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The Brussels Post, 1887-3-4, Page 7MARcil 4, 1887. THE ACTR3SS' DAUGHTER; 0 nt THE MISTRESS OP RICHMOND HOUSE, A WA 0J voseooG.AND REi?tl)1 $1, Il Mrs. MAY AcNr ILEIN t Author of a ,(,ext torn \roman,""Nand L'orcr s Secret," rt7tc•., T{to. • Draguu," as Misa Jernsha was Moor. vainlystyled. And such a bold ,did the..,,: , c, .....els take on the mind of rho yu'iu:; girl, that she really began to look upou Miss Jerusha in tho light of a domestic tyrant—a sort of female Blue. board, whom it world not only bo right and just to defy and put down, but morally wrong not to do it. But though this \ corgia's inward belief, yet, to ber creed; bo it spoken, a sort of chi. valrons fooling led her always to defend Muss Jernsha on these occat,ions; and if any 011.: ',vent too far in enoeruug at ber Georgia's little brown list wad aonblod up, and flu offender, unlese warnad by SUMO prudent friend to look out for squalls, stood hi considerable clangor. Then too, the chief delight of the Burhfiuldiaus was in seeing her dauo,+; and Crcurgia, nothing loth, would mount au cxeonihore platform, and whirl, and pirouc tt. , and flash hither anti thither, amici thunders of applause from the as ton„ilwd and delighted audience. Ileo - sing' 1p., too --for Goorgia had really r. beautitut voice, and know evory song that over was hoard of from Costa Diva to ,hm Crow—was a source of novor . failing delight to the town -folks, who wore troublod with very few amnsa- ments iu winter; and Georgia was novor really lo hor clement save when Llano. ing, or singing, or showing off boforo air audicucu. And so the little explosive gronac;e became a well known character 1n1 urn. fluid, and Miss ,7erusha's injunctions to stay away from it went the way of all good advice—that is, in one oar and out of the other. No sort of weather owed keep the eprito in the house. The fiercer too wind blew, Georgia's high spirit only rose the higher; the keener the cold, tho .more piercing the blast, it only flashed a deeper crimson to herr glowing uboeks and lips, and kindled a clo•.u'ei teeth in her bright back oyes, and the founded liko a yonug antelope over the frozen ground, shouting with irrepressible Il M. Out amid the wildest winter storms you nugllt see that small dark figure flying along, with strearning hair, bending anti dipping to the shriek- ing blast that could have whirled her light forth away like a feather, flying over the icy ground. that her feet haruoy seemed to touch. Georgia, wild, fervid child, vowed she loved the storms; and on tempestuous nights, when tho wind howled, end raved, and shook the cottage, and roar. oil through the pines, she \would clap her haitrl iu gloo, and run Clown through it all toward tho high rocks near tho sl"ore, mid bund over thele to `eel the salt spray from the white-crostod waves dash in her face. Them, coming back, • she would scandalize Miss Jernsha, and terrify lily nearly into lits, by protest. ing that the white caps of the waves wore tho bleached faces of drowned men holding a rovol with the demons of the store, and that, wheuover she died, she was determined to bo buried in the sand, for that no grave or coffin could over hold her, and the knew she, would Have splendid times with the mermaids and mormou, and old Father Neptune, and Mos. Amphitrite, and the rust of then, iu their coral grottoes down bo• low. Now Miss Jerusha was by no moans strait -toted in spiritual matters her- self, but such an ungodly belief as this world shook even her, and, with a deep. lyhorrified look, she would lay down her knitting and begin: "Oh, nzy stars and garterst doh talk l Don't yon know, yon wicked child, that there ain't no sich place as that under the suit? There's nothing but mud, and fish•bones, and nasty sharks liko what swallercd Jonor, down there. No, you miafe:ninit little limb, folks alters goes to heaven or t'other place when they die, and it's my belief you'll tako it trip downward, and sarvo yon right, too, you wicked littlo heathen, you 1" "Soo here, Miss Jerusha,” said Geor- gia, nuriously, "Emily Murray says Micro's another place' -sort of half -way lions°, you: ktiow, with a hard uamo; 11tee sc.c—pug--pug—no, purgatory I— where puoplc tliat ain't been horrid hod nor yet lrorrid good, goes to, and after being scotatiod for awhilo to tako tiro yon, that bolioves in gods and goddesses and purgatory, anti sicli abominations, grow up. No 1 if you ain't carried off in a flash of lire and brinatone like King Solomon or some of whom, you may thick yourself safe, my lady," "Well, I don't caro if I am," said Goorgia, "I do bolievo in mormaida, because Ivo soon them often and orlon, if t coral lc h live n lest tt u c c and nowt a lv n 1 t Y ll tho sea,OC t1S Poo grottoes motor t to b a a o b read all about ib. And I know there aro witches, and ghosts, mid fairies, be- causo I've road all about Mono in tl,e ' Logonds of tho Hartz lllountaius,' tlto nicest hook that evor was, and south Hallow Eve I'm going to try 901110 tricks --you Seo if I don't." Tho libtlo girl's oyes veru sparkling, and she was gosticulatiug with eager earuostnoas. Miss Joi'tisha hold up her bands in horror. "Myy couscicnce 1 only hoar hoc 1 Oh, whatover will bocoute of that toot=., young gal! Why, you wiokorl child, whore do you expect to go when you dna ?" "To hoavon," said Georgia, decidedly. "Humph 1" said MISS ,Jornslia, con- tomptuonsiy. "A nice anool you'd malt'-, wouldn't you? More liStaly the other place. I shill havo to speak to 21L•. liarobones to take you into his Bible glass, for 1 bolievo in my soul it ain't Bolo to sleep in the house with such an unbeliever." "Well, you may speak to him as foot as you like, but I shan't go. A sour, black old ogro, all skin and bouoa, like a consumptive red herring I I'm going with Emily Murray to that nine church where they have all tho pretty pietcues, and that nice old man, Em's uncle, with no hair on his head, and all dressed up so beautifully. And old Father Murray is just the dearest old man evor was, and hasn't got a long solennl faro like Barobonos: Come, Bots, let you and I have a.waltz." Aud soloing Betsey Pcriwinklo by the two forepaws, suo wont whirling with her round the room to the groat astonish- ment, not to say indignation, of that amiable animal, who docidedly cheap• proved of waltzing in hor own propor person, aucl began to oxpostnlate in sun- dry indignant prows quite unheeded by her partner, until Miss Jorusha angrily snatched her away, and would havo favored Georgia with a box on tho car only tho recollection of rho theatre manager returned to her memory, and her uplitb'd hand dropped. Aud Goor. gia, Laughing hor shrill, peculiar laugh, danced out of tho room, singing a snatch from some elegant ditty. "St;:a tlioro over such a aggravating young 'nn 1" exclaimed Miss Jerusha, relapsing into her. chair. "I certainly shill has to speak to Mr. Barobonos about her. Gracious 1 what a thing it is to be afflicted with children!" Trio to hor word, Miss ,7ornsha did spook to Mr. Barobonos, and that zea- lous Christian undertook to tako Georgia iu hand; bila tlm0 young lady not only flatly refused to listen to a word, bob told him her views of matters and things in general, and of himself in particular, so plainly ant decidedly, that, in high duci,;con, tho minister got up, put on Inc lith, and tiok himself off. And ro Miss Georgia was left to her. own devices, and stood in a fair way of becoming a vezitable savage, when an event occurred that gavo a now spring to her mimics, and turned the current of her existence iu another dired:ion. CHAPTER IS. GEORGIA MARES Sons nnrw ACQUAINTANCES. "alis boyish form was ntiddlo ileo, I'o,' font of strength or exovefso Shupod 10 proportion fair."—Seo'rx. Miss Jerusba's momorablo "house- cleaning" was over, and tho cottage leav- ing been polished till it shone,' and every. thing inside mud outside reduced to tho frightfully clean state that characterized everything belonging to that lady, she was properod to sit down and enjoy rho reward of her labors and the pleasnro of an approving conscience. Fly and Betsey Periwinkle, who had been in au excos- sively damp and limber state for the last now dams, and whom Miss Jerusha had kept tearing in and out and up and down like a couple of cotnots, were at last permitted to dry out, and might now safely v,nitnre to call their souls their own again. Gnur;;ta, who rather li'rod a fuss than otherwise, quite unjoyoil tho house- cleaning, and spent an nnnsually largo portion of her valuable timo at tho cot - two wluilo that domestic revolution was in full blast; now that it was over, alio begah to mimic llor slightly vagabond. ish habit of roaming around tho.cauntry, always np to liar eyes in business, yet never bringing about any particular re. sult cx, opting that of mischief, When b adnesy out of them, they go up 11 ; Georgia wished to enjoy the pleasures heavon and settle down there for good. ' oofrol11ed1nli,to rho bench, where,ten, she Ie that so, Miss ,7erusha 2" "There 1" said Miss Jerusha, dropping 1on top of a high rock, oho meditated on hor knitting in eonutornation ; "I alloys ' too affairs of tlto State, or whatover other Vail no good would come of her going to snl']net happouuii to weigh on her mind Lurnficicl fund taking up with nnbcliov- at too moment, ors and other Ivagraats. Oh, you wick- Otte Morning she Started off. for her oil, dreadful Intl° gal l No • thnro niu't 1 favorite seat in ordrr to bane a mind 110 siolr 1,nro; 10 worse there aitt'b 1 I1 , read ltd"nag iuvhiglodg a use Jernsha out you baci road that pretty chapter I gavo ' of the "Pilgrinee Progress" for that por- er- yw11 its the lliblo lust Sunday instead of • tainting. in lion this ml heli bng eing Hofartying Betsey I'criwiuklo s tail to Inn removed from Bnrufiold, its soli far hind lag ami nearly setting of her crazy, I was ra1'cly, if evor, disturbed; thero- you wouldn't bo Stolt a bonighted little I fore, ,groat was Georgia's utu'priso ti 1011 heathen as you aro." ,'caching it, to find a shad spot under "Well,' .I didn't liko it—there 1 All y 1 al,out two ugly groat boars eating a' lot her own favorite rock already occupied,11 half, E Y g g Mi+s (Moroi'', canto to a suction h alf, of children for calling somebody names. I don't liko thingcs like that, Those ain't and, tllo now c�omor, ltep ng on , gr tmeontt,a191,0 y. 110 fan in >;coding about them, and I d a Tinder tho shadow of the overhanging hoop soohar read Robinson Orusoo ; ilo rook, on too warm sattcls, la a tall, sae a nice gid man, I ltuow ho tvas• flight, fashionably dreesod youth, of six. And when I grow up to boa big 'woman ttunr or, thereabouts, with handsome, I' tofid t]bland-andlive oro m se --'yen age 1 ut , i n of brown curling Mie ,lerusha gavo a eontemp100us I hair, a high i'orehead, duel unttsuallyauccl snort. tlrivtnctltically small hands and feat, "You grow up indeed f As if rho Lard 11"' lot'nier as wbita as a lady's. '1110 wend(] lot a Wicked little wr0tch blto I'm going u out his r.'gnlarfcattires,eoomploxlonoffominino th y if 'f I d b teillloss, a mens o pradoulivating expression of his face was a mixture of indolence and drollery; and as 110 lay there, with his half.0losed eyoe, ho Molted rho very Mauro of rho dace fir,' Alcune, '\roll, now," thought Georgia, "I won. der who you are, and whore you came from, 111 just go and aslc him, though I do bolievo boli asloopp if lie is, I reekoa I'll wake him in double-quick Wine." nob bolo' in the li h . ndGeorgia, s b A est dogreo troubled with that disease in. c dent to youth, previous to tato days of 'Young Atm:rica, yclapt haslifulnose, marched alp to rho intruder, and planting bersolf before him, put her arms akimbo, and assuming a loolt of stern investiga. r "Oh," said Goorgia, puoker:ug up hor lips as though elle worn going to whiablo, "yon mean they turned you out?" "Precisely ; exactly, Tboy couldn't properly appreciate me, you lulow. Goorgia clapped ber bands and laugh. Gowns never is approoiatod, if you ob. ed her shrill, olfieh laugh at6itis.deepoc- serve, but is aiwaye negleobod, and ate efforts, and, taunted by this, the boy snubbed, and sat upon, in this world, motto a sudden apriug at the top, missed Look at Shalcospoaro, and Oliver Gold. i hie foobing, and tumbled off backward smith, and all those other old fellows on the sand below. With a bar ]arnation of alaz'm s oxc_ that got up worksof1]Ctiou, and see tho p , hard times and tribulations they had of 1 Georgia, with one Hying lea ,sprang it.,r "And how long are you going to stay hero 11" aslcecl Georgia. "That dcpones upou as long ani 1 ba• have nicely, and don't endeavor to ear. pendicular and almost porfootlysmooth, j noe only suited to sailors aid other agnatio Monsters used to climbing impossible placee. nn tion, began: rupt too intuits of the ri:,iug gcuorabiun "Aboral Seo Hero, you, whore did yon of Bornfield, I suppose. I've been a cone frutu ?" perfect angol since I came, and would bo Tho dung geutleman thus addressed at all times if they didn't aggravato vie, leisurely opened a pair of large, dark My mother was vory disagreeable." eyes, mud quietly eurveyed llie inter. "My mother was not—mamma was rogator from littut to foot, without dis, never disagreeablo," said Georgia. tithing hiu,s_11 in the sli.thtost dogroo, "Indeed 1 Wonderful old tidy she or betraying tiro smallest intention of must have been, then. Is she living?" moving. "No; shoe dead," said Georgia, look. Vory properly provoked at this am ing down with filling ayes. gravathlg conduct, Georgia's voice rose • "AIM excuse mo. 1 didn't know," derod glance around. au u;tave higher, as she said, authorita• amid the boy, hastily. "And your ' "Well, I knew you couldn't do it," Lively : I father 2" cried Ouargla, who, now observing that "Cau't you speak? Haven't yon a "Dead, too." i,u was not killed, recovered all her tongue ? 1 suppose it's the latest im• "Possible I With whom do you live ?" I aggravating love of teasing. Moor off the beetling rook, and alighted, catlike, on her feet by his aide. The lad lay porfoctly still, and Georgia, ter- rified buyuud measure, bent over and tried to raise him, and not succooding in this, soddenly bethought of Miss Je- rusha'a infallible plan for all distresses, ental and bodily,an catching him m d, tc g by the shoulder, gave him a sound shaking. 'This vigorous proceeding had the afoot of completely restoring Master Charley, who had been for the moment stunned by the force of the fall, and, opening his eyes ho slowly raised hum pCD ci- O Ci/ r�R CD CD 0• PdCD • ;r) rod • p self and looked With a slightly bewil- gra �.� I: I pr ,gounint in politeness not to ahswer "MISS Jerusba." "Ugh, you tantalizing little pepper- ' �y of y on'ro spoken to." "Miss .lerusha—who 1" pod ! that's the sort of remorse you fool 4 d This speech sourced to bring the young "Skamp. Site lives up in that cot. after nearly depriving the world of one C`1` geed n: au to a proper cense of his errors, tage." of its brightest ornaments. 'Pon my y-1. 13 dirnaii—j , up on his elbow, he took off his "Slnamp l Thuro's a pretty name to word,I never was so nearly extingatshod hat 1 1 began : talk about! Old lady, is oho 2" in all my life. Ain't you ashamed of ,.err young lady, I bog ten thou. "Yes ; old and ugly." yourself, bliss Georgia, now that you've rye ss 0.1 ;