n his
arms .
The whole fami ly, with the exception of Marion , ros e
to their feet with astonishment. “ Yes ,” responded M '
Stanley,tak ing the hand of hi s wife, who would have
been glad to escape from the room,
“ I am proud to
recogni ze , i n the writer Of that exquis i tely touching tale,my own dear wife
,who wrote i t i n order to prove to her
husband what he well knew before, that she w as worth)of h is love . It has been as great a surprise to me as I
se e i t i s to you ; but I have been almos t equally as ton
112 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
ished tod ay to find that writi ng is not her Only aecom
plishment
Oh,don’t ! not now . urged Marion
,imploringly .
Yes,let us have it,
” said Uncle Stephen . We’ll
dedicate the even ing to surprises ; and She may weave
another tale about them .
“ I find,
” resumed the happy husband,“ that my wife
is not only an authoress,but an arti st
,and paints minia
tures with equal skil l and secrecy.
”
“ And I find,
” exclaimed Uncle Stephen,throwi ng his
speaki ng trumpet across the room ,“ that I can hear as
well as ever I could,
” and he fel l back i nto his chair,and
laughed so hearti ly that his n ephew really feared he
would have a convuls ion .
“ It’s as good as a comedy,”
he shouted,when he could Speak .
“ This surpri se i s
worth all the trouble I’ve had with the Old serpent ”
(alluding to his coil ed trumpet). It has served me a
good turn,
” he said , recoveri ng himself, “ an-l I may aswell keep i t for the good i t has done .”
It i s impossible to describe the emoti ons experienced
by the differen t members Of the family. Ir deed , one
surprise had so quickly succeeded another,that they had
not yet recovered from the first. Mrs . Stanley . her hus»
band and two younger chi ldren,felt only deligh t that
Uncle Stephen was so sudden ly rel ieved from his infirm~
i ty. Emma’s thoughts recurred to various expres s ionsshe had used
,which mortified her extremely ; and Mr.
Huntington’s mind,to several tender speeches made i n
his presence to Edith,under the false impression that he
could not hear. But to Gertrude and Edith the an
nouncement was anything but pleasan t. To the eldest,
1 14 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGELa:
and an artis t. It i s but just to the first to say that in
her embrace there was more of real cordial ity than she
had ever shown ; for she felt not only pride at her
mother’s talents,but something Of tenderness to'ward
one who, as she had Often repeated of the unknoun
author,must be possessed of the keenes t susceptibil ities .
After she retired,and the subj ects of the eveni ng had
been earnestly discussed with her sister,she lay awake
many hours,keen ly regretting the course she had pursued
toward her mother. She now reali zed that she had
wofully misj udged her ; and , after a tedious effort to
so.ve many things which she never had been able to
understand, and wondering how Mrs . Stanley could
have treated her and her sisters so kindly when they had
so underrated her, l ight began to dawn upon her mind,and she acknowledged the power and the beauty of
religion,as exemplifie d in her mother’s dai ly life .
Marion too pa s sed a Sleepless n ight. The events of
the afternoon,as wel l as of the eveni ng
,had been ex
citi ng to her i n the highest degree . The restoration of
Uncle Stephen to hi s heari ng had been so sudden and
unexpected that she could hardly realize how he would
appear without hi s i nvariable accompanimen t,the ( ar
trumpet. She could not refrai n from laughing to hersel f
at the strange whim which had prompted such a course,
though she acknowledged the shrewdnes s of the s tra ta
gem . She recal led numerous in s tances in which he
must have found i t difficult,with his impuls i ve feelings
,
to maintai n Si lence . But, more than everything else .the cordial embrace of Gertrude
, and the whisperedwords , “ Father may well be proud of you,
” were sug
rN D I SG U I SE . 115
gestive of so many though ts that she tried in vain to
sleep. Next to the respect and love of her husband, shehad earnestly craved the affection of h is daughters.
Emma was already dutiful and chi ldlike . Gertrude ,though considered amiable , had always treated her with
great reserve . Now she shed tears of j oy at the thoughtthat th is icy coldness was passing away
,and that her
daughter would return her love . Al l former unkindnes s
was for the time forgotten,and Marion looked forward
with bright anticipation s to a happy future . W itl re
spect to Edith,her mother well knew that nothing but
divine grace could change so lofty a spi ri t, and cause
her will ingly to bow to authority ; but she did not feel
wholly discouraged even with regard to her. She deter
mined to go on cheerful ly i n the path of duty, thankful
that she could pray for her chi ldren , and that God could
turn their hearts to h imself and to her. She doubted
whether she should ever again be subjected to the
annoyances which,on her first coming i nto the family
,
had been SO wounding to her feelings . And she wasright .
The next morning, her midnight prayer seemed to
have been answered . When she entered the breakfast
room,Gertrude alone was there
,who came directly to
her, though not without a heightened color, and, l i ke
Ali ce,gave her a morni ng kiss
,saying, with an attempt
at cheerfulness,Good morn ing
,mother. I came down
early in the hope Of getting my share i n your embrace .”
Mrs . Stanley’s eyes w ere t humid as she repli ed , ten'Ierly, Good morni ng
,my dear child .
”
At the breakfas t table much merrimen t was caused by
[16 TH E HOUSEHOLD A N GEL
Uncle Stephen . From the force Of habit, Mr. Stanleypassed him his plate without speaking, and then requested
Emma,w ho sat by his side, to ask him if he would be
helped to anything more . Each time the Old gentlemanburst i nto a merry laugh , as he said , So, you
’re deter
mined the Old man shall be deaf, w hether or no.” He
told them he had had some difficulty to bring Clarence
into the plan . and that he himself had Often been obliged
to leave the room hasti ly, for fear Of exposing h imself.
Duri ng the forenoon he went to the parlor for themorning papers
,and found Al ice there with her books .
He sat down to read, but noticed that every time heglanced at her
,her eyes were fixed upon h im wi th a
sad, inquiring expression . At length he became so nerv
ous under her earnest gaze, that he asked, What is the.
matter,chi ld ? What makes you look at me so
Alice blushed,and began studyi ng vigorously.
Why don’t you answer me he asked,rather impa
dendy.
I didn’t know what I was doing, sir,’ she answered
,
timidly ; and she took her book and was hastening from
the room .
Ali ce ! he called, authoritatively, come here ?”
She instantly obeyed,though he saw it was with te
luctance .
Were you thinking about me, child ?”
Her lip quivered,and for One moment She hesi ta ted
but, seeing that h e was determi ned to wait for her reply,she faltered out
,Yes
,sir.”
“ And pray what have I done that you Should be gazing at me wi th tears i n your eyes ? Come, now ,
tell me
all ; and he affectionately took her hand.
1 18 TH E H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
joyed a fine game of bli nd-man’s buff. The tables and
chairs had been removed from the dining-hal l,and the
whole circle, with the exception Of the milli onai re and
his nephew,were actively engaged i n the game . These
gentlemen had drawn their chairs in to the most reti red
corner,beyond the sideboard
,and made themselves merry
with watching the evolution s which the young people
made, i n order to escape detection . Uncle Stephen en
tered most hearti ly i nto the sport,shouting by turns
,
There , you’ve caugh t her ! ” Hold on Now she’s
gon e ! ” There, you have her again !” W ho i s she
Gertrude no I’ll be blinded myself next time ; with
my goggles on , I could do better than that !” and hi s
merry laugh rang through th e room .
But their sport was suddenly suspended by a loud
scream in the en try,where the whole company rushed
,
and found the cry proceeded from Louis, who, i n comingfrom the ki tchen with an apple, had encountered one of
the monkeys . The an imal tried to snatch the frui t from
his hand,and
,i n consequence of defending himself,
caught hi s finger and bit h im severely . Poor Louis criedand sobbed with pain
,lo ng after the cross anima' had
been carried back to his confinem ent.
Uncle Stephen w as very wrathy, and catching his can e
from the rack,i n the hall
,went quickly to the shed to
give the Offending creature a cudgell ing. Pollo was evi
dently expecti ng punishment, and had s lunk away i nto
the farther corner of the cage .
Come out here,s ir ! ” shouted the enraged man ,
stamping h i s foot. But the creature only nestled closer
i n the corner. He put in his cane and struck Pollo a
rN D I SG U I SE . 1 19
b low,when he felt some one gently pulling his c oat
,and
a sweet voice asked , Did he know any better,sir
He dropped the stick,and replied
,i n an excited voice
,
Yes,he did k now better
,and he shall be punished .
”
Al ice looked di stressed .
Well , what shall I do with him ? ”
DO you love them very much? ” She asked, smil i ng,
as he stood before her,hi s velvet cap turned awry , SO that
the tassel hung down by his cheek .
No ,” said he , not very much .
”
I don’t li ke monkeys at all ! ” exclaimed the ch ild,
with a strong expression Of di sgust ; I thin k they’re very
trouDlesome .
Well , shall I get Thomas, the groom , to kil l them ? ”
Oh,no ! answered Al ice, i n unaffected horror.
What,then You may decide .”
May I ? Oh,thank you ! Robert Perry would like
them so much,and h is fat her promised to buy him one .”
Well,Robert Perry shall have them in welcome .”
Thank you,
” she repeated . How glad the servants
will be to get rid of them .
” A nd, i ndeed, there was
great rej oicing at the hall, when , the next day, Pollo and
Sally appeared chained together, and were led away to
the vi llage,by the groom . No less rej oiced was Master
Robert at the reception of what he considered a mos t
valuable commencement Of hi s long-desired rnenagerie,
and at bei ng informed that the cage i n which they were
kept would immed iately follow .
Al ice stood at the w i ndow with Uncle Stephen , when
Thomas led them down the avenue . I should li ke to
know,
” he said, “ what I am to do now for sport.”
120 T HE H OUSEHOLD ANG EL .
You may take m e,answered the chi ld
,laugh ing
hearti at the half-regretful look he cast at hi s old favor
ites . They don’t love you half so well as I do .
”
He turned to catch her in hi s arm s ; but she playfullyeluded h is grasp
,and for the next ten minutes there w a s
a merry game,the like of which Pollo and Sally in their
palm i est days,never enj oyed . Uncle Stephen was sati s
fied with the exchange of playmates .
122 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
cure . The most tender mother coul d not have been more
watchful over an on ly and dearly beloved son,than was
Mrs . Stanley over this dear ch i ld of her adoption . For a
week she had not left h is couch,and now, exhausted and
fain t, she sat on the side of the bed , holding his head
upon her breast. Alice knelt before him . On the opposite side of the bed stood the affl icted father. N ot a tear
relieved his bursti ng heart. He stood gazing intently onhis on ly son
,h is ashy countenance resembling death
,i n
the calm rigidity of i ts suffering features . A s he stood
there his soul cried out,i n agony, Spare , Lord ! spare
me th is stroke ! ” How he longed for the arm of strength
which supported his wife i n this hour of trial ; nay,which
was safely carrying h is beloved Lou is across the deepwaters of Jordan .
Near the window,at the foot of the bed, sat Uncle
S tephen , and by h im Clarence, w ho was saying some
thing in a low, earnest tone . When Gertrude entered,he advanced to her with great tendernes s, took her hand,and led her to the seat he had occupied . Beyond Al ice
sat Mrs . Carey, her face entirely concealed by her hand
kerchi ef,with which she was vain ly trying to stifle her
sobs .
.A t length the dying boy aroused from the stupor i n
which he had been lying for more than an hour, and from
which they feared he would never awake, languidly
Opened his eyes,gazed for a moment upward , and, turn
i ng his head slightly, recognized his father. Ali ce sprang
to her feet,and wet hi s li ps with wine and water, when
feebly murmured Papa .”
His father bent over him ,when he lisped , i n a broken
IN D i s oms s . 3
voice,I want you to hold my head , and let all th e rest
go out.”
Trembling 1 11 every limb, Mr. Stanley did as his son
requested,and took the place of hi s wife to support hi s
dying boy. At a signal from her,the fam i ly reti red
quietly from the room .
Dear Papa ,” said the child, “ please lay my head backso I can see your face .” W hen this was done
,the sl ight
motion had so dis tressed h im that he breathed with great
difliculty. With what hopeless sorrow did the poor
father wi tness the agony of thi s darl ing boy, and feel
that he could do nothing for his relief. After a short
pause Louis rai sed hi s eyes,and said in broken accents
Papa,I’m going to God,and I
’m not afraid, for Jesus
has pardoned my sins . But before I go I want you to
promise to meet me there .
Mr. Stanley bent forward in uncontrollable grief,and
tried to speak but hi s voice was th ick and husky,and
the words i ndi sti nct .
The dying ch ild gazed earnestly i n hi s face,and con
tinued, Mother, and Alice, and Uncle Stephen , will go
because they love the Saviour ! but oh, father ! I shall
want you and my si sters there i
The father groaned i n agony.“ Jesus loves you, papa . Hewants you to go . I have
prayed for you, and mamma prays every day that you
may become a Chri stian . I don’t think you know how
much she loves you,and wants you to become good .
"
After another pause to rest,he added, “ I have asked
mamma to give you my min iat ure , which she pai ntedand I want you to look at it, and th ink how much your
124 T HE Hors s no nn A NGEL
little Louis wanted you to become good, and prepare ugo to Heaven . Will you, papa ?
”
Mr. Stanley bow ed he. dared not trust himsel f to
s peak .
You have been very, very kind to me, papa , and so
has my dear mamma ; and I want you to love her very
much . I have seen her kiss your picture a great many
times,and heard her pray
,Oh
,God
,bless my dear hus
band but she didn’t know I saw her .”
Again Mr. Stanley groaned,as he cried out, Oh,
God,forgive me
0
And [ wan t— my dear A lice — to hi s
voice faltered , and h is head sank back more heavi ly on
his father’s arm . Mr. Stanley hastily cal led Marion !
apprehen s i ve of h is immediate death .
The young mother was i nstantly at his side . Hi s eyeswere fixed ; one low sob, and the soul of li ttle Louistook its fligh t to its heavenly home.
Awe-struck and motion less at the presence of the dread
visito r, the family stood by the bed unti l the ki nd phy
sician , who had si lently entered, gently leaned forward
to close the eyes . Then,the awful real i ty burst upon
them , and amid weeping and lamentation , the bereaved
circle reti red from the chamber of death .
Mrs . Stanley accompanied her husband to h is study
where , for a time , he walked the floor in comfortless sor
row. At length,she prays that th e sorrowful event may
become a great and lasting blessi ng to her husband and
remaini ng ch ildren . After a moment he comes forward
and, kneeling by her side, ej aculates, Pray for me
Marion con ti nued her supplications . She plead earn
126 T HE HOUSEHOLD A NGI L
What caused her heart to leap for joy, and sent the
bright flush of heaven -i n spired hope over her counte
nance,as she rai sed her tearful eyes to Heaven ? Ah
her prayer i s an swered . For the first time,she hears the
voice of her beloved husband addressing hi s Maker .
Pressing her hands to her heart, she returns to her room ,
and throwi ng herself upon a couch,gives vent to her j oy
and gratitude unti l, at length , she fal ls asleep .
But with the first ray of light the devoted wi fe arises
from her couch,and again approaches her husband’s
door. Hearing no sound,she knocks gently
,saying,
“ It i s Marion .
” She hears h im approach and unlock
the door ; one moment more,and she is i n hi s arms .
Happy pair,now truly uni ted
,by the enduring tie of
Christian love ; henceforth shari ng,truly
,each other’s
hopes, and sympathizing i n each other’s fears !
Mr. Stanley has not yet spoken of the heavenly peace
which has taken the place of h is midnight. despair. But
she reads it i n the holy calmness which rests upon hi s
brow,i n the grati tude and love which beam from every
feature . He i s,i ndeed
,a new man ; born of God , an
heir of glory . Thy fai th, gentle Marion , hath i nherited
the promise,and saved thy husband . While thou dids t
s lee p,he was left li ke a lone voyager upon the sea of
time ; his bark wrecked , and hi s companions los t. Hecried aloud
,attempting to save himself by the s tray
wai fs dri fting i n the curren t. Even these scon fai led
him . He found there was no hope,and gave himself up
. to the rude tide, to be carried whithersoever i t drifted .
Sudden ly,he heard a voice of mercy, sayi ng, “ Look
unto me, and be saved .
” He rai sed h is eyes to Heaven ,
ZN D I SG U ISE. 127
and from his inmost soul the cry went forth “ Hel p,Lord
,or I peri sh .
” A strong arm was outstretched for
his relief. Eagerly he seiz ed the offered help . H e was
saved !
On the evening of the same day, Mr . Stanley sent forhis family to his study, which had been to him as the
gate of heaven . Here for the first time he met them
since they stood side by side in the chamber of death .
A ll were present but Clarence, w ho had gone to T
for Emma and her sister . Gertrude was pale and sad,and wept afresh at sight of her father. A l ice nestled
close to her mother,and h id her swoll en face upon her
shoulder. Un cle Stephen sat with his eyes shaded by
his hand,vai nly trying to repress hi s sobs, while Mrs .
Carey, Sarah , and the other servants,occupied places
about the apartment,wonderi ng why they had been
called together. At length , Mr . Stanley,i n a voice
which w as at first so tremulous as scarcely to be audible,imparted to them the hope that out of his son’s natural
death,God had brought unto him eternal life . “ I have
found,
” he added,“ the compassionate love of my Sa
v iour to be more than sufficient to compensate me for
the loss of dear chi ldren and friends .”
“ Thank God ! Oh , thank God !” ej aculated Uncle
Stephen .
After a few moments,Mr. Stanley continued , I have
called you all together to tel l you that henceforth,by
grace assisting me , I hOpe to live a different li fe, and to
set before my family an example more worthy of imita
tion I have prided myse lf in bei ng a moral and an
honorable man , and so perhaps I have been in the eyes
128 T HE nons s now A NGEL
of the world ; but God has been pleased to open myeyes to a sense of my vileness, and I have found that
mere morality will not, cannot sus tain one at the bed
o f death .
” He then read a short passage from Scri pture
, and called upon the family to kneel for prayer
Marion could hardly realize the happy change. Her
heart was ready to burst, and her eyes ran down with
tears .
The grief of the sisters whenthey arrived at Li ndenwood
,rendered desolate by the loss of their dear brother
,
showed itself i n a manner characteri stic of them . Emmastood over the beloved form shrouded and coffi ned for
the sepulchre,and gazed tearfully upon the countenance
so lovelv in death , while Edith , after one hurr ied glanceat the cold and l ifeles s body
,rent the air with her
shrieks . Her convulsive sobs and doleful lamen t didnot, however, touch the heart of her father like the silent
sorrow of Emma ; and he hoped that th is great afflictionmight resul t i n good to her soul .
The grief of Alice at the loss of her beloved compau
ion at length convi nced her kind friends that, however
painful the separation,i t would be better to - send her to
school with hei‘ sis ters . Strange as it may appear,Mrs .
Stanley,and even her husband
,felt more reluctant to
part with her than with one of their ow n ch ildren . In
the mind of the latter she was so i ntimately associated
with h is deceased Loui s,that he considered her almost
sacred. For so many years had they been seen con
stan tly together, that the bereaved father, as he saw her
approach , often detected himself i n li stening for the low
voice or the light footstep of his dear boy . But she
130 THE Ho ns s no nn ANGEL
tent himself, saying, “ I shal l add to i t the same sum
every year ; but I know you have too much good sense
to l et the chi ld or any one else suspect me i n thi s mat,
ten”
In the month of June, the sisters, accompanied byAlice
,returned to school . Mr. Stanley, in private , urged
his daughters to treat her i n every respect li ke an own
sister. This Emma’s ow n heart prom pted her to do,
but, from the haughty tos s of Edith’s head , her motherhad many fears in regard to the happ i ness of her adopted
chfld.
There were two in the family who rejoiced that the
young girl would go to school . These were Gertrude
and Mrs . Carey. The latter had been unwell ever since
the death of Louis , and her i llness had brought on anattack of her temporary insanity . At such times
,the
sigh t of her ch i ld always aggravated her disorder,and
Mrs . Stanley had now procured a faith ful woman to
remain with her as compan ion and nurse . This woman
was a widow from the vi llage,in desti tute circumstances
,
who was very grateful for the home thus afforded for
herself and chi ld .
Poor Alice had been very much troubled about her
mother ; but, as she had seen her affl icted in this man
ner at times from her earliest childhood,the severity of
the tri al was somewhat dimin i shed .
Gertrude could i ll conceal her pleasure at the depart
ure of one whom she conceived occupied far more than
her share of the time and attention of Clarence. But
her pleasure was shortly changed to keen disappoi ntment
and chagrin , when she found the reason of th e child’
s
rN D I SG UI SE . 131
wi lli ngness to go, and heard from Clarence that he
advised her to such a course in consequence of his
i ntending to be in Philadelphia for a year or two,and
therefore unable to teach her longer.
For a few days after this announcement, Gertrude
appeared so sad, her eyes, usually brill i an t, were so
heavy,that the young man was con stantly i n danger
of break ing his promise to hi s guardian , and of beseech
ing the pledge of her hand before he left. He even wentso far as to request to be released from it, but i n th is he
was entirely unsuccessful . Uncle Stephen would give
no reason,but said
,promptly, If she is what you deem
her, she wi ll wait your return .
But the very day after thi s conversation , and wh ile
the disappoi nted lover feared h is guardian had forgotten
hi s ow n youthful feelings,he was forced by the change
in the young lady’s manner to ow n that the delay might
in th e end be promotive of his ow n happi ness . Uncon
scious ly, his address had been more tender si nce her
evident sorrow at his intended departure. On the morning i n question
,he seated himself by her side
,and at
tempted to engage her i n conversation . She li stened
coldly,only replyi ng by monosyllables , until at length ,
in answer to some ques ti on,she turned haughti ly toward
him ,fixi ng her eyes full upon his
,as she asked
,coldly
,
What did you remark, sir
Had an iceberg fallen upon him , he could no t have
been more chil led . He could scarcely believe his senses.
He started from his seat,and, approaching the window,
stood for a—long time gazi ng out upon the lawn . No
one but her mother noticed the triumphant smile which
132 T H E HOUSEHOLD ANGE L
curled her li p as she dropped her work to gaze a t him
Duri ng the day, he avoided her as sedulously as she didhim ; but after tea , when the d imin ished circle drew
around the centre-table,he took a seat near her
,and
appeared determined to treat her wi th hi s usual attcn a
ti on . In truth,he had conv i nced h imself her apparent
coldness had only been th e result of his ow n imagina
ti on . He tried to dev is‘e some plan to draw her to a distance from the rest of the family
,and offered to give
her one more lesson i n drawing before he eft,when she
replied , I have already wasted qui te too much of your
time and my ow n,upon an accompli shment for which I
have no taste .”
The entrance of company put an end to any farther
conversation ; and when Clarence saw her whom but
that very morning he had believed possessed of every
charm , arouse from her gloom and become the life of the
circle,eviden tly delighti ng i n the thought that she had
inflicted pain upon h im,he grew colder and more distant
than ever. She paid the most marked attention to a
gentleman who had called with a friend, at the same time
casting glances of triumph at her disconsolate lover,who
soon plead his early departure as an excuse for leaving
the room .
Uncle Stephen followed him , but hi s presence afforded
his ward but poor comfort, for never' si nce the death of
Louis had he appeared so gay . He rubbed hi s hands,
and chuckled to himself merri ly, as he saw Clarena
with kn itted brows walking impatiently back and forth
through the room and at length could not forbear say
C H A P T E R X I .
For true charity,Though ne
’er so secret, finds ajust reward —May.
IN a room in one of the college bui ldings i n New
Haven , a young man might be seen si tti ng i n a largerocking chair
,with h is feet on the table before him . He
had just returned from din ner,and on hi s way had taken
a letter from the post office . Now ,havi ng placed him
self i n what he considered a comfortable pos i tion , be pro
ceeded to tear i t open . From the deep flush which suf
fused h is cheek , as wel l as the smi le playi ng about his
mouth , one m ight reasonably infer that the i ntelligence
was agreeable. When he had finished it, he Opened a
smaller envelope i t had contained,and disclosed a roll of
bank bil ls . Generous friend ! ” he exclaimed, aloud,how can I ever repay hi s—kindness ? He says, by neveralluding to it. How little h e realizes the difficulty ofkeeping si lent, when the heart i s overflowing with grati
tude .” He counted the money, saw that there was morethan suffi cient to pay all his college bills, then crossed the
room and locked i t in h is trunk ; after which he again
seated hims elf, with the open letter in his hand . It w as
as follows
DEAR ALFRED Your letter was duly received and
perused with great pleasure. As you have at length
made up your mi nd to study for the mini stry, I wi ll con134
THE HOUSEHOLD ANGE L IN D I SG U I SE . 135
fess to you that nothing you could have told me regard
ing yourself,would have given me equal pleasure . For
years I have hoped that you would choose the profession
to which your father devoted you i n your i nfancy but I
have never,as youwell know, expressed my hopes upon
this subj ect, fearing they might have undue weight. If,however
,as I hope and pray, you enter upon your studies
for the sacred work, from a desire to be wholly engaged
i n your Master’s service, and have not chosen it merely
as an honorable profession , though your trial s may be
great,yet such , also, wi ll be your reward.
I have recently received le tters from India which I
will show you , if you feel a desire to comply w i th Mr.
and Mrs . Stanley’s i nvita tion , and spend the coming
vacation wi th us . As ever, your friend,STEPH EN FORSYT H .
While Al fred Huntington reclin es in h is chai r,withhie
eyes fixed dreamingly upon the name of h is kind benefacto r
,let us go back twenty years, and learn the com
mencement of their acquaintance .
During the fourth year of Uncle Stephen’s residencein India
,and before he heard the sad i ntelligence which
blighted hi s hopes of happiness for this life , he was one
day introduced to Mr. Hunti ngton , as a young American w ho was 0 11 the poin t of returning to h is native
country, and who would be glad to take letters, or any
thing he might wi sh to send . Mr. Forsyth gazed at him
in surprise,such was the sadness, amounting to mel
ancholy, depicted on his fine, man ly countenance , and
136 THE H OUSEHOLD A N GEL
remarked, You hardly look as I should on the eve of
my departure for home .”
Thi s is my home, my chosen field Of labor,
” replied
the young missionary, and it is the greatest trial I ever
e xperienced, to be obliged to leave it.
In the course Of the conversati on which followed, Mr.
Huntington related to his i nterested listener some Of thecircumstances of his early history, when he w as early
an orphan ; but, by the kindness Of a chari table lady,he had been educated for the min istry. The desire of h is
life was answered when he was sent to India as a mis
sionary, the bishop, who had always been a kind friend tohim
,having interested himself particularly in h i s welfare.
He was married,and had had three children
,one Of
W hom had died within a few hours of i ts birth . On h isarrival i n Calcutta, he proceeded at once to h is station,about fifty miles from that place ; and he believed his
labors had not been entirely unsuccessful . Schools had
been establi shed ; hi s wife, whose heart was wholly i n
her work,had drawn around her about twenty females ,
mothers Of th e children under their care,and was teach
ing them the arts Of civil ization , at the same time that
she endeavored to i nsti l the princi ples Of the gospel i nto
their ben ighted minds . A small church had been gath
ered,consi sting Of seven male and three female members.
“ And now,
” said Mr . Huntington , with great emotion,we must abandon our l i ttle charge, our schools must be
given up ; now ,when we have spent years in acqui ri ng
the language, and when we have become so hopeful Of
good to these poor ignorant natives, we must leave our
feeble church to be torn to pieces.”
139 THE H OUSE HOLD A NGE L
companion by the hand,when he suddenly blushed
,stam
mered,and became painfully confused .
“ I shall ever be grateful to you for your sympathy,”
said Mr. Hunti ngton , k indly.
Poh ! poh l exclaimed Mr. Forsyth , I don’t meanto give you up . GO back to your work . I will see th atyou recei ve regular supplies at least for one year.
”
In her eagerness to hear aright,Mrs. Huntington sprang
from her seat, wholly unmindful Of the little boy clinging
to her dress,and advanced to the side of her husband .
With tears Of joy streaming down her cheeks, she ex
claimed, “ Oh . sir ! did you really mean that we maystay i n India, and labor for our poor Hi ndoos
Yes, yes, I said so !
” replied the young merchan t,
while a sympathizing tear stood i n h is eye,and “ here’s
something that wi ll convince you SO . There, there,
enough has been said ,” as Mr. Huntington warmly pressed
hi s hand,and uttered a ferven t “ God bless and reward
you , sir ! I have no words to tell you how happy you
have made us .” His wife caught Mr. Forsyth’s bronzed
hand,and pressed i t to her li ps
,saying
,In the n ame Of
our ignorant,depraved people
,w e do, we must thank
you .
” She w as i nterrupted by an impatient gesture, and
Uncle Stephen trying to leave the room ; but her hus
band stepped forward to detai n him . With his face per
fectly radiant with happinessfhe said , “ We will n ot
Offend you by express ing our grati tude for your bounty
to the heathen we will on ly ask your prayers to aecom
pany our efforts.”
I see you have mistaken me ; I am not a professi ngChri stian and a deep shade passed over hi s face, “ but
1N Di souis s . 139
[ have a mother up there, said he, pointing to heaven,and a praying sister i n America and, before h is com
pani ons could say another word, he hastily left the house .
After his abrupt departure,the missionary and his wife
sat for some minutes i n profound si lence . They found
it difficul t to real ize the sudden change i n their prospects ,and had it not been for the envelope which he held in his
hand,Mr. Huntington might have feared i t was all a
dream . Upon Opening the note he found it contained a
draft to the amount Of two hundred dollars , and a prom
ise Of the same sum quarterly. This was three hundreddollars in advance Of the salary they had heretofore
received, and the vision s of enlarged schools, with books
and'
apparatus, so overcame them that they gratefully
sank upo n their knees, to give God the praise.
Man’s extremity 1s God’s Opportuni ty,
” said Mr.Huntington to his wife , when they became more composed . This morning we expected to be obliged to
leave our l ittle flock, and we feared lest the years of labor
among them would soon be forgotten but our great
Shepherd has watched over us, and provided for us . At
the very momen t when our need was greate st,he has put
i t in to the heart Of thi s good young man to come forward to our relief.”
But l i ttle, even then, did they realize what a friend hadbeen raised up for them . They returned to their station
,
where they were received with tumultuous j oy,and glad
dened the hearts Of their pupils by collecting them againinto the school , enlarged their Operations, and entered
w i th new zeal upon their work,feeling that God w as
with them ; “ and they were prospered in the work Of
their hands .
”
140 THE HO USE H OLD ANGE L
TWO years after this, Mr. Forsyth returned to his na
tive country ; but, before leavi ng India he made ample
provision for Mr. Huntington , toward whose enterpri sehe felt an increas ing
'
interest. During the s ix years he
remained in America,he carried on a constant corres
pondence with the mission ; and after h i s grea t afflictions
had been sanctified to h is soul , he became more than
ever alive to the importance Of such a work . On his return to India
,though his means were less, he sent another
laborer i nto the field,as an assi stant to Mr. Huntington ,
depriving h imself of some luxuries in l ivi ng he had here
tofore con s idered indispensable. Dur ing his residence Ofsixteen years
,he visited the station at stated i ntervals ,
and every time he did so he blessed God for having put
i t i nto his heart to do thi s great work . The school which,
on hi s firs t i ntroduction to Mr. Hun tington , was 0 11 thepoint Of being broken up
, w as now flouri shing under the
effici en t care Of M r. Potter,the ass istant mi s s ionary
,
whose wife also taught the girls. This seminary had
sen t out twenty native Christi an teachers , well educated
and fitted for their work .
Alfred,the only chi ld Of Mr. and Mrs . Hunti ngton
,
who had been spared to them,accompan ied Clarence to
America on hi s return a few years before h is guardian ,who had Offered to educate him . Mr. and Mrs . Hun ti ngton had learned to look upon their benefactor as a dear
Christian brother ; and when , in addition to his years Of
kindness, he made thi s Offer, their knowledge of him led
them to suppress any acknowledgment but such as their
tearful eyes and beaming countenances afforded. They
gave up their on ly child to him ,with perfect confidence
C H A P T E R X 1 1 .
I’ve sometimes grieved
That one so formed in mind and charms to grace
The brightest scenes in life, should have her seat
In the shadow of acloud and yet’tis weakness .
The angels watch the good and innocent,
A nd where they gaz e, it must be glorious .
A LA RGE party was agai n gathered in Li ndenw oodHall
,making the house ring as Of Old
,with merry voices.
Two years have passed since we last gathered wi th them
around the social hearth . To Mr. and Mrs . Stanley time
has brought no vi sible marks Of advancing age but wi th
Emma,Edith , and Al ice, the change has been great.
Edith i s by far the tall est of the three , and , at the first
glance would by many be prout unced to be the hand
somest. But neither in the style Of her beauty, nor i n
her manner,did she at all resemble her sister Gertrude,
bei ng a bri l l iant brunette,w ith luxuriant black hair dis
posed very gracefully around her h ead,large black eyes ,
and red,pouting lips
,while her imposing and self-confi
den t air, jow ed with a playful sarcasm i n her conversa
tion,had
,among her school-mates
,gained her the reputa
tion Of a genius and a wit. She had learned to curb
her temper,and now appeared a warm -hearted
,impul sive
girl . To Mr. Huntington she seemed the most beautiful
and talented young lady he had ever met.
But Emma, w ho was tw o years Older should have
142
THE nousenow ANGE L.
been described first,— yet she had so long learned te
lean upon her younger sister, that she almost forgot
that Edith was her i nferior i n years . She had regularfeatures
,light-blue eyes , and a very sweet mouth . Her
complex ion was very pale,and rather sallow ; but she
was easy and graceful i n her manners,and a very lov
able young lady. A t school one had been admired, the
other loved,by their companions .
Alice Carey is much more difficul t to describe . There
was a perfect fascination about her ; and yet, one could
hardly tell in what i t consisted . She w as slightly below
the medium height. Her form was well-proportioned,and full of symmetry and beauty. Her hair
,which had
changed to a rich chestnut-brown,she stil l wore i n curls
,
which afforded a parti al covering to the slender neck set
so gracefully upon her shoulders . Her broad,low fore
head,her nicely-arched eyebrows, her clear, truth-telling
eyes,her rose-bud mouth
,and her ever-varying com
plexion,soft as
.
that of an infant, impres sed alike the
most casual, and the most critical, observer. But none
of these , nor all of them combined, constituted the charm
in the face of A li ce . Perhaps i t was her perfect uncon
sciousnes s of her beauty, perhaps i t was the i ntellectwhich beamed from her eye . Her mother thought i t w as
the holy expres sion , which pervaded and animated everyfeature . Al ice was very happy. She had left school
with the highes t honors,and was rejoiced to be again in
her dear home,and among her kind friends . She could
hardly res train her j oy . Sometimes,i t bursts out in a
merry warble, i nciti ng Fanny, her Canary bird, to still
greate r efforts then , i t exhibits i ts elf, i n a desire to per
144 T HE HOUSEHOLD A NGE L
form some ki nd act of love to those arbund he r. N ow ,
she places a foot-s tool for Uncle Stephen , w hos e w e fo l
lows her as she fli ts here and there about the room next,runs to se t a chair for Mr . Stanley, then picks up a spool
for her mother,w ho rewards her with a fond kiss, and,
fi nally,springs to the window to shade the sun from the
eyes of Gertrude or Edith , or cheerful ly performs some errand to their room . And all this she does with such chi ldlike
grace and activi ty that it i s.
a delight to gaze upon her.“ Dear Uncle ~ S tephen ,
” said she,o ne day
,when the
family were assembled in the parlor after dinner ; How
glad I am that you have done wearing that velvet cap and
wig . Do you know,
” she whispered,“ that you look
ve ry handsome now that you have taken off those borri
ble old goggles ? what did you ever put them on for ? ”
she asked , looking archly i n hi s face .
Nonsense, chi ld ! ” he replied , catching her hand asshe was darti ng away ; “ to prevent my seeing too much .
Some people are i n danger by seeing too l ittle ; but I
was troubled with too much light. In order to be at all
comfortable, I was obliged to shade my eyes .
Alice laughed heartily at the curious expression w hi( h
passed over h is face .
There , take that, you li ttl e puss , exclaimed Uncle
Stephen , giving her a hearty ki ss ,” and look out how you
come round here,catechi sing me
,or I may have to get
out my speaking-trumpet again .
”
The young girl blushed deeply,as she saw the eyes
of the whole fami ly directed to them ; but she repli ed,
gayly : “ Please don’t ; I’ll try to be a good girl ;
”and
she w i thdrew to the other end of the room .
146 T HE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
vil lage . Then Alice,w ho had become a thorough eques
trian,sti ll retained her beauti ful Felix
,and Mr. Hunting
to n had broken in a spirited animal,kept for the carriage .
For his daughters, Mr. Stanley procured saddle-horse :
from the stable .
During their first expedition,Ali ce accompanied them
She was arrayed i n a riding-dress Of dark-green cloth ,fitting neatly to her form
,and displaying to advantage~
her fine bust and taper waist ; and a jockey Of green
velvet, with two plumes of the same color tipped with
black . As she stood on the steps of the portico, holding
the skirts of her riding-dress in one hand,she looked per
fectly bewitching. At least,so thought Uncle Stephen .
She had been beseeching him to accompany her as her
especial knight, and while he laughed at her Odd fancy,and shook his head
,he wondered where the eyes Of the
young men could be, that they did not seek her as a com
panion . She looked so lovingly at him,that he fel t he
could refuse her nothing, and said, “ Well, well, child,some other t ime
,I’ll see about i t
,i f your heart i s set upon
me for a companion , but not to-day.
”
But,Uncle Stephen
,
” she replied,with a comical ex
pression of mock gravi ty, “ I have no beau .
”
Beau,i ndeed ! and what does such a chi ld as ycuare,
want of a beau ? Let me see , there are four lassies , andtw o laddi es . Here, Clarence , take care Of thi s young
miss,who is bewail i ng her want Of a beau.
Clarence,who unobs erved, had heard the whole con
versation,started forward, sayi ng i n a low voice : “ I
shall be most happy to resume my care of my former
Dupil.’
l N D I SG U I SE . 47
Poor Alice ! ” her smi les van ished in a moment |th e color mounted even to her brow, as she feared he
would think her soliciting his attention ; but she said ,quickly
,“ Oh
,Uncle Stephen
,how could you !
” and
turned abruptly away.
Clarence bit his li p with chagrin . He had never beenable to resume his former i ntimacy with her, since she
returned from school . Duri ng the ride she gal loped inadvance of the party ; and if he attempted to follow ,
made an excuse to ride back to the side of Emma .Mr. Huntington kept close to Edith , who certainlynever appeared to better advantage than when on horse
back . She sat li ke a queen , and evidently w as aware Of
it ; for she took unusual pains to torment her lover with
her assumed ind ifference .
Several times,when Clarence left Gertrude and rode
round by Alice, she appeared so really distressed that he
left her,determined to lose no time in ascertaining the
reason of her loss Of confidence i n him . Free,frank
,
and Open i n her conduct to all,y\
et toward her former
teacher she exhibited a shyness, and a disposition to
avoid his society,totally unlike her former chi ldi sh affec»
tion . If she were singing gayly when he entered the
room , her voice suddenly ceased . If he took a seat near
her, she soon found an excuse to vacate her place . At
len gth , th is change in her appearance became so marked
that the young lawyer was exceedingly pained by it.S o much so, that Often wh il e seated i n his Office
,with
hi s eyes fixed upon his papers,his thoughts
,in stead of
beari ng upon the case .in hand,were wandering to
Lindenwood , and there trying to solve a problem which
148 TH E HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
was daily becoming more diffi cult, and al so more inter
esti ng to him . One day, when alone with Mrs . Stanleyhe took an Opportunity to converse with her about her
adopted child . He commenced by aski ng : DO not you
th ink Alice mucn changed ? ”
“ Yes,
” she responded,earnestly
,
“ I think she grows
more lovely every day.
”
“ But,” conti nued Clarence, hesi tati ng, “ she i s not as
artless and affectionate as formerly.
”
You surpri se me, exclaimed Mrs . Stanley. She is
open as the day,and has the warmest heart I ever knew.
See what an influence she has acquired over Uncle Ste
phen . He can never see any one else when she i s
present.
Oh,
” said Clarence , laugh ing ; she i s i ndebted to
the speaking-trumpet for that. Yes, I bel ieve he con
siders her a paragon of goodness .
After this conversation , however, Mrs . Stanley watched
her daughter,and became convinced that
,for some cause
,
she avoided receiving any attention from the young
man .
Two days after their first ride, i t was proposed to visi t
a beautiful glen about two miles distant. They were to
start early, taking a lunch with them ,and pass several
hours at the pl ace: When the arrangements were com
pleted, Alice turned quietly to Gertrude, and offered her
the use Of Felix .
But what will you do ? ” asked Gertrude, her coun
tenanee brighten ing with pleasure .
I am not going,
” was the quiet response.
Why ? why ? asked many voices.
150 THE HoUsEHOLD ANGEL
all i n a tumul t, and for a time she could only weep ; but
at length her tears, though bitter, brought relief, and she
began to look calmly at her ow n s ituation . For Alice
loved yes, with her whole heart she loved her teacher.
But the conviction which had so lately been forci ng itself
upon her mind,brought no pleasure, but the keenest
mortification and self-reproach . She laid her head upon
her arms, and almost uncon sciously her thoughts went
back to hi s arrival at Queenstown . She w as but a chi ld
then but Oh,how kind he had been to her
,and to Loui s.
Her tears flowed afresh as she thought of her dear li ttlecompanion
,to whom she could have confided all her
grief ; but now she must keep it locked up in her ow n
breast. Then how unwearied had he been i n i nstructing
her, how i n terested i n all her welfare . While at school
her great desire w as , though unacknowledged even to
herself, to convince him that h is pupil had honored his
i n structions . How earnestly she had counted the weeks,
then the days,Before her return home
,because her
mother had written that Clarence was to be there.
But Oh , how changed to sorrow and chagrin were all her
bright anticipations !
A day or two after her return , she heard Gertrude and
Edith i n earnest conversation about Clarence . I ha ve
every reason ,” said Gertrude
,“ to know that he loves me ;
indeed, he has Often told me so but he does not wis h it
known at present,especially to Uncle Stephen ; so be
very careful not to betray us .“ Oh , I’ll remember,” answered Edith “ but I advi se
you to keep Al ice out of hi s way,unti l you’re posi tively
engaged. I wouldn’t allow Alfred to give such glances
iN D i sGUrSE . 15]
to another, as I have seen Clarence bes tow upon
Alice .”
Nonsense, Edith He considers her as a chi ld andyou know she always puts herself forward ; but I dowonder what there i s about her he considers so w o n
derful.”
She could-hear no more . Pressing her hands tightly
upon her heart , she quietly left the room ,and retired to
the little closet,where she had formerly slept . There she
sat, for hours, almost stupefied. It was then she first be
came aware Of the nature of her affection for her teacher ;else
,why should she be so pai ned at hearing that he
had already declared hi s love for Gertrude . When it
commenced she knew not ; but she was crushed beneath
a sense of shame and mortification that she, the daugh
ter Of a nursery.
woman,should have bestowed her love,
unsought, upon any one ; but above all , upon a man she
considered superior to al l she had seen . Yes, i n that
dark hour, sh e tore Off the mask , and looked at herself
without disguise . What i f,for the sake Of hi s deceased
wife,Mr. Stanley had treated her like a daughter '
What i f Louis had loved her li ke a sis ter ! What ifher dear M rs . Stanley had been more than a mother to
her,and Uncle Stephen her kind benefactor ! She w as
no less the ch ild of poverty and dependence . How
dared she then to harbor such feeli ngs for o ne moment
She bowed her head upon her hands , and prayed for
strength to overcome ; and s trength was given her.
She went out from that humble closet with firm resolves ,with noble purposes
,with ful l determination to root out
every lingering feeli ng of affection for the one she had
152 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL .
so long and so unconsciously loved . But this resolution
was not so easy to carry into effect. E very time she
beheld h im,she saw more i n hi s character to es teem
and respect, and not many days pas sed before she found
her on ly safety was in avoiding his presence.
154 T HE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
the party of young people at L indenwood had been
confined within doors , but on Tuesday morni ng the sun
rose in cloudless splendor, fli nging his bright rays on
every side. After breakfast an excursion was planned
for the afternoon , when Clarence could j oi n them . Theywere merrily discussing it, and anticipating its pleasures,when the door Opened
,and Alice entered
,equipped for a
ride .
So soon ready ? ” exclaimed Uncle Stephen,and he
let h is paper fall to the floor as he started i n haste to
meet her.“ Why, Alice , where are you going ?
” i nquired half a
dozen voices ; but she only smiled and shook her head,whi le the Old gen tleman hurri ed from the room to pre
pare to accompany her. Her neatly fitting boddice displayed to great advantage her beautifully rounded form,
and as she stood, graceful ly holding up her long ski rt,exposed to view the toe of a tiny gaiter matching i n
color her dress . The surprise she had given them ,and
the interest awakened as to the cause Of her early start,had lent a deeper tint to her fair complex ion , while the
dimples were playi ng about her mouth as she tried to
evade their i nquiries .
The young attorney gazed earnestly upon her,and
thought h is eyes had never rested upon a lovelier Object ;but he suddenly caught a glimpse Of Gertrude
,who
stood behi nd him,and her countenance was so full of
bitterness that poor Alice started from her in terror.
At that moment Uncle Stephen entered,grumbli ng
,
I’m making a fool Of myself. I’ve not mounted a
horse for twenty years. There’ll be amusement enough
rN Drseursa. 155
for the whole town , to see the Old codger escorting a
fair lady through the main streets . I dare say she’ll
make me parade mysel f everywhere .
He stopped short on seei ng that Ali ce did not, as
usual,make any reply to hi s bantering, and was ready
distressed, as they stood waiting at the door for the
horses,to see that she silently wiped a tear from her eye.
There,ch ild
,
” be commenced , I’ll take it all back, old
barbarian as I am,
” when Clarence,who was standing
by hi s side,whispered
,“ Take no notice now . It i s
nothing you have said,” when his thoughts turned in
another direction,and he replied, “ If you’ve worried
her, I’L
There i s no knowing what he would have said, for
Alice sprang down the steps,and
,before Clarence could
reach her,placed her foot i n the outstretched hand Of
the hostler, and sprang lightly to her seat. The young
man , much annoyed, turned to his uncle, who was
really making a great effort i n order to oblige his li ttle
fri end. Three times the animal was led to the block ,and the awkward attempt of the rider caused him to
shy off, so that i t was necessary to turn h im ,and lead
him up again .
“ I shall give i t up next time,
” he ex
claimed , petulantly , and you may take my place, boy.
”
Oh , no, no said Alice,earnestly . The ins tant she
had spoken , the color mounted to her very brow,and, as
she met the expression of sad reproach i n Clarence,she
added, quickly, I will dismount ; I wil l give no one the
trouble to accompany me ; I do not care to go now.
”
But this time Uncle Stephen had been successful,and
they started off, when Clarence reluctantly returned to
156 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
the parlor, and said that he might be prevented from
com ing home in season to j oi n them ,but he hoped his
absence would not prevent their going,as Mr. Hunti ng
ton was with them . Before he arr ived at h is Office, he
made a determination to seek an explanation from Alice
herself of her evident avoidance of him . He began tosuspect that she was not treated with kindness by every
member of the family.
In the meantime,the subj ect Of hi s thoughts was
trying to forget that anything unpleasan t had occurred ,and to render herself as agr eeable as possible to h er kind
benefactor,who had taken so much pains to give her
pleasure . After a cheerful conversation, as they rode
slowly on , she told him she thought i t was quite time
she was doing something for her ow n support. “ If I
have kind friends,
” she conti nued, “ that is no reason
why I should be a burden to them .
”
“ Humph ! ” replied Uncle Stephen,“ a ll stuff and
nonsense"
! Pray,what can you do
? Teach an acad
emy, hey ?
Alice was too much accustomed to his manner to feel
at al l discouraged by hi s remark ; so.
she pleasantly re
plied, “ I can do some things better than anybody in
the world,yourself bei ng judge.
“What,pray ? ”
Why, combi ng your hair, for instance, or readingyou to sleep .
”
Her compan ion stopped hi s horse i n hi s eagerness toreply. Well
,child
,I have a plan
,so set your heart at
rest. I’ll employ yen to wai t upon me, and humor all
my whims, which you have done for years without pav.
158 THE H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
Mrs . Gates burst i nto tears . N O, no ! she sobbed
w il l ; nothing can do me any good .
”
The tone was so despai ri ng and heart-broken that the
young gi rl was deeply moved. She sat down on a low
stool near her,and , taki ng Li zz ie upon her lap, sa id,
kindly,You must try
‘
to feel comforted for the sake ofthis dear li ttle girl ; and what yvill the baby do if you
gi ve way to your grief ?” She had touched the right
chord — a mother’s love . Perhaps it was the only one
which would at thi s time have vibrated to the touch .
The tears Of the poor woman s ti ll flowed,but She be
came more composed,and soon was able to relate
,
though with much Shame,the cause Of her trouble. Her
husband, who was a blacksmi th , had a profitable bus i
ness, and had supported hi s family well , unti l the owner
of the public house,with a company of others
,bui l t a
bowling saloon . He was enticed there to see them play ;then he himself played , until he spent every evening i n
gambling. At length he gave up business enti rely, and
pas sed his time lounging about the hotel . He hadplenty Of money , but she did not know how he Obta ined
i t. The nigh t before,there had been a robbery com
m itted i n the vil lage, and, as soon as it was light, her
husband was apprehended,and placed in confinement to
awai t h is trial . “ But he never did that,
”She added
,
vehemently ; he never would commit such a crime , to
bri ng disgrace on himself and me. B rit the others wi ll
try to prove it upon him,and he’ll be carried to pri son
and then what wi ll become of us ? ” and she pressed
her babe convul s ively to her breast.
W hen is he to be tried ? ” asked Al ice .
i N D i s t. UISL . 159
They said they were taking him to a magistrate at
once .”
“ You say the robbery was last night ; was your hus
band at home through the night ? ”
The poor woman cast down her eyes i n great confu
sion , as She fal tered out,
“ He came home about mid .
night.”
After a Short pause , Alice arose to go , saying, l\Ir.
Stanley,with whom I live
,i s a magis trate
,and he may
be the one who will try him . At any rate,I think I can
promise, if h is case.
i s not already decided,that he will
have justice done him in h is trial . I have a dear friend,who is a lawyer
,and I will ask him to exami ne the case.
If your husband is i n nocent,heshal l be befriended .
”
Mrs . Gates leaned forward with parted lips, eager to
catch every word of . her young comforter. It would
have been a beautiful scene for a painter . There was
the poor youn g wife , with her babes clinging to her side,eagerly gaz ing i nto the bright face Of the young lady
,
w ho i n cheerful tones was endeavori ng to inspire her
with hOpe and trust for the future . “ I wil l see you
again to -morrow,
”She added , going towards the door.
In the meantime,have you sufficient for yourself and
chi ldren
Oh , yes , miss ! quite enough ; and who knows butJusti n will be cleared
,and return to h is work
,and then
how happy we shal l be ! ” She caught up her babe to
hide her tears Of j oy at. the thought .“ My good woman
,
” sa id Alice,meekly
, you must
pray that God will bri ng good out of this trial . He isable to convert this affl iction into a great bles s i ng. It
160 THE HOUSE HOLD AN GEL
may be the means of Showing your husband the dangerof evi l companions
,so that he wil l shun them in future .’
Oh,miss ! you talk so much like my dear mother !
She taught me to pray ; but, si nce I was married, I
have had so much to take up my time,I have forgotten
al l about her i nstructions . After Justin was carri ed Off,I did try to ask God to let his i n nocence be know n ; but
I gave it up. I couldn’t expect he’d hear me when I’ve
been so forgetful of my duty to him .
”
Al ice sprang forward, and caught her hand , saying,DO not
“
give up praying. Ask him to forgive all vour
sins for Christ’s sake , and to make your husband a good
Christian . Will you do this
The breast of th e woman heaved convulsively,and
she bowed her head i n token of assent as the y oung girl
paused.
Good bye, then I hope to bring ,you good news to
morrow. Good bye,L izzie ; I wi ll come agai n soon .
As she started quickly toward the door, al l at once
she remembered that Uncle Stephen was waiting for
her ; but, when She stepped into the entry, to her sur
prise she saw him si tti ng upon a low stair, and exhib
iting traces of deep emotion . Making a quick sign for
her to keep si lent,he thrust a well-filled purse i nto her
hand, at the same time poi nting to the room she had left.
But Al ice Shook her head as she wh ispered,
“ Another
time,” and they went out quietly together. Approaching
the fence where she had tied her horse , Alice w as won
dering how She should contrive a step for Un cle Stephen ,when a laboring man came by
,and offered his assistance
,
w ith which the Old gen tleman was once more safely
162 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
the re lease of the man , i f, as she supposed, he had beenmade the tool Of h is more depraved companions.
It i s unnecessary to narrate hi s i n terview wi th Mrs.Gates, or the one wi th her husband that followed . In
the latter he became convinced of the i nnocence Of Mr
Gates i n the robbery, though the young man confessed,with shame, the wicked course of id leness and si n he
had pursued for a few mon ths . Suffice i t to say, that
when he returned at a late hour for tea, he carried Alice
the report of Gates’s release, and the conviction of two
of his associ ates . She li stened with tears as he recounted
the joy Of the y oung wife at the restoration of her hus
band, which Clarence assured her She ascribed enti rely to
the i nfluence of the ki nd lady who call ed to see her. Hedid not
,however, repeat what Mrs . Gates had said Of her
vis itor, whom she considered an angel sen t from heaven
to comfort her i n her distress ; nor how a Simple questionshe had asked concern ing the relation exi sting between
himself and her, had caused his heart to beat with sunny
hope . He was to o happy in her returned confidence toth ink of the past ; and until the arrival of th e party Of
equestri ans, an hour or two later, he gave himself up to
the enjoyment of th e present hour . Alice had never ap
peared more cheerful ; her clear eyes shone with a pure
l ight,and a beaming smile played around her small
mouth .
Uncle Stephen gayly described his ow n awkwardness i n
di smounting at Mrs . Gates’s door, and the merry laugh
he had occasioned a group Of boys iv ho were playing
near. In truth,
” he added,Alice was gone so long, I
was afraid some evi l had befa llen her, esepcially as she
IN D I SG U I SE 163
had just been imparting to me her wi ld scheme of setti ngup for hersel f.
”
Al ice tried to cover hi s mouth , but he conti nued, NO ,
child, you deserve to be punished for your naughty
thoughts . She wants to be more i ndependent,and be
able to act according to her own fancies ; but I soon put
a stop to her rebellion,and I’ve taken her i nto my ser
vice . She i s to do just as I tel l her,and I’m to well ,
no matter what I’m to do ; SO look out and not inter
fere with her,
” glancing toward Clarence, w ho appeared
hal f amused and half annoyed .
“ I wont have her wor
ried. But seriously, chi ld , what could put such thoughts
into your head ? Aren’t you happy here ? What do you
th ink I should do without somebody to scold, or to bring
me to reason when I’m out of humor ? ”
For a moment the poor girl appeared much embar
ras sed but then , thinki ng that the present might be the
most favorable time for mentioning her plan , she said,endeavori ng to speak calmly
,It i s not a new thought
with me . Indeed, I can hardly remember when i t first
occurred to me ; but by your kindness, my dear friends,I have received a thorough education , and can therefore
not only relieve myself from being dependen t upon your
bounty,but hOpe I may prove myself useful i n some.
humble situation . If my presence were necessary to mypoor mother, I should feel i t my duty to remain with her ;but as i t i s not, I have long thought I ought to makesome use of the education furnished me by your ki nd
ness .”
For one moment no one spoke. Astonishment at the
words o f the young girl kept them silent. They had
164 THE HO USEHOLD ANGEL
been so much i n the habit of consideri ng her as a ehil clthat i t w as difficu lt to realize that she had ever i ndulged
a thought of acti ng for herself. Clarence started forw ard
eagerly, but Mrs. Stanley drew the child of her adoption
closer to her heart,while her husband
,who was much
affected , said .
“ Alice,when your l i ttle compan ion
,Louis,
was dying, I promised him that I would be a father to
you, and give you a home ; you would notwish me to V IO
late that pledge .”
Hi s manner was so solemn that she could only replyby her tears, as she caught h is hand and pressed it to her
l ips .
Uncle Stephen aros e and walked hastily from the
room , when Mr. Stanley con tinued, My dear chi ld, let
me hear no more of this . Your mother,” glancing at hiswife, cannot spare you. There i s only one condition ,
”
he added,pleasantly
,“ i n which I shall give my consent
to your leaving us,and that is when a husband claims
youf’
Poor gi rl ! a conscious fear suffused her cheeks and
brow with a burning blush, as she repli ed in a low voice,That time will never come .”
The sound of the return i ng party put a sudden termi
nation to the conversation ; but not before Clarence had
taken her hand,sayi ng
,Dear Al ice, remember w her
ever you go,and whatever you do, you have one firm
friend .
”
“ Thank you,” sh e replied
, w i thout raising her eyes ;I l ove to think it is so .
The tall and queen ly Edith entered first, having, i n thecompany of her admirer, passed a delightful afternoon,
166 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGE L
left the room in search of his guardian , and found him
vigorous ly walking back and forth,through the suite of
rooms occupied by them . After sitting for a few mo'
ments with his head resting on hi s hand,and fi nding his
companion took no notice of him,Mr. Sydney arose
,and
pa s sing the hand of hi s k i nd friend through his arm,
joi ned him in h is walk .
I beli eve the ch ild does i t on purpose to torment me,”
soliloquized the old gentleman .
“ Wish I were twenty
years younger,I’d give her a home in good earnest, and
a~husband
,too !
Who are you complaining of asked Clarence.
Why, of Alice, and all of you . I don’t see where
your eyes are. So stupid of you not to see what’s for
your ow n good .
I am glad to assure you,replied the young man
,
archly, though i t must be confessed with a heightened
color, “ that at length we view one subj ect alike and
he uttered a few words i n the ear of his guardian , which
operated like magic . He caugh t Clarence by the shoulders, and , holding h im at arms
’ length,gazed earnestly
inhi s face . Then assured that he had heard correctly,
he s tarted suddenly forward,and bestowed hi s approba
tion in the shape of a hearty kiss,after which he sat
down and began to laugh and cry at the same moment.
I declare,
” he sobbed,wipi ng hi s eyes
,“ i t makes me
young again . There,go and/bring her here ; [ want to
give the chi ld my blessi ng.
”
Oh , no ! exclaimed the young man I have never
given her any i ntimation of the state ofmy affections . Iwish I were as certai n of obtaini ng her consent as I w as
IN D I SG U I SE . 167
of obtai ning yours .” He thenspoke of the reserve whichshe had of late manifested tow ard him,
and the difficul ty
he found in speak ing with her, except i n the presence o f
the family.
Now hear me exclaimed Uncle Stephen , bri nginghis fist with great emphasis down upon his knee . It’s
all the work of that artful Gertrude . Oh ! I see i t all .There i s no end of her hints about dependants thrusting
themselves forward, and all that sort of th ing . No w on
der they make her shy . Well,manage i t your own way ;
but mind, now ,
i f she.
wont have you, she’s got to take
me,that’s settled . I wont be bothered with the li ttle
iade’s fancies about goi ng off to be a governess .”
Entirely unconscious that subjects so n early relatingto herself were di scussed within a few feet of her ow n
room,Alice retired early. Her thoughts were all in
confusion,and she longed to be alone
,to commune with
her ow n heart. The question of her leavi ng Li ndenwoodwas settled, and she was troubled and vexed at herself
for being pleased that duty called her to stay ; for she
could but acknowledge that it would be ungrateful and
wrong for her to in sist upon a line of action which her
friends disapproved — friends whose care and affection
entitled them to the greatest confidence . And yet,
”she
repeated to herself, “ i f they knew all,they would be the
very ones to advi se my removal ; but as i t i s, I must
struggle alone .”
Her thoughts gradually grew more i ndisti nct,and she
fell asleep . In her dreams she agai n vi si ted the young
wife, accompanied her to the prison to see her husband,when to her i nten se surprise she found the pris oner w as
[68 T H E HO USEHOLD A NGEL .
Clarence . Hi s deep blue eyes seemed to gaze earn estlyinto hers
,as he implored her to procure hi s release ; and
when she promised to do this,his ardent expressions of
gratitude as he clasped tightly her hand,caused her
heart to beat wildly.
170 T HE H O USE HOLD AN GEL
taken the house . N o,there was the very stair where
Uncle Stephen had sat. She knocked again,and louder
than before ; and soon Mrs . Gates made her appearance,with her babe i n her arms . An expression of great
pleasure brightened her countenance,but this was quickly
succeeded by tears .i
“ Justi n is,
very sick ,” she w his
pered,very sick
,ma’am . He don’t know me or the
children . The Doctor says it’s the nervous fever,pro.
duced by the excitement of yesterday . Oh ! i t wouldmake your heart ache to hear him talk . He has confessed all hi s si n s over and over agai n ; and when he
came home,he told me he meant to be a differen t
man from what he has ever been . When I repeated
what you said,he did not answer for some time
,and
then he sighed and said,
‘Maria,if I’d liv
’
ed as my
mother taught me,th is would never have happened.
We both resolved last n ight,to try to be good
,and to
teach our chi ldren as we were taught,out of the Bible.
But now he may never get well,’
- and the poor woman
put her apron to her face to hide the tears which were
streaming down her cheeks .
Alice quietly took the ch ild from her arms, as she
asked,
“ Have you no one to as sist you i n taki ng can
of h im ? ”
Mrs . Gates shook her head .
Do you know of any one w ho would come if sh e
were well paid ? ”
“ Oh,yes ! a woman who took care of me when I was
s ick.
Where does she live ?”
IN D i SG Ui s e . 1 7 ]
Only a short distance in the next street . Lizzie hadbeen to her house yesterday , when youmet her.
”
Well,i f Liz zie will show me the way Iwi ll get her
if possible, to come here at once .
”
I’m sure I can’t see why you’re so ki nd to me ; but
I’m very grateful, though it an’t my way to say so much
about it as some do .”
No thanks, my good woman , are due to me ; I have
a ki nd friend w ho delights to be of service to the needy,and it i s by his wish that I attend to your wants . But
where is Lizzie 7Mrs . Gates went to the back door and led i n the child ,
who was playing i n the yard . Havi ng been washed andatti red in a clean apron , the li ttle girl walked by the side
of the horse, as the long dress of Alice unfitted her
for walking i n the street. She found the nurse to be a
motherly appeari ng woman,rather more than fifty years
of age. She soon made known her errand,and
'
w as
pleased to find her wil ling to go without delay. Alice
then i nquired whether they had a good physician,and
havi ng ascerta ined that it w as her old friend , Dr. Jenks ,she immediately determined to cal l upon him . She
therefore paid Mrs . Green a week’s wages,together wi th
a sum of money for the immediate necess iti es of the
family, and leaving Li zzie to return homewith the nurse,j umped into her saddle
,and rode to the house of Dr
Jenks . She was fortunate i n finding him , for he drove
up in hi s narrow buggy jus t as she approached .
Good morning, Miss Al ice , said he,gayly
,“ i s i t
I, youwant ? Any body sick at the Hall ? Easy enoughto see you’re not to be my patient to-day . Come ,jump
172 TH E HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
Off, and give me a kiss from those red lips . What, re
fuse me 7 Why,chi ld, I was the first friend you ever
had .
In the meantime Alice dismounted,and followed the
ki nd-hearted man into the sitti ng-room . He was avalued friend
,as well as physician of Mr. Stanley’s
family. Alice,he had always associated with hi s l ittle
pet, Louis , and loved her for hi s sake as well as for herow n . After shak ing hands w i th Mrs . Jenks , the young
girl at once made known her errand,and requested the
Doctor to continue h is attendance upon Mr. Gates ,archly holding up her purse to i n timate that she was the
one to whom he was to look for h is pay .
“ Well, that’s cool, I must say, to offer me a bribe i f
I’ll give up my own patients . Where did you get so
much money, that you are throwing it away in that
style“ It’s Uncle Stephen’s
,
” replied Alice , laughing.
Won’t you tell Uncle Stephen to attend to his own
busi ness,and I’l l mi nd mine . lVIr. Gates is my patient
,
and I shan’t give him up to please any person and the
kind man had a merry twink le in h is eye that told every
body that he had a large and warm heart beati ng under
neath hi s el aborately fri lled shirt. Seriously,ch ild
,
” he
continued,I can’t afford to give up Justin Gates , and
such as he ; they are the most valuable part of my prac
tice ; I couldn’t,i n conscience
,ask God’s bless ing upon
me if I turned a deaf ear to the calls of the poor. I
consider my practice among them my best i nves t
ments . My Master w ill repay me a thousand-fold
when I get up there,” he added
,with a devotional glance
174 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
to soften the character of the haughty girl ; but to the
astonishment of all, when he made a formal offer of his
hand,she had decidedly refused him , though she cou
fessed that she liked him better than any other person .
Hi s profession w as the insupe rable obj ection in her mind,as she had determined never to be a clergyman’s wife .
This was a keen di sappoi ntment to the young candi
date for holy orders,and for one moment the thought
was cherished,
“ i t i s not too late for me to change my
profession but be cast i t as ide as unworthy of him .
He had never made any secret of hi s pleasure i n her
society, and as she had not di scouraged his attention s,he hoped his sui t would termi nate favorably. When
he returned to the family,pale and sad , to bid them
adieu,Mr. Stanley drew from him the fact that he had
been rejected . He was very much di spleased with hisdaughter
,as he knew she had given the young man
reason to beli eve she loved him . But Mr. Huntingtonwould allow no blame to rest upon her
,and wi th a sad
weight at h is heart bade them adieu .
Uncle S tephen greatly approved the course Alice had
pursued with regard to the sick man and asked her i f
she wanted more money to carry her plans i nto effect.
In answer to which question,she held up the purse which
was stil l well fi lled.
The next day,and for several days i n succession , Al i ce
rode to the vi llage to cal l upon her protégés . Mr. Gates
sti ll con tinued very si ck,and the kind-hearted physician
began to look very grave . Mrs. Gates seemed every daymore dejected . One week the nurse had remained with
ner patient, and Al ice paid her another week’s wages , and
IN D i s GUi S E . 175
at the same time providi ng for the wan ts of the family
One morning,however
,when o n her way to the vi llag e,
she met Dr. Jenks . He stopped h is horse . Good news
for you‘. I’ve just l eft the beds ide of Justi n Gates, and
he was conscious . I think the crisi s has passed,and
that he is i n a fair w ay to recover. It’s hardly fair, I
know,for me to tell the. news
,si nce Maria is watchi ng
so earnestly for you , i n order to tel l it'
herself.”
“ I am indeed pleased to hear it,
” said Alice,and she
hastened on .
I t was indeed so . A great change had taken place .
For the firs t time,Alice went i n to the smal l bedroom to
see the in valid . She stopped but a moment,for fear the
excitement of seeing a stranger would injure him,i n his
weak state . When she left him,the grateful wi fe fol
lowed her i nto th e small si tting-room,and
,having care
fu lly closed the door,expressed her wish that M is s Carey
w ould remai n for a few moments .“ I wi ll do so with pleasure,
” repl ied the young lady,
though she wondered a li ttle at th e serious tone i n which
the request was uttered . She drew a chair near the o ne
where Mrs . Gates had seated herself,and said
,ki ndly
,
“ You have much to be thankful for, my good woman
Dr. Jenks told me he thought your husband wouldrecover.”
Oh,I have
,I have she exclaimed
,rai sing her tear
ful eyes to the face of her companion , “ not on ly for that,but for th e bless i ngs of a whole life . I have never real
iz ed who i t was provided for all my wants, and supplied
me with so many comforts . Now I seem to be justawaking out of sleep . I remember all my s i ns . Oh
176 T HE H OUSEHOLD AN GEL
how could I have been so forgetful of the i nstructions of
my deceased mother !” Her feelings en tirely overcame
her, and she sobbed for some time without restraint.
Alice took her hand,and tri ed to soothe . her.
“ Re
member,
”s he said, “ that i f you are truly penitent, God
i s able and will ing to forgive you all your si ns.”
“ But you don’t know
,you can’t imagine
,how very
wicked I have been . Not th at I have ever committedany open crime
,but I have violated the sabbath . I have
forgotten God . We'
eks and months have passed without
my ever remembering therewas One who kept me alive,giving me food and raiment. I have not been i nside of
a church for three years ; and now I can trace the com
mencemen t of all my troubles to that very time . Justi n
used always to be i n his seat morning and afternoon ;but I persuaded him to ride and walk with me
,or make
a soci al vi sit,as we had to work so hard through the
week .
” Suppressing a -sob , she continued Ever sincethe first day you called
,and asked me if I prayed, I have
had a dreadful weight upon me. Even when he w as
released,and your kind fri end brought h im home
,though
I was rejoiced to see him,yet I could not throw off my
burden . And now this morning, when the doctor told
me he was better,I didn’t feel as I once should . Night
after night,when the nurse was sleeping i n her chair by
the side of my husband’s bed,I have crept away from
my little ones,and come down here to read in the B ible
but every word I read only made me feel worse, and
many times I have thought ’twas no use to try to be
better ; but the next n ight I’d think I’d try once more .
Mi ss Carey,
” she resumed,after a momentary pause of
178 ~ THE HOUSEH OLD AN GE L .
have offended God,violated h is holy laws , and ti at you
must be lost unles s you are pardoned . Jesus has offered
to be your ransom,and
,i f you put your trust i n him , he
will save you.
”
With a quick start, Mrs . Gates heaved a deep sigh, a'
i f she could hardly realize so wonderful a plan of salva
tion . With a counte nance in which hope and fear were
stri ving for ascendency, she gazed at her companion ,then closed her eyes, and said , solemnly, “ Oh God, forChrist’s sake
,save my guilty soul ! ”
Never has that plea been urged in vai n . Never has arepentant sinner humbly cal led upon God
,plead the
meri ts and sacrifice of hi s Son , and failed to receive an
answer of peace .
For a short time Alice paused . She did not wish to
i nterrupt the work the Holy Spirit was carrying on i nthe soul of the penitent woman before her. Then she
si lently l ifted up her heart to ask God to sancti fy the
trials and affl iction s of the present hour to her salvation .
Mrs. Gates i nstantly imitated her example,and the
young girl poured out her fu ll heart i n prayer to her
heavenly Father. Before she left,Alice indulged a s trong
hope that the i n terview had not been i n vain . Instead of
despairing sorrow stamped upon ev ery feature,there w as
now upon the countenance of the good woman an
expression of earnest and holy trus t. She exhibi ted
marks of\
strong feeling as Alice took her leave, and said,
with deep emotion,“ Oh
,Miss Ca rry ! don’t forget to
pray for my poor Justin,that God would bring him to
repentance.
C H A P T E R X V
Oh, there is need that on men’
s hearts should fall
A spirit that can sympathiz e with al l.” Carey .
W HEN Alice returned home, i nstead of j oining the
fami ly i n the parlor, she reti red to her own room ,and
passed the remainder of the forenoon i n giving thanks
to God for making her the feeble i nstrument of good to
one soul . During these hours Of meditation , she saw agreat field of usefulness opening before her . She need
not go to a distance to be useful to her fellow-creatures .
S he determi ned to seek one among the i nhabitants of
her native vi l lage . Where she found temporal distress,she knew that the hand of her kind benefactor was ever
open to supply her with the means to relieve i t. She
was so much engrossed with this subject that she had
no time to th ink of herself ; and, when she went below
to joi n the family at di nner, peace and hope i rradiated
every feature . But here she was desti ned to new trials.
Gertrude , who was every day more convinced that Clar
ence had become wholly indifferent to her, unworthily
a scribed the change to the arts of Al ice to win his favor.
The demon of j ealousy had taken pos ses sion of her sou l,
and at times almost maddened her. In Edith she found
a willing l istener to all the abuse she w ished to heap
Upon the i nnocen t object of her displeasure. When she
heard of A lice’s propos i tio n to leave -Lindenwood, and179
180 TH E HOUSEHOLD AN GE L
become a teacher,her heart bounded with joy but
,when
made aw are that her father and mother firmly opposed
the plan,and i nsisted that she Should remain with them
,
she hated them for not fal ling in with her v iews,or fai l
ing to see that they were thwarting her i nterests . She
thought she loved Clarence ; but now,as she confes sed
to Edi th,she could almost wi sh him dead rather than to
see him become the husband of Alice,who
,by the kind
ness of her father, had been raised from abject poverty
She watched the poor girl with Argus eyes , and was
ready to ascribe the worst motive to every action . It
was fortunate for the young girl that she did not suspect
half the unkindness that was cherished toward her. For
years Emma had been a loving, confidi ng friend , onewho sympathized i n all her trials, and was ready to ward
off, as much as i n her power, the poi soned shafts aimed
at her heart. When Alice appeared at dinner, Gertrude,who could neither appreciate nor understand the source
Of her calm happiness,ascribed her cheerfulness to other
causes,and even suspected Clarence had confessed his
affection . Thi s suspicion was confirmed by a remark
the young girl made in an swer to Mrs . Stanley, who
frankly said,“ I think
,my love
,from your countenance
,
you mus t have found your patient convalescent ; you
appear very happy ”
Yes, mamma, replied Alice , i n a low voice , i n tended
only for the ear of her m other,as she sat by her side
,
and my heart i s at rest .”
It w as plain also that Mrs . Stanley attached a different
mean ing to her words from the one she i ntended to
convey, for she gazed earnestly at her for' a moment
,
182 THE H OUSE HOLD AN GEL
could only hide her blush ing face i n her mother’s lap,as
she occupied a stool at her feet. At length she sobbed
out,“ It i s cruel
, cruel, i n her to make such a charge .
Indeed,I have never seen him
,except on the morning
when I rode with Uncle Stephen, and then onl y for a
moment,and that
,too
,i n the street.”
“ I knew it,my love
,
” replied Mrs Stanley, soothingly
It is foolish to weep,and yet I know such i nsinuati ons
are hard to bear . But which,Al ice , would you choose
to be i n.
your Si tuation , and endure such a tria l as shehas infl icted upon your sensi tive heart, or be in hers, and
inflict i t ?
O h,mamma
,I never could say such unki nd things
to her. I had tenfold rather be the one to endure .“ Yes
,dear
,she is to be pitied ; but she has this excuse.
She has been di sappomted in her dearest wishes and
hopes, and she feels it keenly.
”
In what has she been disappointed ? ”
In the affection she hoped to gai n from Clarence. It
cannot be new to you.
”
“ But she said,
” eagerly repli ed Alice , “ that he had
told her he loved her, but that Uncle Stephen was not
to know it for the present.”
Poor Alice became painful ly confused, and covered
her face with her hands . “ I have done very, very wrong
to tell you this, for I overheard it,”she added
,as a shade
of keen disappoi ntment passed over her mother’s face,
and the thought of what she had heard i n the same
connection caused her checks to burn.
l ike fire . A dread
ful struggle took place i n her breast a desire to nuhur
den her heart,even by confessing her folly i n giving her
rN D I SG U ISE.183
affections unsought ; and opposed to this , the bitter mor
tification i t would cause her to do so . Shame at length
prevailed,and she said to herself
,“ I shall conquer, I w i ll
conquer, myself !”
At length Mrs . Stanley asked, quietly , Can you not
te ll me why,
you w ere so happy at dinner ? ”
Oh, yes ,
” she answered,her countenance brighteni ng,
I i ntended to tell you. But first wil l you tell m e if
you ever though t me guil ty of of what Gertrude
said
Gui lty ? No,my child ! not i n the slightest degree .
I never shall see you doing wrong, without tell ing you
of it.”
Alice then related to her mother the events of the
morning. Mrs . Stanley’s sympathizing countenance bore
ample testimony to her interest for thexpen itent woman .
In the meantime Gertrude sat at her sewing i n the
vai n endeavor to appear indifferent to what had occurred .
She was vexed that her charges had not at least satisfied
her curios i ty,whether Al ice did meet Clarence in the v i l
lage. She was mortified that she had been led by herjea onsy to make the insinuation i n so public a manner,and she was puzzled beyond measure by the appearance
of Uncle Stephen , who sat chuckling to h imself as if he
had v ery merry thoughts,while
,for a queer
,quizzical ex
pression upon hi s countenance she i n vai n endeavored to
account, except upon the suppos ition that he knew,and
was satisfied wit h the state of hi s ward’s affections . Hesaid not a word by which she could gai n a clew to h is
thoughts but sat tw irling hi s heavy watch chai n,as w as
his habit when in good humor.
184 T HE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
When Mrs . Stanley and Alice were summoned to tea
not a trace of unkindness appeared upon the conure
nance of the latter. In her small closet,where she had
so often sought and obtai ned strength to overcome her
inward adversaries,she had gai ned a victory over exery
unkind feeli ng. She had even earnestly besought a bless
i ng upon the one who had endeavored to injure her. The
answer had come i n peace to her ow n soul .
After tea,Uncle Stephen called her to his side, and
engaged her i n conversation ; and when , at a distance
from the family group who gathered about the centre
table,she gave him a brief account of her morn ing visit
to the poor family,and in her i nterest for them forgot all
which had annoyed her .
The next day was the Sabbath,and though Alice was
very anxious to hear from e her protégés , she concluded
not to visit them . After service i n the afternoon,as She
and Emma were walking from church,they met Dr.
Jenks . He stopped his horse,and told her Mr . Gates
conti nued to improve,and he added
,Hi s wife i s so
happy that she must needs tel l everybody about it .” The
eyes of the good man were mois tened as he said thi s,and not l iking to have his emotion observed , he suddenly
nodded hi s adieu,and drove on .
At an early hour on the following day,Alice walked
to the village,taki ng with her one or two devotional
books,and also a small basket of' del icacies . from Mr
Stanley,to the i nval id
I almost envy you,said Emma
,as she gayly bid her
good mor ni ng.
Then why not accompany me ? ”
186 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
Lord would direct some ki nd friend to her door,as he did
you to thi s . Maria Gates speaks of i t every day.
I suppose you are aware ,” responded Alice
,“ that I
only di stribute the bounty of a rich friend, who does not
l et his right hand know what his left h and does .
La ! ” said Mrs . Green , smoothing down her apron ,“ I guess ’tisn’t much of a secret w ho i t comes from .
I’ve known of hi s chari ti es these four years,though
‘
he
does take mighty queer ways to bes tow'
them . The pres
ent way is the best, I’m thinking ; but I
’ll speak to
Maria .
”
When she opened the door into the bed-room,Alice
saw the invalid bolstered up in bed,whil e hi s wife sat by
his side, reading to h im from an old, leather-covered
Bible . The babe lay asleep at the foot of the bed. She
came forward joyful ly to meet the young lady, and
grasped her warm ly by the hand .
Oh, Miss Garey ! ” she exclaimed, “ my burden is
gone. All is peace here,” putting her hand to her heart.
I have longed for you to come , that you might talk
with Justin .
”
Alice made a sign for her to be si lent,as the sick man
could hear every word , feari ng lest in her zeal she should
defeat her own object. They immedi ately passed to the
bedside of Mr. Gates, w ho at first appeared very much
embarrassed ; but, as Alice sat down by him , and at
tempted to turn his m ind ~ from himself to other topics,he became at length more free
,and expressed his grati
tude for her attenti on to his family . Maria would have
had a tough time of i t,
” he added,
“ i f it hadn’t been for
the help you’
ve been to her.”
m mseurss . 187
Do you enjoy readi ng she asked ; I noticed yourwife was reading to youwhen I came in .
Middling,” he answered, frank ly. To tell the truth
I a’n’t much of a reader, myself ; but I like to hear her,she enters in to it so . It seems to come right home.”
I have brought a little book which perhaps may
please you . It is one which has greatly in terested me .”
If it wouldn’t bother you too much I should like to
hear i t. I find i t’s dull music to li e i n bed,and i t’s what
I h‘avn’t been used to . I never was hauled up i n my life
before .”
“ You have, i ndeed, much to be grateful for. Have youever thought to whom you was i ndebted for health
?
Why,no ; can
’t say I ever thought much about i t.
Suppose it’s owing to my having such a firm constitu
tion .
But who gave you such a firm constitution ? ”
Well,I can’t say. I allus supposed ’twas born with
me .
Alice was sorely puzzled . She did not feel at all su re
whether th is ignorance were real , or only feigned i n order
to get rid of religious conversation . She had never seen
much of th e world, nor of the different phases of human
character,and was at a loss to judge how i t W ( uld be
best to proceed with him ,for her heart was fullv set on
hi s conversion . She determined, however, not to press
the subj ect upon him at present, but to gain hi s confi
dence . that sh e might converse with him in future w i th
more hope of doi ng him good . Therefore,saying to Mrs .
Gates that she would watch by the babe i f she wished
to be engaged with her family. she Opened her book and
[88 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
commenced reading. Mrs . Gates soon resumed her seat,
after seeing that Li zzie w as safe in the little yard,and
with her sewing in her hand, was prepared to li sten to
her young friend.
The book w as a short and simple narrative of a father
onverted by the death Of hi s chi ld . As she read on
through some of the more touching scenes, she could see
that her hearers were much affected . Mr.‘
Gates was
obliged repeatedly to wipe his eyes with hi s shirt sleeve,
and when she stopped, feari ng he migh t be w eariedp he
eagerly asked her to go on . But when she had finished,
and h is wife asked him i f he ’had not enj oyed i t,he re
plied,If i t had been li veli er ’twould have suited me bet
terf’
Yet hi s benefactress determined not to yield to dis
couragement. She felt sure thi s i nd ifference w as partly
assumed,to conceal his real feeli ngs ; and she trusted in
the Spiri t of God for the resul t. With her own hands
she took the j ellies and other articles from the basket,
retaining only a couple Of oranges for her next call,and
then putting a small bOOk Of prayers i nto the h ands Of
Mrs . Gates,she bade th em good morning ; but had pro
ceeded no farther than the entry, when to her great con
fusion she found Clarence standing there . He hadknocked repeated ly at the outer door, and , fai ling of be
ing heard,had advanced to the i nner. The .conversation
of the preceding day darted through the mind of the poor
girl,causi ng her the mos t pai nful embarrassment ; but,
w i th an effort to speak calmly, she told him she would
speak to Mrs . Gates,and was hasteni ng to do so
,when
he said,gravely
,Alice
,have I offended you by coming
here
CH A P T E R X V I.
It is not well,
Here in this land of Christian l iberty,That honest worth or hopeless want should dwell
Unaided by our care and sympathy .—Carey.
AFT ER knocking repeatedly at the outer door,she
gently pushed it Open and proceeded to the i nner,where
her application for admi ttance was immediately an
sw ered by a fai nt voice bidding her enter . Upon a low
bed i n the corner of the room lay a woman apparently
about thirty years Of age,whose pale
,emaciated coun
tenance called forth her warmest sympathies . A youngchild lay nestled close to its mother, i n the sweet sleep
of chi ldhood, while everything in and about the room ,
though denoting great poverty, yet betokened the strict
est regard for neatness .
This,
” thought Al ice, “ i s the work of her ki nd
si ster.” But she was mistaken .
At a low call from his mother, a noble-looking boymade his appearance from a room in the rear. He cameforward when he saw the vi sitor
,and passed her a chair
w i th a freedom from restrai nt and awkwardness very
unusual for a boy of his age.“ My mother i s very sick th is morning,
” he said, ad
dres sing Alice,“ and has not been able to rise ; but she
wil l be glad to see you .
” He then advanced to the bed[90
IN D I SG U I SE . 191
and gently relieving her from the child , he raised the pi l
lows,and tenderly assis ted her to turn to the side where
Al ice was si tting.
“ You are very kind to call,” sai d the poor woman,
making an effort to keep back her tears “ my sister told
me youwould do so .
”
“ I am sorry to find you so ill, replied Alice, “ and
regret that I did not sooner hear Of your sickness.”
The woman,whose name was Hayden , sudden ly drew
up the bed-clothes to cover her face, and there was a
sound of violent sobbing.
My mother has not been able to talk much,
” said the
boy,apologetically, while he gazed with the utmost
tenderness at the bed, where the motion Of the clothes
plainly showed the difficul ty she found i n suppres sing
her feelin g s .
And w ho takes care of her ? ”
I do ,” said the boy, draw i ng himself up My aun t
has been here Often , and watched with mother at night
until she herself was taken sick . She has a large family
of her ow n,and the additional care was too much for her.
What is your n ame ? ”
Dexter,ma’am
,Dexter Hayden .
Well , Dexter, you and I must do the business then.
Has your mother had any breakfast ”Oh
,yes
,ma’am , I baked some potatoes for Mi nnie
and myself ; and aun t Lucy brought mother a nice bowlOf gruel . If she would only be willi ng for me to stay
at home from school, I could do al l that she requires ;but it frets her to have me absent from my class for a
s ingle recitation .
”
192 THE H OUSE HOLD A NGEL
Al ice gazed at th e boy with aston ishment, as he stood
before her, answering her questions with modesty, but
perfect self-possession . But eleven summers had passed
over his head, and yet there was a maturity and manli
ness about him which she had never witnessed in one so
young. Thick clustering locks curled up from his high
brow. H i s clear, gray eyes, hi s mouth of mingled sweetness and firmness, together with hi s strong self-reli ance,con vinced her he had already made resolves to free his
beloved mother from pov erty and disgrace . “ That boywill disti nguish himself,
” was her i nsti nctive feeli ng as
she listened to him . She would have had more reason
to think so , could she have known of his standing in his
class,and that the teacher of the Academy, prompted
not only by motives of chari ty, but by a desire to retain
a scholar w ho was a model of propriety as an example to
the school,had cheerfully given him his tuition ; that his
good conduct,and willi ngness to oblige his companions,
had caused him to be so much beloved and respected by
them that never,i n his presence
,had the most distant
allusion been made to the disgrace of h is father.
But th is had been a dreadful blow to the poor boy.
For the sake of hi s mother, whom it had crushed to the
earth,he had striven to be cheerful . Yet there were
times when a sen s e of shame and disgrace overpow ered
him ; and h e was obliged to hide h imself, i n the low
attic,over his mother’s room , unti l he could Obtain a
victory over h imself, and again be in a condi tion to
appear cheerful before her.
Alice k new nothi ng of all this un til a much later
period ; the longer she saw and conversed with‘ him
, the
194 T H E HOUSEH OLD A NGEL
as an inducement to Minn ie to come to her . But fo r 3
.orig time the l ittle Mis s w as very shy. She reached out
to take the proffered fruit, and then clung tightly to herbrother’s neck if Alice offered to take her from him .
The young lady was pleased to see that Mrs . Hayden 'seyes rested upon the scene before her with an appearam e
of in te rest, forgetting for th e momen t her ow n heart
sorrow ; and she trusted that time would moderate hergrief, and restore her at least to parti al cheerful ness . A s
it was near noon, she put a Sum of money into the
hand Of Dexter, and requested him to buy some bread,
a lump of butter, a pound Of tea , and seven pounds of
The boy proudly put back the money,as i f he could
not accept chari ty ; but after a si ngle glance at h is
mother, with a heigh tened color, he took it, as Alice
said with a smil e,“ I have been walking s i nce breakfas t
,
and begin to feel very hungry ; i f you will al low m e I
will dine with you to-day .
”
With a bright sm ile Of gratitude, the boy took down
his cap from a hook and darted away.
He was gone but a few moments before he returnedwith the parcel s . When Alice
,who
,some time before
this had laid aside her bon net and sh awl , arose, and
putti ng Minn ie i n a chair by the beds ide, accompanied
Dexter i nto a small,back room
,or shed, where a cooking
stove had been set . Here,as in the front apartment,
everyth ing was scrupulously n eat and clean . A small
pile of brush lay in the box by the stove,the preparation
ofwhich had occupied Dexter on her entrance . He toldher he would soon have a fire under the tea-kettle ; and
IN D I SG U I SE . 195
the young girl, whose Obj ect in following him ,had bee n
to ascerta in their most press i ng wants,returned to the
room she had left. Minnie had crept upon the bed byher mother
,but soon left her place at the i nvitation of
Alice to come and help her get dinner. A leaf Of the
large table was turned up,and the child ~ tried to pu ll
Open the drawer, to show that the cloth and knives were
in there . Then she drew her new friend to the cupboard ,saying Minnie’s cup there
,Mi nn ie wants to drink with
new cup .
”
If mamma pleases,repl ied Alice ; and the child ran
to the bed to gai n permis s ion . Then the cups,plates
and spoons were taken down,and laid i n order upon the
table . Minnie was almost wild with delight,at bei ng
al lowed to assist i n carrying them across the room . When
the bread had been neatly cut in sl ices,and the butter laid
upon a plate,the chi ld could not contain her j oy. She
pulled the dress Of Alice to have her stoop down,put her
small,plump arms around her neck
,l isping out
,Min
nie loves you,Minn ie do .
” Unti l then,Alice had never
known that she was especially fond of chi ldren but the
frank avow al of the sweet li ttle girl touched a chord i n
her heart which never after ceased to vibrate . She
warmly returned the embrace,as she said, I lovc Minnie
very dearly .
”
Dexter soon came i n with the tea, but said, hes i
tatingly, there is no m ilk .
”
Ah, I quite forgot the milk,” replied the young
housekeeper,and she l aughed merri ly as she requested
him to buy a quart as soon as possible, as she i ntended
196 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGE L
to make h is mother a slice Of toast,and Minni e was
looki ng forward to a treat from her new cup .
M rs . Hayden,from the bed
,uttered a low remon
strance about the toast, but Al ice cheerfully assured her
that she should take great pleasure in making i t for her.
After a short time the dinner was announced . Mrs . Hayden was raised to an upright posi tion , all the pill ows
in the house being brought i nto requisition a towel w as
la id before her'
i n place of a napkin,and her toast and
tea reli shed so well that she acknowledged,i n a far more
cheerful voice than she had yet spoken,that she was
almost strong enough to si t up .
When they arose from the table,the li ttle girl clapped
her hands,exclaiming
,Min nie had dood dinner, Minnie
wan t you to come next time .”
After assisti ng Dexter to carry the dishes to a table i nthe back room
,where he preferred to wash them by h im
self, Alice reluctantly prepared to take leave. It was
very easy for her to see that her visit had done the in
valid much good,and she feared when she left
,the af
flicted woman would relapse i nto her former despondence .
Her presence had,i ndeed
,operated like a charm . Her
bright eyes,smiling face
,and cheerful voice had inspired
the heart-broken mother with a new feeli ng of courage
to look i nto the future . She saw,too, that her young
friend was i nterested in her l ittle Minnie, and appreciated
the excellences of her noble boy ; and the mother’s heart
swelled wi th emotions of pride as she gazed upon them .
Afte r putting i nto Minnie’s hand a piece Of si lver to
buy some milk for her supper,Alice left, prom i si ng to
return on the morrow. During her soli tary walk home,
198 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGE L
whi spered,as they went '
up the stairs, and after what
passed yesterday,I was so much embarrassed I fear I
did no t treat him very politely .”
I am sorry,” repli ed her mother, for he knew nothing
of the conversation,and the remarks were really not
worth noticing.
”
The Old gentleman was so much i nterested in her ac
count Of Dexter and Mi nnie, that he replen ished herpurse, and told her i f, on i nquiry, the boy proved to be
what she supposed,he would be responsible for the
mean s to educate him .
Alice was so delighted that,i n her joy, she clapped
her arms about his neck,and gave him a hearty kiss
,just
as she used to do when a li ttl e girl .
There, chi ld ,” he said, archly, “ don’t waste your
kisses on an Old man l ike me . There are younger ones,
who would be glad enough of them .
”
I shal l give my kisses to whom I choose , answered
Al ice, with a pretty pout on her li p ; and “ I choos e to
give them to you, and Dr. Jenks . I l ike Old men thebest.” But her strict regard for truth compelled her
,
though reluctantly,to qualify her asserti on , and she
added, “ that i s — of course — when a merry peal of
laughter from Uncle Stephen and her mother enti rely
di sconcerted her.
Why, child, i t’s no disgrace to tel l the truth . Don’t
look so very rosy.”
Where do you buy your wood, Mr. Stanley ?”
asked Alice, an hour or two later, when they were alone
in the parlor.
That is rather a strange question from you, he an
l N D I SG U I SE. 199
swered, pleasantly ; “ but <I will tell you, on condition
that you confess W hat you i ntend to do with i t.”
Uncle Stephen has become i nterested i n a poor
family ; that is , I have, and told him about them . Hewishes me to provide everything for their comfort. I
saw this morning they had only a small quanti ty of
brush for fuel, and I don’t know where to go to buyany.
”
I procure mine i n the vil lage . At thi s season , if you
go early enough,you will almost always find men in the
square with wood, both oak and pi ne .”
I suppose oak i s better.”Not exclusively ; I should advi se you to get dry
p ine, for a part, to kindl e with . Clarence will select it
for you, and direct the man where to carry it.”
Will you please ask him to do so ? It i s to be carried
in to Cedar street, to the house ofMrs . Hayden , wife Ofthe man w ho was put i n prison lately. I wi ll write the
name on a slip of paper.”
Are you sure they are deserving? I fear youwill be
liable to be imposed upon .“ Oh
,no
,sir ! ” exclaimed Alice, warmly ; I know
these are deservi ng people.”
Mr . Stanley smiled as he glanced at the enthusiastic
creature before him , and said , I have no reason to
doubt i t ; but you had better ask Clarence to go i n and
see them himself,and inquire about them .
”
“ I should like to have him inquire, but I hardly think
it would do to have him call at present. The woman is
confi ned to the bed, and beside her, there are only tw o
chi ldren in the family .
” As she went on describing them,
200 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
and grew warm with the subj ect, the gentleman started
as he gazed,— there was someth ing i n her whole ap
pearance that reminded him so strongly of his deceased
W ife.“ Well,
” he said, turn i ng away W i th a sigh , as he
thought Of the wide difference between her and Edith,I wi ll attend to it ;
” and Alice felt that she was re
lieved from her greatest care . She could go to the store,and order flour and other articles ; but she had been
puzzled how to obtai n th e wood .
In the course of the evening, w hile the family weresi tting around the table, Mr. Stanley came in from his
s tudy and said to‘
Clarence : Lest I should forget i t i nthe morning, here i s a small item of busi ness for you.
Though it i s rather out Of your l ine,I advised Al ice to
put it i nto your hands .” He read from the memorantum he had made : “ Purchase load of wood , half oak
ar maple , and half pi ne , and send i t according to the. lirection,
” —passing him the paper on which she had
written the name .
Clarence took it, gravely, without even glancing at her,and said, “ I w i ll send i t i n the morn ing.
” He put thedi rection in his pocket-book , and resumed his reading.
His manner, so different from his usual cordiali ty, ar
rested even the notice of Mr . Stanley ; but supposing
him to be engrossed with his book , be merely added, I
feared it might be forgotten in the morning, and the pro
teges of Al ice be i n di stress for the want of i t. ”
Clarence merely bowed .
Mrs . Stanley was much distressed, and feared that
Al ice, i n her desire to avoid Clarence, had serious ly
202 THE HOUSE HOLD ANGEL.
to a dependant like Al ice, i nterrupted Edith, before
Gertrude had time to reply.
How many times must I remind you that she is nota dependant. Have not your father and I adopted herfor our ow n ? As our chi ld, she has as much claim
upon courtesy and kindness as yourself. Uncle Stephen
would gladly adopt her, but your father would not con
sen t ; not only from a regard to a promise he made your
mother,but also from the esteem he has of her lovely
character.“ It don’t require glasses to see what she is afte r,
” ex
claimed Edith,passionately
,fawning around Uncle
Stephen , i n the style she does . She expects he wi ll
make her h is hei r.”
I should not be at all surprised if he were to do so,
responded Mrs . Stanley,with much dignity. He has a
righ t to do as he pleases with his money,and there i s no
one he loves as he does Alice. But you know,Edith
,
that she has never thought Of hi s doing so.“ Sis ter Edith,” exclaimed Emma, with feeli ng, “ I
don’t see how you and Gertrude can treat Al ice so nu
kindly. I’m sure I wish every day ] were only half as
good as she i s .”
“ Gertrude and I have never aspired to be models ,
responded Edith,with warmth and here the conversa
ti on dropped.
C H A P T E R X V I I .
Half of the i lls we hoard within our hearts,Are il ls because we hoard them.
”— Proctor.
W E must pass over a period of several weeks, duringw h ich Al ice divided her attention between the fami lies
Of Mr. Gates and Mrs . Hayden . She usual ly went firs tto read for an hour to the former, who had become SOmuch in terested that he manifested great impatience i f
she were a few minutes behind her usual time . But she
could not be sati sfied that any permanent resul t followed
from her reading. I f she attempted to converse withh im upon his ow n accountabi lity to God, or on hi s du
ti es to his family,he at once turned off to other subj ects.
She had of late chosen devotional reading, and closed
every i nterview by a se lecti on from the book Of Common
Prayer ; and now that he was well enough to resume his
work , she could do nothing more for his salvation , except
to commend his soul to God,i n private . H is wi fe stil l
continued hopeful of hi s conversion . The change in her
was very marked,and exhibited itself i n her softened
manners, as well as in the principles by which she en
deavored to regulate her li fe .
By the charity o f Uncle Stephen , the Shop i n wh ichhe formerly worked had been refitted for his use and asbe exhibited no disposition to resume his idle habi ts , buton the contrary often said he shuddered when he though t
how he had stood on the brink of ruin , there w as every
203
204 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GE L
reason to hope that he would become a reformed man,
and be able to support hi s family in comfort.
We wi ll now accompany Ali ce to the neatly-furni shed
home Of Mrs . Hayden, where Nurse Green i s fully estab‘ished. Minn ie is watching at the window
,and when
she hears the well -known step, shou ts j oyfully, “ Mamma,momma, dat lady come .
”
After a kind word to each , the vi sitor devotes herself
for a ful l half hour to a lively play with her li ttle friend,who, by her artlessness and attraction s, has woven her
self closely around the young lady’s heart . The liveli ness
of the game she finds the best medicine for the affl icted
mother,by drawing her thoughts for a time from herself.
She thinks she has never seen a lovelier object than IVIin
ni e th is morning presents . Her flaxen ringlets have received addi tional care , i n anticipation of a ride she is to
take with her kind benefactress .
Al ice has expressed herself so enthusi astically i n be
half of her ch ildren,as she playfu lly calls Dexter and
Minnie,that the family at Li ndenwood are qu ite impa
tient for a sight of them ; and , as th is i s Wednesday,w hen Dexter has the afternoon , She has promised to carrythem there . The carriage will come for her at twelve
O’clock,so that she i s only waiting for school to be done,
i n ) 1der to put on the l ittle gypsy hat she has provided
for Minnie , and be ready to start .
While she is wai tin g I will say a few words about the
mother, Nurse Green , and Dr. Jenks . Mrs . Hayden ismuch stronger than when we first introduced her to the
reader, and is able to si t i n her chair, and occupy herself
with light sewi ng, a great part Of the day. But she has
206 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
are sad times for a physi cian ; there i s an alarming de
gree of health prevalen t through the town .
But,Doctor
,
” said Ali ce, “ i t i s but fai r to inform you
that she w i ll be likely to need medical advice for a long
time . Not often,perhaps not for several weeks together ;
but she needs a physici an w ho will give her general
directi on s as to diet and exerci se.“ Just so . Well
,I’l l call . Where does she live ?
Alice described the place, and gave him a brief account
of the ch ildren .
He started upon hi s feet,and exclaimed , Mind you,
if I l ive I’ll make a doctor of that boy ! I’ve had my
eye on h im for some time . He puzzled o ld Deacon Daneat the examination of th e academy. Yes
,I remember
him . He’s a noble fellow.
”
And n ow the carriage has come . Minn ie i s dressed,and they are only waiting for Dexter to return fromschool before they drive to Lindenwood . Al ice notices
an expression of anxiety upon the mother’s countenance,and says
,I wi ll bring them back safely.
”
I hope they wi ll behave well,
” was the response .
Whi le she speaks,th e outer door opens
,and Dexter en
ters,with his satchel of books . He quickly places them
in the small cupboard , and runs to make a slight change
in his dress . He is absent but a moment,before be re
turns, k isses h is mother, whose eye rests upon him with
fond affection ; then , taking Minnie in hi s arms, puts
her into the carriage,and they drive rapidly away from
the door. Nurse Green shades her eyes from the sun .and w atches them as far as she can see.
A lice met with no di sappoin tment in the opinion ex
mscurs s . 207
pressed by her friends with regard to her li ttle favori tes .
Minn ie had never appeared so lovely as when h iding her
face under the deep berthe worn by her friend, or nestling
close to her side, while the curls of chestnut brown,
united w ith those of light golden , presented a pleasi ng
co ntrast .
Uncle Stephen was almost i n an ecstasy, when , after
refusi ng to leave Alice for any of the family,Minnie act
ually put ou t her arms to h im . He took out h is watchand held it to her ear ; he gave her all the peppermi nts
and cloves he could find i n hi s pockets , and finally told
Alice to give h im a gold eagle, from the drawer, w hich
happened to have a hole pierced i n i t. This be attached
by a chai n to her neck,and told her to keep it to remem
ber him by .
Her fortune is made,
” said a clear bass voice behind
rim,and looki ng quickly arou nd
,they saw that Clarence
unobserved,had
’
j oined the group . He seemed verymuch amused
,and as he took the hand of Dexter
,and
inquired for hi s mother,hi s voice was more cheerful than
for many days . But as soon as the li ttle m is s saw that
a stranger w as added to the company,sh e sprang to the
floor, and almost with one bound jumped into Alice’s
embrace,clasping her tigh tly around the neck . The
cheeks of each o f them were so rosy, their eyes so bright,and their countenances so radian t with happiness
,that
for one momen t all stood motionless, gazi ng at the bean
ti ful tableau before them .
Al ice ! ” exclaimed Emma , archly, 1 don’t beli eve
but you’ve been practi s ing attitudes with Minni e,and
that w as why youwouldn’t bri ng her here earli er.”
208 T HE H OUSE HOLD A NGE L
Before she could reply, the child , as i f she fullv i n tend~
ed to heighten the color of her ki nd friend, put up her
sweet li ps for a kiss , saying with enthus iasm ,
“ Minnie
love her ; Minnie do love her, and Dexter love her, too .
”
At that moment Mrs . Stan ley met Clarence’s eye, and
it said,as plain ly as eyes can speak
,
“and Clarence love
her, too.
”
“ Minnie , go to the lady,” rejoi ned Alice, w i shing to
turn the attention from hers elf,and at the same time
holding her toward Emma,who had been longi ng to
have the chi ld i n her arm s I will find the pretty doll
for her,I promised .
” She was glad to be alon e to still
the tumultuous throbbing of her heart. “ He has forgiven me ! ” she exclaimed
,al oud , when locked in her
ow n room . Hi s coldness and reserve has passed away ;and he does
,yes
,he does love me ! Oh
,I am too , too
happy ! What delight,to beloved by such a pure, noble
hearted man She pressed her hands upon her heart,as if she would thus keep i t from bursting with excess
of joy . But soon,too soon
,came other thoughts . What
if I have mi staken him 7 What i f i t were only Minn ie
he gazed at so fondly,and I took it to myself ? ” She
sighed heavi ly. Yes,i t must be so . Gertrude says he
has ofte n declared hi s affection for her,and he would not
deceive . No,i t i s I w ho have deceived myself, and when
I thought my affection for him was almost conquered.
”
She sank upon a chair,and covered her face w i th her
hands . For a time her heart was torn with confli cting
emotions, as she reflected , “ Gertrude can never make
him happy. Why can I not try to gai n hi s love ? I have
often doubted of late whether he really did love her. Oh,
210 T HE H O USEHOLD ANG EL
resent the duties of a physician in the most unfavorablr
point. of V iew ; but he answered earne stly , though veryrespectfully
,
“ I know,sir, doctors do not l ive an easy
li fe . They are often obliged to be out a t night, and
to do much that i s di sagreeable ; but when I w as a verysmall boy I can remember that I used to envy D r. Jenks .
as the greatest man in the world . He appeared to me toknow everyth ing ; and I have seen , si nce I have grown
older,that he does a great deal of good . Then every
body is se glad to see a doctor. Mother i s better for tw o
or three days after every visi t he makes .”
Well,my Uncle Stephen
,hi s bright
eyes twinkli ng with pleasure,you have given some good
reasons for your choice of a profession . I suppose while
we l ive i n thi s wicked world,we shall always be obliged
to have doctors ; so set your heart at rest, a docto r you
shall be.
Dexter d id not,by any means
,appreciate the good in
ten tions of the gen tleman ; but he thanked him for his
ki nd i n terest,and then the conversation turned to other
subj ects .
At an early hour Alice gave Minnie a nice bowl of
bread and milk,and having received from Mrs . Stanley
a basket con tai ni ng cake and tarts, for the i nval id, she
returned with the chi ldren to their home . Gertrude,w ho
had an errand at the village,accompanied her. She was
left first,and directed the driver to call for her on his re
turn,so that Alice had only time to del igh t M rs . Hayden
by her account of the good conduct of Minn ie , and to
assure her that both she and Dexter had made sometwarm friends , before she was obliged to hurry away.
‘N D I SG U I SE . 21 1
Just as they reached home, Gertrude said,i n a low
voice,
’
Alice,I ought to tel l you that Clarence sees
through your designs , and despises you for them . You
well know that father has fix ed his heart upon a un ion
between Clarence and one of his daughters,and i t i s
very ungrateful for you to set yourself up i n the way you
do to attract his attention . When father raised you from
poverty, and by his kindness made you all that you are,I wonder you do not see the impropriety of your conduct
i n wholly di sregarding hi s wishes .
”
The profound astonishmen t of Alice kept her s i len t.
Indeed,her lips seemed incapable of uttering a word ;
and as they had now reached home,and the coachman
was letting down the steps,there was no farther oppor
tun ity to do so . Clarence, w ho had been si tting near
the window,perceived the carriage drive up the avenue,
and hastened to the door to assist them to al ight. Healmost started back
,as Al ice, who was nex t the door,
mechanically put her hand i n h is,as she descended the
steps . Her face and lips were perfectly colorles s, whileher small mouth was closely shut, as i f she were i n great
pain .
You are ill, Al ice l” he exclaimed
,with great tender
ness but she turned almost rudely from him , though she
was obliged to catch hold of the door to save hersel f from
falling. For an ins tant he gazed sadly after her, and then
turned to give hi s arm to Gertrude , w ho received him
very gracious ly , and w h ispered a few words i n his ear.
Whatever w as their import, they only made him more
grave,and by the time Alice returned to the parlor,which
she did not for an hour or more, he had assumed a n ap
212 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL.
pearance of stern ness entirely foreign to his character.
She had only ree’
ntered the parlor at the request of her
mother, and did not even glance at the young man , un til
Edith touched her on the arm,whispering, “ Just see
Clarence ! He looks l ike a cannibal,and as i f he were
med itati ng an attack upon our whole party,for the sake
of a good meal.”
Alice merely glanced at him,and then ben t her eyes
upon the page before her . That glance,however
,sufficed
to show her that he was not only di spleased,but suffer
ing. Her heart beat quickly,and i t was with great dith
cul ty she forced herself to keep her seat, and appear calm.
214 TH E HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
my own mOther still lives ; and she walked very fast,that she might the sooner be free from his company.
Finding i t impossible to rid herself of him,she covered
her face with her veil, and, with her head bent down ,hurried on . But her trials were not yet over
, for, upon
turning the corner leadi ng into the street where Mrs.
Hayden lived,she almost ran i nto the arms of Clarence.
Each started back with apologies ; but Clarence’s l ipcurled with contempt when he saw who was her com
panion . Even when she reached her destination , shefeared he would not leave her, as he insisted upon wait
ing to accompany her home . But she told him she
could not tel l when she should return , and,when she did,she preferred going alone and, finding he could gain no
favor from her, he determined to wait another Oppor
tun ity.
Poor Al ice ! she had scarcely entered the house,and
taken a seat,before she burst into a passionate fit of
weepi ng. Her long pen t-up emotions broke forth withviolence , and for a time entirely overwhelmed her. Mrs.
Hayden and Minnie looked on i n wonder, and shedmany sympathizing tears
,while Nurse Green untied the
stri ngs of her bonnet, took off her shawl, saying, i n a
soothi ng tone, “There, dear, don’t cry so. What can i t
be ? Is anybody dead ? ”
The poor girl could make no reply, but sobbed as if
her heart would break .
At firs t Minnie was frightened, but now she pushed a
chair close by Al ice,climbed up i nto it
,and clasped her
neck, li sping, “ Don’t cry, please don’t cry ; Minnie do‘ove her two whole barrels ful l.” Then she took her
IN D i scurs e . 215
apron . and tried to wipe away the tears,w hich were
pouri ng like rai n down the checks of he r dear fri end .
The affection of the sweet chi ld had the effect to dravt
her thoughts from her ow n trials . She dried her eyes,
and expressed her regret that she should have troubled
them with her gri ef. “ I believe,
” she added, with a
fai nt attempt to smile,
“ that I am growing nervous wi th
not having enough to do . I must get you, Mrs . Green ,to tell me of some families where they need assi stance .”
If Clarence could have seen the expres sion of patient
endurance,as i t then showed itself upon her counte
nance, he might have suspected that al l was not quite as
he had been led to believe.”
“ I hope,
” answered the good nurse, “ that you wil l
continue to feel so, for there i s no telli ng what a comfort
your bright face and cheerful voice carry i nto a sick
room , to say nothi ng Of all else you do . La,now !
she continued,growing warm with the subject, which
was a favorite one,I’ve seen many people come in to
vis i t an i nvalid with such a gloomy face,they were
enough to frighten one to death . Now to my mindthat’s all wrong. Sick persons are usually nervous
,and
a good deal out of sorts,and it does them no manner of
good to tel l over al l their aches and pains . Why, I’ve
known folks that meant well,only they didn’t under
stand human nater,talk by the hour together of the
most horrid s icknesses and accidents , tell i ng of some
body who had the same complai nt. and died with it, and
getting the patien t all worked up into a fever. I believe,i f people would be cheerful
,and talk about pleasing
things, as you do ,
’twould be a sight better.
”
216 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
i am afraid,” replied Al ice, that mv vi s it this morn
ing has not cheered your patient.
There,don’t now ! ” said the warm -hearted nurse,
wiping a tear from her eye at the sadness wi th which
the young lady spoke ; “ don’t go to thinking I alluded
to yOu in what I said, for I never thought of such a
thing.
”
“ Have you received a letter ? ” inquired Alice , seeingan Open envelope lying i n Mrs . Hayden’s lap .
“ Yes,I received it yesterday,
” was the reply. Dexter brought it from the Offi ce on his way from school .
He was so much excited about it,he wanted to carry it
to Li ndenwood, and show i t to you ; but I persuadedhim to wait unti l you came. Perhaps youwould prefer
to read i t at another time ,”she added , taking the letter
in to her hand .
Oh,no ! I wi ll read it now.
” She had not proceeded
many lines before she was convi nced who was the wri ter,
though no name was attached . It w as written i n a
hand evidently feigned,and was as follows
To Mrs . HaydenDear Madam , Heari ng a short time si nce that your
son Dexter had a great desire to acquire an educati on,
and that he was possessed of a good mind,capable
,i f
rightly improved,of becomi ng a useful man
,and havi ng
i n my hands a fund for th e education Of worthy youth ,I propose to devote such a part of i t
,as may be neces
sary, to his thorough education . Enclosed, fin d bills to
the amount of fifty dollars, for one quarter’s expenses .
You will receive an envelope from the post-office , co n
218 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
when I am gradually wasting away, and remember that
he and Minnie wil l soon have no mother to watch over
them, God only knows what a relief i t is to me to feel
that he has put i t i nto the heart Of some ki nd friend to
feel an i nterest for him ,and provide so nobly for hi s
wants.”
Alice had never before heard Mrs . Hayden make anyallusion to her
'
ow n declin ing health , and was much
affected by the ca lmness with which the invalid w as
enabled to look forward to a change Of worlds .“ For their sake
,
” resumed the mother, “ I have prayedto be spared yet a li ttle longer ; for though , i n one sense,I can do nothing for them
,and
,i ndeed
,am only a care,
yet I hope to impress upon the mind Of my li ttle Minn ie,as well as her brother
,the love of truth — the desire to
do right, bewhat will come, and then to leave the event
with God . Nigh t after n ight I spend i n prayer for tuem ,
and for She checked herself,and then conti nued
“ Sometimes I feel perfectly wil li ng to g ive them up,and am confident that God will watch over them , and
preserve them from sin , and bring them safely home to
heaven . But then , again , Satan puts doubts into mymind, and I remember that they will probably be liable
to great and pecul iar temptation s . I lose my hold on
God’s promises,and am overw helmed wi th distress .
When that letter came,I V i ewed i t as a Sign of my
heavenly Father’s favor, sent to convi nce me that he
could take care Of my chi ldren ; and I was enabled to
give them up i nto hi s hands. After that he granted me
delightful views of himself. Hi s love ‘
for si nners , his
desire that the most abandoned should turn to hire and
IN D ISGursr: 219
live, appeared plai ner to me than ever before and I w as
enabled, with earnest faith in his promises, to plead not
only for them,but for one nearly alli ed to them .
”
It was very unusual for Mrs . Hayden to speak of herself ; i ndeed, there was a sensi tiveness, and a shri nking
from all subjects connected with her ow n peculi ar tri als,which had always res trai ned her young friend from
making the most distant allusion to them . But the
generous offer contained in the letter Opened her heart,and caused this burst of feeling. Alice hid her face
behind Minnie,whom she held i n her arms, to h ide the
emoti on she could not suppress,and soon after rose to
take her leave.
C H A P T E R X I X .
Forbear sharp speeches to her. She’s a lady
So tender of rebukes, that words are strokes,A nd strokes death to her.
”— S lzakspeare.
MA UR ICE J eN Ks was the on ly son of the good doctor,and the only child with the exception of a daughter,who was married
,and lived i n the West.
When a child,Al ice was acquainted with him . They
attended school together,and many times had he drawn
her home upon hi s sled, or seated her upon the back of
i t while he coasted down hil l . In thi s way, he had
become acquai nted w i th Louis,w ho was not able to
attend school,but who extended a cordial welcome to
the boy w ho was so kind to hi s beloved friend, and who
also brought him whistles and other toys of his own
manufacture.
Maurice was a frank,Open-hearted boy
,and on ac
count of hi s generous, obligi ng temper, as well as for h is
father’s sake,he was a general favorite . From his ear
li est chil dhood he evi nced a passion for the sea,and
,
when not more than eight years Old, would spend hours
in the manufacture of a miniature vessel,and i n readi ng
with absorbing i nterest any book connected wi th his
favorite subject.
About the time Emma and Edi th first left home forschool i n F and when he was i n hi s fifteenth year
he announced to hi s parents that he w as going to New220
222 T HE H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
that ‘te could not stand ; and , had it not been for the
kindness of one of the sailors, he would have suffered
severely .
This honest fel low took compassion on him,and car
r ied him below, conveyed h is food to the hammock
where he lay,talked cheerfully with him
,and adm in is
lered to his necessi ti es with the tenderness of a brother,unti l he was able to be about the shi p .
For a long time after i t was ascertained that Maurice
had sailed for I ndi a, Mrs . Jenks was i nconsolable . The
doctor had followed the runaway to New York,and
there found that a boy answeri ng exactly to the description of hi s son had taken a berth on board a ship ready
for sea .
The mother and father severely reproached themselves
for not having given their consent ; and then he might
have been well fitted out for h is long voyage . N ow she
was sure he would take cold,be sick
,and die .
But when , at the end of a year and a half, he came
bounding into the kitchen,and put h i s arms about his
mother’s neck, kissi ng her again and agai n as he begged
her to forgive him for leaving home,she only stopped for
one long gaze, to be sure that the tall, bronzed youth
taking.
such liberties with her was her own lost son,
before she caught bim'i n her arms
,wholly unm indful of
t he prints of flour and paste she was leavmg on hi s new
sai lor round-about. N or un ti l an hour after, when she
w as seated with him i n the small south parlor, where we
first introduced her to the reader, did she remember that
her oven must have grown cold,and that her bread and
pies were still upon the table.
IN D ISGUl SE . 223
Toward noon , when the doctor returned home , Mau
rice showed that he was still the same mirth-loving boy
as of o ld ; for no sooner did he hear his father’s buggy
come dri ving in to the yard than he caught his cap,and
darted behi nd the door ; and, though his mother was
fearful it would be too sudden for his doating father, yet
she could not reprove her son when he had just returned
home .
So the good doctor had an equal surprise with his
wife ; for, when he had seated himself, and taken a paper
from his hat to read unti l dinner was ready, a voice from
behi nd him whispered, Father !
He started from his chair,gazed around him
,and
,
seeing no one, said, quickly, “ Mother,did you hear
that ? If our boy was at home,I should say that was
hi s voice .
Father, dear father said the voice agai n .
The now excited father sprang to the closet, threw
back the door,and hi s son leaped in to his arms .
Finding that he was i n no way weary of the life he
had chosen,and that he had brought letters of good con
duct from his captain , his parents wisely concluded to
allow him to follow his inclin ation , and make another
voyage . Duri ng th is visi t, he went to L indenwood, andcarried hi s father’s l ittle patien t a beautiful model of a
schooner he had made o n board ship. Since that time
tLey had never seen him,but Alice had heard with sor
row that of late he had so conducted himself as to be a
great grief to his worthy parcrrts ;‘and
, when she met
him so unexpectedly in the s treet, hi s manner was so
famili ar,and even rude , that she determined to avoid
224 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
him in future,though , for the sake of his good father
she would have been glad to treat h im kindly.
Maurice had now grown to the size of a man . Hi svis it to tropical climates had bronzed his cheeks, but
his exercise on board shi p had made his frame supple
and elastic, and altogether he was i n appearance a noble
specimen of an American sailor.
Hi s mother wept at home as she thought that all hisnoble qualities shoul d be shadowed by the vices which
are,alas ! too common among the sons of Neptune . But
his father bel ieved there was a God i n heaven,who
would answer hi s earnest prayers for the salvation of h is
chi ld. Morning and even ing he was borne i n the arms
of faith to the fami ly altar, and often , i n h i s soli tary
m idnight rides , the distance was shortened by the fervor
of the good father’s appeals i n behalf of his erring son .
Al i ce had seldom been so oppressed with sadness as
when she left the cottage of Mr s . Hayden,and started
for home . Though the sun was now high i n the heavens,and was shining in full splendor, yet to her everything
appeared dark and gloomy. She was not su'perstitious ;
yet she had a sense of coming ill which she could not
throw off. In addition to her secret trial of struggling
again st her affection for Clarence,and the unkindness
of Edith and Gertrude,she had for some time been
anxious about her mother,whose in sani ty seemed taking
a new turn. At times she appeared wholly weaned
from her child, and had even forbidden the title of
mother. “ You belong to them now w ho adopted you,she would urge ; “ and why do you come here troubling
me ? ” But if, in obedience to her command, Ali ce
226 T HE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
The rich bloom upon Edi th’s countenance faded instantly as these prophetic words met her ear ; but, with
a con temptuous, Pshaw, none of your croaking here,
she turned to the window, and the poor, in sane creature,left the apartment.
As the mind of Al ice recurred to this and other late
scenes. it was with gre at difficulty she overcame the feel
i ngs of utter despondence which threatened to sink her ;i ndeed
,she already perceived the unfavorable effect upon
her health of her inward confl ict. Yet no member of the
family suspected how severely she suffered. Mrs . Stan
ley, i ndeed , noticed that at times she was pale and care
worn,and feared there was a misunderstanding between
her and Clarence ; but as her adopted child made an ef
fort to be cheerful in her presence, she was far from beingaware of the true state of her health and spiri ts .
On reaching home the poor girl fel t so ill,that she
went at once to her ow n room , and, locking the door,threw herself upon her bed . As she had met no one, the
family did not know she had returned, and , excepting the
ri nging of the bell, there was no summons for her to din
ner. It was, therefore, late i n the afternoon when she
awoke from a heavy sleep,or rather w hen she was aw akr
ened by the loud slamming of the door below,and a
heavy footste p comi ng up the stairs . As she heard h im
kick along the chai rs i n h is room , she recognized thesound as coming from Uncle Stephen , and wondered
what had occurred to irritate him . But she soon ceased
to think of him,as her throbbing temples warned her to
fall back upon her pillow. After lying awhile,with her
hand s pressed tightly to her brow, she arose and bathed
IN D I SG U I SE . 224
it freely with cold water. She then prepared to go be
low,as she suddenly remembered that she had seen none
of the family since her return from the village . Passi ng
through the hall , she heard her mother’s voice i n the
kitchen,and went i n there to see her . Mrs . Carey evinced
unusual anxi ety for her child, and prevai led upon her to
wai t unti l. she could make her a cup of sage tea . Emmasoon came in
,and expressed much surprise at finding she
had returned . After Alice had taken the tea , she returned
with Emma to the parlor,where the family were a ssem
bled,waiti ng to be called to supper. She took a seat
near Mrs . S tanleyfw ondering as she did so at the cause
of their unusual constrain t and si lence but merely say
i ng,I have taken a long nap
,and did not hear the din
ner bell .“ I thought you still absen t, my dear, answered the
lady, with a slight gravity i n her manner. “ I think I
must break up this habit of yours, of running away
every day. You are getting to be quite too dissipated,
”
and she glanced, with an expression of sadness, at herchild
Oh . please don’t, mamma urged Alice . It would
really make me wretched to be deprived of going to see
my poor fam i lies ; and I’m sure it can do me no harm .
”
Come here,child 3 called Uncle Stephen
,i n a tone
so different from the one in which he had heretofore ad
dressed her,that the color rushed to her face
,and made
her head throb pai nfully ; but she i nstantly obeyed, advanced, and stood before him ,
while all present were im
pati ently wai ti ng for what would follow . Trying to con
228 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
trol h is feeli ngs, the excited man asked , sharply, What
do you mean,chi ld
,by such shameful conduct ? ”
Her quick start and glance of surprise around the
room,affected him ,
and he continued, i n a sfiftened voice,Oh
,Alice ! how could you break my heart ? how could
you deceive me SO cruelly ? ” and he began to sub.
How have I offended ? ” asked the bewildered gi rl,s tarting toward him ; but he waved her off.
How ? Oh,that’s worse than all the rest ! Come
,
child,i t i sn’t too late now. Confess al l
,and I’l l forgive
you, and do my part/to make i t all right with yourfriends .”
Alice put her hand to her head . The excitement al
most deprived her Of sight.
Come,speak ! ” urged Uncle Stephen
,impatiently.
She shook her head ; there was a ringi ng sound in her
ears .
NO ? Well,then , I must speak for you . You’ve
deceived us all. You’ve made a cloak of your piety, to
carry on a di sgraceful flirtation with that young scape
grace,Jenks . And I wouldn’t believe i t. I scorned the
idea, as unworthy of you, unti l Clarence assured me’twas too true that he met you in his company, and that
your evident confusion convinced him it was even as we
had_ heard3’
Alice stood as i f p etrified , unti l he spoke of Clarence,when , with a suppressed moan , she fell sen seless to the
floon
Instantly all was confusion . Clarence started forward
to raise her ; but, with a sudden revulsion of feeli ng,Mr. Stanley haughtily motioned h im back, and requested
230 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
No one replied, but the countenance of his ward
showed that he was far from insensible .
Immediately after family prayer, duri ng which Ali ceray upon the sofa, with her face concealed by her hand
kerchief,Emma noticed that Edith motioned to Ger
trude to accompany her up stairs,and she followed them ,
intending to go to her own room ,w hen she overheard the
following . We’ve got ourselves i nto a pretty scrape.
I’m sorry I ever had anything to do with it, and now I’ve.
a great mind to tell mother that the poor th ing is en ti relyi nnocent ”
If you do ,” repli ed Gertrude, angri ly, “ I
’l l n ever for
give you.
”
As soon as she found an opportunity,Emma w his
pered to her mother a request to see her as soon as she
could leave the room unnoticed. Alice lay as if asleep,and Mrs . Stanley arose and followed her daughter . The
motion of shutting the door caused the poor girl to Open
her eyes, and Clarence, observing it, advanced hasti ly to
her side. But the remembrance of his cruel i nsinuations
w as too fresh i n h er mind to enable her to speak calmly
and she turned quickly away. He stood for one momen t,hesitati ng whether to address her
,and then withdrew
from her side, when , thinking herself alone , with a burst
of feeling she exclaimed,“ Cruel Clarence ! And even
my kind friend , Uncle Stephen , has turned agai nst me .
Oh , my heaven ly Father, comfort my poor heart, andgive me strength to bear every trial thou seest fit to send.
And oh, forgive those who are trying to injure me !
The young man coul d endure i t no longer ; suppos
ing she referred to himself,he silen tly left the room
,
IN D I SG U ISE . 231
caught his hat from the rack , and wandered away at a
rapid speed.
Uncle Stephen was in hi s ow n room,where
,with no
other l ight but the mild rays of the moon,he sat indulg
i ng in the most bi tter self-reproach . His ill humor had
enti re ly subs ided, and he could only regret his late con
duct toward one he so dearly loved . Deep in h is heartthere was a hard feeling toward Clarence , for leading
him to such a course . At length a low tap at the door
arrez ted hi s attention , and, i n answer to hi s sad come
in,
” Mrs . Stanley entered, and seated herself at h is side.
I‘
fz ar,”She said, with some hesitation at commencing
the conversation , that we have censured Al ice without
reas on .
”
“ I know i t ! ” he exclaimed , quickly, “ and hate myself for i t. ’Twas al l the effect of my horrid temper.”
Not all,” answered the lady. She then repeated to
him what she had heard from Emma . I would not
allow Alice,
”She conti nued, to explai n to -night
,as she
wished to do . I saw she was not able to endure the ex
citement ; but I am convinced there i s no truth i n Edi th’sstory of her love for the young man . N o doubt she wi ll
explai n the occasion of her being with him, to our sati s
faction .
Humph,
” muttered the old gentleman , abstractedly ;w i sh I’d never left off my speak ing trumpet .”
Aston ished at h is calmness, when she expected an ex
plosion of i ndignati on , Mrs. Stanley left h im , and soon
assis ted Alice to bed .
It was not until a late hour that Clarence returned to
the ball ; but Mrs . Stanley was waiting for him ,as she
232 T H E H OUSEHOLD A NGEL .
wished to repeat to him what she had done to his guard~
ian .
“Whatever may be your feel ings with regard to the
poor girl,
” she added , with some bitterness, “ jus tice to
her demands that you Should know there has been anendeavor to ruin her character. Her persecutors, far morethan she
,are obj ects of pity, for I firmly bel ieve that she
wi ll come from this trial with a character that wil l shi ne
brighter than ever.”
If She could have known the tumult of feeling occa
sioned i n the heart of her compan ion by this statement,
and the di fficul ty wi th which h e found voice to respond
with the simple word amen ,”She would have left him
with far different feelings ; when he , thankful that the
dimly lighted hall enabled h im to conceal hi s emotions,
hastily sought his ow n room . Hi s guardian stil l occu
pied a chair by the window,and
,not receivi ng an an swer
to his good night, he shut himself up i n h is bed-room ,
for the first time withi n his remembrance with the seri
ous di spleasure of h is kind benefactor resting upon him .
234 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
great sob, and w iped his eyes, as he sacrificed his darli ngproj ect of her un ion with his ward . Clarence, he con
ti nned,has proved himself false
,and he may get along
as he can . If he didn’t love her more than that,he isn ’t
worthy of her.
In the meantime the young man , who was one of the
subjects of his sol iloquy, lay i n a very unenviable frame
of mind,despisi ng himself qui te as heartily as his guar
di an did,and feeli ng i ntense mortification that he had
been so easi ly led to believe decei t and w rong to exi st i n
one whom he had pretended to love . At times,he heard
the sound of Uncle Stephen’s voice,though he could not
di sti nguish the words,which certainly would not have
had a tendency to soothe him . Not for one moment didhe lose th e sense of h is sorrow in sleep ; and i t was not
until near dawn that he heard the old gentleman go intohis bedroom
,and shut the door.
The next morn ing,when the family assembled for
breakfast,nei ther Uncle Stephen nor Al ice made their
appearance ; but when the rest were about to separate,after prayers
,Mrs . Stanley said : “ I am desired by my
adopted child to request you to suspend your judgment
of her unti l evening. She feels that a grave charge has
been made agai nst her moral character ; and that, too .
by those whom she has regarded as among her best
friends . Though i t will be a great effort ; yet, thi s eve
ning she wishes to explain some circumstances, hoping
by that means to retai n the good opi nion of those she
values so highly.
”
Poor Clarence ! Every word thrust like a dagger tohis heart. But merely bowing h is assent to the ex
l N‘ D I SG U I SE .
pressed wi sh , he left the house. It seemed to him as i f
he must be under the influence of a dreadful dream,
the idea appeared so impossible that h e should be placed
i n sucn a relation to one i n whose heart he had so earn
es tly hoped to awaken affection for himself. He knewthat it would be useless for him to attempt business
,and,
therefore,instead of going to the office
,he took a circuit
ous route,which brought him again to the Hall
,where
he succeeded in gai ning an entrance to the parlor unseen
by any one ; and taking a book from the table, withdrew
into the bow -window. Here, after screen ing himselffrom observation , be determined to remain unti l di nner,as he knew at this season of the year the family usually
occupied their ow n rooms duri ng the early part of the
day.
For the same reason Alice, an hour later, sought the
darkened parlor ; and languidly throwing herself upon
the sofa,sought to compose her mind for the task She
had undertaken . She was still far from well . The con
ti nned excitemen t of the previous day had operated upon
a frame already reduced , and she dreaded her self-imposed
explanations .
In the meantime, Gertrude and Edith were contrivingsome way to prevent Al ice from th is open refutation of
the charges agai nst her . There was much recrimination
between them Edith charging her sister with bei ng theone to plan this injury to the poor girl , while she angril y
retorted , You were ready enough to follow my sug
gestions ;” but both agreed that, as they had gone so
far,they must go farther
,and ‘ i n some way prevent the
dis covery of their falsehood and persecution . At length .
236 T HE H OUSEH OLD A NGEL
it was decided that Gertrude should see, and try to quiet
Alice, by offering to explai n al l that was necessary for
her, to the family. For th is purpose She sought her in
her chamber,then listened inte ntly at Uncle Stephen’s
door,but hearing no conversation there
,she feared the
object of her search had gone , as usual , to the vi llage.
On opening the parlor door, however, she discovered herlying, apparently asleep. She carefully closed the door
,
and advancing to the sofa,i nquired
,Are you ill, Al ice
I will get you someth ing to take .”
The young girl opened her eyes at the unusual kind
ness of the tone,and answered
,No
,not il l.”
Though her words were brief,there was a depth of
sadness in them which pierced even the heart of Ger
trude.
For an i nstant She stood irresolute,devoutly regretting
the part she had taken,but now she must go on
,or be
herself ruined, not only with Clarence , but with Uncle
Stephen . Then the old Spirit of j ealousy came up,and
s he asked herself,Shall A l ice, the chi ld of poverty, suc
ceed i n gaining the affection s of one I love ? ” and she
hesi tated no longer.
I am very sorry,
” she said,as the young girl lay with
her face averted,“ for what occurred las t eveni ng. I
could not have believed Uncle Stephen would have
talked to you in the manner he did.
”
Ali ce sighed heavil y, but made no reply.
He would not have done so,
” continued she,relent
lessly, “ but for Clarence, who came home very much ex
cited at the idea that youwere associating with so worth
less a fellow as Maurice Jenk s . He thought i t w as a
238 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
glowin g with i ndignation , Have you done ? ” She
asked, in bitter scorn . Do you i ntend to dr ive me mad
with your horrible i ns i nuations ? Do you suppose Ihave not known who it was that was making an at»
tempt to blast my character i n the eyes of those I most
dearly love ? Yes, I have known , and every day I have
prayed that God would Open your eyes to a sense of
your injustice , and that He would enable me to forgiveyou. And youwi ll not succeed . I deny all your foul
charges. I scorn your hi nts of my immorality ;” and
she drew herself up to her full height,as if she were
ready to assert her innocence before the world . As for
Uncle Stephen,I know him so well, that I believe by
this time he bitterly repents his momentary i njustice,to
which he was unwillingly led by the suggestions of
others .
Why not express your opinion of Clarence ? ” asked
her companion , tauntingly, and trying to conceal the
effect of Alice’s manner upon herself.“ I am willing to do so,
” she replied, p roudly ;“ I be
lieve that my character has been misrepresented to h im
for what purpose,you perhaps can best judge ; and see
ing'
m e yesterday walking with Maurice,seemed for the
time to confirm some slanderous reports though,how
our names could have been connected,I cannot easi ly
conceive, as yesterday was the first time‘I had seen him
for years . I also beli eve that when I tell them this, and
ask the ground of their suspicions,for I i ntend to be de
terred by no false delicacy from thorough ly i nvestigati ng
the whole matter, that all my fri ends, and he among the
res t, will restore their confidence to me, and I shall once
IN D I SG UI S E. 239
more be happy . I believe him to be all that i s true,noble
,and generous
,and I sincerely w i sh h im all the
happiness he so richly‘
deserves . But I do not bel ieve he.
ever spoke of me i n the way you mention . I deny
wholly ever giving him reason to suppose that I w as
s eeking his affection . I would di e before I would be
gui lty of so unmaidenly an act ; and [ know he does
not cherish such an opi n ion of me,i f I am , as you so
tauntingly remi nd me,the chi ld of an i nsane mother,
supported by the charity of your parents . Neither do Ibel ieve that he loves you
,for you are wholly unlike . He
i s a man of truth,of honor and unbendi ng i ntegrity ;
you,have been gui lty of the meanest falsehoods, and
restra i ned by no principles of honor or justice from a
series of persecutions toward a poor gir l, who has never
offended you, but whom you fancied i n the way of your
ow n wishes .“ D id you never hear that even a worm would turnupon those who would crush it to the earth Did younever think that there was a God i n the heavens
,who
sees all that we do,and who will avenge the wrongs
done to hi s ch ildren ? I fully bel ieve that he wil l help
me to prove my own innoce nce ; for, as I stand here i n
his presence,and realize that he i s acquainted not only
wi th my actions,but with the secret purposes of mv
heart,I agai n repeat that I am not guilty of the charges
you have from time to time brought agains t me .
Alice sti ll stood proudly erect, her ches t expanding as
she uttered the last sentence,with her eyes raised , and
her whole countenance beaming with a holy trust and
confidence i n her heavenly Father . But the exci tement
240 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
had carried her beyond her strength ; and , when she
ceased,she had only time to gain her seat before she
sank upon the pillow i n a state of perfect exhaustion .
It would be in vai n to try to describe the i ndigna
tion,gri ef
,and self-condemnation which struggled for
mastery i n the breast of Clarence,as he stood
,with
parted lips and clasped hands, behind the heavy curtain s.
Bitterly he reproached himself for hi s conduct toward
the gentle girl,w ho had now so nobly defended his char
acter,and ascribed to him traits he was deeply conscious
of not possessing. Sometimes he started forward, una
ble longer to restrain himself from rushn i nto her pres
ence,avowing hi s love
,and claiming the righ t to protect
her ; but the very fervor and di si nteres tedness of hi s
affection restrained him,as he knew it would keenly
mortify her, and wound her delicacy, i f sh e were made
aware of h is being present. Sti ll more difficult was it
to restrain h imself, when , upon hearing a step i n the
entry,Gertrude hasti ly retreated. He gently parted th e
curtai n,and saw her pale and trembling, and he dared
not expose her to the addi tional excitement i f he should
suddenly appear. But be determined to see her w ithout
delay, and to make a formal demand of her hand from
Mr. Stanley,her guardian . He did not feel at all sure
that she would accept him . The events,of the last few
weeks had not increased the favorable prospect of a
happy termination of his suit ; but,with a full resolution
to end his suspense as soon as possible, he was obliged
to content himself for the present, for Alice , after lyi ng
so quietly for a few moments that he hoped She was
asleep, silently arose, and left the room . He dared not
212 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
but I was tri ed beyond my strength'and only thi s morn
ing enjoyed such a delightful season of communion
with my heavenly Father,and felt so safe to leave
myself i n his hands ! I was willing to forgive every one
who had tri ed to injure me .”
A low knock i nterrupted them ,and Emma entered .
At a motion from her mother,she came and kneeletl
dow n by her weeping si ster, putting her arms tenderly
about her neck . Alice gently responded to her embrace,
and then continued/: “ I don’t know but I am doing
w rong ; but I cannot help envying Mrs . Hayden,who is
wasting away . She looks forward with a certai n hope
of being received into'
the presence of God. I have
often thought of late that I should soon be called to die,
and the idea has not been unpleasant.”
My dear Alice,
” exclaimed her mother,“ don’t talk
so ; I fear i t i s w rong . I used to i ndulge th e same wish
after my dear father was taken from me . I thought my
happiness had fled forever ; and I longed to lie qui etly
by his side rather than struggle with my poor, desolate
heart. I found out afterwards that I had been i ndulging
an unsubmissive spiri t,and was rebelling against the
afflictions God,i n hi s wisdom
,saw to be needed by me .
I do not wonder,my love
,that the world looks darkly to
you now ; but, be as sured. the clouds w ill p ass away,and I shal l yet see you as cheerful and ligh t of heart as
when you returned from school . Do you remember how
gay you were then ? ”
Oh , yes , mamma, butNo buts , miss,” in terrupted her mother, cheerfully ,there are no buts i n this case . A ll wi ll come out right.
m mscvrsn . 243
depend upon it. One heavy cloud has al ready blown
over. Uncle Stephen i s a stauncher friend than ever.
Suppose you go now and tell h im you forgive him.
Where is he ? ”
In h is own room,w here he has shut himself up as a
prisoner. He has not left i t si nce you fainted last evening. Clarence said at breakfast that he did not go to
bed untilmorning.
Alice started up,saying
,I am sorry I did not know
it before . I will go now, i f he will admit She
turned to leave the room , but suddenly s topped, and,grasping the hand of Mrs . Stanley, asked, i n a voice
trembling w i th emotion , “ Do you think I shall ever beinsane 7
Why,my ch ild
,what could have put such a question
into your mind ?
Ger Gertrude she hesitated, and then added,“ my mother was .
Mrs . Stanley shuddered at the horrible cruelty of such
a suggestion,and said, “ There i s no more danger of i t
than i n my case or Emma’s .”After the poor girl had left the room
,she told Emma
of her determination to put a stop to such a system of
persecution , blaming herself severely that i t had not beendone earlier.
C H A P T E R X X I .
Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive ! Scott.
ALrCE knocked several times at Uncle Stephen’s door
before she received any reply . At length he asked,Who is i t ?
It i s a l ittle girl,who wants to see you.
Well , then , come in .
”
She entered , and went up to him as she used to do
when a chi ld,and seated herself upon his knee.
He made no motion , either to i nvite or preven t her.She put her arms i n a childlike manner around his
neck, and laid her head upon h is shoulder, as she asked,softly
,“ Don’t you love your little girl ? I can’t think
what I shall do if you don’t love me.”
With a deep sob from his swell i ng heart, the old man
strained her to his breast as if he would never let her
leave h im .
“ Love you ? yes,” he exclaimed, when hecould speak . “ This is the first happy minute I’ve had
smee I blurted out upon you yesterday. But wil l you
love me ? i s the question I want to hear answered . Can
you forgive me , my child
I forgave you long ago ; I knew youwould be sorry.
Well, then , I’m all right. I feel as i f my si ster
,who
has been dead and buried these twenty years , had come
back to me. And now ,chi ld
,ask anything in the world
246 THE H OUSE HOLD AN GEL
The good man was so much agitated,he hardly knew
how to contain his feelings . He kissed Alice again andagain
,thanked her repeatedly for the rel ief she had ' af
forded h im,and then commenced a vigorous walk across
the room , rubbi ng hi s hands and exclaiming : What an
old fool I’ve be; r. making ofmyself ; I might have known
vou wouldn’t go and spoil all my nice plans . There ,ch ild, run away, quick ; I may say something I ought
not.
At dinner Mr . Stanley, noticing Alice’s pale cheeks
and want of appetite, recommended her to ride . A s he
left the room he turned back , and with unusual tender
ness patted her cheek,saying Let me see some roses
blooming here, at tea.
”
How li ttle he thought that he and Alice Carey should
never meet agai n
Though scarcely able to endure the fatigue,Al ice con
cluded to have Felix saddl ed, and to pay Mrs . Hayden avisit. She was sensible of a general lassitude creepingover her whole system
,and i t was with quite an effort
that sh e equipped herself i n her ridi ng-dress,and started
for the village . But i n a few moments the clear air, and
the exercise of riding, exhi larated her spiri ts , and when
nearly half way to her des ti nati on she met Dr. Jenks, shebegan to look a little li ke herself.
Good day,Miss Al ice,
” he cried, stopping h is horse ,“ I am glad to see you
,though you look as i f a dose of
phys io wouldn’t do you any harm . I have found you
another patient,a young girl
,about your own age . She’s
been i n my hands a few days ; but I think in her case
you can do better than I can .”
rN DrsGurSE . 24 7
After learn ing where sh e was to be found,Al ice said
I wi ll try to call upon her to-morrow. I have not been
quite well for a few days,and hardly think I should do
her much good i f I went to-day.
No immediate hurry,” replied the Doctor. She’s a
genuine case,though ; and such an one as wi ll in terest
you quite as much as ei ther of.
your protégés .”
An hour later,the fami ly at L indenwood were thrown
into the utmost consternat ion by seeing Felix,without
h is rider,come dashing at ful l speed up the avenue
,his
saddle partly turned, and he trembling i n every limb, as
if from sudden fright. Uncle Stephen,who happened to
be looking from the W i ndow,was almost beside himself
,
and greatly increased the confusion by hi s vain endeavors
to learn somethi ng of the equestri an . Mr. Stanley could
not readi ly be found,and hi s wife instan tly despatched a
boy, on horseback, to the vil lage , to ascertain whether any
accident had befal l en Alice ; and if so, to go at once for
the Doctor. Emma started off i n the same direction on
foot,while the coachman was ordered to harness the
horse into the carryall,and follow her immediately
,to
bri ng Alice home . Uncle Stephen walked hurriedly up
and down the avenue ; Mrs . Stanley i n v ai n implori nghim to be calm ,
and sugges ting that i t m ight not prove
to be as bad as they feared . Gertrude and Edi th clungtogether
,i n their affright, pale and trembling at their own
thoughts .
At length,the carri age i s seen returning at fu ll speed .
Their hearts beat wi ldly with hope . Alice is i n i t, and
uni njured . But no ! Emma is bitterly weeping. She
cannot speak as they pass, but si lently motions them
248 T HE H OUSE HOLD AN G EL
to return . They hasti ly follow the carriage to the
hous e.“ Where i s she asked Mrs . Stanley, tremulously.
Why did you not bring her home
With a fresh burst of tears,Emma poi nted to a wagon
just come i n sight,and which was slowly entering the
large gate at the foot of the avenue .
Mrs . Stanley stood almost paralyzed,and then caught
hold of the door for support. She tried to speak,but
her tongue refused to perform its office . With a loud
cry of agony,Uncle Stephen rushed by them
,and locked
himself in hi s ow n room .
Yes, there upon a bed thrown upon the bottom of a
wagon , from which the seat had been hastily taken out,lay the sen seless form of poor Ali ce Carey. Her headwas supported in the lap of a young woman
,who w as
weepi ng, while men and boys walked solemnly at their
s ide .
Before Mrs. Stanley coul d recall her scattered senses,Dr. Jenks drove hasti ly up
,and finding nothing had been
prepared,requested that a bed should be m ade ready as
speedily as possible,that he might see to what extent h is
patient had been i njured.
When the wagon stopped at the doo .,the Doctor,with
the ass istance of tw o men , conveyed the i n sen sible girl
to her room,and laid her gently upon the bed . A low
m oan escaped her li ps ; but she did not appear to be
con scious . Mrs. Stanley bent over her poor child, and
commenced a vigorous chafing ‘of her hands , when the
Doctor beckoned her from the room,motion ing Emma
to take her mother’s place .
250 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
Miss Emma,said the doctor, you had better leave
the room you can’t bear i t.”
Emma shook her head,and tri ed to speak
, but the
words try me ” were the only ones which she could
articulate .
Well,then , hold her hand firmly ; and Mrs . Stanley,
i f you must stay, though I had’
rather have somebody
else,come around thi s side and unfasten her dress.”
Though excessively pale , she obeyed . The ki nd doc
tor gently raised her, and soon the fair neck and shoulder
was exposed to view.
This arm is broken i n tw o places,said Dr. Mason .
Have you the spli ntersA shriek of distress from the poor girl
,as th ey moved
it, showed that sh e was not now insen s ible .
Dear, darl ing Ali ce , be calm , do be calm whispered
Emma,forcing back the unbidden tears which had been
coursing down her cheeks . It wi ll soon be over .” But
shriek after shriek filled the air,as they set the bone
,un
til she again fai nted from excess of agony .
There,I’m glad she’s gone ! ” exclaimed Dr. Jenks
,as
he held the arm in place,while the young surgeon
,with
great sk ill, applied th e bandages . When this was done,they proceeded, under the i nfluence of a powerful ano
dyne , to a farther examination , which resulted more favorably than they had dared to hOpe . The poor sufferer
lay i n a heavy slumber,when a loud noise i n the Hall
arrested their attention . Above all sounds,the voice
of Mrs. Carey was di sti nctly heard,calli ng out
,i n fren
zied tones, I w ill go to her ! I wont be kept from my
child ! and you , Mr. Stanley, must follow me !”
ix D i scUl sE . 251
Don’t let that crazy woman i n here ! ” exclaimed thed octor .
I hear my husband’s voice,and he will prevent her
,
said lVIrs . Stanley . Suddenly there w as a sound of great
runn ing, the door burst Open , and the poor mother rushed
in and threw herself on her knees by the side of the bed .
Dr. Jenks approached gently to lead her out ; but she
stood up before him,and
,pointing with her long, thi n
finger,to Alice
,said solemnly
,God sent me here, and
here I shal l stay until I have done what he bids me .”
“ How long will i t take ? ” asked Dr. Mason , impatiently, as he kept his fingers on the pulse of hi s patien t.
He knew noth ing of the relation existi ng between them ,
and wondered that the crazy woman should be allowed
to remai n i n the room for a moment .
Mr. Stanley,come near ! ” she cried
,“ for to you 1
must make my confessi on ! ” There was in her eye an
expression of calmness,which
,notwi th standing her
strange manner,awed them into si lence , and she went
on . I am glad to see you weep, Mr. Stanley. You
may well gaze at the poor child, and shed tears at her
distress,for she is your own
With a'
sudden start he sprang to the bedside ; but she
waived him away,and con ti nued
,i n a firm voice
,though
husky w i th emotion,Hear
,hear
,all of you , while God
gives me strength to speak . That child was given me
to nurse. I kept her, and put _my ow n daughter
,Edith
,
i n her place . I didn’t at first i ntend to have it remain so,but I was pleased to see that my chi ld was caressed , and
by and bye it w as too late for me to take her back . But
I h ave known for a long time that th is day would surely
252 THE HOUSEHOLD AN G EL
come that these,w ords would be forced from my l ips.
l have heard it i n the sigh ing breeze,i n the gurgli ng of
yonder brook,and i n the howling of the angry wind
The robins i n the branches,and even the frogs i n the
meadow, have never ceased to remi nd me that this day
w as hasten ing on . But of late,strange voices have w his
pered to me i n the night-watches , Guilty woman , your
sin will soon be di scovered .
’ I have often tried to con
fess to you,but
'
I was restrai ned.‘Not yet
,not yet,
’
was ever the cry,and I could not resist the inward
voice .”
When she ceased,all present stood speechless
,until
Dr. Jenks asked, What proof have you of the truth of
this story ? ” though her declaration had flashed instant
conv ict ion upon their minds .
Proof ! she cried,with a flashing
'
eye,her father
needs no proof ! He knows,now
,why the s ight of that
child always reminded him of the mother who bore her.
He understands why that mother loved her so tenderly.Her heart w as drawn out toward her ow n offspring. Heknows why she and Louis loved each other so dearly.
If you want. more proof,ask Uncle Stephen ,
” glancing
toward h im:
He wi ll tel l you he always knew it. Hehas said a hundred times
,That child reminds me ofmy
sister.’ But,i f al l that wil l not satis fy you
,in what one
thing is she like me ? Look at her, beautiful even i n herdeath-l ike slumber. Then her heart i s pure, while Edith
Dr. Jenks,
” she continued,after a moment, catch ing
hold of his arm,do you remember when this ch ild was
born 7
The doctor nodded assen t,wonderi ng what was to
follow.
254 m s HOUSEHOLD ANGE L
May God grant i t, said the father, impressively
Have you heard how the accident happenedNothing beyond the story of the boy who cam e for
me,— that the horse took fright and threw her. She
was found i n the street turning from the one w here Mrs.
Hayden l ives,and probably had just left there . I must
call and tel l them how she i s , or I sh all have trouble.
In deed,
” added the good man, smiling, as he turned to
take his leave,I sh al l be very popular for a few days,
and shall be besieged with i nquiries concerning the
health of your daughter. She is a great favorite i n the
village .”
Mr. Stanley warmly pressed h is hand , but did not re
ply. Hi s heart was too full for utterance .In the meantime how did Edith bear the suddenchange which had come over her prospects ? No one
knew . She and Gertrude had been among the crowd
assembled i n the entry,and at the very first in timation
of the fact from her mother,she flew to her ow n room ,
and locked her door,and when Gertrude knocked repeat
edly, she received no an swer. She i nstinctively knew
it was true . Poor girl ! i t will be a hard lesson for her
to learn . Let us leave her and turn to a room nearlyopposite that in which the father and mother are hang
ing over their new-found child,and discover what are
Uncle Stephen’s thoughts with reference to this new rc
lation .
When , i n an agony of grief, he shut himself up in his
bedroom , he feared the life of Alice was exti nct ; but,after remai ning a lone unti l he could endure the suspenseno longer, he opened his door, and learned from one of
r
m D I SG U I SE . 250
he servants that she sti l l l ived . He stood in the hallJvhen Mrs . Carey, noticing his presence, referred to him
as proof that he had long recogn ized the relation . Then .unable to bear the tumul t of j oy caused by so happy a
discovery,he caught his hat ariarushed out to find Clar
ence,that he might impart the blessed news to him . But
he had hardly proceeded through the park, when he saw,in the distance
,a horse dashing toward h im, and i n the
rider of which he soon recognized his ward.
Restless and unable to fix his attention upon his busi
nes s,after the exciti ng scenes of th e morning, at an early
hour Clarence went to the stable for his horse, that he
migh t return to Li ndenwood . He walked on with quickand elastic step
, for, notwithstanding al l which had oc
curred,his heart was l ighter than for many weeks . He
could now trace the cause of Alice’s reserve i n the cruel
remarks to which she had been subj ected , a specimen of
which he had heard in the morni ng ; and in her noble
vindication of him ,he loved to th ink he had discovered
some sparks of affection , which i t would be h is delight
ful privilege to fan in to a flame . He determined at onceto see her guardian , and, by the avowal of his affection ,preclude the nece ssi ty of the explanati on which he fore
saw would be so tryi ng to her sensi tive nature . Hi s eyegrew bright
,and his whole countenance beamed with
pleasant antici pations a s he hurried on , unti l his atten
ti on was arrested by seeing groups of men,women
,and
boys standing together,and heard the words “ dreadful !
wnat a shocking accident ! ” Pausi ng for one moment
to li sten , the name Miss Carey” caught hi s car, when,
w i th a counte nance blanched with sudden fear, he
256 THE HOUSEH OLD AN GEL
stepped quickly forward, and asked, What has oc
curredA boy replied
,Why, hav
’n’t you heard ? Miss Ali ce
Carey,the young lady who rides every day on horseback
,
and who is s o good to the poor, has been thrown from
her horse,and kil led ! ”
Kil led ? repeated Clarence, reeling agains t the man
who stood next h im .
No ! exclaimed a boy, pressi ng up through the
crowd which had begun to gather, I was there w hen
they took her out of the wagon,and I heard her groan
awfully. She isn’t ki lled,but she’s horridly hurt.”
Though rendered almost bli nd by sudden faintness and
dizziness, Clarence waited to hear no more . He sprangupon his horse
,and
,after urging him to his utmost speed
,
slackened not h is pace unti l he met his guardian coming
in search of him . The o ld gentleman was evidently con
tending with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, and, as
hi s ward sprang from the saddle to his side, caught his
hand,and said
,Clarence, Alice Carey is no more ; but
I have found a n iece I shall love even better than I didher.”
The shock has turned his bra in ,” thought the . young
man .
“ Come,dear Uncle
,
” he said,tenderly
,
“ let me
lead you to the house .” “ A l ice ! where is Al ice ? ” he
gasped out,as Emma ran out to meet him .
“ Oh , Clarence ! rej oice with us. Alice, dear, sweetAl ice i s ours now. She i s my ow n dear sister.”
Scarcely hearing or heeding th is remark, he repeated,Where is she ? Will she live“ The doctors cannot tell until to-morrow
,but they
258 rH E HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
occurred last even ing. That wi ll al l come out righ t, anu~
my Al ice i s not one to lay up anyth ing against her
friends .”
These words, though k ind ly spoken , afforded him but
poor consolation . He bowed his thank s,however
,and
went out to Mrs . Carey’s small cottage . But he only
saw the woman who took care of her,who informed h im
that she came born e from the hall trembli ng and excited,but i n full possession of her reason . That she appeared
very glad t hat she had relieved herself of the dreadful
burden that had oppressed her for so many years ; but
that she dreaded to meet Edith,as she knew her child
would bitterly reproach her. “ I promised her,
” added
the woman,that if she would retire, no one should dis
turb her.”
,At the mention of Edith , Clarence started, He hadbeen so wholly engrossed in his anxi etyfor Alice , thatthe change in the situation of her foster-sister had not
once occurred to him . How would her proud andhaughty spirit bear so sudden a reverse of fortune It
was a fruitful subject of thought,and one which occupied
the people of the vi l lage for a long time . But at present
h is whole soul was racked with anxiety for th e poor girl
who stil l lay in sensible . He had not yet asked himselfwhat w ould be the effect upon his suit for her hand, of
her being rai sed to the station of daughter to Mr. Stan
ey ; he could only th ink of her as Emma had vividly‘
epresen ted her when suffering so keenly from the setting
of her arm .
He walked slowly back and forth through the yard,until summoned by a servant to tea . Though the hearts
l N D I SGU I SE . 259
of all the group gathered around the board were centred
upon one dear member,yet i t was a silen t meal . Indeed
the assembl ing there was li ttle more than a form ,and
then there were three absent. The mother, with he s
chi ld , and Edi th , who still refused admittance to all
C H A P T E R X X I I
Happy are those,
That know ing in their births they are subject to
Uncertain change, are still prepar’d and arm’
d
For either fortune ; a rare principle,
A nd with much labor learned in w isdom’s school.
Massmger .
WH AT a change i n a few short hours ! They could
hardly reali ze i t ; and when Mr. Stanley’s swelli ng heart
found utterance in prayer for her who had brought back
from the grave the image of her deceased mother for
her who had been so wonderfully preserved from death ,th e whole family wept aloud.
During the eveni ng,to whi ch Clarence had looked for
ward wi th such joyous anticipations, as he and his
guardian were si tting silently in the parlor, Emma cameto the door and beckoned him to j oi n her. Do you re
member my own mother ? ” she inquired, softly.
Perfectly.
”
Father thought so,and he wants you to come and
look at our poor Al ice . She i s not yet conscious,” she
added, as he insti nctively started back .
Though hi s heart grew fai nt with an undefined feel ing
of terror, he silently followed her.
Her father was leaning over the pallid face of hi s chi ld,and bathing her temples with aromatic vinegar. For
years he had been unused to the sick room but this was260
262 T HE HoUsEHOLD AN GEL
When Emma opened the door into the entry, she
found Uncle Stephen there ,waiti ng to ascertain whether
there was any favorable change . Mrs . Stanley si lently
advanced,and led him to the bed.
But th e sight he there beheld was more than he could
endure. With only one glance at the long frame in
which lay the broken arm,and at the pale face , which
seemed like a visitor from the spirit-world, be covered hi s
eyes and hurried from the room .
After the first shock , when he feared she had been
killed by her fall , he had been so overjoyed at being able
to explai n to himself why h is heart had been so forcibly
drawn toward the lovely child ; and to sol ve the question
so many times repeated,“Why does she so often remind
me of my sister,
” that he had thought les s of the danger
which sti ll threatened her l ife. But now it was greatly
magnified,and he could find no comfort except upon his
knees. Oh, how many times, that night, he thanked God
that thi s had not happened before she had assured him
of her forgiveness ! How clearly her sweet voice rangin his ear
,“ Don’t you love your li ttle girl ? ”
At nine o’clock the Doctor came again , and waspleased to see that there was then no appearance of
fever, and ordered her li ps to be wet with cordial every
fifteen minutes . Unless the pai n was very severe,the
anodyne was to be discontinued . He prescribed themost perfect quiet
,and left them with lightened hearts to
prepare for the duties of the night.
W hat a comfort is a good physician ! How earnestlydo we listen for h is footstep
,and welcome his approach !
How closely we watch his features to di scern his
rN D I SG U I SE . 263
opin ion of his patient, before he can have time to express
i t i n words ! How grateful do we feel for the hope w i thwhich he brighten s the future
,or for the sympathy which
so othes our most fearful anticipations of sorrow !
After the good Doctor left, Mr. Stanley retired for afew moments to h is study, to be alone with his God, and
to pour out his soul i n prayer for h is chi ld . He had justarisen
,
‘when he heard a low knock at his door. Hestarted quickly
,fearing i t was a message for him to re
turn to Alice,when Gertrude entered . In a voice almost
i narticulate,she signified her desire to detain him . But
when he tenderly led her to the sofa,and took a Seat by
he r side, he waited i n vai n for her to speak, so violent
were her sobs .
At length,making a great effort, she commanded her.
voice,and confessed to her father her cruelty to Alice,
and the bitter remorse i t now caused her : No wordscan describe
,
” she exclaimed , with great excitement,what I h ave suffered since I saw her lyi ng motionlessin the wagon which brought her home .”
Gertrude did not spare herself, but went on to speak
of cruel taunts about her birth , of hints.
of her depend
ence , and all the long catalogue of her offences,j ust as
conscience w as holding them up to her V i ew ; but of
which her father had been wholly ignorant. He w as
obl iged to put a violent constraint upon his feelings toallow her to proceed .
And Edith ? ” he asked when she stopped .
Gertrude acknowledged that Edith had joined her i n th isunkind treatment ; but that she herself had been far
more to blame . “ And this is not all,” she conti nued,
264 THE H OUSEH OLD A NGEL
coveri ng her face from her father’s search ing glance,
“ Clarence loves Al ice ; and I have tr ied to al i enate hi s
affections from her ; I have” —but here she was entirely
overcome,as her mind reverted to the scenes wh ich had
occurred that very morning, though i t seemed as i f the
events of weeks had interven ed.
Mr. Stanley perceived that the grief of h is daughter
was genuine,—her repentance sincere
,and he forbore
reproof. After a few moments of earnest conversation ,he again knel t in prayer ; and this time he was not alone ;his subdued and tearful daughter knelt beside him
,and
never before had she so earnestly Jomed i n peti tion s for
pardon and peace. Before she left th e room , she gave
the best proof of the sincerity of her sorrow for what
had passed,by requesting her father to communicate to
Clarence as much of her confession as he thought best ;and her father
,though deeply affl icted at the disclosures
she had made,held her to hi s heart i n a more tender em
brace than for many years .
For a short time after she left the study, he walked in
a slow measured pace across the floor, ponderi ng what
had passed,especial ly what she had said of Clarence and
his affection for Ali ce . He had never suspected this ; and,even now ,
he shook h is head as hi s thoughts recurred
to many events which had taken place wi th i n a few
weeks . He had long ago settled i t i n h is own mind,
that Gertrude and Clarence were attached,and the
thought of their union had always been pleasant. Hi swife being fully aware of th is
,had never mentioned the
change she had perceived in the affections or the young
lawyer.
266 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
the child . No,he was impelled by a knowledge of her
character to strong emotions of pity at the sufferi ngs he
knew she would undergo,before she could bring her
proud spiri t to bow submissively to the condi tion she had
so much despised.
Educated,as she had been , i n refined society, accus
tomed to con sult only her own pleasure ,while she domi
neered over every membe r of the household, he was well
aware that,when he Offered her a home, there would be
a dreadful struggle i n her mind,before she could bri ng
herself to assume the place of a dependant on his bounty .
He longed to see her, and try to calm the deep waves oftrouble which threatened to overwhelm her ; but so far,she had absolutely refused to admit any one to her apart
ment,and had maintained a profound silence , when her
mother went to her, and begged her to take some food .
Alice remained so quiet for several hours th at h er
father and mother,who occupied arm -chairs by the side
of her bed, were able to get some sleep . But toward
morning,when Clarence
,hoping from the profound stil l
ness i n th e room,that the patient was at least not suffer
ing, had just retired to his bed and fallen i nto a heavy
sleep,was awakened by a dreadful shriek
,followed by a
'
quick running to and'fro through the hall. He sprangup, threw on h is dressing-gown , and returned to the
place he had occupied most of the n ight, near the door
of his ow n room . In one moment Emma came runni ngby, and seeing him dressed , said , quickly, Oh'
,Clarence
,
do run and call James,and send him for the Doctor !
Al ice is a great deal worse.”
He went in a moment,and running to the stable, took
nv Drsevrs s . 267
out hi s own horse,sprang i nto the saddle , and gave him
self no time to think,until he was returning with the good
Doctor by h is side . For once the Old buggy rattled along
as fast as he could wish , and before the anxious parents
could have supposed it possible, Dr. Jenks entered theroom .
A t one glance, he saw the danger. Alice had just
come out of a convul sion fit,i n which she had disar
ranged the bandages and splinters holding the bone in
place ; and now,though conscious
,lay pale and trem
bling with the pai n . The physici an had no sooner ap
proached the bed than , without speaki ng , he returned to
th e entry and said,i n a low voice, to Clarence, “ We
must have Dr. Mason here,without any delay . Stay,
”
he added, as the young man had already begun to de
scend the stairs,take my buggy
,and don’t fear for the
Old horse . I want him quickly.
For many mi les around, Dr. Jenks was famous for his
skill . He was prompt, energetic, and always cheerful.It was a very unusual th ing for him to weep over his
patients ; but when he approached the bed , and saw by
her faint smile that Al ice recognized and welcomed him ,
he turned quickly away,while a sound very much like a
suppressed sob,came from the window near which he
stood . But that was over in a mi nute,and he made in
quiries how she had passed the night.
We must prevent the return Of the convulsions,
” he
said, i n a low tone , “ they’re ugly things where a bone is
out of place .” He did not think i t necessary at thattime to di stress the father’s heart by sayi ng that he
feared , also, they were the result of some greater i njury.
268 T H E H OUSE HOLD ANGEL
He therefore admin istered a soothing powder,tenderly
unloosed the bandages, hoping by that time Dr. Masonwould arri ve . Nor was be disappointed, for heari ng aquick step up the stairs, the young surgeon hastily en
tered the room“ There, dear, said the old Doctor, soothingly, “ l etyour father hold your arm . It will hurt badly for a
m i nute ; but’twill soon be over. Here
,Mrs . Stanley;
th is side , i f you/please . N ow ,
Dr. Mason,we’re all
ready.
”
The bone sli pped back again with a grating sound,
and the poor girl quickly gasped for breath .
Though the physicians agreed that it must have been
more painful than the first setti ng,as i t had begun to
swell badly ; yet she bore i t without a groan . Emmasprang for the cordial
,and moistened her l ips .
There now,
” said the good old man,“ that was hand
somely done ; but, child , don’t ever try to res trai n your
self so again ; let the screams come,
‘
they’re nature,
and wont hurt any body ; not half as much as it will
you to hold the teeth so tightly as you did .
”
By this time the surgeon had nicely supported the arm
in a frame,and the gentle sufferer rej oiced their hearts
by W hispering that she was greatly rel ieved . Quite a
circle had gathered around her bed , and Clarence , almost
unconsciously,had joined them . Alice w as now per
fectly conscious . She looked, feebly, from one to an
other ; at length , her eye met his, and that one glance
conveyed to her a world of bli ss . It was too much of
happines s for her feeble frame . She closed her eyes and
for a moment appeared to have fai n ted .
270 m s H OUSEH OLD AN GEL
Stephen was happy,arid needed to do something out of
the common course to express h is j oy .
When the lawyer fin ished hi s toi let, and went below,he found all was i ndeed changed ; though the fami ly and
servan ts spoke i n subdued tones, yet the deep sadness
was gone . Mr. and Mrs . Stanley almost smiled as theymet him
,while Emma appeared as if she could hardly
co ntain her j oy . She gave her hand twice to Clarence
w i thout being aware of it, as she whispered, “ I’m so
happy that it’s over,and we know the worst
,dear
,dea/r
Al ice ! ”
While they were talking,Gertrude came to the door,
and then si lently retreated upon perceiving who were
present.
Oh ! ” exclaimed Emma,“ you can’t tell how sorry
sister i s . She has confessed everything to father ; and
he says, though it w as a great shock to h im , to know
that she had indulged such feelings,yet he hopes much
from this affl iction . She told him how she had deceived
you ,” she added, lowering her voi ce . She took all the
blame, and said she had influenced Edith . Poor Edith ! ”she continued
, changmg her tone, mamma fears she’l l
starve herself to death,and papa will i nsist upon going
in to talk with her.”
HOW‘
Dr. Jenks contrived to satisfy his other pati en ts,I cannot tell ; but, for a few days, his vi sits at L i ndenwood were nei ther few nor short ; and his cheerful voice
and ready joke operated l ike a charm upon all .
Alice loved him better than eve r and she frankly told
him so ; upon which occasion the good man helped him
self to a kiss upon her pale cheek, and told over, to the
IN D I SGUI SE . 27 1
amusement of the whole company, the story of her
refus lng him a kiss w hen he asked for one, and then
coming to him of her ow n accord,when she found he
did not mean to insist . Oh said he,“ if I’d had the
experi ence when I was young that I have now,there
would hav e been some cracking.
The only bad result of hi s frequent visi ts was a feeli ng
of j ealousy which was growing up i n Uncle Stephen’s
heart toward the physician , though , i f any one had
accused him of i t,he would have scorned the idea that
Alice would love the jol ly old man as well as she did
him .
But the young girl esteemed her physician for some
thing more than his cheerful , happy temperament, oreven for his ski l l. A more enduri ng tie united them .
He had long recognized i n the young disciple a desire tofol low the exarriple Of the same Master whom he was
trying to serve . Never, i n the course Of hi s long practice,had he turned a deaf ear to the call of the poor. Herecognized
,i n all the suffering ch ildren of distress and
poverty,a claim to his time and attention
,as creatures
endowed with souls to be fitted for happiness ; and he
l iterally obeyed the inspired precept,Do good unto all
as ye have opportunity, especially unto such as are of
the household of faith .
”
And hi s young patient was comforted by the words
Of peace he breathed i n her ear as he tenderly bent over
her. There , dear,” he said at o ne time , when she was
suffering severely, “ thi nk of what your heavenly Father
says , ‘Thou wilt keep h im in perfect peace whose soul
is stayed o n thee . Lift up your heart to him,child.”
\ C H A P T E R X X I I ]
The heart is , like the sky, a part of heaven ,
But changes , n ight and day, too, hke the sky ;
New o’er it clouds and thunder must be driven ,
A nd darkness and destruction,as on high ;
But when it hath been scorch’d,and p iert
'
d, and riveu,
Its storms expire in water-drops ; the eye
Pours fort h at las t the heart’s blood turned to tears .
Byron.
THE numerous calls from the vil lage to make inqui ries
for Miss Alice Stanley proved the truth of the doctor’s
s ta tement in regard to th e estimation in which she was
held . N ot only carriage after carriage, containi ng friends
anx ious to ascertain exactly her situation , drove up the
avenue to the Hall,but twice a day
,morning and even
ing, Dexter Hayden presented himself at the door, andi n a respectful manner
,said
,Will you please to tell me
particularly how Miss Al ice i s ? ” and when the reply,She stil l conti nues comfortable
,
” had been given him ,
the fervent “ Thank you !” showed that h is heart had
been i n the question .
Mr. Gates,too
,often left his welding and hammeri ng
at an early hour,and
,having donned his Sunday sui t,
(fo r he now attended church 0 11 the Sabbath ,) proceeded
to Li ndenwood, and begged to hear from Miss Alice,saying, My w ife or I should take it as a great favor ifwe could be allowed to be of some serv ice to her.”
272
274 THE HOUSEHOLD ANG EL
had heretofore appeared so unaccoun table . Knowingherself to he unfit to i nfluence a pure, artless girl like
the one whom she claimed for her child, she had endeav ~
ored,especially s i nce the i nterest manifested in her by
that lady,to wean Alice’s affections from herself, that
sne m1ght learn to live wholly at the Hall, and thu s be
prepared for the time when the present discovery shoulc
take place .
But i t i s high time' that we turn from thi s pleasanter
scene to a room at the other corner of the house,far
,
far pleasanter and brighter,even amidst constant suffer
i ng, than that one withi n whose walls was raging a
mighty war. I have hereto fore sa id that Edith refus edto admit any one to her apartment . Whether it were
the voice of him whom she had so long known as father,or the low est servant i n the establi shment, for all had
attempted it,the success w as the same . On the second
day a smal l portion of the food which had been left at
her door had disappeared ; and during the Second night
Mrs . Stanley from her window had seen a tal l form pass
and repas s . with hasty and uncertain steps,up and down
th e avenue before the house . But on the morning of
the third day no one had seen Edith face to face . Whatcourse she i ntended or wished to pursue no one could
even imagine . Mr. Stanley determined to wait no longer .
Retiring to h is study,he wrote her a long
,kind letter,
such as a Chris tian father would write to an affl icte l
child . In i t he expres sed a fond affection for her, an l
entreated her to return to the family,who all longed f w
an opportuni ty to prove to her that she was welcome to
the place she had held . He told her that he had ful ly
l N D I SG U ISE . 5276
and freely forgiven her mother, and that he now trans
ferred the promise he made to hi s dying wife i n behalf
Of Alice, to herself. He closed by expressing the hopethat he might receive an answer in person
,and then
subj oined these words
I take pleasure, dear Edi th , i n signing myself, as ofYour very affectionate father
,
H UG H STANLEY .
Wishing that the letter should suggest al l the feelings
of h is heart,he showed i t to hi s wife
, w ho read it with
tearful eyes,and rewarded him with a smile of perfect
approbation,as she said, “ The heart must be indeed
hard which responds not to such an appeal .” It w as
then sen t to her room by a servant,who w as ordered
,i f
she did not reply,to push the letter under the door
,and
to tell Edith she had been directed to wait for an answer.
The latter course she pursued,after knocking repeatedly
,
and, on return ing half an hour later, found a sealed
note addressed to Mr. Hugh Stanley, Esq . It was as
follows :
Mr . Stanley, I have read your note,and suppose I
ought to say I thank youfor i t ; but you never loved me.
and I cannot say that I h ave ever given you reason to
do so . Sti ll , I thank you that, by giving me a good
education , you have placed it in my power to gai n mybread i ndependently of any one . i have not yet decided
what I shall do . When I have, you shall be the first
one i nform ed of i t, from the interes t you say you take in
276 TH E HOUSE HOLD AN GEL
my welfare. Till that time, I only ask that I may have
the use of the room I now occupy, undisturbed.
“ As for the woman who claims to have given me
bi rth, her conduct has been such that I cannot forgi ve
her, i f you do ; and, as I wi ll never consen t to take her
name,and the one to which I have been accustomed has
been rudely taken from me, I am at present nameless ,except ED ITH .
”
Mr. Stanley had impatiently awai ted the answer to
h is ki nd epistle ; and, when hi s wife, who had taken itfrom the servant
,hastened to put i t i nto his hand, he
opened it_eagerly, hoping, though she had not complied
with his request to come to him,yet that she had re
sponded to his sentiments w i th ch ildlike affection . But,when he had read and re-read the cold
,bitter reply, he
sighed as he placed it,without a word, i n the hand of
his wife .
Marion’s eyes fil led with tears as she perused its
contents . “ Poor, p oor Edith ! ” she exclaimed .
“ She
is her ow n greatest enemy. How differently our dear
Al ice would have replied“ Edi th i s differen tly consti tuted
,
” said her husband,in an apologizi ng tone . I have no doubt she is driv'en
almost to madness by her confli ct between pride and
conscience . while Al ice is not only by nature gen tle and
yielding, but has a never-faili ng principle of right withi n
her ow n breas t, by which , however tryi ng and difficult,she endeavors to reg ulate her conduct.”
Long and earnestly. did they discuss the subj ect,and
fervently did they implore wisdom for themselves,and
‘
278 TH E HOUSEH OLD AN GEL
before . Though Of al l the family, to Edi th ha l alwaysbeen ascribed more of pride of rank and station than
any other member ; yet she thought she had never
rightly prized them unti l now, when they were forever
snatched from her grasp . She knew,sh e felt sure, that
her father and mother,nay
,that every one i n the family,
would rejoice at the change . How she hated them,as
she thought of it. She was well aware that she had oc
casioned her parents great anx iety ; that, though younger
than her sisters,she had exerted an unfavorable i nfin
ence upon them,and that over the servants she had tyr
ann iz ed. How different with Alice ? Always beloved,now how would she be cares sed . Then came Uncle Ste
phen , with his overweening fondness for his ‘ favorite.
She felt,yes, i t was so
,sh e hated him worse than al l.
No,there was one , and that one the mother w ho bore
her, whom she never would see, never forgive . Call her
MOTHER, the i nsane hag ! Her blood chilled as she re
verted to the prophetic words so lately heard from her
lips, Beware , the hour of retribution i s at hand ! Call
her mother No ! Sooner would sh e al low her tongueto be cut from her mouth .
N ot one tear moistened her blood-shot eyes ; not yet
came one thought to soften her obdurate,stubborn heart .
All was wi ld chaos and confusion . When she heard the
step of her mother come out of the s ick room , and her
voice softly pleading,Edith
,my dear chi ld , admit your
mother,”she only laughed her to seem . N o ,
” was her
proud thought,she shall never see me suffer. Low
as I have fallen,I will never stoop to that ;
” and she
shut her heart firmly to everv tender emotion . W holly
1H D rsevrse . 279
engrossed as she was in her ow n condition,she yet
seemed almos t supernaturally alive to every sound . No t
a s tep or whisper i n the hall through that long, longnight, escaped her, a night followed by days o f sufferi ng
to which,in after years
,she looked back with the w omh
that God did not wholly forsake her, and leave her to do
that wh ich more than once suggested itself to her mind .
take her own life.
W hen the gray morn i ng dawned , the day which
brought such cheeri ng w ords of hope to the tender parents
with regard to their sweet chi ld,i t brought no blessi ngs to
her heart. A ll, all was dark all was rebel lious . What
have I done ? ” she exclaimed,to bring such a fate
upon myself ! Cruel,unjust fate
,I w i l l never submit to
i t ! ” She walked , and walked, and wrung her hands,until
,overcome with the thoughts
’
w hich forced them
selves i nto her m i nd, she threw herself upon the bed,cryi ng, Oh
,why was I born
But such a state of mind could not last forever . So
far she had jus tified herself,while all others had been
gui lty of the greatest i njus tice to her. When con science
whispered,i ts gentle voice had been i nstantly hushed ;
now i t thundered that i t would be heard,and Edi th
,n r
longer proudly erect,with haughty mien and fla sh ing
eye , bows her head lower and lower upon her breas t, as
i t holds the mirror of truth before her,and convi n ‘ ce
her of her sin . The V i ew is too appalling, and she cries
aloud,I wil l not hear ! I will not see ! but i t w i ll no
longer restrai n its warning voice .
With w hom,vai n girl ! i t cries, are you contend'
ing
280 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
With the one who calls me her chi ld w i th this
family wit h my destiny.
”
What i s desti ny ? ”
That which i s to be.
But have those'
you name power over your desti ny 9
No,I defy them .
”
Who , then , does control i t ?”
God.
”
It is,then
,your Maker with whom you are contend
ing. Horrible impiety I wonder he does not consume
youwith the breath of hi s mouth .
”
But i t is hard,i t i s cruel
,that all my high hopes, al l
my ardent expectations of happiness, should in one brief
moment be dashed to the ground .
”
Dare you accuse God of i njustice ? Look again .
Youwere born of ignoble parents . Your mother longed
to place you i n a situation far above her own , where her
pride could be gratified by seeing one w ho w as bone of
her bone,caressed and cheri shed as their own by the
scions of a noble house. To do this she defrauded them
of what they prized more than gold or landed estates,
and reduced their cherished one to her ow n low condi
tion . For wi se purposes God allowed this to be . You
were placed i n circumstances of ease and comfort . She
whose right they were,was a dependant upon their
bounty. You were cheri shed,educated
,and
, but. for your
imperious temper,might have been dearly loved. How
did you receive thes e privi leges ? A s your right not on ly ,but as givi ng you power to taunt and triumph over those
who enjoyed them not,while she whose pos ition i n life
you had usurped,recei ved your taunts in the spirit of
meekness , and earnesly prayed for her persecutor.
282 TH E HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
After partaking very spari ngly from the tempting re
past left at the door, Edith stood gazing abs tractedlyfrom the window
,which c ommanded a view of the S ide
entrance . She sighed deeply as she saw one of the scr'
vants at work i n the garden , and others pass ing and re
pas sing from the kitchen to a wood-shed in the rear. l
have no right here ; thes e thi ngs are nothing to me !”she
exclaimed,while the unbidden tears trickled down her
cheeks,from which the bri lli ant color had entirely di sap
peared.
At that moment she saw a figure leave the cottage at
the gate,and approach
‘
jthe Hall . At the s 1ght of her,Edi th drew up her form to its full height, her nostri lsdi lated, and , with an exclamation of bitter reproach , she
turned hasti ly away” Fool,why could she not let i t
remain so ! It woul d have made n o essential difference
with Alice,whil e with me Just at th is time it
was when she received the lett e r i om Mr. Stanley, offer
ing her the place .of an adopM d c h ild. Her fir s t thought
was to accept it,and be gra teful for h is kindness . But
the mention of the fact that he had forgiven her mother,turned her gratitude to bitterness
,and under the influ
ence Of thi s feeling she had written her reply. Yet it was
no sooner beyond her reach than she would have given
anythi ng to recall i t. She agai n perused the letter, and
while he was grievi ng over her cold note, she was i n an
agony of remorse, caused by his fatherly one.
Thus day after day passed on with qui ck alternations
in her heart of stubbornness and compliance . Everystep which drew near her door caused her heart to beat
more quickly ; and, as they pas sed wi thout speaking, she
i N D ISGUISE . 283
cried out,they have forgotten me ! they love me not
and her tears burst forth afresh . But when Mrs . Stanley
begged for admittance, with a sudden feel ing of pride,for which she could not herse lf account
,she coldly re
fused .
It was now nearly a week since the accident happened
wh ich had caused such unforeseen results . Mr. and Mrs .
Stanley became seriously alarmed,lest thi s continued
confinement might affect the reason of the poor girl.
They had long ago consulted their kind physician in reference to the course they should pursue
,and he was fully
of the opi nion that any attempt to use force would only
aggravate the case . But they could not be persuaded to
delay much longer some more decided measures . Once,
on ly, had they heard her voice, and then i t was so hoarse
and unnatural that it could hardly be recognized . This
was on the occasion of Mrs . Stanley calli ng for admit
tance in earnest tones of entreaty . She felt that i f she
could only talk with Edith face to face,that she could
prevai l upo n her to throw away al l her pride, and all her
reserve,and to return to her place as a daughter i n the
family ; but, after waiti ng so long for a reply that she
w as on the poin t of turning away,a sound in the clos ed
room recalled her, If you wish to render me sti l l more
wretched than I am , i t i s i n your power to do so by try
i ng to i ntrude upon my grief.”
The words were scarcely uttered before Edith w ou
have given worlds to recall them . She sat down on the
bed, and buried her face i n the pillow, while she sobbed
and sobbed unti l she could do so no ’onger. She be
came real ly alarmed about herself, and fearful of losing
284 THE HOUSEHOLD aNGEL
her reason , perhaps h er life , and con science had al
ready taught her that she was not prepared to d ie . I
must get away from th is place ! ” she exclaimed, and
the sooner the better ! ” The thought of applying to her
old teacher, at T ,for a situation as under-teacher
flashed through her mi nd . S he s tarted to he? feet. I
will do it . Yes, that i s my best plan . Why have I not
though t of i t before
Want of energy and deci s ion was not one Of Edith’sfaults
,and in an hour her whole plan of operation s was
arranged. A few clothes, packed i n a small carpet-bag,and
,with the exception Of her ridi ng dress and bonnet
,
she was ready for a start whenever a favorable time
should arrive . The latter articles were i n Gertrude’s
room,and sh e only waited unti l the fam ilv were at tea,
before she glided across the entry,and
,unpercei ved by
any one, conveyed them to her room . Now that she hadformed a plan , she was more composed than she had
been for a week . The nigh t was calm and clear. The
moon would rise by eleven,and before the morning
dawned she intended to be far on her way.
That night, just as Mrs . Stanley was falli ng as leep, she
was aroused by hearing a muffled sound Of a horse pass
i ng down the front avenue . Her first though t was that
Dr. Jenks had been going past the house, and seeinglights , had called to inquire for his patien t ; but a second
thought convinced her that he would not come at so late
an hour,after leaving her comfortable in the afternoon.
She sprang up and looked from the window ; but, though
she could now distin ctly hear the sound Of a horse going
at full speed, yet the foliage of the trees was too thick
C H A P T ER X X I V .
Oh, what passions then ,What mel ting sentiments of kindly care,
On the new parents seiz e.
” Thomson .
A FORTN I GHT had now elapsed since Alice Carey hadbecome Al ice Stanley, and Dr. Jenks assured them therewas no reason for delaying longer to i nform her of the
fact,especially as she often expres sed wonder that Edith
had not been i n to see her. Gertrude had sought an
opportunity,when alone with her s i ster
,to beg her for
giveness for all the unki ndnes s she had st ow n , to which
Alice promptly replied,All is forgotten
,dear Gertrude
,
save the unwearied tenderness you have exhibited since
I was sick .
” From that time the elder sis ter constituted
herself head nurse,and never was Alice more pleased
than with the affectionate care with which her beloved
si ster now admin is tered to her wants .“ You will spoi l me with ki ndness, dear Gertrude,
”
she said,one day
,as the latter
,after having moistened
her hai r, was rolling the long ringlets around her fingers,“ I wonder how long i t will be before I can make myow n toi let ?
As far as I am concerned,
” replied her si ster, “ I hope
not for a long time, for I was never more happy than at
present.”
The young patient made no reply,though her h eart
was swelli ng with emotion . She lay wi th her eyes fixed286
T H E HOUSEHOLD ANGEL IN D I SG U I SE . 287
upon the beau‘ iful countenance so near her ow n . There
w as a soft and pleasant light i n the eye, and dimples
playing about the mouth , while the scornful express ion
which had almost become habitual had wholly van ished
You are very happy,’she said
,at length .
And you, Miss Curious, have been speculating upon
the cause,I suppose, all the time you have been gazing
so earnestly into my face . What dis coveries have you
made ? See , I have nearly finished the cur ls on this
side ; you must be quick .
”
The heart of Al ice beat W ildly. She longed to ask
one question , but, as i t was upon a subject never men
tioned by Gertrude, she feared to offend . The young
lady certainly had greatly changed . From being petu
lant and averse to any kind of labor,she w as evidently
striving . to become amiable and energetic . Often atnight
,while she lay quietly sleeping upon a couch drawn
to the bedside of her s ister, Al ice, rendered wakeful by
her position,had wondered what could be the cause .
She hesitated a moment,unti l, encouraged by a smile,
she said,“ Dear Gertrude
,have you learned to love the
Saviour ? ”
The ques tion was wholly unexpected ; and , with a
burs t of feeling,Gertrude dropped the brush
,and hid
her face i n the pi llow. Her sobs were so violent that
the invalid became alarmed,and
,putting her hand upon
her sis ter’s , continued, w ith the utmost tenderness , “ For
give me ; I did no t mean to offend .
”
In reply,Gertrude warmly pressed the little hand ,
and soon w as
'
suthcie ntly composed to say,“ You have
not offended me ; but i ndeed , dear s ister, I have tri ed
288 T HE HOUSEH OLD ANGEL
to imitate your lovely example . I need you to teach
me.”
Al ice was not the only one to notice the change i n
the young lady. Since the first sight of her s ister on
the day of the dreadful accident, she had seen herself in
a new light. The proud, unyielding disposition mani
fested by Edith , exhibiting so strong a contrast to themeek piety of Al i ce, made her shudder at the remem
brance of the anger and j ealous y she had i ndulged,and
she had become earnest i n her desire to reform . She
had lived too long i n a Christian family not to be aware
that she needed something beyond her ow n strength to
enable her to carry out her resolution s of amendment ;and she had begun to pray for help to subdue her i rrita
bility and indolence, and for assistance to cultivate the
graces of meekness and courtesy . The question of
Alice opened her heart, and, after she become more
composed , was followed by a delightful conversation ,the i nfluen ce of which upon their mutual affection was
neverforgotten by either.
On the afternoon of the day i n question , the ki nd
physician had promised her parents to come up and
communicate to Alice the surprising di scovery that she
Was not only the adopted, but the real , daughter of
Mr. Stan ley an event to wh ich the whole household
were looking forward with great interest. Uncle Stephen
had been playful ly forbidden by Gertrude to enter the
sick room through the morning, l est the mysterious ai rwhich he in vain tri ed to conceal should arrest the atten
tion of the invalid. It w as for this occasion th at Ger
trude had been maki ng so elaborate a di splay of ringle ts ,
290 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
blue velvet, than she earnestly begged to have i t carried
to Alice’s room ,that she might have the pleasure of see
ing her curious present.“ Let alone the women for findi ng out secrets,
” sa id
the man,looking admiringly at the animated counte
nance of Emma . They beat usmen -folks out and out.”
As Mr. Stanl ey wi llingly con sented,the men li fted
the piece of furniture, and so on deposited it safely out
s ide the door of Alice’s room . The excitemen t had
brought a flush to the cheeks of the i nvalid and,as the
honest Yankee caught a glimpse of her bright counts
nance shaded by the chestnut curls, he started back, and
w i ped his eyes .“ I tel l you what,
” said he, bluntly, “ if you keep
angels like that, no wonder she h as things come to her ;and, turn ing qui ckly, h e followed his men , saying he
was paid by the gentleman who delivered the article to
h is care.
They all then went to work with right good will to
cut open thematting, and i n a short time disclosed to
view a large chair for an inval id, which could be ex
tended at pleasure into a couch , the part servi ng for a
cricket being lowered or rai sed at pleasure . In addi tion ,a slight mahogan
yframe had been added for a broken
arm , showing that thi s part, at least, had been ordered
expressly for her benefit.
NO one was more delighted than Uncle Stephen , w ho
walked around and around i t,tippingup the back to an
erect posture, then lowering i t to an almost hori zontal
posi tion .
“ I saw one,
” he said,
“ nearly resembli ng, it
in India . It belonged to a Bri ti sh offi cer.”
IN D I SG U ISE . 291
Mr . Stanley smil ed as he remarked, “ Then i t i s to
you Al ice i s i ndebted for her expensive gift ; but I
wi ll leave her to express her thanks,which I see she is
longi ng to do .
”
Me ! thanks to me . exclaimed Uncle Stephen .
“ I
as sure you I know noth ing at all about i t. I had no
idea one could be procured i n thi s country ; and he
s tepped brisk ly about the room,as if he were del ighted
that thi s time they were i n fault.“ W ho can it be ? ” asked Al ice, thoughtfully .
“ I
don’t k now anybody else who would be so extravagant,just for me ;
” but,catching a glance of i nte lligence
passing between Mr . and Mrs . Stanley, she checked her
self. A sudden suspicion Of who might be. the donor
caused her to grow very warm about the heart.
Whoever sent i t here,
” replied Gertrude,I propose
that Alice take immediate possession .
”
“ Oh,may I ? ” cri ed the young girl
,j oyful ly ; that
would be delightful , for I am so tired of th is one
Dos itio n !”
I don’t know that we ought to remove you without
the consen t of your doctor,” replied her father ; but the
entreaties of mother and si sters prevailed , and the pa
tien t was,without delay, l ifted from the bed, her father
carefully steadying her broken arm , and placing i t i n the
new frame .
Admirably contrived ! and how very convenient ! ”
were echoed and re'
e'
choed , as Al ice , though a li ttle trem
ulous from the exerti on, lay back smiling i n her new
chair.
Oh, I shall so love th is seat !” sne said
,en thusias~
292 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
tically,“and I’m very gr ateful to whoever planned it for
me ."
A shout ofmirth,from Emma, caused the whole party
to turn quickly ; and there, at the door, making his way
o ver th e matting, which had been thrown i nto the entry,s tood Clarence, looking on with a most complacent smile.
He bit h is l ip,to keep from laughing
,when he saw he had
arrested their attention ; but came forward, as they
eagerly called him to see Alice si tti ng up. He duly admired the chair
,as Uncle S tephen poi nted out i ts con
ven iences ; but seemed most intent upon the downcast
eyes Of the occupant.
After her first glance at h im,the patien t was satisfied
that i t was to hi s ki ndness she was i ndebted for thi s
pleasure ; but confused, and trembling from the con
viction , she could not utter a word .
Who could have sent it i nquired Emma,looking
archly at Clarence, Al ice i s so anxious to know,that
she may express her thanks .”
“ It i s, i ndeed, very mysterious, repli ed the attorney,averting hi s eyes
,and appeari ng to be wholly occupied
with an iron screw,which confined the frame
,for th e
arm , to the main body of the chair.
Oh , Clarence ! ” whispered the laughing girl, “ i f youever expect to keep your secrets
, you must cover your
mouth , or keep down the“ corners. They are looking
very suspicious .”
N ow Clarence’s mouth had,from a ch ild
,been a
serious annoyance to him ; he being fully aware of his
infirmity ; and now he shook hi s head at the mischievous
girl as he wen t on with the examination of the screw.
294 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
carefully examined the bandages, to see that no narm had
been done,and felt her pulse, which had been calmed by
a refresh ing nap i n her new chair, the sympath izing
friend was loud in hi s praises Of the con trivance .
Well,pet
,
” said he,tappi ng her cheek
,“ to whom arr.
I indebted for this favor to my patient ? I’l l make my
best bow to him .
”
A tell-tale blush overspread her face,as she faltered
,
“ I
don’t know,sir.” But Al ice was truthful , and could not
even thus indirectly say that which was false . She rai sed
her eyes, met those of Clarence fixed calmly upon her,and with the words
,“ I have not been told
,
”burst i nto
tears .
Hey-day ! ” exclaimed the Doctor,“ growing nervous ! ”
and he Shook his head with a disappoi nted air,as he
agai n placed his fingers on her wri st, and found there had
been a sudden quicken ing of the pulse ; I must give
you a dose of your favori te syrup .
” But she soon sue
ceeded i n calming herself, though she took good care toavdid glancing in the direction of Clarence .Mr . Stanley called the Doctor for a walk in the garden
,
and half an hour later, when they returned , she had so
fully recovered her spirits,that he determined upon re
vealing to her the secret which was becoming so burden
some to the fami ly : Sit down here,
” he called out
and be quiet ; I wan t to tell you a story abou t one of
my patien ts and the good man made a great effort to
appear whol ly unmoved . Mr. Stanley quietly,drew near,
and seated h imself by his chi ld,whi le the others disposed
themselves about the room ; Uncle Stephen cautiously
lN D I SG U I SE . 295
placing him self behind her chair,where he could use hi s
handkerchief freely and unobserved .
Dr. Jenks was not a man to stop for a preface , and hecommenced : Once, upon a time, there were tw o l i ttle
, well, no matter whatgirls, whose names were
their names were ; but they were foster-s i sters , just as
you, Alice, and Edith are. They lived together in abeautiful home
,and the parents loved the little
’
fatherless
child just as wel l as the other, for aught I ever saw .
For some reasons which were satisfactory to h is ow n
mind,the gentleman who was the father of one of them
,
determined that they should be educated together ; and
so it went on , the little things growing up — though
never were t wo ch ildren more un like i n words or
actions . The mother died,but there came a new mother
,
who did her duty faithfully to both of them ; but while
sh e did thi s,she took the
’
little dependant to her heart
w ith a warmth of affection which grew stronger and
stronger every year. There were a good many others,too , who loved her ; they couldn
’t help i t. I loved her
myself,
” and the good old man made a great effort tr
suppress a sob,which was well i ng up from his sympa
thiz ing heart.
Well,” he con tinued, “ I can
’t say so much for the
other one ; I never knew so much of her ; but . to make
a long story short,— when the ch i ldren had come on
pretty well i n their teens, i t so happened that one of
them,the little one
,was thrown from a horse, and a
pretty serious matter i t proved to be, for then it came
out, that the children had been changed when they were
babies, and the mother of the haughty girl, who had
96 T H E HOUSEH OLD A N GF I
always supposed herself to be a chi ld of the family, let
i t all out. She had been rather crazy for some years ,but in this case She proved herself rational, and so you
seeAt the mention Of the i nsane mother, Al ice started
forward,and
,with suspe
'nded breath , li stened for what
w as to follow ; when , noticing her excitement, the Doctorpaused she sank back
,and gasped, W’hat !
He was rather startled , and placed his fingers on her
wri st, saying : “ I’m sorry,dear
, you don’t l ike my story .
”
The poor girl cast a quick,beseeching glance around
the room,and perceiving the eager look of i nterest with
which every one was regarding her,whispered with her
white lips,“What were their names ? ”
Can’t guess,hey ? Well
,then
,i f I must tel l you
,
one was Edith , and the”But she waited for no more . With a qui ck motion
she clasped her father’s extended hand,and pressed i t to
her lips, and in a tone which went to every heart, ex
claimed : Oh , father ! my own father
Mother and Si sters sprang up— wept and rej oiced
over her. Nor were Uncle Stephen or Clarence at all
behind the others i n their expression of j oy ; though the
former manifested it i n hi s ow n peculiar way, and sob
bed to hi s heart’s content ; while the good Doctor, i n hisdelight, gave each of the fami ly a hearty shake of thehand .
Somehow, i n the confusion , Alice found her hand
made prisoner, and , on looking around , she saw i t Was
by her Uncle’s ward , w ho seemed to be trying to get an
oppo rtun ity to speak to her.
298 T H E HOUSE HOLD A NGEL .
For an hour she lay so quietly that Gertrude,w ho alone
remained with h‘
er,thought she was s leeping ; but at
length she opened her eyes, and when she perceived who
was with her,exclaimed
,with a bright smi le Oh , my
si ster ! I w ould wi ll i ngly suffer al l I have lost in these
long years , for the joy of the pas t hour . I can see that,for me, there w as a wise Providence in placing me just
where I was,that I might be kept from temptations to
pride and arrogance ; but you can never realize the de
light which thril ls through my whole being as I repeat
to myself,again and again
,the endearing names
, father,mother, s isters , and brother .
”
Brother ! ” repeated Gertrude,earnestly
,while a sud
den ray of hope flashed from her eye,as she thought her
si ster referred to Clarence.
Alice i nsti nctively unders tood her,and faltered,
Yes, he i s sti l l my brother, though hi s body’ has for
many years been resting in the grave . Dear, dear Louis,how delighted you would have been !
”
On the following Sabbath,the family assembled for
prayer i n the room of the invalid ; and to her i t proved a
delightful season .
The sad fate of Edith had aflected her deeply , tnough
the tidings of the poor girl’s departure had been commu
n icated to“her by her father
,i n the most cautious manner.
With Mrs . Carey,too
,Alice had wept
, whi e she granted
her ful l forgiveness for the past.
C H A P T E R X X V
A pure heart,
That burns to ashes, yet conceals its pain ,
For fear it mar its hopeless source of love,
Is not to be despised, or lightly held.
”—Baker
TH E weather was now deli ghtful ; and Alice , w ho
had been i n the habit of dai ly out-door exercise,pant
ed for the fresh air. She began to long for her rides,and was earnest to resume her vi sits to her protégés .
Long before th is,sh e had learned from Dr . J enks . that
the young girl he mentioned to her, as a suitable oh
ject for her charity , had been removed to his own house,and Emma had vi sited her there .One morning
,the weary girl sat li stening to the song
of her Canary,when She sudden ly started forward, ex
claiming,Oh
,I feel as i f I should fly ! I must do
something,I’m so ti red of sitting here .”
Emma,who w as seated near the window with her
sewing, said , archly, I’ll see if Clarence i s i n . I notice
that hi s presence has a very soothing effect upon your
n erves ; or will you have another of your fragrant assa
foetida pi ll s
The face Of Alice expressed, for a moment, the most
perfect disgust at the last-named remedy. the
former,she would deign no reply .
“ I wont have my patien t annoyed,” remarked Ger.
trude,pleasantly.
300 T HE H OUSE HOLD'
A NGEL
A sudden thought seemed to dart through Emma’sfertile brain. She sprang up, and, throwing her arms
around her mother’s neck , whi spered somethi ng i n her
ear. Mrs. Stanley smil ingly nodded, and the laugh ing girl
ran .fioni the roonL
“ Oh,mamma ! ” exclaimed Alice, i n distress, “ she
wouldn’t,” she faltered
,she wouldn’t do what she
said ! ”
NO,my dear
, She i s the last one to compromise your
delicacy. She has forgotte n the remark before now.
The ladies returned to their sewing, and A l ice read
aloud to them .
It was rather more than an hour after Emma had sounceremoniously taken leave, when they heard a carriage
drive i nto the yard . Suppressed voices were soon heard
in the hall . Al ice leaned forward, as far as her arm
would allow, to li sten , when the runaway, with a bright
face, ushered Mrs . Hayden,Minnie
,and Nurse Green ,
i nto the room .
That was a happy thought of yours,remarked Ger
trude, after they were al l seated .
“ Alice looks ten per
cent. better,already .
”
And,in truth
,the visi tors appeared to enjoy i t as much
as she did . Mrs . Hayden had suffered from anx iety forher k ind benefactress
,and was re li eved by seei ng how
fast she had gained,while the garrulous nurse was so full
of her good wishes and congratulations, that all were
cheered by them .
“ I heard the whole,
”
she resumed ,“ from that ere
youpg Mr. Sydney ; and a likelier man I’d never ask to
see, even to match you, Mis s A lice.”
302 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
si lence,as far as Nurse Green was concerned. She made
him a most formal courtesy, i n rep ly to the in troduction ,and
,looking over her glasses , her eyes followed him
about the room with a curious m ixture of fear and ven
eration .
He sat down by Mrs. Hayden , and talked very ki nd lyWi th her about her son , when Emma told him they hadleft word with a neighbor that he w as to come to dinner
at the hall .
On the whole,i t was a most delightful day to Alice,
as well as to her vis itors, though sh e trembled not a lit/
tle, when , i n the afternoon , Clarence j oined them ,and
Nurse Green showed herself eager to convince the com
pany on what good terms she was with the young attor
ney. When he brought in a beautiful bouquet from the
garden , and sent i t to Al ice by Minnie, Nurse’s eyes saidas plain ly as words could speak, I told you so let me
alone fOr guessing such thi ngs out.” And Clarence cer
tainly didn’t make much secret of his attachment .
When Emma had gone to accompany them home,only one thing had occurred which gave Al ice uneasi
ness, and that!was a tear which had dropped from Ger
trude’s eyes upon her hand . It was when Clarence w as
present,just after he had sent h er the flowers, and w as
standing i n a most hard-hearted manner, feas ti ng hi s eyes
upon the rosy hue which mantled her cheeks . Gertrude
had suddenly approached,as if to put back a curl whi ch
hung over and Shaded her face ; but, as Alice feared, irreality to hide her own emotion , by turn ing her back
to those presen t.
That pearly drop haun ted the poor girl,and it needed
IN D I SG U ISE .
all the cheering influence of a letter Emma brough t fromthe oflice, from Edi th , to dissi pate the sadness i t causedher. The letter from Edith was a great comfort to herkind friends, w ho had been impatien tly awaiti ng some
intel ligence from her. She was at T,with her old
teacher, and had already taken charge of the youngest
class of girls . The letter was very brief,but contai ned
none of that bi tterness which had so much pained her in
her former one .
The next day Mr. Stanley sent her a large trunk con
taining her clothes,together with a generous sum of
money for her present need . He als o wrote to Mrs . M .,
the princi pal, to whose especial care and attention he
committed her.
It was now five weeks since Ali ce had broken her arm,
and she was able to be down stairs . The most trying
part of her confinement was now to come, and that w as
in the dai ly exerci se she was required to give the con
tracted muscles . She was nervous, too , and easi ly moved
to tears,and looked forward with dread
,from one day to
another,of the excruciati ng pain
,which any One who
has broken a limb can well comprehend . She was not
the only one who suflered,for there w as not a member
of the household , but would willi ngly have endured i t
for her. But Dr. Jenks was i nexorable, and told her shewould thank him for i t bye and bye, and so would they
al l,though they now made such wry faces at h im .
It was to the i nfluence of th is suffering that her friends
ascribed the unusual depression of spiri ts which had
come over their beloved Alice ; but they were mis taken .
She had an i nward s truggle , of which they knew nothing.
T H E HOUSEHOLD ANGE L
But the truth was th is,her affection for Clarence had
quickened her perceptions with regard to the feelings
which Gertrude entertained for him . During her sickness She had had frequen t Opportuniti es of watching theconflict the brave girl was carrying on wi th herself, and
her ow n experience taught her how severe i t must be .
At the same time,her love and respect for h er sister had
greatly i ncreased . Through the day she firmly put awayall forebodi ngs of coming ill
,avoiding the subj ects con
stan tly recurring to her mind as a duty she owed herself,i n respect to the recovery of her health . But her nigh ts
had again become wakeful,while doubts whether she
had a righ t to be happy in the love of Clarence at the
expense of her s ister’s sufferings , and fears of alienation
from the affections of that sister,by turns occupied her
mi nd. Her intercourse with the young man , from hisfirst coming among them
,was carefully reviewed, and
she was obliged to acknowledge that he had given Ger
trude reason to suppose he loved her. Certainly h is con
duct and atten tions had been such as to call out her
affection for h im . N ot knowing al l that had passed be
tw een them, or the disdainful manner i n w hich Gertrude
had formerly at times treated him ,and by which she had
forfei ted his respect, Alice began to doubt whether his
course had been perfectly honorable,and whether she
should be justified i n accepting his suit. She could not
be unconscious that he loved her,and th at ever since she
left her room , he had sought an Opportunity to te ll her so ;but,while she was so undecided, she avoided being alone
with him . Sometimes she thought she would unburden
her heart to her mother ; but then she remembered that
306 TH E
C
H OUSE HOLD kNGEL
When the morning dawned, Gertrude si le ntly arose
from her bed,and
,after making a hasty toi let, retired to
her small clos et for prayer and praise .
Yes,for thanksgiving ; for, though ashy pale , yet there
was a holy light beami ng from her eye, and her counte
nance bore the impress of high and noble purposes . Dur «
i ng that long,never-to-be-forgotten night, she had care
fully examined her own heart,and questioned her ow n
strength to carry out the purposes she formed whi le l i s
ten ing to the artless tale of her sister’s sufferings . Severe
had been the struggle but so much the greater was the
victory. Divine grace had developed new principleswithi n her
,which she herself had been unconscious of
p ossessing ; and through the discipli n e w hich her beav
enly Father i n wisdom had sent, h er Chri stian character
had matured i n an uncommon degree .
Softly leaving her chamber,to avoid awaki ng the
sleeper,Gertrude sough t the parlor
,i ntending to detain
Clarence when he came down for his morning walk .
But, to her surprise , the parlor w as occupied by Uncle
S tephen , who certainly seemed to have got out of bed
wrong, so vigorously did he kick about the crickets , as he
promenaded the spacious room . Gertrude stood quietly at
the door for a moment,wondering wha t could have hap
pened to disturb his feelings to such a degree, when he
grumbled, It’s always so . Nothing ever goes right in
th is house . The whole family are bent on cros s i ng my
wishes .”
Gertrude could hardly suppress a sm ile as she li stened .
which , however, she was careful to conceal from him ,as
a dangerous exhibition of levi ty under existi ng ci rcum
IN LISGUISE 307
stances. At length she said, What is the trouble new .
Uncle Stephen“ Trouble enough ,” he burst out, almost angrily,
"when
the ones I’ve loved more than all others, and wan t ed to
make happy, go to cutting up such D idos, and wonttake a word of advice from one who’s forgotten more
than they’l l ever know .
”
But w ho has refused your ,advice
Every body that I’ve offered i t to . I don’t go
round imposing my advice upon every one but, when I
do condescend to offer i t, I expect to have it taken ;and a determined push of Alice’s great chair
,which had
been brought to the parlor,showed that he meant what
he said .
Gertrude, seeing it was in vain to ask for an explana
tion,was turning to leave the room
,when the excited
man,unwi lling to lose the only o ne upon whom he
could vent his anger, said , “ Did you know Clarence wasgoing to leave Li ndenwood in a few hours 7
No,
” exclaimed Gertrude, with a sudden blanching
of her face and lips , which was not unobserved by the
other.“Well
,you know it now. He i s on his knees at his
trunks, packing as if h is l ife depended on his speed .
”
“What is he going to leave for ? ” faltered the poor
For stuff and nonsense,I say. Because he can’t
endure his unhappiness any longer, h e says . So there
you have i t,and youmay make the most o f i t, you ( an .
I wont be a fool,and keep h is secret
,i f he is such a fool
as to have one ;” and Uncle Stephen sat down w i th
308 T HE HOUSL HOLD A NGEL
great vehemence,as if he were meditating a hearty fit
of crying.
But Gertrude’s resolution was taken i n a moment
Uncle Stephen ,” said she
,i n a firm , full voice , i n wh ich
every trace of irresolution had gone , Clarence mustn’t
go . He must be stopped.
’
How are you going to do i t, though ?” he asked,
eagerly, gazing earnestly at the young girl . “ I’ve tried
all my power over h im .
Well,
”she replied, after th inking a moment,
“ i f youwill go up and ask Clarence to come to me, I think I
can convince him that it would be contrary to h is ow n
i nterest and pleasure to le ave and that youwill find it
hard to i nduce him to do so,after what I shall tel l h im,
I have no doubt,
” she added, w i th a sad sm ile .
Uncle Stephen sprang from his chair,looked her fu ll
i n the face for one i nstant, then , without speaking, rap
idly ascended the stairs ; and before the poor girl could
at all collect her thoughts, and arrange what she i ntended
to say,Clarence stood before her.
“ Uncle Stephen says you wish to see me at once
upo n important business,said he , respectfully taking
her hand,struck with the expression of i n tense suffering
upon her countenance.
She gently withdrew her hand,and pointed to the
sofa , w here he seated himself near her.
An hour later, Al ice, pale and languid , but with a
lighter heart than for many w eeks, descended the stairs .
She had i n vai n waited for her unwearied attendant to
assist her in dressing,which she was as yet unable to do
alone, and at last had called upon Emma . W tndering
310 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
When Clarence, i n answer to Gertrude’
s summons,went below
,the impetuous man paced back and forth
through his su ite of rooms, wai ting for him to return to
his packing,unti l he concluded to wait no longer. He
therefore descended to the parlor, where he learned from
Clarence that Gertrude had explai ned everything to his
satisfaction,and had taken from him al l desire to leave
L indenwood .
Though con trary to the good order of the family,Mrs .
Stan ley made no obj ection to Clarence’s proposal to
take the small waiter containing A l ice’s breakfast from
the servant,and carry it to her himself, as sh e sti ll lay
upon the sofa i n the parlor.
You woul d do well to add a slice of toast and a cup
of coffee for yourself, Clarence,” said Emma
,laughing
mischievously, “ si nce you have put a spoonful of sugar
in your egg cup, and salt i n your coffee I don’t wonder
it doesn’t relish as well as usual .”
The successful suitor was too happy to take offence,and all j oined i n a laugh at his expense
,during which
he retreated quickly from the room . No one seemed in
better spiri ts than Uncle Stephen,who
,i n a whisper
,
begged Gertrude to forgive him for treating her so rudelywhen she met him in the parlor
,then added that he had
fallen i n love with her himself.
No one could better appreciate the noble conduct of
Gertrude than the good o ld man ; and , w hen he had
heard from his ward all that she had do i e,he took no
pain s to conceal the affection and respect he conduct
had excited .
Mr. Stan ley wa s not very much surpri sed, when , early
rN D I SG U I SE . 31 1
i n the forenoon,Clarence knocked at hi s s tudy door, and
formally besought the hand of hi s daughter. He,how
ever,gave his cordial consent
,i f he could wi n the love
of the young girl .
I shal l do my bes t to fol low up the advan tage I have
gained i n her affection s ,” repli ed Clarence
,bowing over
Mr . Stanley’s hand, to conceal the flush of pleasure
which lighted up hi s features ; “ and I hope you and her
mother will not refuse my wishes for a speedy uni on .
“ I can assure you,” repl ied Mr. Stanley, “ i t will cost
me somethi ng of a struggle to give up so soon the dear
child so lately restored to me but, as you have done far
more toward forming her character than I have, I sup
pose I must i n th is i nstance yield my wishes to yours .
But there wi ll be time enough hereafter to settle all those
matters .”
It i s wonderful what a,
powerful restorative i s a heart
at rest. Al ice gained dai ly,‘and Dr. Jenks was loud i n
his praises of her fortitude,when he performed the pai n
ful Operation of moving her arm . He even declaredthat Clarence
,who sat by her side, would do well to
take a lesson from her, as hi s groans were far louder
than hers .
Clarence frankly replied that, if the operation w ere
upon his ow n arm ,they might li sten i n vain for groan
i ng ; but, when i t was one he loved dearer than himself
w ho was the sufferer, he might wel l be excused .
“ Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” laughed the merry doctor ; “ that’s
the way the wi nd blows,” tapping the cheek of Al ice
,
whos e color rivalled i n hue the richest rose . Well,I
can’t say but I’ve had my suspicions . Tears al l gone
312 TH E H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
now ? l ey, A l ice 7 Well,
” he continued,I’ve had my
turn . and young folks must have theirs . Wife and I are
spectators to a pretty serious love scene at home,and 1
half blame myself for i t too .
”
Do tell us about it ! i nterrupted Emma .
Well,” he added, “ i t i s no secret, I suppose . Man
rice has fallen i n love with the young girl I carried home
for wife to nurse . Yaa saw her, Emma . She didn’tneed medicine ; she only wanted nurs i ng ; and how
could I be expected to know that Maurice would take
such a liking to her ? However,he’s really i n love thi s
time, and no shamming either ; and i n this case he’s
acted well about i t. I saw something had come overth e boy ; for, i n stead of being out lounging round in
search of m i sch ief,as he’s been too apt to do of late
years , he’d sit qui etly in the house
,and hold yarn for
Amy to wind,or read aloud to her and hi s mother. I
guess wife hadn’t heard so much reading for many a
day. Then he was always ready to do a chore for his
mother,ti ll sh e got alarmed about h im
,and told me
privately,with tears in her eyes, that she was afraid he
w ouldn’t li ve long, he’d grown tobe so dutiful, she’d
read Of such cases, — or else he’d become a Chri stian .
The latter would indeed rejoice our hearts . All this
while,he’d been so respectful i n his manner Of treating
Amy,that I never thought he was taking that way to
make love to her ; and o ne day I talked with him , and
asked h im if h e didn’t feel well, and the poor fellow
confessed the whole . He’d loved Amy ever s i nce she
came to the house ; but he never thought of asking her
to marry him ‘ he said he knew he wasn’t worthy the
314 T HE H OUSEHOLD ANG EL .
her friend, and he rose with much emotion , as he said,Tell me
,child, did he Offer you any insult ? I under
stood him he was only foolishly comp limen ti ng you,and
that he persisted in i t even when he knew i t was annoy
ing. I thought I could depend upon his word,
” and the
father’s voice assumed a tone Of deep sadness,as he
feared hi s son had deceived h im .
Al ice eagerly assured him that Maurice had repre
sented the meeting correctly, and that no one rej oi ced i n
h is good conduct more than she did . He was so ki nd.to my dear li ttle brother,
” she added, “ that I shall always
feel an interest for h im .
”
Clarence cast down his eyes as she frankly expressed
the cause Of her i n terest, and was glad Gertrude was not
i n the room to be humili ated by the avowal,now that she
so si ncerely repented her intention to misrepresent i t.
The shade passed from the brow of the good father,and saying
,My patients wi ll th i nk somethi ng has car
ri ed me Off, and they’l l a l l send for Dr. Mason , if I don’t
hurry,” he took a has ty leave.
C H A P T E R X X V I .
Ah me !
The world is full of meetings such as this
A thrill , a vbiceless challenge and reply
And sudden partings after !” Wall is .
IT is qute time to i ntroduce the reader to Amy Camp
be ll , who had now become so interesting a member of
Dr. Jenks’s family. The good doctor was one day sum
moued , i n great haste , to a patient, and w as riding i n
full speed, when a woman came to the door Of a small
hou se , and becko ned him to stop . Learning there wasnoth ing which required immediate attention
,he promi sed
to call upon his return . This he did,and found a young
girl lying upon the bed . When he entered , she was
as leep,and
,though pale and emaciated
,much impress ed
him with her appearance. Suddenly she started,and in
impassioned tones poured forth a long stri ng of l i ngo,”
as the doctor called it,duri ng which he stood by
,fearing
she’d get her tongue so tightly twisted ’twould never be
un loosed .
The good woman who had taken compass ion upon
her, said she talked a great deal i n her s leep, and always
i n her n ative tongue,which was Scotch . She soon
awoke, was i ntroduced to the doctor, and gave h im her
simple hi story. She was born and brought up i n the
north of Scotland . Her father died six months before,
3 15
316 THE nousE nOLD ANGE L
w hen her uncle came forward and took pos se ssion Of the
es tate,h aving never been pleased with his brother’s mar
viage ; so that she and her mother were left desti tute, and
concluded to seek thei r fortune i n America[ With the
small avails resulting from the sale Of such of their farn i
ture as their Uncle left them ,they intended to hire a few
rooms,where they could be together
,and support them
lves by fine n eedle-work and embroidery,which
,hereto
fore,they had only performed as an amusement. On the
passage to America her mother died Of ship-fever,and
was buried in the sea but too days before they landed
in New York . Amy herself was sick Of the same disease , and, when the sh ip arrived i n port, was obliged to
be carried to a boarding-house,where she staid unti l the
landlady i nformed her that her money was all spent,and
she must leave . Indeed,the poor girl was glad to do so
,
for sh e had not received the kindest treatmen t. One Ofher fe llow-boarders
,how ever
,taking compassion upon
the fri endles s child,advi sed her to leave the city , and go
out i n the country i n search of a place . She had even
interested herself to make up a purse for Amy,and
placed her i n the cars for A But,wholly unac
quainted with the country’and its customs
,she found
herself late one even ing wandering along the high road to
Queenstown,the small
,
bundle on her arm contai ni ng all
her store Of worldly treasure . S ick and fai nt she ven tured
to knock at the door Of one or tw o houses,and timidly
ask leave to stay all night, which request was decidedly
refused,unti l
,utterly d iscouraged
,the desolate orphan
seated herself upon the step Of Widow Morse’s door,and began to cry. The ki nd—hearted woman soon dis
318 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
articles Of cloth ing which she had saved from the wreckof her fortune, showed that she h ad not always been adependant. Maurice regarded her with a feeling amount
ing to veneration , and was conscious Of an' increase Of
self-respect, that he had been able to win the love of such
a being.
On first meeti ng Al ice he was much embarrassed , as hethought of their last in terview ; but, by referring to his
affection for Louis,and her own gratitude for his father’s
serv ices during her late sickness,she soon put h im en
tirely at h is ease. After some general conversation , they
arose to leave,Maurice having promised Emma to bri ng
Amy to Li ndenwood before he sailed . They took their
departure,having been much pleased with their call .
In the meantime Uncle Stephen had received a letter
from Mr. Huntington , i n which he informed him , that
having heard Of Edith’s misfortune,
” he had wri tten
her,and renewed his proposals Of marriage . She, how
ever,though confessing for him a strong affection, firmly
decli ned accepting them .
Mr . Stanley’s family kept up a brisk correspondence
with Edi th ; or rather they wrote frequently she , occas ionally. When informed by her mother of the betrothal
of Alice and Clarence, she wrote a severe critique upon
his proceedi ngs . I wi ll quote from her letter
In what you state concerning Clarence and Alice , I
can not say it i s wholly unexpected . But as long as she
was Al ice Carey, he could not be expected to marry her,however much he might love her. I have though t Of h is
conduct as compared with that of hi s friend,who, when
he heard that, from being, as he supposed , the daughter
IN D I SG U I SE .
of Mr . Stanley, of Lindenw ood, l was reduced to the
si tuation Of child to an insane dependant, lost no time
in urging upon me that affection which I had heretofore
so proudly refused . I do not hesitate to say, that such
is my respect and admiration Of him for the course he
pursued , that I shoul d have accepted hi s proposals, and
endeavored to render myself worthy Of a place in his
noble heart, had i t not been for my solemn determination
to subj ect no man I love to the disgrace which has fallen
upon me .
I cannot give a better idea Of the perfect trust Al ice
reposed i n her lover,and the mutual confidence existing
between them,than to state that when she had read the
letter Of Edith,she put i t in to hi s hand
,with a smile
,
saying, Poor girl ! how li ttle she understands our affec
tion for each other.
Whatever Clarence thought Of the in sinuations i t con
tained,he took no pains to vi ndicate himself ; but Uncle.
Stephen,whose agitation at Edith’s confession Of affec
tion for Mr . Hunti ngton , he had been entirely unableto account for, told Al ice h is ward had asked and oh
tained h is consent long before her relation to the family
was known .
“ Before that,
” continued Uncle Stephen , waxing very
wrathy,I had concluded, if he didn
’t marry you, that I
should do i t myself.”
This determinati on created such a roar of laughter that
hi s good humor was entirely restored . Alice put her
arms around his neck , saying, Dear Uncle Stephen,
I'm so glad you didn’t ask me, for I shouldn
’t have dared
to say no. The cha irs would all have been kicked to
320 THE HousEH .
-LD ANGEL
pieces,and I can’t say what else would have happened
to the furn iture , and she gave an arch look at Clarence .
GO along, Puss ! exclaimed the Old man , trying todi sengage her arms, you
’re growing impuden t.”
But Alice wouldn’t go ; the idea was too amusing,and she laughed and laughed unti l he was absolutely
obliged,he said
,to take her i n h is lap to keep her quiet.
It was now the firs t of October, and Alice was to bemarried at Chri stmas , her father havrng g iven hi s con
s ent, on th e condition that she should remain at home
for a few years. Indeed, i t would have been quite a
breaking up Of the family to have Alice leave, for with
her would go also Claren ce and Uncle Stephen . Ger
trude had been earnestly i nvited to accompany a sick
friend to the south , for th e winter, and she had at length
consented to do so . Alice was very unwill ing to part
with her sister ; but Gertrude whispered ,“ It i s better
that I should be away ,” and Alice urged her no more .
Mr. and Mrs . Stanley were in tending to journey, and,as they wi shed to take Emma with them , they hurri ed
their preparations,that they migh t return before i t would
be time for him to accompany Gertrude to New York, tomeet her fri end .
The few weeks the s isters passed together, were ren
dered delightful by the sincere affection now existing be
tween them . Every even ing Clarence read aloud, andbo th he and A l ice avoided, when in her presence, any
reference to the deep love which fil led their hearts, lest
they should pain the one to whom they were so much
indebted .
When about a hundred miles from home, E mma left
322 T HE HO USEHOLD A NGE L
Sitti ng Opposite Emma were tw o girls near her own
age,dressed in the height Of fashion ,who at first regarded
the elderly lady with i lly-concealed contempt ; but at
-ength, wearied with the monotony of the ride, they
turned toward her, after a few moments Of whi spering
during which Emma plainly di stinguished the wordfun .
Occupying the same seat with our young traveller,but separated from her bya boy apparen tly Of a dozensummers , was a gentleman , of whom ,
as she sat by his
s ide, she had as yet seen nothing, except the color Of his
pantaloons,which , from a casual glance, she perceived
were of the finest broadcloth . The back seat w as occu
pied by a child , and two coarse looking men .
The girls soon made their purpose apparent to al l but
the Obj ect Of their e special attention . Tota lly unsuspic
ious Of their cruel design,and suppos i ng from thei r dress
that they were ladies,the aged woman greatly facil itated
their wishes,and threw herself completely into their
power. They soon drew from her her name , which was
Fowler ; where she lived , that she had been a widow
eight years,that she was left with two chi ldren
,Ralph
and Jul i a,and enough property to carry her i n com fort
to the end Of her life . Under the pretence Of great i nter
est i n her welfare , they continued to ask her many i nsult
ing questions,unti l Emma
,whose countenance had ex
pressed her strong i ndignation,could bear i t no longer,
and was just about to speak, when the bag contai ning
the wine fell to the floor. The o ld lady caught i t up i n
terror fearing the bottles were broken . One Of the younggirls, trying to conceal her mirth , proposed that she
IN nrsevrsa . 323
should treat the company,saying
,“ I am very fond of
currant wine , and I dare say your darter would never miss
it.”
Yes,
” called out one of the men from the back seat,I second that motion .
”
The good woman glanced from one to another, as i f
bewi ldered,to find herself made an obj ect of ridicule,
while Emma,with an i ndignan t glance at the offenders,
said i n a ki nd,but firm voice
,Madam , woul d it not be
well for you to change places w ith me . I th ink I can
ensure you my seat free from i nsult.” Emma afterwardsremembered that the gentleman in the corner rose up as
i f about to speak, but, upon hearing her, i n s tantly re
sumed his seat.
It was really piti able to w i tnes s the disappointment of
the honest old lady,when she found the girls had been
questioning her for their ow n amusement.
When Emma had accompl is hed her purpose,and they
were seated so that they could converse conveniently,
Mrs . Fowler said to her compan ion,It’s really affecting
to see two girl s as n icely dressed as they are,know noth
ing more of good manners . For my part I’m aston ished
that their folks didn’t teach them better, or else keep
them shut up at home , where they could do no harm .
As she thought of her free communications to them , es
pecially the act onut of her husband’s sickness and death ,about which they had pretended such sympathy, the kind
lady could not help weeping.
Her companion at. first tried to d ivert her attention toth e beauti ful view from the coach window
,but
,finding
she had really taken the matter to heart, she said, Deal
THE H OUSEH OLD A NGEL
madam,believe me
,their conduct cannot inj ure you . It
i s really beneath your notice .” Then,having prevai led
upon her to allow the bag contain ing the w i ne to be
placed between herself and the boy,where i t could s tand
firmly , she gradually drew her i nto a conversati on upon
general topics,which
,after a time
,proved of i nteres t to
all present. If the intention of the rude girls to exhibit
her for the sake of ridiculing her peculi ari ties h ad been
apparen t,the desire of Emma to represent her i n the
most favorable light,was not less so . By bringi ng for
ward themes which were famili ar,Emma soon discov
ered a fund of good sense i n her aged companion,soft
ened by many years of experience, which were a real
treat to her. She found,too, that Mrs . Fowler was a
humble , trusting chi ld of God, and thi s was a new tie
bet ween them .
When they drew near the pl ace where the young lady
was to meet her friend,i t w as with real regret that she
thought of the parti ng, and she frankly expressed her feel
i ng,which was warmly reciprocated by her compan ion ,
who , with old-fash ioned hospital ity, urged her to come to
P and make her a long visi t.
When Emma reached her desti nation , i n turning tolook for her bag which she had placed at her feet
,she
caught a glimpse of the gentleman who had occupied
the corner seat, but whose presence even she had forgot
ten , so absorbed had she been by her in terest in her fel
low traveller. In that one glance she perceived that he
had a fine,i ntellectual cast of countenance, with a piere
ing black eye,above which rose a perfectly magn ificent
326 THE H OUSEH OLD A NGEL.
idered more healthy. They would wil lingly h ave given
up on ) night at the theatre , could they but glance at the
name upon the small card,which the gentleman had
placed so carefully i n h is pocket-book , when the phmton
contai ning the giver was no longer i n sight. But theywere obliged to cover their confusion as well as they could
by a show of i ndifference, u ntil the coach again stopped
at an elegant mansion,and a reallybeauti ful lady came
smili ngly to the door,with a lovely chi ld i n her arms , to
welcome her mother and brother.
It was evidently with some difficulty that th e old .ady
refrained from some parti ng remark to the gi rls who had
so rudely insulted her ; but contenti ng herself W i th a
look of triumph as she saw them glance with astonish
ment at her destination,she carefully gathered up her
various articles of baggage, and left them to their reflee
tions, Mr. Fowler bowing with great dignity as the coach
drove away.
C H A P T E R X X V I ] .
On you, most loved, w ith anxious fear I wait,And from yourjudgment must expect my fate.
”
AFTER a delightful week with her friend, Emma tookthe returning coach for home, and i t must be confessed,as she passed slowly over th e dusty road, her thoughts
often recurred to the travell i ng companions, from whom
she had so recently parted, with i nte rest. The intellect
ual countenance of Mr . Ralph Fowler (she well remem
bered the name), was firmly daguerreotyped upon her
memory,while recollections of the quai nt expressions of
the warm-hearted old lady, often brought a smile to her
lips . But she had never been able to account satisfactor
ily to herself for the fact that he h ad not come forward
to the relief of h is mother, as he would naturally be ex
pected to do.
But all her queries, and all her remembrances,were for
the time forgotten,when she reached home
,and found
Gertrude on the poin t of starting for New York withher father
,who had arrived with her mother a few
’
days
earli er. Then came preparation s for the wedding ofAlice,
which occupied all her time, and al l her thoughts ; for;though the young bride was very simplei n her tastes
,yet
Uncle Stephen determined that the bridal tros seau should
be worthy of her ; and he had put i nto Mrs . Stanl ey’s
hands a generous sum for the purpose. With the con827
328 TH E H OUSE HOLD ANGEL
sent and approbation of her mother, he also determined
to refurnish for h is ch ild , as.
he now called Alice,two of
the su ite of rooms he and Clarence had occupied . These
consisted of a spacious apartment, over the large parlor,wh ich they had used as a private sitting-room . Out ofthis were tw o bed-rooms which opened in to a side-hall,or i n to the fron t hall through the large room . He alsowished to throw out a
‘
bow-window corresponding to the
one i n the room below, which had always been such a
favorite resort with Ali ce,and which would not only add
to the beauty of the hous e, but would give a fine V i ew
of the town from the wi ndow.
There was a vast deal of mystery in all this to Al ice,who had been required to promi se that she would not
venture within the limi ts Of Uncle Stephen’s premi ses .
When asked her preference with regard to furn iture , she
laughingly replied that, as he was to live with them ,
’
she
had but one wish to express concern ing i t,which w as
that it might be strong. But seei ng that he looked grave
and mortified, she i nstantly begged him to forgive her,saying I do beli eve so much ki ndness
,and so much
happiness are not good for me . I am really growi ng to
be wanti ng,i n respect
,to my dearest Uncle .
“My child,” replied the old gentleman , softly, “ Youshall never have occasion to complai n of me in that way
again and he kept his word .
In th e midst of the bustle of preparation , A lice foundtime every few days for a ride on Felix to the v illage,though it required much pleading on her part before
e i ther Clarence or her paren ts would consent that she
should resume her favorite exercise, which had proved so
830 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGE L
who was seated next her sister,gave a sudden start,
while a bright flush of pleasure spread all over her coun
tenance . She recognized Mr. Ralph Fowler, her travel
l ing companion,and when be
,with a quick glance around
the large audience , let h i s keen eye rest for one brief mo
ment upon her,Alice was entirely at a loss to conceive
the cause of her sister’s sudden confusion . On her retur n home, Emma had, i ndeed, recounted her adventurewith the old lady, but a secret i nterest, unacknowledged
even to herself, had prevented any reference to the son .
But soon th e speaker was lost i n his subj ect,and
proved himself to be gifted with no common mind or or
dinary acquirements . At the close of the lecture . and
when all were loud i n their praises of the performance.
Mr. Fowler was eagerly sought by the pri ncipal gentle
men of the town , that they might express to him thei r
high gratification i n hi s manner of treating his sub
jcet. He listened poli tely, but all the time had his eyeupon a group who had been
“
detai ned i n their passage
out
Emma turned for one parti ng glance ; their eyes met,and he i nstantly excused himself from the gentlemen
near h im,as he wished to speak with an acquaintance
who was leaving the hall .
The young gir l received him cordially, though with
considerable confusion ; i ntroduced him to her family,and then i nquired for hi s mother.
Ah ! ” said he, “ I had l ike to have forgotten a mes
sage she sent you , and leaning forward he spoke a few
words in a low tone. The teacher of the Academy then
approached and i nformed Mr. Stanley, with whom he
D I SGU I SE . 331
was well acquain ted, that he hoped to be so happy as tosecure Mr. Fowler’s servi ces in the school during his
absence .
After a poli te i nvitation to the lecturer to call upon
them, Mr. Stanley and his family took their departure,eager to ascertai n from Emma the commencement ofher acquaintance with the di stingui shed stranger.
So cordi al ly did Mr. Fowler answer h is i nvitation to
Li ndenwood that th e next day, and the next, and every
day, for a week , he might be found sitting i n the large
parlor,entirely unmindful of the vigorous hammering
that was going on over his head . Emma often com
plained,with a heigh te ned color
,that i t was very incon
ven ient to have so constant a visitor, when there was so
much to be done ; but if h e were a few moments later
than usual,her frequent j ourneys to the bow window ,
from whence she could see some distance up the street,or the sudden beating of her heart when she heard his
wel l-known step in the hall, convinced her friends that
she was wi lling to be subjected to the i nconvenience ,for the sake of the pleasure she recei ved i n hi s society.
Nor was she alone i n thi s feeli ng, for he had renderedhimself a favorite with every member of the family.
His large fund of in formation , as well as hi s extensive
knowledge of human nature,convinced Mr. Stanley
that he would not always be teacher i n a private acad
emy ; but, when he hin ted his surprise that Mr . Fowler
should content h imself with such a si tuation , the abrupt
termination of the subject showed plainly that i t w as
o ne upon which he did not w is h to speak .
it his sole bus i ness in Queenstown had been to pros
332 T HE H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
cen te his acquaintance . at Lindenwood , he coud not
have been more constant in hi s vi sits . When , at the
close of the fir st week, the time for his labors i n the
academy arrived, he sudden ly di scovered that premature
engagements would not allow him to assume that re
sponsibili ty,and gave place to anoth er, whom he recom
mended as well qualified for the office . And when,a
few days later,he sought an interview with Mr. Stanl ey
,
and asked permission to address his daughter Emma,
the proposi tion was not wholly unexpected ; but he
replied that their acquaintance had been short,and
,as
yet,they knew little of each other.
Mr. Fowler professed himself to be perfectlysati sfied,
but said that, -
of course,he could not expect Mr. Stanley
to be so, and gave him references to a dozen li terary
gentlemen , to whom he could refer. On receivi ng themost sati sfactory information from tw o of these gentle
men,the father no longer hesitated to give his consent
to the ardent lover ; and when , at the wedding of Alice ,Emma stood up with Mr . Fowler
,i t was as his be
trothed .
The event Of the marriage of Mr. Clarence Sydney
with the daughter of Squire Stanley was one of no l i ttle
i nterest i n the village of Queenstown ; and when , i n
compli ance with the cards of invitation , a large company
assembled at Lindenwood, the brilli ant il lumination , thebeauty of the bride, the pride of the groom as he entered
with his fair lady leaning upon hi s arm , the profusion of
orange-flow ers,the richness of the cake, the fondness of
her father and mother, the pleased emotion of Uncle
Stephen , were the universal themes of conversation.
334 TH E H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
servant w ho had been sent to the office for let ers ré
turned with a goodly budget of news . Emma blushingly held out her hand for her
'
share,when her father
w ho that moment entered, passed her a thick envelopcon taini ng, as A l ice playfully remarked, a brotherly noteto each of the fami ly
,and also a copy of the l ast N ew
York Journal of Commerce,directed by the same hand .
This she hasti ly tore open,and
,seeing nothing of special
in terest to her,gave i t to her father to read, w hile she
retired to her ow n room for the uni nterrupted enj oyment
of her precious epistle . She had not more than half
perused i ts closely written pages before Ali ce ran to call
her,exclaiming, “ Emma
,father w ants you to come
down .
”
Thrusting her letter i n to her pocket,Emma obeyed,
and found the whole family very merry over a small
paragraph i n the Journal,which
,though marked with a
pencil,she had overlooked . It was as follow s :
“ We
understand that the next lecture before the Hi storicalSociety will be delivered on Thursday evening, by Prof.
Ralph Fowler,who has
, w i thin a year, been appointed
to the Professorshi p of Languages i n College, and
is on e of the most popular lecturers of the day . A rich
li terary feast may be exp ected .
”
“ Really,
” said Mr. Stanley,smili ng, as he witnessed
the bright glow which overspread Emma’s face, “ my
daughters are getting up i n the world. Here,without
knowing i t,we have been entertai ni ng the di sti nguished
Prof. Fowler,who i s one of the best lingui sts i n the
country . I had i t at my tongue’s end,t wo or three
tith es, to ask if he were a relative . Prof. B . and Dr. S
l N D I SG UI SE . 335.
mus t have thought me either an ignoramus, or var,
much behind the times , to inquire the character of such
a man ; and a slight shade of annoya nce mingled with
hi s laugh , as he went to his study to bring forth the
letters from those gentlemen for a second reading.
In the mean time , it'would be difficult to describe the
fond pride which this announcement caused i n the heart
of the gentle, lovi ng girl, as, at the same time, she
remembered He i s mi ne ; yes, he is all my ow n . Notwithstanding hi s elevated posi tion
,he sought me in
preference to all others and she has tened to her room
with quickened pulse,to fini sh readi ng her letter. Near
the close,or rather cros si ng the
‘
w ri ti ng near the top, and
fil li ng up every i nch of the blank space,were a few
li nes explana t ory of the information contained in the
Journal . It ran thus : And now , dearest, wi ll you for
give me for my little deception,or rather that I did not
tell you the whole truth . Had your father asked mehow I expected to support my w i fe, I should have to ld
him ; or, i f you had seemed curious to know where you
w ere to l ive,or with whom associate
,most certainly 1
should have i nformed you . But your en tire trust i n me
was so charming, and your respected father’s confidencr
so flattering,that
,while I knew I w as not deceivi ng hitr
or vou,I was pleased with the though t that time would
discover to you my si tuation and prospects , though it
never can,my true-hearted Emma
,the depth and fer
veney Of my affection .
“ But I would say that,in my Opinion
,unlimited con
fidence i s the only safeguard between husband and w ile.
Let this, then , be our last and only secret ; henceror ta
336 THE HOUSE HOLD A NGEL
my heart,with all its thoughts and wishes
,i ts j oys and
sorrow s, shall be la id open to you ; and I trus t by the
constancy of my lo v o to prove mys elf not unworthy the
same confidence o n 5our part. I suppose , long ere thi s.
you have ‘ guessed,
’and rightly too, that my on ly hi s
ducement i n going to l ecture i n Queenstown was to
prosecute my acquaintance with you my only business
there,after farther knowledge of your character, to obtai n
the promise of your hand. And now,my ow n dear
Emma, i nclosed you will find a note to your father,begging him to place no impediment in the way of our
immediate union . Do not hesi tate to grant my request.
There is no reasonable ground of delay. There i s a fine
house connected with my professorsh ip,all ready and
waiting for i ts m istress . My mother (only second to
one I could name i n her admiration of you) and sister
are longing to bid you welcome by the dear names of
daughter and sister. Let me,then
,rejoice their hearts
by telling them that in the course of a month (I take
great credit to myself for allowing so much time to be
necessary for bridal preparations) they must be ready to
accompany me to Li ndenwood .
”
Oh , those were bl issful tears which dropped so thicklyUpon the closely w ri tten page
,and they wel led up from
a heart ful l of grati tude to her heaven ly Father for givi ngher so dear a friend
,and appoi nting her lot .n so pleasant
a place !
After sitti ng in a dreamy attitude for nearly an hour,vainly trying to fix her thoughts upon any one subject
i n th e letter, and as often finding them settl ing back to
the one blessed conviction of his love, she took the new
338 THE H OUSE HOLD ANGEL
Well,then , I shall tel l h im I cannot gi ve up my chi ld
so suddenly. I must have time to accustom myself to
the thought. Not that that will render i t any the lesspainful ; but, on many accounts, i t would be better to
have more time . I have alw ays disapproved of has ty
marriages . It i s now the middle Of wi nter Gertrude w i li
be home i n Apri l . Shall I say the first day Of May 7
Emma cast down her eyes as She whispered,If you
th ink best .”
“ I suppose, conti nued Mr. Stanley , pleasantly, “ 1
shal l be cons idered very hard-hearted to refuse so earnest
an appeal ; but I shall i nvite him to pass hi s long vaca
tion with us , and we will try to help h im bear th e disap
pointment as wel l as we can .
”
Thank you , dear father,” replied Emma
,as he ten
derly k issed her, and allowed her to withdraw,when she
retired to her mother’s room,and
,with many blushes
,
told her what had passed .
As Alice returned one afternoon from a Sleigh -ridewith her husband
,sh e found Uncle Stephen i n his room
,
and i n tears . Without waiti ng to take off her bonnet,she went i nstantly to him
,and sat on a low stool at his
feet.
Won t you let me share your grief ?” she asked
,look
ing up lovi ngly i n h is face .
They are not tears of sorrow,my child
,
” he answered,
putting a letter i nto her hand .
It was from Alfred Huntington,and in formed h is kind
benefactor that, after many struggles and conflicts with
himself, he had determined to go out to India, d irectly
after his graduation from the theologi cal sch ool, which
iN D l SGUISE . 339
would be i n less than a year, and devote his li fe to the
service Of h is Saviour , i n laboring for the conversion of
the heathen . My Object i n writing you at this time,i s
to ask your advice whether I shal l Offer myself to the
Board Of IVIission s , or j oin my father i n the miss io n sup
ported by you. Of cours e it would be my desire to dothe latter ; but I k now nothing Of the expen se necessary,and am unw i l ling to tax your generosity farther . There
is one subject, too , which troubles me, if I take the first
course, and apply to the Board . That i s with reference
to my going alone,which
,I hav e been in formed
,they
Object to , or that th ey much prefer their miss ionaries shall
be married men . There is only one woman I have ever
loved,and as I cannot marry her
,I must go alone . This
i s' another reason why i t would be desirable that I Shouldgo in to my father
’s family .
”
Alice read the letter with great interest, and put it
back into h is hand w i thout speaking.
It’s what I’ve been praying for ever si nce he was a
boy,” sobbed Uncle Stephen
,wholly overcome , “ and to
see how God answers all my poor prayers , makes me feel
more insignificant than ever. About poor Edith ,” he continned
,when he was more composed
,“ I’m afraid the boy
will have to give her up,though sometimes I think God
has mercies i n store for her, and has ordered all thi s to
humble. her proud heart .”
I) , t'
ncle Stephen How Often he repeated , for thenext law days
,that he had nothing more to ask for, and
the i nfluence Of that communication seemed to Open his
heart to the wants Of the needy more than ever. Though
by hi s connection wi th the family a very handsome sum
340 THE HOUSEHOLD A NG EL .
was added to i ts yearly i ncome , certainly quite as much
as hi s nephew would accept ; yet h is own expenses were
not a tithe to the i nterest from his l arge fortune . Heoften said to Alice
,who was hi s on ly confidant
,Draw
freely, ch i ld ; the more i s taken out,the fuller the bank
i s .” And so,i ndeed
,i t seemed to be . N O one could do
h im a greater favor than to place i n h is way a deservingobj ect Of chari ty. He had been in the habit for years,beside the en tire support of hi s ow n mission among the
Hindoos,of sendi ng large sums to the benevolent societies
Of the day ; but his ow n chosen way was to seek out
destitute Obj ects,and admin ister to their rel ief. If they
were worthy,that was sufficien t ; i f unworthy, he would
plead SO much the more reason they should be helped
to do well.” N o suffering chi ld of Adam was ever re
fused sympathy by him . But if he found that he had
been imposed upon, or that any person whom he had be
friended made his money subservi ent to their ow n vices,he was terribly wrathy
,and could not be appeased un til
a more worthy Object was placed i n his w ay.
342 THE Hous nuonn ANGEL
thrown on thei r w rappers, and were standing at the head
of the stairs. Mr. Stanley was just goi ng to speak,when
his wife i n terrupted him , Let us go at once .”Yes
,
” he repli ed , promptly but I must inquire.where i t i s .
How soon can you be ready ?” asked the man .
In half an hour .”
Well , then , I’l l wait and go with you. Youmightn’t
find the place in the dark .”
Without waiti ng for further questions,Mr. Stanley,
after i nviting the countryman into the house,proceeded
at once to call the coachman ,while hi s wife, and Emma,who begged to accompany her mother, hasti ly prepared
for their midnight excur sion . In l ittle more than half an
hour they were on their way,the man who had come for
them rid ing by the side of the carriage , Mrs . Stanley
having left with Al ice the charge of preparing NurseCarey for the intelligence
,as they intended , i f possible,
to bring Edith back with them on the following day.
The distance to Planes ville was but ten miles ; but they
w ere obliged to travel so slowly in the dark , and the lat
ter part of the way, for nearly two miles, over a new and
by-road, that i t was four o
’clock before they heard the
guide who was just i n advance of them , say, Thi s i s
the house . You go right i n and I ’ll put up your horses
VV ife’ll be cxpectin’ of you.
”
Longi ng,yet dreading to know the situati on of the
poor girl,Mr . Stanley hastily as s i sted his wife and daugh
ter from the carriage ; but just as Emma reached thegfound a dreadful shriek of distres s from the sma l l house
before them,caused their hearts to si nk with sudden ter
IN msems s . 343
ror. Mrs . Stanley darted forward . There was a brightl ight. i n the low er room , and they could see at. a glancewhat was going on within . The figure of some person
lay extended upon the bed,and a man was standi ng be
fore her, h is form concealing her face, trying to hold
down her arms . A young woman,holding an i nfant
,
her countenance expressive of the utmost alarm ,stood
back from them . Upon the approach of Mrs . Stanley,
who entered fir st and announced herself,the poor woman
burs t into tears .
The physician soon recounted the state in which he
had found hi s patient,and the measures he had adopted.
He said she was suffering from a sudden and violent fi t
of ins ani ty, produced , perhaps, i n part by the high fever
under which she was laboring . He then asked if therewas anything which could have tended to such a state .
Mr. Stan ley drew him i nto the n eat ki tchen , and gave
him a brief account of her history, and also commun ica
ted the fact of her mother having been parti ally insane
formany years, owing to her remorse of conscience, but
that,si nce the confession of h er gui lt, she had appeared
perfectly rational .
Doctor Putnam lis tened with i nterest, and then said ,It may be the agi tation of mind which has occas ioned
thi s ; but I feared congestion of the brai n .
The question of her being carried to Li ndenwoodwas then discussed
,the doctor i n ferri ng from her violence
that i t would not be safe,but that she ought to be car
ried to an asylum for the i nsane . To th is propos i tion ,however
,Mr. Stanley would not for one moment hearlcen,
at least not unti l they had tried other means for he!
344 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
restoration ; and, as there were no acrommodations
w here they were , i t was determined to return home wi th
her as soon as it was light.
In the meantime, Mrs . Stanley, hav ing laid aside
her bonnet,had calmly approached the sufferer, and,
tak ing a cloth wet with cool water,bathed her burn ing
brow. The poor.
girl was sti ll unconscious, or rather
W andering ; but the soft voice and gentle hand of her
mother seemed to soothe her, for she became more quiet,and soon fell asleep, for the first time through the night.
Beckoning the 'woman into the small entry, Emmaasked
,i n a whisper
,how she came there
,and received
the following account.“ Yesterday morning
,said the woman
,
“ though it
seems like a week,I had just dressed my baby
,and w as
getting her to sl eep,so that I could do up my morn ing
chores,when I heard a low knock at the door. 1 called
out, softly , Come in ,’ for baby was just dropping off,
and she,
” poin ting toward the room,“ came right in .
She seemed to have an idea that somebody was after
her ; and, when Joshua, that’s my husband , w ho went
after you, happened to go by the window, she gave a
dreadful scream,and hid behind the door. I was scared
enough ; but I didn’t dare to let
'
her know i t, for fear
she’d hurt the baby, and so I told her she was safe,
and asked who she was afraid of. She grew calmer
after a whi le,and asked me for someth ing to eat. I got
her a bowl of milk and some bread ; but she never
tasted the bread. The bowl she raised to her mouth,and, when she put i t down , she
’d drained every drop .
Twas the fever burning then , the doctor says . After
346 THE HOUSEHO LD A NGEL
out a crying, saying she hadn’t got any father or mother,
or any body else to love her. It made my blood run
cold to hear her then , for she’d kind Of curse herself and
her mother,when she’d just said she hadn’t got one
,and
she almost cursed her Maker. But i n a few minutes
th at would al l be over,and she’d be keeping a school.
When Dr. Put nam come, he said we must get her i ntobed . She’d got on her clothes just as she come in , on ly
her bonnet ; and so Joshua took the baby into the
k itchen , while the doctor helped me put my best night
gown On her, not a very n ice one, but’twas clea n ; and
a hard task we had of i t to get her to bed. When I
took her clothes to hang them up,I happened to think
perhaps she’d got something i n her pocket that would
tell who she was ; and so she had . Dr. Putnam saidhe’d stay here whi le J oshua went for you.
”
And have you held your babe al l night? ” asked
Emma , look ing at the pale countenance Of the kindwoman .
Oh,yes
,miss ! There wa’n’t any place handy for me
to l ie down,and then I couldn’t be spared .
”
All th is time Emma and her companion had sat together on the low steps leading to the attic ; but at a
s l igh t noise in the room ,they both started up and en tered.
Edith muttered incoherently,and the Doctor shook his
head as he placed his fingers gently on her pulse. “ If she
is to be carried away from here , i t must be done at once,”
he said .
But for an hour she was so violent that they found i t
would be impossible to carry her i n tl e small carri age i n
whi ch they had come. Mr. Stanley therefore co ncluded
l N D I SG U ISE . 347
to go w i thout delay to Lindenwdod w i th Emma,and
return with the large carriage,‘
and a driver,so that he
could be enti rely at liberty to attend to her. When he
mentioned his plan to the Doctor,he suggested an im
provement, which was, that Joshua Goodw i n should
drive hi s daughter to Queen stown,while he remained
w i th his wife,as he should be obliged to leave and visit
his other pat i ents .
This was decided upon,and by noon Joshua came
back with the double carriage i nto which Emma hadput a bed and pillows . The Doctor, w ho had returned,gave her a powerful anodyne
,and then assi sted Mr. Stan
ley to place her in the carriage .
Having most liberally rewarded their good host andhostess for the disinterested kindness they had show n
to the poor lunatic,Mr. and M s . Stanley, with their
unconscious charge,drove slowly away from the door ;
but finding she soon fell asleep,Mr. Stanley cal led to
the coachman and told him,when they were Off the by
road, to drive with full speed, and i n this way they
reached home in the middle of the afternoon .
Doctor Jenks,whom Alice had summoned, was at
hand,to assi s t i n carrying Edith to her room , from which
it s eemed to him very doubtful whether she would live
to come out. For three days she lay in a stupor, never
but once havi ng any return of her violence, and that w as
the night after her arrival . Mrs . Stanley, Emma, andAlice were unweari ed i n their attentions to the uncon
scious sufferer,who
,pallid and ghastly, looked very dif
ferent from the bloom ing, brill i an t Edith of former daysAs she lay there, so nearly resembling death , her kind
348 THE HOUSE HOLD ANGEL
fi'iends Offered i ncessant prayer that she might be te
stored to her reason,i f i t was God’s will she should
never recover. On the fourth day she seemed to arousefrom her long sleep, and was able to take a few tea
spoonfuls Of gruel . Her attendants could not be quitesure whether she knew u them . When She awoke from
s leep, she talked very fast and incoherently for a few
moments,but gradually grew more quiet
,and lay
, for a n
hour at a time,wi th her eyes closed
,only opening them
when she was addressed by name .
One day she was much more delirious than usual .She had had no rest through the night
,and the soothing
powders fai led to produce their usual effect. She kept
call ing upon Alfre’d in the most piteous manner,exclaim
i ng : If you do leave me, I shall be all alone . N O one
but you left ; Oh , Al fred ! ”“ Alfred will never, never leave you, said a hoarse
voice close by her side,and to the astoni shment Of all
present,Alfred Huntington stood before them . He had
come unexpectedly to the Hall to pass a few days,but
had not heard Of Edi th’s sickness, until he entered thehouse .
Mrs. Stanley feared the effect Of the excitement if she
should recognize her lover, for such h is manner still
proved him to be . But though for an instant the young
girl seemed to hold her breath , as if li sten ing eagerly,she soon resumed her rapid talk .
A lfred advanced to the bed, and, i n a low whisper, re
peated the assurance Of his love, and that he would
never leave her. He held her hand i n hi s, w hiie he
eagerly gazed at her, to see i f she recognized him ; but
35“ T HE HOUSEH OLD ANGE L
God who loved to be i nquired O f by h is children,and he
begged them not to cease thei r supplications i n her
behalf.
Edi th had now lain for hours unconscious Of all
around her. Save the constant wetti ng of her li ps
with brandy and water,no nouri shment had been taken.
The fami ly gathered around her bed,and knelt for prayer ;
but in vain did Mr. Stanley try to raise h is voice. The
idea Of Edith passing,as he thought
,from time to eter
nity, wholly overcame him .
After a moment’s delay,the voice O fAlfred was heard .
He seemed already assured Of a blessing. He enteredat once i nto the holy of holies . and carried h is hearers
with him into the immediate presence Of God . H is soulwas fi lled with assurance Of God’s readiness to save her
for whom Chri st had shed his precious blood,and in her
behal f he consecrated her future life to the service Of her
Saviour.
The tardy momen ts roll away,as al l stand gazi ng
upon one who lies as if already i n the embrace Of death .
Weeping and sobbing are heard on every side ; but
Alfred is closely watching the feeble breath ; a short gasp
does not escape hi s attention . He again wets her lips,then places h is fingers upon her wri st. He notices asligh t change . With a motion to the group to suppress
their sobs,he leans forward to listen to her breathing.
He looks anxiously up,as he hears a carriage, hoping i t
is the Doctor.He is not disappoi nted the kind physician softly eu
te rs . Is she gone? h e whispers.
A s Mrs . Stanley shakes her head, he passes s ilently to
IN D I SG U I SE . 35l
the side of her bed ; he places his hand 011 her brow
starts back and gazes around, wipes h is glasses, and re~
places them . Hi s countenance changes as he marks her
pul se ; a smi le, yes, a sm ile lights up his features . A l
fred unders tands i t,and unable longer to con tai n the
feelings of hope and j oy which fill his soul,abruptly
retires . He seeks his chamber to pour , out his heart in
praise to God,tears of gratitude stream down his cheeks
,
and he renews hi s self-consecration to his Sav1our. Hereturns to the sick-room , where he finds Dr. Jenks hasforced through the closed teeth a most powerful astrin
gent. His manner has already conveyed hope . All are
silen t. He has motioned them to be seated back from
the bed, and sits down himself to await the result.
Al fred approaches,softly places a chai r by her side
,and
tries to quel l the tumult of j oy which is swelling his
heart almost to bursting. He gently lifts the pale,
emaciated hand from the counterpane, and pres ses it
to hi s li ps . Oh,how gladly would he impart some of
hi s own warm life-blood to quicken her pulsations ' A
gentle perspiration has covered her brow, and the
Doctor calli ng Mrs . Stanley from the room , te lls her the
cris i s has past, and he now hopes h is patient wil l recover.
Oh said Mari on,bursting i nto tears, “ i t is in an
swer to Alfred’s fervent prayer.
A nd w ho shal l say that i t was not so, that He, withwhom are the is sues of li fe and death , did not grant he 1
restoration 1 11 answer to his importunate supplicati ons
For more than an hour Edi th lay in a sweet, refreshingslumber. A ll had left the room
,with the exception 0 1
Mrs . Stanley and Alfred . Days of anxiety, and niO'l t
352 THE HOUSEHOLD A NG EL
of watching seemed powerless to fatigue h im . He nowsat looki ng for the first return to con sciousness, i n the.
hope that she would recognize him . Mari on was kneel
ing by her side, her face concealed in th e bed-clothes . At
length the sufferer feebly moves, and heaves a deep sigh.
Alfred applies the sponge to her lips, and she slowly un
closes her eyes, which rest upon Mrs . Stan ley . It i s as
they hoped, she recognizes her, and whispers , Mother.”
Choking back her tears,the thankful friend kisses the
pale brow,and tries to articul ate , My own
’
dear
daughter.”
Again the feeble l ips move tremulously,— she bends
forward to catch the words, Forgive poor Edi th .
”
Marion repeatedly assures her that all,al l i s forgiven ;
all forgotten,save the blessed thought that she is re
s tored to them .
A fain t smile fl ickers for one moment around her
mouth , and she again falls asleep . With eager impa
ti enes Alfred watches her. He longs once more to hearher voice
,and to have her speak hi s name . Nor does he
wait i n vain . She again opens her eyes,and fix es them
full upon him . For one i nstant she gazes,as i f fearing
she is stil l dreaming, then softly whispers, “ It is my
A lfred .
”
Yes, my darling Edith ,” he cries, unable longer tocontain himself, “ God has given you back to me from
the dead . You are mine now, all mi ne, love .”
A beautiful smil e of trust l i t up the pale countenanceof the i nvalid, and from this time she slowly gained
s trengt h . There was no more coldness,no reserve
,her
proud neart was humbled, and the penite n t sat w eekly
354 THE HO USEHOLD ANGEL
tal to them both , that , Mrs . Stanl ey hastny entered‘
Edith’s solemn words arrested her atte ntion,Dear
mother, look at me ; th ink of what I was, the very chi ef
of si nners. Even you, si nful as you have been , cannever imagine half my guil t. But God has had mercy
upon me ; Jesus has power to wash out guil t, even such
as m i n e, and wi ll save you. Oh,don’t delay ! Say to
him ,‘Dear Lord, here I am , a poor sinner ; but I trust
i n thy power to save .’ For my sake,dear mother
,do
not delay. Oh , if you coul d only know the sweet peacewhich filled my soul when I threw away all my rebel liouspride, and opened my heart to h is love ! The fountai n
is i n exhaustible. God is ready and wil ling to save you,too . Dear mother, father is i n h eaven , and , vi le and si nful as I have been , I hope to en ter there. Will you refuse
to meet us in that world ? ” Here the poor girl’s feelings entirely exhausted her, and, with her mother
’s hand
pressed tightly i n hers, sh e sank back upon the pil lows .
The poor mother wept and sobbed without iestraint,and Mrs. Stan ley, without having been seen by them ,
s tepped back and called Alfred to remove her to the
nursery. Mrs : Carey was never carried home , but died
the next day,wi th a trembli ng hope that God had for
given her si n s . Her last words were to Al fred, who hadspent hours at her bedside, Tell my chi ld I feel myself
to be a great sinner ; but I trust my Saviour has forgiven
me.
”
The death of Mrs. Carey affected Al ice deeply, as well
as all th e household, who , now that she was gone, te
membered on ly her untiring devotion to them in s ick ne ss,her ‘ove for her late mistress, and her strong affect ion for
IN Drseursm. 355
Loui s . Alfred was cal led uponby Edith to repeat againand agai n al l that she had said , and the tears which the \together dropped to her memory,were a new ti e between
them .
When Edi th was able to s it up in the large easy~c§1an
which Al ice had sent from her own room for the i nval id,no one would have recognized in the meek and humble
Chri stian,whose eye beamed so tenderly upon her mother
and sis ters,the once proud and lofty spirit
,who expected
all to bow before her. To her family she had never looke d
so lovely i n the proudest days of her brill iant beauty .
Love toward her Saviour shone i n her countenance , andanimated all her actions . Even the servants felt and acknowledged the change . To every one she had confessed
her pride and rebellion , and to every one she had recom
mended her Saviour,who would surely forgive them . if
si ns l ike hers could be pardoned .
Alfred’s termhad now commenced , and he announcedhis in tention of leaving the n ext day . Choos i ng an oppor
tun itywhen Edith was alone, he sat down near her. No
formal engagement exi sted between them . Since the first
mpass ioned words when she recovered her conscious
ness , he had never told hi s love . But he was aware she
knew his heart,and that, after hi s Maker, she occupied
the first place i n h is affections . He held her unresi stinghand i n h is
,as he said
,Edi th
,i t i s hard for me to leave
you. I shall look back to the past vacation as the hap
piest period of my li fe .”
Yes,” said Edith
,tremulously, we shall n ever forget
Go d has been very gracious to us, conti nued the
356 THE HOUSEHOLD A NGEL
young man , tryi ng to repress h is emotion , and we willnot hesitate to devote our l ives to his service .”
No,” was the firm , but whispered response .
It will be a hard lot for you, my love, to l( ave your
home and friends, for a life among the heathen .
” He
ste pped, and leaned eagerly forward to catch the words
which were trembli ng upon her lips .
With one long, earnest gaze in to hi s eye, Edith sai d,gently, Where thou goest I will go and there w ill
I be buri ed .
” Even she,with her warm
,impulsive na
ture,was not prepa red for the burs t of feeli ng displayed,
as she repeated the sacred words. He covered hi s face,
and sobbed convulsively ,
Alfred,my dearest friend,
” she said , ri s ing and stand
i ng by h is s ide“ do not weep, or let me weep with you.
Henceforth your griefs and j oys are mine.”They are bli ssful te ars , dearest,
” he replied,strai ning
her to h is breast, and such as angels might envy. Oh,my Edith ! my heart swel ls with love to God as I te
member how graciously he has answered my prayers i n
your behalf. How short-sighted we mortals are. WhenI heard of the change which had come over your pros
pects , I mourned, and wept bi tter tears . 1 l i ttle knew
thi s was hi s chosen w ay to fit you for the great workbefore you . Dear Edi th , let us never forget h is goodness,let us never cease to trust h im .
”
The next morning,before he left, Alfred i nformed his
kind benefactor that one obj ection to his Offeri ng himself
to the Board of Mi ssions was obviated , for he did not
in tend to go to Indi a without a wife .
Uncle Stephen rej oiced wi th him i n h is happiness . but
358 T HE H OUSE HOLD ANGEL
i n company with her s ick friend . Dear l ittle Minnie,in
happy unconsciousness that her beloved mother was fast
passi ng away from her sight, seemed never so gay . She
found brigh t dandel ion s,and pleased herself vastly with
twini ng them i n her mother’s hair. Mamma look
pretty ! Mamma do look pretty ! ” she exclaimed , danc
ing up and down in her j oy.
Though Mrs . Hayden perfectly reali zed her S ituation,yet to her there was noth ing Of gloom in the idea of
death . It only seemed to her the road which man must
pass to God .
With Dexter she talked earnestly with regard to hisfuture course, and that of hi s si s ter. She told them if
Nurse Green was obliged to leave, God would providethem a home . Hi s promise to be a father to the fatherless would never fai l . She also spoke long and tenderly
of his father, and left many messages for h im .
Though well aware that she could not long survive,
yet‘
Alice was much shocked,early one bright morni ng
about the middle of Apri l,to receive the i ntelligence
that the sufferer had gone to her rest. But upon Dexter i t came like a thunderbolt, and struck h im to the
earth . He had li stened calmly when his mother talkedwith h im
,controlli ng hi s feelings that he might not
excite her ' but hi s heart whispered,“ she will not yet
leave you, and he listened to the voice, and hopee‘
against hope .
Al ice and herhusband consul ted earnestly what should
be done with the ch ildren , and hoped to take Minnie for
thei r ow n ; but when she mentioned to Dexter her mother
’s w i sh to have them leave the cottage, for the pres en t,
IN D I SG U I SE . 359
and come to Li ndenwood,he was so distressed that she
urged it no farther,but contented herself with providing
for them , while her husband made arrangements for the
tuneral .
C H A P T E R X X I X .
Hark ! to the hurried question of D espair
Where is my wife‘
t’an echo answers
, where i
Byron.
NEA R the close of a calm,pleasant afternoon in spri ng
when all nature was bursting i nto li fe and loveline‘s‘ s, a
man jumped from the cars at a station about three mi les
below Queenstown . He was rather above the usualsize, Of ath letic frame, and an open , go
'
od-humored cast
of coun tenance . Hewalked quickly along the side ofthe road leading directly to the next town
,and there was
a lightness and elasticity i n his step,a freedom in his air
and manner, which showed plain ly that he was glad to
escape the confinement of a long day’s ride 111 the cars
for the free air and the exerci se of hi s limbs ; and also
that he looked forward with pleasure to the end of the
journey. But, i f observed more cri ti cally, as o ne would
hardly be able to do w hile he walked at so rapid a pace,an occasional contraction of the brow could be discov
ed,and a close shutting of th e li ps
,which indicated some
solicitude or anxiety, mingled with hi s earnest anticipa
tions of pleasure .
This feel ing,however
,he tried to shake off, and began
whistli ng a merry tune ; but as that did not seem quite
i n accordance wi th hi s feelings , he commenced talk ing to
himself. Let me see,
” he so li loquiz ed, looki ng at the
362 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
dared to carry on s o . But ’tisn’
t no use to think of that
now . Let bygones be bygones . I’ll Show Queen s tou n
people that I mean to make somebody yet, no tw ith
standing .Let’s see now .
’Twas i n September I
had that letter from wife . I’ve always wondered how
She happened to write just that one , no more, no les s ,
and I’ve a lways thought ’twas such a queer one too .
N ot a syllable of grumbling or complain t m it,nor say
ing that I’d brought disgrace on the family ; no, nothingof that sort. I suppose she thought I’d had leisure
enough when I was locked up in my cell nights to th ink
0’ that. Ha’n’t I, though ? ” he exclaimed, impati ently
shaking hi s shoulders,as i f he’d have no more such
thoughts . It always seemed as if she thought she was
making a wil l . Well , I suppose ’twa’n’t very amus i ng
or cheering work for one brought up as she’d been to si t
down and write to a husband who was i n the state
prison and, if any body had hin te d such an idea to me
the day I was married,I’d ha well
,I can’t say what I
wouldn’t h ave done. Heigh ho ! ’tis strange how one
thing led on to another.
Then again referring to the letter,She told all about
Dexter, and what a noble boy he was, and how everyday, and every hour i n the day, hi s looks reminded her
of me, and how well he got on in hi s schooli ng . He’l lmake a man yet
,that boy will . Then Minnie too ! Oh ,
how she did set Minnie out, with her fun ny ways ! She
always was a cunning li ttle thing ; and then she prays
for her papa,and asks God to bring dear papa back .
’Ti s astonishing how much comfort some people do take
in praying Now,though I know it’s all humbug, ye
‘ I
rN DISGUl SE . 2363
shall let wife go on just as she’s a mind to . If she
wants to th ink there’s a God,and to teach the ch ildren
to pray, and to go to meeting, I shall let h er. There’sno harm in it
,if it gives them pleasure . I shouldn’t
w onder i f I myself went to meeting sometimes with
them . It’s kind 0’ respectable to see a family going
along together, wife and I, and Dexter leading Minnie ;but I know better than to believe such th ings .”
Hi s soliloquy was brought to a sudden terminati on
by seei ng that he had reached the outskirts of the town,
and the su n was still half an hour high . He stoppedshort, and hesitated . There was an almost i rres i s tible
impulse to proceed to the end Of hi s j ourney,opposed
by a reluctance to go through the streets unti l i t were
too late for him to be recognized by any of hi s old
acquaintances ; but hi s anxiety to be at home prevailed,and he accelerated his speed to make up for his mo
m entary delay. Hi s face was somewhat flushed fromhis exercise ; and now hi s breast began to heave with
emotion,as he thought
,“ In a few moments more, I
shall have my dear wife and children in my arms . I
was a fool ever to doubt she’d forgive me . I [mow she
will when she sees me ;” and he folded his arms upon
his bosom,as i f they
‘
already encircled the loved ones.
He hurries on ; every obj ect now is fami liar. There i sMoses Pond
,goi ng for his father’s cows . The boy’s
merr'
yr whistle rather j ars upon h is excited feelings , and
he turns to the other side of the road, where Widow
Morse is picking up chips by the wood-pile to get her
tea. The old lady looks up as he pas ses , gazes at h im
through the wide fri ll of her cap, then starts to her feet,
364 T H E H O USEH OLD AN GEL
le tting fall ner apronful of splin ters, and almost screams
out,Goodness me ! as true as I’m alive
,there’s Timo
thy Hayden come home from prison . Oh, dear ! oh,
dear and,forgetti ng her errand to the wood-pife, shc
hurries i nto the house to commun i cate the i ntelligence .
That’s a pretty way to welcome a feller, I must
say ; and Mr. Hayden , much annoyed at the curiositywith which h e saw he should be regarded
,sti ll hastened
hi s steps . He i s now but about three quarters of a m ilefrom home . The road i s straight for nearly the whole
distance . On the righ t,he perceives Li ndenwood Hal l,
then,farther on, the spires of the churches . He tries to
di stinguish the low-roofed house where he is goi ng ; but
no , he cannot see i t yet ; the higher bui ldings conceal it.
But,at the distance of a few hundred rods
,he espies a
carriage standi ng before a gate ,with a number of persons
about it.
There’s a funeral, I guess,” he said
,carelessly
,fixing
hi s eyes upon the spot. “ Yes,that’s the hearse
,and
tw o carriages behind it. I w onder who's dead. I reckon
it’s nobody that I know.
” He could now see over the
stone wall i nto th e graveyard, and unconsciously walked
little slower to witness what was,
going on .
Just as he was opposi te, the s exton with three other
men were lowering the coffin into the damp grave. There
was an air Of deep solemnity about the whole company
(for many had joined the processi on on foot)which fi l led
hi s m i nd with awe . He felt he was i n the presence ofdeath ; and ,withou t knowing i t, the traveller approached ,and leaned upon the top of th e stone wall . A young
lady was standi ng near the open grave, supported by a
366 TH E H OUSEHOLD AN GEL
scattered sen ses , and to clear his eyes from the blur
which has gathered over them .
First i n the procession walks a boy,tall and maulv
leadi ng the chi ld whose coun tenance so alarmed him .
The boy’s face is entirely hidden, and he tries to think
him too large to be the one he had for an in stan t feared
but he i s in deep affl iction,and proves himself so utterlv
incapable of taking care of the chi ld that the ladybehind takes her from him
,whil e her companion tenderly
grasps him by the hand .
It cannot be ,” exclaimed the man
,i n a husky voice
,
for the first time drawing a long breath . How frightened I was ! No , that -w 0 11ld be too cruel . I’l l hurry
on .
” But sti l l he li ngered . He would like to see w howas going to get i nto the carri age . Ah ! now he’s
entirely rel ieved . He recognizes Squire Stanley and theOld India uncle who lives with h im . He wonders whichof the family i t i s
,and why none but the children are
dressed in mourni ng,though they all look sad enough .
They are coming through the gate . He stands back tolet them pass . Suddenly the l ittle girl springs from her
companion,and cli ngs to the boy. Oh
,brother Dex
ter ! ” sh e cri es,“ don’t don’t leave poor sick mamma
here ] n
T he boy strains h er to hi s breast, and sobs aloud ; the
gentleman gently separates them,and li fts them i nto the
carri age ; the young lady steps i n , and he follows . Mr.
Stanley and hi s fami ly occupy the other carri age . The
coachmen shut the doors, and drive away ; the hearse ,with its bony horse
,i s sti ll tied to the ga te, wai ti ng for
the sexton ; the process ion moves out and passes on
IN D ISGL’
IS E . 367
out'
still the man stands as i f turned to stone An
arrow has pierced hi s heart,and sent by whom ? Ah '
i n that moment of i ndescribable agony,when sorrow
and remorse qui t kly succeed each other,and struggle for
mastery in his breast,he doubts no longer . He [ma ns
there i s a God in heaven .
The sound of th e earth rattling upon the coffi n can be
dis tinctly heard ; he grasps the post by the s ide of the
gate, and gaze s with terror at the man who i s so indiffer
ently covering from his sight the wife of his bosom . The
moments pass on,the grave i s filled
,the green sodsj e
placed,and
,with a few blows of the shovel to press them
firm ly to the earth,the sexton gathers up the ropes
,and
,
with a look behind to see that nothing is left,walks away.
The poor, broken-hearted man, whose high hopes are
so suddenly crushed , creeps back a few paces, and sits
down close to th e wall . The sexton , without noticing
the i ntruder,carefully
‘
closes the gate, puts the ropes in a
box i n front of the hearse, takes the shovel between hi s
knees,gathers up hi s runs, and rattles away at a rapid
pace .
Low er and low er sinks the head of the bowed mandeeper and deeper are hi s heavy sighs ; hi s bosom heaves
convulsively, his eyeball s glare and burn but no refres h
ing tears come to moisten them , no soothing reflection
tends to calm his woe . No , all i s black , impenetrabledarkness . When the sound of the hearse wheels has
entirely ceased,when i t has gone altogether from s ight ,
the poor man,whose step so late ly was vigorous with
li fe, crawls as if the weight of years had sudden ly fallen
upon him ,on toward the gate . With trembling hands
368 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
he li fts the latch,‘
mechanically closes i t after him,and he
i s alone with the dead . With unsteady steps he wends
his way on , on unti l he reaches the mound where lie
buried all h i s hopes of happiness . Yes,he forgets -ever.
the existence of his h igh -spi ri ted boy,and hi s winni ng
i ttle Minn ie . He on ly knows that h i s ow n dear wife
lies buri ed deep,deep i n th e ground
,where he never
more shall see her,never more hear her voice say
,I for
give you.
” She from whom for a long, weary year, he
has been separated,but with whose love all his future had
been i nseparably blended.
And now i t’s all over, and , with a low, despai ri ng cry,Oh God, it
’s too late ! he throws himself upon her
grave .
After a few moments,with a loud shout he starts to
his feet. He wil l not give her up . It may be that she
sti l l l ives . An indescribable yearni ng for one more look
at her fair countenance,an i rrepressible longing to hold
her i n one more embrace , even i n death , almost maddens
him . With hi s hands he begins to tear away the heart
less clods wh ich hide her from his view ; but, with a sud
den thought of her as he saw her with that last beseech
i ng,imploring look
,“ I
’ve loved you ; but you
’ve ki lled
me,” he fell senseless to the ground .
The next morning,when Moses Pond went with his
cows to pasture,he was startled to see th e figure of a
man , whose hat had rolled to a short distance, lying ex
tended upon the grave . He knew very well who wasburied there
,and with a light bound he jumped over the
wall, without waiti ng to go around by the gate, and cau
tiously approached the spot. As he drew nearer, he sud
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thouhast perfected praise.
”
UPON leaving the cemetery the n ight previous,Minni e
sobbed so violen tly, and plead so touchi ngly , to be car
ried back “ to stay with dear mamma,
”that Alice Syd
ney wished to take the childre n to Li ndenwood for thenigh t ; but Dexter respectfully but firmly decl i ned . The
poor boy had wept un ti l the fountain of hi s grief was
exhausted , and hi s head ached so violently that he felt
wholly unequal to the effort which would be necessary if
he accepted her kind i nvi tati on . He des ired to be alone,
and think of h is mother’s last words . He had been leftsole protector of hi s sister, and he wished to form some
plans for her and himself. The good nurse, who had
been so unwearied i n her care of h i s sick mother, would
now, be supposed, be obliged to leave, and there was no
time for him to lose in useless repining. Duri ng the longyear wh ich had passed since the dreadful blow had fal len
upon them,from which hi s mother had never recovered ,
not one word Of i ntelligence had been received from hi s
father. In the free conversation s he had held wi th hi s
mother near the close of her li fe, she had expres sed doubt
whether he sti ll l ived ; and, even i f he did, whether he
would return to his family . She thought he might be
prevented,by shame
,from commg back to his native vi l
lage What,then
,could he do wi th the sweet chi ld ?
370
T HE H OUSEH OLD AN G EL IN D I SG U I SE . 371
All seemed dark and drear before h im . But soon his
hopes revived. Hi s confidence returned . Mother Often
repeated to us God’s promise to be a father to the father
less, and I will trust him .
”
A multitude of such thoughts passed through his
mind, as they drove toward the house w hich had been
their home,and where the kind nurse awaited them .
Alice had been ta lking in a cheerful voice to Minnie, and
had succeeded i n diverti ng her grief.
Happy chi ldhood ! The waves of sorrow break and
dash over thee, but the receding bil low flows gently back
to the sea , and thou art soon shouting as en ti rely forget
ful of thy grief, as the next wave which comes leaping.foaming, sparkli ng and breaking upon the shore
Dexter gazed upon h is l ittle sister as Mr. Sydney liftedher from the carriage
,and asked himself
,Can I ever
agai n be happy ? Can I ever forget ? ” Though but
twelve years of age, yet i n maturity of character he was
much Older. For a long time he had been the confidant
and comforter of his mother. He Often wondered at theconduct of his compan ions , who were irri tated and ah
noyed at what appeared to him the veri‘est trifles ; but
was forced to the conclus ion that they had never known
real trouble .
On enteri ng the room,rendered desolate by the re
moval of the sacred remains of his beloved mother, Dexter was so much overcome with grief, that he w as obl iged
to follow the oft-repeated advice Of Nurse Green , and
betake himself to bed. She soon carri ed h im a cup of
warm tea, and
,fatigued by over-watching and excite
ment, he fell i nto the sound sleep of chi ldhood , li ttle
372 rHE HOUSE HOLD A NGEL
dreaming w ho was sleeping an unconsc ious vig il at his
mother’s grave . Min nie snugly n estled herself to hi ss ide, and thus the sweet chi ldren lay.
The next morning Dexte'
r was suddenly aw akened by
the heavy, rattli ng sound Of“
a wagon,which stopped d i
rectly i n front of the cottage . He started quickly out ofbed, for a moment forgetting hi s dreadful loss , and sur
prised that he h ad so overslept. But soon the uread real
ity burst upon h im , and, putting hi s hand to his head, he
was just about to resume his place by the side of hi s si s
ter, that he might weep with her, when a loud knock was
heard at the door.
Nurse had risen an hour earl ier,and was now;’ i n the
small shed, preparing their morn ingrepast. She h astenedto see who th is unseasonable vis itor could be. It was
Farmer Pond, flurried and anxious, and behi nd hit" a long
cart,the high sides of which prevented her from seei ng
what it contained .
“ Good morning,Nurse Green
,said Mr . Pond.
Good morning,” was the rep ly .
“ Anybody sick at
your house
Why no,not exactly ; but I
’ve got somebody i n this
’ere wagon needs atte nti on . I found him lying on the
newly-made grave of hi s wife . How the poor fellowname there I can’t imagine. I didn’t k now he was out
of prison ; but he seems now entirely uncon scious . Hehasn’t moved a hair si nce we put him into the wagon .
The good woman stood so amazed at the announce
ment, that she had not yet spoken ; but when he added,We bette r get him i nto bed as soon as we can , and
have the doctor to him ,
”she w as all ready to doher part.
374 THE H OUSEHOLD AN GEL
quietly down,and took the child upon her lap, while
Clarence stood beside her.
A low groan came from the bedside,follow ed by a
quick gasp from the sufferer.“ There ,
” said the Doctor, “ he s come to . Give me
the bandages,nurse
,I don’t want to debili tate h im . He
was pretty near gon
Clarence advanced, and taking the cold hand, vigor
ously chafed i t, and i n the course of half an hour, with
the help of camphor and water,which they succeeded in
forcing down his throat, the man rev ivedjo a ful l sen se
of his situation , and of his dreadful loss. He took nonotice of his children
,though Al ice had persuaded Minnie
to put her hand on papa’s head . With a shudder he
motioned her away, as if the sight were too i n timately
connected wi th the memory of her mother for h is present
endurance. H i s grief was too deep for tears, and his expression of unuttered agony appealed to every heart.
The presence of strangers seemed to annoy him . Clar
ence and Alice,therefore
,reluctantly departed, after
making arrangements with Nurse Green to do everything for the comfort of the i nvalid.
Recommending a bowl of warm gruel for the poor
i nan,
'
the Doctor also hurried away to make a tardy callupon hi s other patients. Nurse Green went quietly toher work i n the shed
,hoping Mr. Hayden would fall
asleep. But he was no sooner alone than he arose
feebly, and sat upon the side of hi s bed, his eyes cast
down to th e floor ; then he slowly raised them , and took
a ful l survey of everything wh ich the room contai ned .
A fter -tw o or three efforts, he succeeded in walking across
rN D I SG U I SE . 375
the room to a rocking-chair,i n which he sat
,when Min
nie, directed by her brother,w ho from the inner room had
anxiously watched his father’s motion s,advanced shyly
toward him , turning her head a l i ttle on one side,and
glancmg up through her curls in a most winning man
ner. She could not understand the shade of anguish
wh ich passed over his face,and was about to dart back
to her brother, when the poor desolate father beckoned
her toward him .
“ Dear papa, dear~ p apa,” she repeated softly, puttingher li ttle hand in hi s .
The father’s heart w as touched,and he caught the
ch ild to h is breast with a violence which frightened her .
Dexter came forward and soothed her,sayi ng : Minnie
loves poor papa,Minn ie’s glad papa’s come home and
the lovi ng spirit of the child was moved by the loud
sobs which were bursti ng from his agonized heart. She
took her ti ny apron , and wiped away the tears which
were flowing l ike a river down his pale cheek .
Blessed tears, wha t a relief to h is pen t up gri ef ! EvenDexter,who had been frightened at hi s si len t w oe, under
stood th is . M i nnie’s apron was soon saturated,and
Dexter passed him a large handkerchief from the drawer.And now father and son wep t together, as the latter
related the circumstances of hi s mother’s sickness and
death . her last words of blessing upon them , and love
for him . Until the day she died,” be repeated “ she
never ceased to speak of you, and to impress i t upon
our minds to be obedien t to al l your wishes, because she
knew if you ever returned , youwould need the soothingi nfluence of sympathy and affection .
376 THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
Though every word was a dagger to the heart o f l l’l t
bereaved husband,yet he bid hi s son go on : Tel l me
all,
” he sobbed out,“ every word don’t spare me and
Dexter did tell h im all her patience through her longs ickness ; her desire to l ive for the sake of her child : an
but her entire submission to her heavenly Father’s wil l“ ‘He will provide
,
’ was her daily remark as she drew
nearer her end .
” He n arrated,also
,somethi ng of the
kindness of friends who had been raised up for them,the
unfail ing goodness of young Mrs . Sydney,and what a
comfort she had been\
to them i n thei r poverty and grief
As mother received from you nei ther letter nor mes
sage,she feared your close confinemen t had killed you
,
but beside these parting words,sh e wrote you a long
letter which She put i nto my hands i n case you Shouldreturn . Tell h im
,
’ she said,when she gave it to me ,
that I love him as well as ever,and that God has com
forted my dying bed with the blessed assurance that 1
shal l meet him in Heaven .
’
“ Give it to me,
” gasped the poor , man , putting out hi s
hand . But Dexter replied : “ Dear father,i t would be
better to delay i t unti l another time . I have sti l l much
to tell you, and Nurse Green has brought your gruel.Neither you nor l have had any breakfast.”Minnie sli pped from her father’s lap and cl imbed into
the chair. It was really affecti ng to see how humblv
Mr. Hayden deferred his ow n wishes to those of his son .
In that hour of sorrow,Dexter established an i nfluence
over h is father which was never lost. To please Minn ie
he took a seat at the table,though she little knew what
a pang it cost him but his life w as now to be made n o
378 THE HOUSEH OLD AN GE L
continue these family devotion s with his si s ter . He
therefore s eated Minn ie by his side,and taking the Bible
and Prayer-book , i n a broken voice, commenced readingv
When he concluded , violent sobs from the inner room
arrested his atten tion . The door had been Opened,and
the poor penitent was upon his knees,while th e ferven t cry
of the publican , God be merciful to me a si nner,” was
upon his lips . Such a cry never goes forth in vain
Tw o days later, Mr . Hayden having received from hisson the letter of hi s dying wife
,retired to hi s chamber,
where, with trembling hands he broke the seal , opei1ed
and read, as follows :
My very dear husband,
Though I know not whether you are i n the landof the living, yet I feel constrained to write you th isfarewell
,SO that
,i f you shoul d ever return to your family,
youmay know how fully and freely I have forgiven al l
the past,and with what an assurance of hope I look
forward to spending an eterni ty with you i n Heaven .
Yes,God has heard my prayers in your behalf, and has
granted me an answer of peace . Al l my nights of
wrestling for you are over ; all my inward groaning, lest
the separation which has been so affl ictive, should be
eternal . I am soon going home, and there, i n God’s
ow n good time,I hope to meet you .
“ Later. Every day I grow weaker, and I rej oice thatmy soj ourn i s almost ended . I shall soon be wi th my
Saviour,where I shall be free from sin and sorrow . My
heavenly Father has taken from death its on ly remaining
terror, the thought of leaving my chi ldren . But why
IN D I SG UI SE . 379
should I fear? He is a covenant keeping God,and will
provide for them . He has raised them up friends,and I
can cheerfully leave them in his paternal care .
Sabbath morning. The film of death has already be
gun to gather over my eyes . My pen trembles in my
hand, but a few li nes will assure you that the Saviour i s
my support. H is presence w i ll lighten the dark valley .
H is right arm will uphold me amidst the swellings of
Jordan . I shall soon be safe in my heavenly home.
Bear i n mind that your Maria loved you to the end , and
that my last earthly thought wil l be a prayer for blessings
on your head.
Let every
The last sentence was i nterrupted by a violent fit Of
coughing, and was never fini shed .
In the meantime the family at Lindenwood (for allof them had become interested i n Alice’s protégés),were
planning what was best to be done for the reformed man.
The w i sh of the young wife,Mrs. Sydney, to take charge
of Minnie,seemed no longer feasible, Si nce i t would ‘
be
cruel to separate the chi ldren from their affl icted father
Uncle Stephen renewed hi s proposal to his young al
moner to draw upon him to any extent she might deem
necessary to set up the man i n some permanent bus i ness.
It was easi ly ascertai ned,through Mr. Gates, that he
had formerly been a master-mason,and at the time he was
married,considered one of the best workmen in the town .
The man who had taken hi s place,was induced , by the
representation of Clarence, to offer him work, upon t he
condition,i f hi s reformation were permanent, of shortly
‘
380 THE H OUSE HOLD ANGE L
taki ng him i nto partnershi p ; an arrangement equallybenefici al to both .
His kind fri ends did not wish to hurry him . They
preferred to gi ve him time to recrui t hi s strength , and to
improve by the affliction which had visited him . But
w hen Clarence , at the request of hi s wife, cal led to in
form h im of the arrangements which had been made,he
found he had removed a burden which weighed heavi ly
upon Mr. Hayden’s mi nd . The poor man,with his
humiliating views of himsel f,felt that he could never
venture to solici t employment from those acquainted
withhi s former character,and had even medi tated a re
moval to a town where he was not known . Thi s he knew
would be a sad trial for Dexter, as he would be obl igedto leave the Academy where he was so successfully prose
euting hi s s tudies . He acknowledged the kindnes s,witha fervor which Showed the relief i t had afforded him
,es
pecially when Mrs . Green was requested to remain for
the present, and take care of the family.
382 T HE H OUSEHOLD AN GE L
he is one of th e bes t of chi ldren,yet I must say he is
cl ear Fowler in regard to talk ing. H is father w as just
so before him, whi le the Perkin ses (my ancestors)were
famous for bei ng Social and free . I often tell my darterJuli a (the one
, you k now,I was carrying the currant
wi ne to) that I don’t feel altogeth er at ease wi th her
brother,especially since he’s got to be a profes sor ; and
I hope you’ll accept this as the bes t apology I can offer
for not i ntroducing you to him the day we rode together.
I w as astonished, l mus t confess , when he told me he
had never even mentioned the subj ect to you ; and, to
tel l the truth , that is why I was more willi ng to write to
a stranger,that you might not think I w as ignoran t of
what belonged to good manners.“ Hoping that you will take what I have written i ngood part, I will close by saying that, as soon as I heard
my son was going to be married,I hired a woman ,
Phebe Dayson by name,i nto the house
,to make h im
up a set of li nen and a set of cotton Shirts , togetherwith all other necessary articles for hi s w ardrobe .
In great haste, your very true friend,HANNA H P . FOW LER.
P. S . In readi ng myo
letter over this morning, 1 'see
I have forgotten to tell you that you’ll be right welcome
to the family,and to none of them more so than to me
as 1 tel l my son I am the best acquainted with you of
any of them . I also forgot to tell you that I have com
menced ori a dozen pairs of lambswool stocki ngs for my;
son . Yours,H. P. FOW LER.
iN DXSGUISE . 383
The wedd ing was to take place on the morn ing of the
first day of May,when the bridal party would attend
the newly married pair about one hundred miles on their
way toward the Falls of Niagara . On their return , aparty of friends were invited to meet them at the Hall,
when they immediately proceeded to B
The,arrival of Gertrude i n fine spirits, and looking
more beautiful than ever, caused quite a jubilee in the
family . The meeting between Gertrude and Edith wastruly affecting
,such a change had taken place i n each
of them since they last met. It was not,however, until
on retiri ng to rest,they knelt side by side, and offered
their earnest prayers for protection,pardon , and peace,
that either realized the beauty which religion had im
parted to the character of the other.
The day following Gertrude’s return , when the whole
w ere assembled i n the parlor,a servant entered
with a card,which she presented to Gertrude, who, with
a very rosy hue upon her bright countenance, passed it
to her father . Mr . Stan ley smiled as he ordered the
servant to show the gentleman into the room .
Al ice glanced at her husband, but he was evidently at
a loss to conceive the cause of the mysterious smi les of
her parents or the blushes of her sister. They had not
long to wait, however, for Mr. Stanley stepped toward
the door, and cordi al ly welcomed Mr. Henderson, fromBaltimore . Gertrude also advanced a few steps, and, i f
her words did not express as much as her father’s,the
gentleman appeared fully satisfied w i th his reception .
Mr. Stanley then turned to i n troduce his wife , when , to
the as tonishment of all present,with a suc
'
den start ho
384 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GEL
sprang forward,and grasped both her hands
,wh ile
Charles Marion and Can i t be poss ible ? ”
were all that for a time could be heard,as the two ear
n estly gazed at each other. But soon , remembering that
her fri end had not yet been in troduced to all the family,
Mrs . Stanley led h im first to Uncle Stephen,and then
to each of the others,saying
,
“ This is my dear friend,
of whom you have so Often heard me speak, - th e
Charles, Alice , about whom I have related so many
pleasing remin i scence s .”
Al l form ali ty was now ended by this recognition ; and
Mr. Henderson , or Charley,as his early friend Marion
called him , was received at once as a member of the
family.
She drew him shortly i nto the large Window, W here
he was very earnest i n telling her some piece of good
news, to which she l istened wi th pleased atten tion , unti l
he said,How very S ingular, Marion , that , i nstead Of a
name by which I once aspired to cal l you, my highest
ambition now i s to dignify you with the title of mamma l ”
The merry peal of laughter which burs t from both Of
them called forth an answering echo in the room ; and
Gertrude, obeying a summon s from her mother, advanced
to i nquire the cause .
Mr. Henderson arose and gave her a seat, while hedrew a chair near
,as he said
,Now , Gertrude, I may as
wel l confess that I have not. told you al l my wild pranks.
I suppose Marion would be hi nti ng that youwere not
my first love ; so I’l l tell you all . When I was a boy of
fourteen,I l ived i n C and was the nearest n eighbor
of Marion Thurston . I had no sisters , and she had no
386 T HE HOUSEHOLD AN GELsoon go away to become a merchant, and then I should
be glad that we had not been so fooli sh as to engage
ourselves to each other, for I might see some one I
should like much better. Marion always w as wise
beyond her years ; and i n thi s case she certain ly mani
fes ted great wisdom . That scene in the arbor was
twenty years ago ; and from that time unti l I saw you,
dearest,
” he said,respectfully taking her hand, a nd low
ering hi s voice,“ I have never seen a lady of whom
should wish to ask such a question .
”
He spoke so sadly, as i f he feared he had offendedher
,and yet so earnestly
,that Gertrude rewarded his
frankness with a bright glance of affection .
“ There '” said be,starti ng up
,“ I feel happier than
ever. I have confessed all my sins in that li ne , and re
ceived absolution . I’l l look out and behave well for the
future .”
“ I wouldn’t like to be respon s ible for you, said
Marion,laughing ; “
you are just the same Charley as
of Old. But, i f Gertrude is willi ng to try, I can be
surety for you that you will keep nothing concealed from
her . You never could keep a secret, Charley .
”
Mr. Stan ley now approached, and said , “ I think i t is
high“
time for me to come forward , and hear what is an
secret.”
“ It was so joyful and unexpected a meeti ng with my
Old friend,” an swered Mr. Henderson ,
“ that I begin to
think I’ve acted very fooli shly in carrying her back to old
times, about which she seems to have forgotten .
”
Duri ng the few days which intervened before the
w edding, Charley , as the whole family soon learned to
N
m Drs s vrss . 38 :
call h im , made himself so useful , that Emma said she
did not see how they had ever done without him .
Mr. Stan ley had communicated to the family the fact
of his conditional engagement to Gertrude, while theywere at th e South
,but to which she could not fully co n
sent without the knowledge and approbati on of her
parents . Now , however, the engagement was ratified by
thei r approval .
Mr . Henderson had spen t the past winter i n Aiken , acelebrated resort for i nvalids
,having gone there to aecom
pany a son of his partner, where he met Gertrude, who,with her friend
,was boarding at the same hotel . Thei r
acquaintance soon ripened i nto friendshi p, and fri endshi p
i nto love ; and , when she left for the north , he aecom
pan ied th e party with which she travelled as far as N ew
York, and there obtained permi ssion from her father to
follow them to Li ndenwood .
The day before Emma was to leave,Doctor Jenks
called to bid her farewell . He seemed in fine spirits,and
told her he was looking forward to a wedding in the fall,
when Maurice returned . Seei ng her look Of astonish
ment,he con ti nued
,I have received a letter from Capt
B ruce , i n which he tells me that the conduct of my son
has been so exemplary,that he has promoted him to be
firs t mate . And i n a letter Maurice w rote to Amy, he
claims her promis e that. when he i s thus advanced,she
w i ll become Mrs . J enks,junior. Poor Amy li ttle thought
he would claim her so soon but I tell her a promise i s a
promise , and i t wont do for her to be. setti ng him an ex
ample of violati ng his word .
’Twould be hard for wife
and I to give her up, she worked so naturally right i n to
388 THE HOUSEHOLD AN GE L
the placeof a daughter. Wife was saying yesterday she
never had had her caps done up so neatly, and she thinks
i t i s a ll because Amy is Scotch .
”
In the evening, when Professor Fowler arrived with
ins si ster, Mrs . Julia Norton,Mr . Henderson looked upon
him with envy,as bei ng on th e eve of h is marriage . He
even went to Mr. Stanley to beg that h is nuptials m ight
be celebrated at the same time . Mr . Stanley shook his
head , but sent h im to his daughter,w ho decidedly refused
to be spiri ted Off i n such a hurry,and told him he de~
served to wai t a year for th inki ng of such a th ing.
If you’l l forgi ve me th is once,
” he began with
mock gravity ; but Gertrude interrupted him ,though she
could not refrain from laughing.
“ Stop, stop ! said
she,
“ I’m tired out of your confessions and promises .
You’ve done nothing for the last week but to Offend , and
make resolutions of amendment. When will you ever
seriously set about improving ?
“ Just as soon,dear Gertrude
,
” he answered, his coun
tenance becoming serious, as you wil l take me under
your traini ng . But really,love
,tel l me if I have pained
you by my levity? I have so v ery li ght a heart, I may
have erred ”
Gertrude was obliged to turn away to conceal a tear
which was gli sten i ng i n her eye . The frankness and
good temper of her friend was a cordial to her heart, for
she knew him to be possessed Of a deep, warm under
curren t Of pri nciple and affection . Perceiving that he
spoke seriously,she said
,i n a low voice, which she vainly
endeavored to render calm,I th in k
,then
,I must com
mence my discipline very soon , or youwill be beyond myinfluence.
390 THE HOUSE HOLD AN GEL
passed,and the party were waiti ng for the carriage tr.
convey them to the depot. Uncle Stephen,who had sud
den ly di sappeared immediately after the ceremony , wasseen beckoning the bride from the room . She haste ned
to j oin h im,when he put i nto her hand a folded p i per,
saying,as he hasti ly turned away
,“ Just for your name
,
you know .
“ Dear, k ind Uncle Stephen ! ” said the warm -hearted
girl,glancing at i ts contents
,and thrusting it i nto her
pocket,
“ i s i t only for my name that you have always
been so very kind to me,and tri ed to hel p me to be a
good girl ? Don’t you love me a very l i ttl e for myself,too and she clasped her arms closely around his neck .
There,chi ld 3 he answered
,k i ssi ng her hearti ly,
while the tears began to stream down his cheeks . “ I’m
an old fo ol to cry when I’m so happy. You’re a good
girl,Emma
,and I myself shouldn’t have obj ected to tak
i ng you for a wife .”
This was the greatest compliment Uncle Stephen ever
paid,and the bride could not help smili ng through her
Hears . “ I love you a great deal better as Uncle Ste
phen,
”she said, laughi ng, and agai n ki ssi ng her good-bye .
When they were seated i n the cars, Emma placed thefoldedpaper i n the hands Of her husband .
He sta rted . Why,Emma
, youdidn’t tell me youwere
an heiress
Am I ? she asked, smili ng; I didn’t know it my
Yes,
” he answered,reading from the paper, “
you
have funds i n tw o banks in New York, amounting to thevery pretty sum of fifteen thousand dollars .”
1N D I SG U I SE . 391
I’m glad I didn’t k now it before,” she said, archly.
Why 7
Because but the explanation was interrupted bythe conductor
, who was patiently standing at the s ide of
the young husband,and who
,finding his presence unno
ticed , touched hi s shoul der, saying, Tickets , if you
please .
Al ice leaned over the seat,and whispered , Clarence
says Prof. Fowler had better res ign”
the tickets and bag
gage to his care,until we leave you.
”
O 11 the return Of Gertrude and Alice with their party,Mr. Henderson plead earn estly with hi s fri end Marion toin tercede for him
,that h is marri age need not be delayed
beyond the first Of June . He had i n vai n urged Gertrudeto consent to this . She had been absent several months,and wished to remain at home until fall, especi ally as
Edithmight leave the country at that time .
A very strong friendship had grown up between Ger
trude and Edith . Notwithstanding both of them wereactuated by new princip les and motives, en tirely unlike
those which formerly governed their conduct,yet their
natural traits were unchanged . Gertrude was lively and
rather indo lent,when nothing of spec1al i nterest called
for her attention . To be sure she did not i ndulge herself
i n th is habit,as formerly but th is was what she consid
ered her infirmity. Edith,on the contrary, was firm,
self-relying, and energetic . These traits marked , also,her religious character. She entered with her whole heart
i nto whatever she u ndertook . She migh t not always
choose the bes t, or wisest means, i n the performance of
an action ; but her zeal was untiring. In earli er life
392 THE HOUSEH OLD A NGE L
Edi th, though several years younger, acquired a greati nfluence over Gertrude, and i t w as
'
pl ainly to be seen
that she stil l l eaned upon her. Happy was i t for Ger
trude that the i nfluen ce now was ever for good .
Would you do th is ?” or Shall I do that ? ” were
questions which Gertrude had always been i n the habit
of aski ng. Now Edith endeavored to assist her to fix
princi ples by which to govern her conduct. Is it
right ? ’ i s the question , dear sister, and the on ly question .
”
She would hardly admit there were any questions Of
expediehcy which would not come under some settledrule.
About a week after Emma had finally left them , as
Gertrude and Edith were sitti ng i n th e brigh t moonlight,talking of th e past, present, and future , DO you know,
si ster,
” asked the former,that I th ink you are just the
one for a missionary ? ”
Edith’s countenance changed so suddenly that i t couldnot escape the notice Of her s ister ; but neither Of them
spoke for a time .
At length Edith said,tremulously
, You would not
say th at, i f you knew my heart. Oh , i t makes me shudder when I remember what a proud
,rebelli ous heart
mine has been ! Sometimes,
” she added , her voice sink
ing to a lower key, and expressing deep feeling, some
times I am tempted to fear that I cannot be forgiven
that my sin s have been too aggravated . But that i s only
when I forget the heavy price which has been paid for
my ransom . Far ofte ner my feeli ngs are expressed bythe words which are ever running through my mind
Love I much, I’
m much forgiven,
I’m a miracle of grace.
394 THE HOUSE HOLD AN GEL
fied Saviour to the poor, deluded heathen . Perhaps you
cannot real ize i t ; but I think i t would be th e greatest
tri al of my l ife not to go and labor for their salvation ,
at the same time I fully appreci ate the sacrifice i t will-beto part from so many dear and tried friends . A father,mother
,and sisters
,who have borne wi th my obsti nacy,
my petulance,my self-will, and have loved me, notw ith
s tandi ng all my faults . I am surprised, too, at Uncle Ste
phen,when he knows me so well , that he should deem me
worthy to go out under h is patronage, and as a oompan
ion for one whom he has loved and treated like a son
but Alfred told me,when I urged rriy character as an Oh
jection , th at he had expressed himself as well sa ti sfied
with the choice .
Many conversations l ike the above took place during
the summer, not only with Edith , but with every member Of the family
,for Edith had become very frank
, w i th
al l her friends . Especially did she enj oy a quiet talk withUncle Stephen about the manners and customs Of the peo
ple among whom she was so soon to dwel l . He i nformedher Of the present state Of the mission
,read to her letters
from Mr. and Mrs . Huntington,and then expressed more
fully hi s wi shes wi th regard to the schools,and the prin t
ing press, which he had lately sent out. At length one
day when she was look ing over and referring to a letter
Uncle Stephen had read her,she came to a few words
which he i nformed her were i n Hindoostanee, w hen the
thought suddenly occurred to her, Why couldn’t I be
learning the language ? Her face flushed with pleasureat the thought
,and She eagerly inquired, “ Have you any
elementary books i n the language
1N D i sGmsE . 395
NO,” he repli ed though he added
,after a moment
,“ I
thin k Clarence has .
And will you assi st me if I try to be getting an in
sight i n to it ? And wil l you keep my secret ?” were
her rapid questions .
Without answeri ng, Uncle Stephen walked quicklyin to the adjoi ni ng room , where Clarence kept h is private
li brary, hi s law books being at hi s Office , and soon re
turned with a small book , answeri ng to an Engli shprimer, and al so a dictionary. Clarence would gladly
teach you,” he said .
But no , Edith preferred him for a teacher, and a teacherhe gladly consented to be . Ever si nce hi s return to Ameriica she had heard both Uncle Stephen and Clarence use
expression s i n Hindoostanee, and when Alfred first came
to the Hall , he had taught her several phrases,with whichshe had delighted her school companions on her return to
F
unfamiliar to her ear. She took a lesson i n the sound of,so that the sound of the language was notwholly
the letters that very day, and lay awake nearly half th e
n ight,trying to recall the meaning Of certai n words
which were running through her mi nd . When at l as t
she fell asleep,the curiously-formed letters were dancing
before her excited vi sion,wh il e half-clad Hi ndoos seemed
screami ng meaningless words i n her ears .
It i s doubtful .whether Uncle Stephen or h is pupi l
better enjoyed the hour passed i n spelling, writi ng, or
speaki ng the strange tongue . The old gentleman was
proud Of his ow n ski l l as a teacher, and he was still more
proud o f Edi th’s success,which was i ndeed remarkable.
He looked forward with in tense del ight to the time when
396 TH E H O USEHOLD A NGEL .
her secret snould be discovered , and many were the plans
made and rejected for bri nging it to l ight when the proper
moment should arri ve . D uring the summer Gertrude and
Edith found full occupation for their n eedles,i n the pre
parations for the double ceremony which was to take
place some time in the fall, and in these engagemen ts
they found efficient assi stance from their mother and
Alice , though the latter spen t much time i n the vil lage,i n her vi si ts among the poor. She had long before given
up her equestria n habits, and Clarence had purchased
a light carriage,i n which she could drive Fel ix
,who was
perfectly tractable . Minn ie Hayden had commencedattending an i nfant school , and might be seen at recess
keeping tight hold of the hand of her little fri end,Lizzy
Gate s, Dex te r leading them to and from schoo l .
398 TH E HOUSEH OLD ANGE L
farmer’s wife left her churn ing, and advanced to the door
to welcome her vi sitors . She rather hesitated,as she
saw they were strangers, but supposing they might wish
to pur chase butter or cream , she stood , while they de
scended from the carriage, modestly awaiti ng them .
Edith co rdi ally advanced, and presented her hand , saying
,as she did so Is th is Mr s . Goodwin 7
Yes,ma
’
am,
” she replied,dropping a courtesy .
I see you do not remember me,continued Edith
,
smi ling, though rather sadly ; “ and yet I have visi ted
you and passed , at least, one nigh t . under your roof,
which , i f I h ave been rightly i nformed, deprived you of
your res t, so that you were obliged to hold your in fant
in your arms until morning.
”
Can it be possible ? ” i nquired Mrs . Goodwin , having
surveyed, from head to foot, the tall, elegantly dressed
lady before her . NO,
”She added
,as i f speaking to her
se lf, “ the sick girl was very unl ike th i s one .”
But I am the very one of whom you took such ki nd
care, and if you will allow us to walk in , I w il l soon
conv ince you Of i t.”
With many blushes and apologies for her impo l iteness
i n allowing them to stand at the door, Mrs . Goodwin in v i
ted them in to her neat,cool apartment
,which
,as formerly .
answered the doubl e purpose of s i tti ng and s leepi ng
rooms . Hasti ly shaking up the feathers i n a small, redcovered cush ion
,which graced the wooden rocking-chai r,
and pushing i t toward Edi th,the hos tess begged her
visito rs to make themselves at home , and she wou ld call
Joshua to put up the horse .
The room,from having been shut up S i nce sunri se,
I
m D I SG UI SE . 99
was delicious ly cool , the thick paper shades keeping
out almost every ray of light. Edith seated hersel f,and
laid as ide her bonnet,much pleased w ith the Situation i n
which she found herself, sheltered so completely from the
scorchi ng rays of the sun . It w as some time before her
eyes became enough accustomed to the darkness to see
what the room contained. In one corner stood a low
bedstead,made up very round and high
,Showing plai nly
there was no sti n t of feathers i n i ts manufacture . Thi s
was covered w i th a gayly-colored patchwork qui lt, upon
which much tas te had been expended i n the arrangement
of the figures . By its s ide stood a ches t of drawers,the
top neatly covered with a snow-white napkin,while a
family Bible , cased in brown cambric, lay upon it. Jus t
above the Bible hung a small mirror,ornamented with
green feathery asparagus, with its bright-red berries, a
pitcher fi lled w i th the same,also stood in the chimney
corner . A table,upon which lay a few select and well
preserved books , together with half a dozen chairs com
pleted the survey. Nothi ng could have better provedthe change i n Edith to be radical
,than to mark the ex
pres sion of her countenance as her eye rested,first upon
one article,then upon another
,i n the s imple apartmen t.
Formerly She would have regarded the whole with s n
preme contempt,or as so far beneath her as to be un
worthy to exci te any other feeli ng than profound indif
ference ; but now,i n the Bible, so neatly covered, and
reverently placed,she read the characters of her host and
hostess,as lovers of th e sacred truths i t contai ned, as
fellow-travellers,looking forward with herself to the same
400 T HE HOUSEHOLD'
ANGEL
blessed home in the skies,and she fel t bound to them by
the stronges t ti es of Chri stian affection .
At the sound of a man’s voice speaking to the nurse,
as he drove to the well- stored barn, Mr. Huntington had
stepped out to say that it would not be worth the while
to unhar'
ness,as their stay would be very short . But the
hospitable host would not cons ent to such an arrange
ment. Hi s wi fe had told b im,i n a w ord
,w ho had come,
and he w as proud to show them that th ey were welcome .
He now entered,i n company with Alfred
,to be i ntro
duced to the lady, and was immediately followed by his
wife,who, after summoning a boy from the garden to
finish the churning,had hasti ly arranged her own toi let,
by re-smoothing her hair, and tyi ng on a clean, whi te
apron,and now came i n to add her earnest i nvitation to
that of her husband, that their vis itors would remain
through the day, and ride home in the cool of the even
ing. Both Mr. and Mrs . Goodwin w ere so earnest in
their desire to entertai n the voung lady toward whom
they felt such an interest,that neither she nor her friend
could well refuse,and Edith consented , on the condition
that their hostess would not allow thei r coming to in
terrupt her duties .
La sakes l" exclaimed Joshua,wife don’t have sum0
a sight 0 ’ company th at she can’t afford to give up one
day to entertai ning of ’em,and I a ’n’t at all driv with
work n ow ;’twill be a treat to both on us .
The boy at th is moment put i n h is head at the door,apparently to make the announcement : Miss Good
win,your butter’s come as hard as shot,
” but,really
,to take a survey of the new arrival ; and Edith
402 a n ousm io en ANG EL
observing the i n tense surpri se m anifcs ed i n the an
nouncement,and enti rely mistaking th e cause . She
knew both Mr. and Mrs . Goodwi n had seen her underthe most unfavorable circumstances
, and well know
i ng that they could not be aware of the en ti re
renovation of her character,she thought they w ould
n aturally consider her very unfit for the station to which
she aspired .
But nothing could have been further from the truth ,and
,i ndeed
,as Mrs . Goodwin took her apron
,and wiped
her eyes with th e back of her hand,she would have been
puzzled to explai n her own feelings,so fluttered was she
at the unexpected pleasure and honor of seeing real
missionaries,of speaking with them and of even enter
taini ng them under her humble roof. She had heard a great
deal about missions and missionaries,from the pulpit ;
and her mother, w ho l ived in a neighboring town , occa
s ionally sent her papers contain ing missionary intelli
gence . She and her'
husband always laid by a small
sum,from th eir earn ings
,to be sen t to the heathen ; but
the idea of ever knowi ng a missionary,of heari ng from
h i s ow n l ips,about the great work i n which he was en
gaged , was so much above and beyond her expectations,that she found i t di fficult to realize her ow n good for
tune . Then there came welling up a feeling of pride as
she thought of the i nterest she should create by relati ng
to her mother,friends
,and neighbors . and even to her
good minister,the honor which had been conferred upon
her. All thes e thoughts rushed so quickly through her
mind that she was not aware how earnestly she gazed at
one, and then another, utterly unmindful of the task be
tore he r
IN D l SGUISE . 403
Poor Joshua sat awkwardly tw i rl ing his thumbs, and
looki ng very much confused . If he had been told that
the gentleman sitting on the stone step by h is side,was
the rich Squire Barstow,from New York, '
ofwhom he had
heard so much , or the famous lawyer, C from Boston ,he would not have felt embarrassed
,for he was an inde
pendent, true-hearted American farmer, owing no man
anything, and rej oicing i n his l iberty to th i nk and act for
himself. But to have talked so freely with a missionary,
to be s i tting there,on the back stoop
,with a man w ho
was going to leave all his friends and home,to take his
life i n his hands and go forth to dwell among heathen ,the ignorant
,deluded heathen
,amidst all the discomforts
of a barbarous state, to look forward cheerful ly to i t, for
the sake of hi s divin e Master — th is,i n his opi nion,so
elevated and ennobled his guest and rendered the em
ploymen t in which he had heretofore prided himselfso humble
,from the contrast
,that
,for a time, he had
not a word to say . At length,he sighed heavily, as
he exclaimed : W ife,l guess thi s ere gentleman and
lady better go i n to their room,while I go out and water
the horse agi n ; I didn’t gin him much , he w as so warm .
”
“ It i sn’t necessary,yet
,
” responded Mr. Huntington ,laying his hand gently on the man’s arm , as he was
rising from his seat ; “ and you certainly wouldn’t wish
to exclude us from the enj oyment of this fine breeze ;Edith
,
” he added,address i ng her gayly, to give him time
to recover himself,th is will be a good opportuni ty for
you to learn to make butter. All we shall have wi ll be
of our ow n maki ng. A t any rate, from what I can re
404 THE nousnno i . ) ANG EL
member of the w ant of neatness among the natives , I
should hardly reli sh butter worked by them .
”
The conversation was i nterrupted by the boy comingfrom the barn with the fat baby asleep i n h is arms . Hehad been dismissed there to amuse her with the chick
ens until her mother could be at liberty to attend to her.
The farmer took her with a tenderness and ski ll which
proved him to be not wholly unused'
to such business,
and laid her upon th e bed ; then , havi ng watered the
horse , he returned to his seat to li sten with great i n terest
to the conversation which was going o n i n the shed .
Mrs . Goodwin had now recovered the use of her
tongue ; and, whi le she rapidly advanced to the comple
tion of her business,she asked in numerable questi on s
relative to Al fred’s early days and their future life, think
ing that, as she had such an opportunity to hear about
that which so much interested her,’twould be extremely
fooli sh to waste it. Having motioned the boy, whos tood by her side, to carry the wooden tray of golden
colored bal ls to the cellar,she brought from a closet two
glasses of rich milk for her guests , which Alfred declared
was a
‘
fit treat for a queen . She moved about noise
lessly,putting away dishes
,and preparing for di nner,
her absorbing in terest i n the subj ect discussed renderi ng
her whol ly forgetful of the awkwardness of doing so i n
th e presence of strangers ; and, before any of them were
aware,the table i n the ki tchen w as spread with a neatly
fringed cloth from her best drawer, and covered wi th a
most tempting repast . Though the dishes h appened to
be common delft ware,and set on without regard to the
latest style, of which she was wholly ignorant, yet the
406 TH E HOUSEH OLD A NGE L
seemed to understand its import . Mother said it repaid
her for all the tri als they had passed through .
”
The baby now awoke , and called loudly for attention .
Mrs . Goodwin w ent to her, and , after half an hour,returned with the young miss dressed out i n her best
,to
see the company. She was not at all afraid,and went
wi ll ingly to Edith .
What i s her name ? ” she asked .
I am ashamed to tel l you,” replied her mother
,“ that
she has non e but Baby . We keep putting i t off, and
she’s n in e months old without our having fix ed upon
one.
”
“ I’ll give her a n ame
,said Alfred, coming toward
them Edith Huntington . You coul dn’t have a pret
tier,” he added
,smi li ng
,as he saw the burning blush
wh ich covered Edith’s face.We’ll do i t ! they both exclaimed ; “ that i s
,
” hesi
tated the mother, looking at Edith , if it’s agreeable to
her.”
The young lady replied by imprinting a ferven t kiss
upon its brow ; and so the importan t matter, which had
caused such earnest di scussion i n th e long winter even
ings was settled,and the littl e cherub was Baby no
longer, but Miss Edith Huntington Goodwin .
“ I must have a kiss,Miss Edith
,for givi ng you so
good a name,
” and Alfred bent down ‘
to the chi ld .
When I get to India,I shall be sure to send you some
bangles,that you may n ever forget you were named for
a missionary .
”
How would you like to go and live among the heathen ; and te ach them to be good ?
”in quired Edi th of
m m scursa. i t)?
the boy, w ho stood near them ,eagerly li sten ing to a ll
that passed .
The lad held down his head,and began maki ng fig
ures on the floor with his bare toes . But long years after.
that question sounded i n hi s ears ; and, though he di.
not become a mi ssionary, yet hi s heart was warmly en
gaged i n the work,and he was ever ready to bestow his
mite i n the good cause .
About four o’clock,Edith
,having taken an affecti onate
leave of her little namesake, started with Alfred for
home, M r. and Mrs . Goodwin following them to the
gate . and with moistened eyes bade them farewell . They
never forgot that vis i t ; and the words of the young
mi ssi onary at parting,Though you may not be cal led
to go into foreign lands to labor for th e salvation of the
heathen,yet there wi ll always be work for Christians at
home,whi le there are souls to be w on to Christ,
” sank
deep i nto their hearts .
C H A P T E R X X X I I I .
Oh. married love ! each heart shal l own ,
Where two congenial souls unite,
Thy golden chains inlaid w ith down ,
Thy lamp with heaven’s own splendor bright
”
Langhomc.
Thou art the nurse of v irtue. In thine arms
She smiles , appearing, as in truth she is,
Heaven -born, and destined to the skies again .
TH E months of August and September passed rapidlyaway. The letters of Mr. Henderson were more andmore urgen t .for Gertrude to appoi nt the day of their
marriage,which had beenfrom time to time pos tponed
on account of the u ncertai nty of Alfred’s movements ;and one evening
,when the fami ly were at tea
,he sud
denly j oined them , saying that he did not i ntend to l eave
without a bride . After tea,he requested an i nterview
with Mr. and Mrs . Stanley,where he plead his cause so
earnestly,that
,as the arrangements of Al fred were nu
certain , so that the time of the marri age could not be
fixed,and as there really was no good reason why the
ardent lover should have his patience longer tes ted , the
parents gave their consent that the wedding should takeplace the follow ing week
“ I’l l leave i t with you,
s aid Marion,“ to prevail with
her. I rather fear her consen t to such hasty movements
410 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
At her special request, the weddi ng was to be privatebut she devoted two entire days of the short time left
h er, to farewell call s upon her friends .
The day after Gertrude’s departure,Dr. Jenks called
to i nvi te the family to a wedding at h is house . Maurice
had arrived a few days before,and was to sail i n a fort
night Or three weeks for Liverpool . The o ld gentleman
was in high spi rits, as well as’
i n great haste,but begged
all the fam ily to hon or the young people by being
present. This they readi ly promised . The good clergy
man , Mr. Badger, was certai nly reaping a golden harvest.
He appeared at the doctor’s , and looked around in smiling complaisance upon the party assembled . Soon Mau
rice entered w i th Amy ; and all were impressed with her
loveli ness as she gave her hand trustingly i nto the keep .
i ng Of her husband. The young sai lor uttered the re
sponses with a fervor which called forth many smiles ,and
,as soon as the ceremony was through , imprinted a
ki ss upon her li ps . Then foll owed th e congratulations,th e cake
,and the partings, duri ng which both the bride
and groom came in for their full share of prais e . Mau
rice promised to accom pany hi s wife to Li ndenwoodbefore he sailed . He had brought home the highes trecommendati ons from his captai n , who was
’exceedingly
arixious to retain him i n the shi p he commanded . The
vessel was now going out to Liverpool for a short voyage ; and he confidently expected to be at home again
by March .
Uncle Stephen presented Gertrude, hi s n iece, with the
same sum which he had given to E in'
ma, saying, “ I
didn’t mean you should l ose anyth ing by i t, when you
m Drseursa. 411
acted so nobly by Alice . The old gentleman was now
meditating whether i t would be better for Alfred to take
advantage Of a merchant vessel about to sai l for Cal
outta, or to wait unti l spring, that he might have the hen
sfit Of a course Of medical lectures in Philadelphia . The
latter was at length decided upon,and Edith was left at
Li ndenwood for the winter. She applied herself withgreat d iligence to her studies, and really surprised her
teacher by the aptness she displayed for the acquisiti on
of the language . From talking with one who had lived
so long 111 India, her pronunciation was remarkably per
feet.
When Maurice called with Amy,he in formed his
friends that hi s sh ip was not to sai l for another week ,which he considered uncommonly good fortune . When
he arose to take leave,he approached Edith
,and said,
with some emotion,Though I suppose I may stand a
better chance of seeing you than some ’ others,as I fre
quently make voyages to Calcutta ; yet we may never
meet again . I wi sh you great prosperity, wherever you
may go .
”
The unbidden tears gushed to Edith’s eyes at thi s nuexpected benediction
,and
,giving him her hand
,sh e said ,
“ Li fe i s always u ncerta in . I may never h e permitted
to reach a foreign shore . You may never return to your
native land ; but let us strive to l ive i n such a manner
that we shall not fai l to reach our heavenly home .”
How many times,i n after years
,were these words re
called to mind
The young sai lor bowed over Edith’s hand to conceal
412 TH E HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
a tear, uttered a fervent Thank you, Edi th then.
turned to leave the room .
It was mid winter. The thermometer outside the
door stood four degrees below zero, and the appearance
Of passers by hurrying at full speed, with buffalo robes
careful ly tucked around them,while the panting horses
emitted at every breath a ful l puff Of steam,bore evi
dence to the biti ng,frosty atmosphere . But in doors at
Li ndenwood,the air was warm and balmy as June . A
powerfu l furnace in the cellar sen t i ts”genial warmth
through every part Of the house,and
,i n add iti on to this,
a large wood fire blazed cheerfully upon the hearth in the
parlor. But i t i s not the parlor to which we would i ntro
duce you thi s morning. In the spacious room above it,the heavy damask curtains are draped from the bay win
dow,to exclude the least particle Of air ; but in the wi n
dow facing the south,a full flood of light from the sun
i s pouring in . Drawn up before the cheerful fire i s thelarge easy chair
,mentioned on a former occasion
,and in
it i s seated its former occupant,pale and languid, i t is
true, but with eyes as bright, and mouth as sweetly
wreathed i n smiles as Of Old . Uncle Stephen and Clar
ence are standing near,looking first at her and then at a
tiny rol l of flannel lying across the lap Of her mother,who is seated i n a low rocking-chair
,close to the fire.
Alice Often gazes at the same small Obj ect with a shade
of anxiety crossing her brow,unti l an Old lady
,who seein s
very much at home,and whom we speedily recognize as
Nurse Green,says
,La
,Miss Alice ! don’t gO to worry
ing about the baby. It’s only the snuffles he’s go t, and
414 T HE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL
urged, “ i f you cal l him anyth i ng else, and shall alw ays
remember th at you thought of mefirst.”Alice pressed the Old man’s hand to her pale lips
, as
she added,Hi s name i s Stephen . I only wish i t could
be Uncle Stephen , and I shal l love it better than all the
fine names to be found i n the di ctionary .
”
Well, ch i ld,” said the gratified uncle
,smil ing through
h is tears, “ you always did have your ow n way with
me .
But we will return to the pleasant group before the
fire , who are now joined by the doctor and Mr. Stanley .
After examin ing the pulse of hi s patient,Dr. Jenks said
,
gai ly, As free from fever as I am . N ow we’l l soon
build you up . Squire Sy'
dney,did you send to New
York for some of that bitter stuff I mentioned ? ”
Yes ,” replied Clarence
,I succeeded i n getting some
Of the very best .”
Well,send for a bottle . Nurse, you have water and
sugar here, I see .”
Clarence rang the bell,and a servan t soon brought a
bottle from which the doctor poured a few teaspoonfuls
i nto a goblet, put i n bountifully of sugar and filled the “
glass with w ater. He stirred and s i pped,putting i n a lit
tle more from the bottle,and a li ttle more sugar
,until he
had fixed i t just to hi s li ki ng. There, Mrs . Alice he
exclaimed,holding it to her li ps, “ dri nk every drop Of it.
”
“ It i s very di sagreeable to me ,” said Al ice, laugh i ng
as the doctor stood watchi ng her .
Can’t h elp i t ; down with it or I’m thinking Master
Stephen will have to go hungry .
“ Is i t good for him ? ” i nquired the young mother
eagerly .
D isGUISE . 15
for him ? yes. It’l l make him grow as fat as a
porpoi se.
’Twill make him sleep,too
,and be good
Ali ce put the glass resolutely to her li ps, and drained
1 ‘ Bravo ! laughed the good man touched the right
chord,” he added
,in a loud whisper
,to Clarence. There
,
Nurse , you saw how I mixed i t. She must take that
whole bottle ful l i n three days at farthest.‘Give her a
glass three or four times a day . Perhaps she’d like a
cracker with i t. She’ll be calling for it herself by to
He was about turn ing to leave the room ,when Alice
called, DoctorLyou havn’t looked at the baby .
”
“ Well,he’s no great sigh t. What should I look at
don’t breathe well .”
doctor bent over the small specimen of humanity
and put‘his ear down to l is ten . He’s well enou
gh,
” he
replied,ri sing.
“ Just get Nurse to rub a li ttle sweet Oilo n
r
his noSe,” and bowed himself out Of the room .
It was very certain that whoever. else neglected the baby(though there was not much danger Of that at present),Uncle Stephen would not. Twenty times in an hour he
turn-edf as ide the blanket with which its small face w as
l is tened,to be sure that i t sti ll
In reading his papers he turned them wi th
great care, lest the rustli ng shoul d disturb its slumber, and
walked about as nois eles sly as possible .
I do bel i eve .Uncle Stephen thinks that baby i s his
own.
“ exclaimed Edith, one day after having watched
416 THE H OUs
him playi ng to the chi ld, and witnessed h is joy ,return to the terms of endearment lavished upon h im
, the
little fellow cooed a reply .
“ I should like to know, answered the Old gentleman,w ith some indignation, whose chi ld you thi nk it i s,
'
i ! i t
i s not m ine
Both Edith and Ri ce laughed hearti ly,at which thebaby cooed again .
I had thought,” said the former, th at i t belonged to
Al ice and Clarence ; but
Clarence has noth ing whatever to do wi th the ch ild
con ti nued he,in a loud tOne.
“What does he,a boy
,
know about the care of children ? I’ll venture he never
had it i n hi s arms i n his l i fe .
And th is was true. The young father’s heart w as
full to overflowing with gratitude for the sweet gift from
heaven . He never entered the room,or left i t, without a ,
peep at i ts tiny features ; but he ~had been exceedingly
solicitous concerni ng the health Of his beloved w ife, and,when he was at home, devoted h imself almostw hol ly
q-
to,
her comfort. Never having even see n so ’
young a child,the idea of trusti ng himself to take so precious a treas
ure i nto his arms , had never once entered hi s mind
When Stephen Forsyth , J r.
, was two months old , an
immense box arrived from New York to h is address.When theli ttle fellow was i nformed Of i t
,he told a very
long story, which hi s mother perfectly understood to
mean that he w i shed to know its contents without de lay.
The desire was i nstantly compli ed with,and forthwith
there came from the huge box a ti ny bathing-tub,a cra
d_e, or rather a crib upon rockers, with delicately wrought
418 THE H OUSEHOLD AN GEL.
And didn’t te ll me, sai d Alfred, with a reproachfu.
look .
Never mind,” replied Edi th , tenderly, I promise youyou’ll hear enough bye and bye . 1 shall be obliged to
te l l you, or keep my secrets entirely to myself.”
The whole family were amazed at the progress s he had
made,though she persisted i n attributing all her success
to Uncle Stephen , and he, scarcely able to contai n his
joy, walked back and forth , saying, Yes, I’ve found out
at last what I am good for. I must apply for a professor
ship of foreign languages .” In this case the old gentleman
did not refuse to receive the praise which was his due.
CH A P T E R X X X I V .
Oh, weep not ! thy loved one is sweetly sleeping
Beneath the blue ocean’s crested wave,
Where low surging billows are ever singing
Their requiem round his pear ly grave.
Loving thoughts of thee often swelled his fond heart
A s homeward he p lough’d the green sea foam,
fi ll called by his Saviour and God to depart,To the land of the bles t— the penitent’s home.
h w as a clear, brigh t morning i n March. The weather
had been bleak and windy,but now the sun was shin ing
i n full splendor, as i f to make amends for the length of
time during which he had hidden hi s face . In the sunny
kitchen of Dr. Jenks, there was evidently some great oecasion at hand . The large table was set out i n the mid
dle of the floor th e place it had hitherto occupied onlyduri ng the preparations for thanksgiving.
Before i t stood Mrs . Jenks,atti red i n a wide checked
apron,her sleeves rolled up, and her tongué
'
keep ing time
with the roll ing-pin,with which she was dexterous ly
transforming the flaky'
pas te i nto coverings for the long
row of pies before her . Her haste , however, did not pre
vent the old lady from giving an occasional glance up the
street, which she could see for some distance . Let methi nk ,
” she soli loquized,sticking the end of her kni fe in to
the paste,and pausing a moment, there’s six mince and
four apple,— that makes ten
,—to be covered . Yes,
4 19
420 rm: H OUSEH OLD A NGEL
there’s enough and she hastened agai n wi th her work .
Amy,dear, wont you just open the door of the oven a
minute ? I’m afraid i t’s getti ng too hot. What time did
your father thi nk Mauri ce would be here 9
Not before noon,
” replied the young wife,after com
plying with the request. I’m on my last shirt, and they
look beautifully too,” she exclaim ed. holding one up for
her mother to admire .
They would do any body credit,ch ild ; but I
’ll veni
ture ’tw ont be eleven o’clock before he’ll be here . Now ,
don’t you go to being frigh ten ed, i f he jumps out from
beh ind the door any minute,” and she cast an anxious
glance at the young wife. “ You know he’s mighty fond
of surprises,and don’t real iz e how dangerous they are at
times .”
Do you thi nk he w ill be pleased ? ” asked Amy, i n asubdued voice .
Pleased,chi ld
,he’ll be tickled almost out of his wits.
There,I’ve got that cover too small,
” and she glanced for
the hundredth time at the clock .
Amy seemed no less excited,though her manner of ex
hibiting it was different. Her j oy was too i nten se . for
many words . She Spread the six new shi rts, she hadmade for her husband during hi s absence, on the small
clothes-horse,placed i t i n the si tting-room , out of the
w ay, and then assisted to put the pies i nto the oven .
N ow ,Amy
,
” said the mother, “ i f you’l l beat the
eggs, I
’ll stir up a Washington pi e, and fil l i t with
that s trawberry Jam,he’s so fond of Just at thi s mo
ment a shadow fel l upon the floor, which sent the blood
w i ldly through Amy’s heart, and made her mother
429 THE HOUSE HOLD A NGE L
drawer after another to see if al l were reaoy, and almost
hoped to find something more to do for the dear one
who was momentari ly expected . But no . the deligh tful
task,which had occupied her so many weeks
,was ended.
Not a button to sew on , not a string to fas ten , and
so Amy unpi nned her hair,and let the long golden
tresses fall over her shoulders . How proud Maurice isof my hair
,
” and she gazed at i t,fondly
,as a thi ng he
had loved . After arranging i t i n h is favorite style,she
proceeded to array herself i n a brown meri no dress,and
with a neat collar,fastened by a brooch
,and a black silk
apron,her simple toi'let was completed.
For a few moments she sat down and gave herself up
to the enjoyment of her ow n thoughts . She rapid ly re
viewed her acquaintance with Maurice . He had beenun iformly respectful and kind i n his treatment of her
,
but ohf from the time when he first told her h is love, how
freely had he poured out his affection . He had been themost devoted of lovers, the very kindest of hus bands, and
the young wife pressed her hand s to her bosom as she
raised her heart i n prayer for help to be at a ll times a
loving,faithful wife. Poor Amy '
Suddenly,hearing a step i n the room below
,she start
ed up , and ran quickly down the stairs . She entered the
sitting-room,and cast a hurri ed glance around : but no
one was there . She heard the voice of her father i n th e
kitchen and concluded the step must have been h is .“Well
, Amy,” he said , pleasantly, though he himself
was not a l i ttle disappoi nted at the non -arrival of his son,
What do you say to riding down to farmer Pond’s with
me ? Iwant somebody to talk wi th , and he’l l be sure to
; N mscursa. 423
be here when we come back . But as long as you and
mother sit watchi ng, _you know the old adage, A
watched pot
Oh , father,” she repli ed earnestly, rai sing her serene,truthful eyes to h is face , I couldn
’t be away .
“ Mother," exclaimed the Doctor, turn ing from her wi th
a sigh , w hi ch he would have found i t very difficult to ac
count for ; “ can’t you give me someth ing to eat ? I'
os t
my appetite th i s morni ng.
”
Mrs. Jenks brought from the pan try a large mince
turn-over, and hastil y pouring out some cold coffee,placed i t before him, There, eat quick ,
” said she, I
want to clear up,and not have dirty di shes standing
round w hen company is expected .
Company,hey ! ” he exclaimed, laughing. I won
der if I shoul d go away two or three months, whether Ishould be company ? Well , I must be goi ng along.
But still he lingered and looked at the clock, w hose
tardy hands seemed reluctantly to approach the expected
hour . At length , i t strikes . Now, he can’t go unti l the
train comes i n . The fron t door bell ri ngs : Oh , dear ! ”says Mrs . Jenks, “ my hands are all flour.
” Amy’s eyes
plead, I had rather not go and so the Doctor went
,
and let i n a woman who wanted a tooth pulled. Amy’s
heart beat now faster than ever. In a few moments he
w i ll be here .
”
Agai n the bell ri ngs . “ I’ll venture that’s Maurice,exclaimed the mother, ri nging the bel l to surprise us
and she calls to the Doctor, w ho leaves h is patien t andadmi ts the clergyman .
I wonder what on earth he’s come here for, at this
424 T H E H O USE HOLD ANGEL
hour,
’ sh e whispered to Amy , after l i stening long enough
to hear the voice o f th e good rector : and for the first
time i n her l ife, the hospi table woman failed to give her
minister a cordial reception “ I shouldn’t wonder one
grain,
” she added , to her daughter, i f the saucy fellow
had gone round the back way,and was hidi ng up stairs
now ;’twould be just li ke him ;
” and the tw o started
off on their survey . Room after room was searched ;Amy expecting every moment to have her husband
spring from some corner, and clasp her i n his strong
arms.“ Come out here, i f you
’re h id,Maurice
,exclaimed
the mother,with some indignation , as she had, so far,
been balked in her search . But even whi le she was
speaki ng, the voice Of Dr. Jenks was heard at the stairs.Mother ! Amy ! come down .
The words were spoken hoarsely , wholly unlike hi s
usually ki nd and cheerful vorce ; but he was i nstantly
obeyed . He stood at the foot of the stairs,with h is
arms outstretched . Amy flew dow n .
“ Where is he,father ? ”
Gone,Amy ; gone, child .
What do you mean,Doctor ? ” almost sh rieked Mrs.
Jenks,catching hold of her husband’s arm , and shaking
i t,as i f to rouse him to hi s con sciousness .
he faltered , staggering back , your boy lies
at the bottom of the sea .
” With one wild shriek , the
poor young widow fell sen seless to the floor.
Perhaps i t was well for the s tricken parents that their
attention was, for a time , diverted from their ow n grief
ov the alarming situation of their daughter, who soon
T HE HOUSEHOLD LtNGEL
Rev . Mr. Badger
Respected S ir, - It i s my painful duty to in form
you that Maurice Jenks one o f your congregation,who
has for some time past been mate on board the Wil liam
Bartle tt ’ i s no more . On the night of the l 6th of
March , a violen t gale arose, during which our vessel was
in great danger. In the midst of the dreadful scene,
Maurice was perfectly calm and self-possessed ; and,after one of the sailors had i n vai n attempted to climb
the mast to let down a sail,he sprang quickly up to the
top,performed the task
,and was about descending when
a vi olent lurch of the vessel,for which he was unpre
pared , caused him to lose his hold,and hewas precipi
fated into the sea . The fearful cry,‘A man overboard ! ’
rang out on the nigh t air. The vessel was immediately
put about, and ropes thrown in every direction . Indeed ,when i t was discovered who was the missing man , it
was with extreme difficulty that I could restrain the
sympathizing sailors from throwing themselves i nto the
water to rescue him . But the sea was rolling mountain w aves
,and the absolute impossibil i ty of a man
livi ng for a moment i n it,made me sternly order them
back to their duty,though rriy heart was bleeding at the
loss I had sustained,at the death of him who was one
of the best mates i n th e world,and whom I had learned
to value as a personal fri end .
I have taken.
the l iberty to address my letter to you,s ir
, from the kind interest our lamented friend has often
assured me you have taken in his welfare,and from the
belief that no one could more cautious ly or tenderly f
announce the sad tidings to the affl icted parents and the
i N D i suurse . 427
bereaved widow. I wi ll thank you, si r, i f you wil l, n .
such time as youmay deem proper, present to them my
mos t earnest sympathies i n their unspeakable loss . This
I s hall do i n person at the first moment I can leave myvessel Unless I can do so i n a v
'
ery few days,I shall
send the e ffects belonging to my lamented friend, by
boat, to Queenstown .
With sentiments of high respect, I am, sir, your truly
sympathizing friend,ANSEL G. BRUCE .”
At the dreadful announcement, Amy fell i n to a swoon
wh ich so nearly resembled death that the ki nd neighbors
and friends w ho watched over her scarcely allowed
themselves to hope that she would survive unti l morning.
How gladly would they have seen tears streaming dow n
her cheeks ! But no ; except that'
she breathed,there
was no sign of l ife , and medicines which , under other
circumstances, Dr. Mason would have used, might provefatal .
On the third day after the sad intelligence reachedQueenstown , Captai n Bruce arrived. He w as deeply
moved as he heard from Mr. Badger an account of the
fami ly. The rector accompanied him to the dwelling,which was so truly a house of mourning, and nad the
plea sure to witness the soothing influence Of the cap
ta in ’s presence after the first gush of feeling had sub
sided . Mrs . Jenks could not,however, be contented
unless her poor husband could also hear the melancholy
detail from the lips of their kind and sympathizi ng
friend. Dr. Mason wa s consulted, and at length con
428 TH E H OUSEHOLD ANGEL
sented to it. The good woman knew her husband to
be a Christian , and that, as such he would bow sub
m issively to the stroke with which their heaven ly Father
had vis i ted them .
She was also well aware that '
ev idence the captain .
was able to give with regard to the good'
conduct of
Maurice would be the best res torative . And so it'
really
proved . As the warm -hearted seaman sat by his sidesand related many touching incidents which had “occurred
during their last v oyage , together‘
V ith the increasing
fondness the young man had exh ibited for readi ng the
Scri ptures,tears of grati tude rolled down the furrowed
check of the stricken father,while he feebly articulated
the words , “ Lord Jesus, recei ve the thanks of a poor,broken-hearted father for thy mercy to his chi ld .
“ I am not a professor of religion,continued Captai n
Bruce, brushing away a falli ng tear ; but I have often
wished I could feel as your son did. When the weather
was calm,I have seen him gather a little company of
sailors around him , and sit down i n a retired part Of the
ves sel , where for hours he read to them from the Bible
or religious tracts, the honest tars l istening with open
mouths,as i f for their lives . I had the curios i ty to
question one of them to see if they really learned any
th ing, or if i t were merely their affection for the young
mate which induced such fix ed attention . Hi s an swer Ishall never forget.
said I, ‘when Mas ter Jenks is reading, can
you get at the meaning ? ’
Indeed I do,
’w as the reply ; ‘aud a blessed meaning
therev
is w hen i t tells a poor fellow who all hi s life long
430 THE H OUSEHOLD A NGEL
connected with his deceased friend,and who had exerted
so salutary an influence upon h im,for Maurice had often
attributed the change i n hi s religious feeli ngs as,under
God, owing to her consistent example and earne st piety.
The anxious physici an conducted h im to her room,where
S he lay pale and motionless . She so nearly resembled
death, that, with a sudden start, he bent over her to
li s ten if she breathed . Becoming aware that some one
was n ear her, poor Amy qui ckly opened her eyes, and,was near her, poor Amy quick ly opened her eyes, and,w i th an appealing expression
, which brought many tears
from the sympathizing man , whispered, Maurice
Has my Maurice come ? ” Putti ng his handkerchief to
his eyes, Captain Bruce hurried from the room ; and he
afterwards remarked that he had rather meet the stiffest
gale off Cape Horn than such a look of i ntense w oe as
accompan ied her whispered question .
From this time,however, she slowly gained strength ,
unti l she was able to sit up most Of the day ; but her
mind was wanderi ng, and her language often wild and
i ncoherent. Sometimes the sight of any article of cloth
ing which had be longed to her husband produced violent
agitation,and she would tremble excessively ; but no
tears relieved he r until a l i ttle Maurice’
came to fil l the
place in her heart rendered desolate by the loss She had
sustained . In the warm and earnest love which welled
up withi n her breast at the Sight Of the little stranger,she learned to thank God that he had allowed her even
the memory of her dear Maurice,and also for the sweet
babe as a preciou s token of his love . She devoted her
self to the train ing of her child and when , in after
years, the estates which had been so unrighteously taken
l N msov rSE . 431
from his mother were restored to him , and he aceompa
nied her to Scotland,and took a high sta tion in society ,
he aimed so to live that he might honor his beloved
father,and spend an eternity with him in heaven .
The good doctor parti ally recovered the use of his
paralyzed limbs,and rode about as of old among his
patients . He sat for hours talking to those who hadkn own and loved hi s son , repeating over and over agai n
the anecdote s related by Captain Bruce , arid showing a
small pocket Bible that Maurice had always carried
about him,with such passages underscored as he thought
would be adapted to interest and profit the crew . But
i f,at any time, hi s patients applied to h im for medici ne,
he invariably sent them to Dr. Mason , having lost allconfidence i n his ow n skil l.
The kindness he had shown to the poor and desti tute
proved eminently, i n his case, like bread cast upon the
water,which h e found after many days . Scarcely a day
passed without some token , slight i t might be, but no
less grateful to him , of the affectionate remembrance i n
wh ich he was held by his former patients and the whole
community,and also of their warm sympathies with his
family in their bereavement. Mrs . Jenks even com
plained that she should lose her sk ill i n cooking, so li ttle
occasi on did she find to practise her favorite art.
Among the numerous houses where the Old gentleman
was at all times a welcome visitor, there were no two
places i n which he so delighted as Li ndenwood and thevine -covered residence of his aged pastor
,whose kind
ness during his season of deepest trial neither he nor his
family ever forgo t.
432 THE HOUSEHOLD A NG EL.
At Li ndenwood,the old gen tleman
‘
always found his
way up to the nursery, being the same room w here hi s
l i ttle favori te Loui s had breathed out h is soul to God ,and which was now newly furnished for the use of
Master Stephen . The young mother feared that her
uncle, being unused to ch ildren , might become wearied
with h is noise,and be under the necessity of abandon
i ng the pleasant room he occupied with them . But she
w as wholly mi staken . Day after day he sat i n the nu?sery amus i ng himself with his l ittle namesake ,who soon
learned to cal l after him, i f he left the room ; and almost
dai ly Dr. Jenks might be seen there with him.
434 THE H OUSEH OLD ANG EL
ler, Edith returned with them to Li ndenwood . In all
her visi ting l -sr heart had-been in her studies,and her
d esire to prepare herself for usefulness among the people
with whom she had chosen to dwell , had daily and hourly
increased . She astoni sh ed even Uncle Stephen, w ho had
an exalted idea of her capabi liti es,by the ’
progress she
had made . She told him she had never realized how
good and patient a teacher hehad been,unti l obliged to
depend upon herself.
September was the month now fixed upon for sailing,
and every day brought new duties and cares , i n the way
of preparation for the important voyage . One morni ng,
toward the latter part O f August, a commi ttee of ladi es
from the vi llage called at the Hall , with a box aboutthree feet square
,which had been presented to the youn
missionary by her friends,as a token of their interest In
the cause to w hich she had devoted her li fe . A letter
accompanied it, requesti ng that she would not Open th e
box unti l her arrival at her ow n station .
The ladies also expressed an earnest wish that Edithand Mr. Huntington should attend the Miss i onary Society i n the vil lage before their departure ,which they would
appoin t at any time to sui t the conven ience Of the mis
sionaries .
Edith promi sed compliance,and accepted their i nvita
tion ~the following week ,where she met more than a hun
dred ladies and gentlemen who had assembled to bid
them farewell . The kind ladi es led Edi th into a backroom
,where , neatly folded, and ready for use , was a
generous supply of shi rts , flannels, and hos e , for Mr
Huntingto n , tr ade and presente d him by the ladies Of
l N D l SGU l SE .
the society . Edi th was much affected by their k i ndness,but said she mus t call her friend to speak for himself,which he did wi th great feeling, until there was . not a
dry eye among them .
I : was the wish of Uncle Ste phen that Alfred shouldbe set apart for hi s work i n the church under the care of
their esteemed pastor,Mr. Badger
,and great was the
pleasure manifested when the fact became known . It
was truly a memorable occasion for Queenstown , and
such as had never occurre d there before . I n the midst
of al l her cares, Edith did not forget her humble friendsat the farm
,and
,with the permissi on of Mrs . Stanley ,
i nvited Mr. and Mrs . Goodwin to come to the exerci ses,and to bri ng with them her l i ttle namesake .
The even tful morning at length arrived . Alfred and
Edith met by appoi ntment at an early hour, to ask together the bles s i ng of their heavenly Father
,upon a day
fraught with so much interest to them . Theywere tobe married i n church at n ine o’clock . After thi s the pub
lic services of the occasion were to commence . When
the family,together with a large number of friends,met at
the breakfast-table , none were so calm and cheerful as the
ones,who
,for Christ’s sake, were i n two days to leave
fri ends , country , and home . Uncle Stephen , whose pale
countenance showed that he had passed a sleepless night,wept aloud
,and when ' the young clergyman , whom he
had educated in the very ho ne that thi s blessed event
might come to pass,led him to the parlor, and tried to
soothe his agi tated feelings , the good o ld man sobbed
out,Oh
,what am I
,that God should have thus an
sw ered my prayers, and made me the unworthy i nstru
436 THE nouss n DLD A NGEL
men t of sending a missionary to the poor heathen ! It
humbles me to the dust to th ink how little faith 1 havehad that he would order this even t, so that I should l ive
to see th is day .
”
It was not until that long-to-be-remembered interview
that Alfred became aware how earnestly hi s k ind bene
facto r had wrestled in prayer for him ,that his h eart
might be turn ed to th i s great work ; nor with what
solicitude he had watched his course,and how at “
one
time, when the young studen t w i shed to study law,he
had again sought the throne of grace, and with tears
had plead th at, if i t was the wi ll of God to deprive him
of the glorious privi lege of fitti ng him for the work of a
missionary, another might be raised up ; nor how se
verely his faith had been tried by the ardent affection
Alfred had exhibited for Edith,who at that time was
very unsuited to be the wife of a missionary. Now,
”
added Uncle Stephen ,with a fresh burst of tears , “ during
the long night I lay and thought of all the way the Lordhad led you and your chosen companion , to fit you for
your great work. I, i n my feebleness, thought money
could do it ; but he saw more grace was needed . Hesent you trials, and I trust they have been sanctified .
But I can never s ufficiently thank him for the favor
shown to me , a poor, sinful creature .”
At eigh t o’clock,the church was crowded to over
flowing,so eager were all for admittance ; and , had
.
it
not been that special seats had been reserved for Mr
Stan ley’s family,they would hardly have been able to
gain admittance . Notwithstanding the ai sles and eventhe large porch were crowded, the ticking of the clock
438 THE H OUSEH OLD ANGEL
another from his basket, and placed them in the lap of
the little girl,all the whi le prattli ng to himself, while she
gazed firs t at him ,and then at the wonderful sight
before her,but could not venture to speak a word .
Edi th found her good friends had come over early inthe morning, and attended the services i n the church , but
had hesitated to intrude themselves at a time when theyknew there were many who had more claim upon her
atten tion . She sent to the parlor for her husband, when
both Joshua and hi s wife were much affected at par ting
from them .~When Edith took the little girl i n her arms
to ki ss her and bid her adieu, she threw over her neck a
chai n of gold, attached to which was a locket contain ing
a small min iature of hersel f, painted by her mother, with
her ow n hair and that of her husband inserted i n the
back .
How many times,in the course of the next year
,the
even t was related to admiring friends, by both Mrs.
Goodwin and her husband,and the locket exhibited
, it
would be difficult to say.
The next morning,Mr. and Mrs . Huntington , aecom
panied by Uncle Stephen , Rev. Mr. Badger, Mr. and
Mrs . Stanley,Gertrude
,Emma
,and Alice
,with their
husbands, started for New York , from which port theywere to sail the following day. The baggage havi ng ocen
safely seen on board sh ip,the whole party accompanied
Edith to the vessel,to take a view of her accommoda
tions. And here the knowledge of Uncle Stephen was
i nvaluable ; for, though Edith declared the arrangementsto be complete , yet he perceived quite a number of arti
cles which be pronounced absolutely necessary , and
(N msemsn . 439
ordered them to be bought forthw ith . They ther. re
turned to the hotel,to pass together one more eveni ng
before they should be separated forever i n th is world .
Correspondence was planned , advice given , and manysentiments of und y i ng affection exchanged , when the
eveni ng was clo sed with prayer by their aged pas tor.When they were about to retire
,all were impressed
with the holy calmness which had settled up on the brow
of the young mi s sionary. Her who le soul seemed to beelevated by the greatfiess of the work wh ich she had
undertaken . Could thi s be the Edi th whom we first
i n troduced to the reader ? Yes , the very same , but with
a heart purified by affl icti on , sanctified by divine grace,and elevated by close communion with her heavenly
Father.
The v essel was adverti sed to sa il at ten o’clock . At
nine the family from Li ndenwood (i ncludi ng li ttle Stephen and hi s ayah ,
” as the old man persisted i n calli ng
her)went on board . The few articles which they brought
with them from the hotel are soon i n the allotted places .
The books which Edith and her husband wish to use onthe voyage are taken from a trunk below, and placed i n
a locker i n their cabi n . Jars of pickled limes and other
articles are ranged in rows,and confined to keep them
in place . Then they return to the deck , where Uncle
Stephen has a short,earnest consultation w ith the cap
tain,and Alice sees him put someth ing which very much
resembles a bank -bill into the good captai n’s hand,who
decidedly refuses to keep it until somethi ng more i s said
by Uncle S tephen . All is now ready. The sai lors stand
at their post. Suddenly they doff their caps, and stand
440 THE HOUSEHOLD ANG EL .
reveren t ly,whi le the white-haired mini s ter commits hrs
beloved charge to the care Of H im who holds the watersi n h is hand . The prayer i s ended . The sai lors are onlywaiting the command of their captai n to begi n the ir
hearty song Of HO,heave ho ! ” The parti ng k is s is
given,the last whispered word Of love or counsel ; and .
amidst smiles of hOpe on the part of the dear ones w ho
wi ll soon be far away,and tears Of sorrow from those
w ho are to lose them ,the final separation takes place .
The party Of friends descend to the wharf,where they
try to suppress their grief,that they may not lose one.
look Of the two w ho stand claspi ng each other by the
hand, and leani ng over the side of the rai li ng .
And now the honest bars begi n their work . The.
gallant sh i p 1s loosed from the wharf ; and, amidst a
hundred cheers from the shore and the vessels lying at
the wharf, which are hearti ly re'
e'
choed,the noble bark
glides on her way .
With bursting hearts,the weeping friends incline for'
ward for one more look. Yes,that i s Edith . She w avet
her handkerchief,and poin ts heavenward !
ThehostCompleteDictionaryofSynonymsintheEnglishLanguage.
P E A B O D TY’
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Wordbook of S ynonyms of theBuglish Language.
H IS book is the best arranged and the mos tcomplefe w ork of itsk ind in ex is tence , having the w ords careful ly clas sified ao
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It is indispensable to every speaker and w riter who des ires toemp loy the mos t effective words to expres s h is ideas and to use
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