Family Pride; Or, Purified by SufferingHolmes, Mary Jane
General
Family Pride; Or, Purified by Suffering
Holmes, Mary Jane
American fiction; Dime novels
"Yes, I found Mrs. Wilford Cameron's note, and came around as she
requested."
There was nothing objectionable in that remark, while the voice was
very, very sweet and musical, so musical, indeed, so like a voice heard
before, that Mrs. Cameron involuntarily went a step nearer to the
stranger, and even thought of calling up a servant to light the gas. But
that would perhaps be too great a civility, or at least betoken too
great a curiosity, and so she forebore, while she began to question
Marian of her own and Mrs. Hubbell's antecedents. Both were English,
both had worked upon the Isle of Wight, and later in New York, at
Madam ----'s; one had married, living now in New London, and the other
Stood there as Marian Hazelton, puzzling and bewildering Mrs. Cameron,
who tried to recall the person of whom she was reminded by that voice and
that manner, so wholly ladylike and refined.
Marian Hazelton pleased her, as was apparent from her expressing a wish
that "as far as practicable Miss Hazelton should take charge of the
child. We cannot tell how early life-long impression may be made, and it
is desirable that they be of the right nature, and wholly in accordance
with refinement and good-breeding."
There was a curl on Marian's lip as she remembered another meeting with
the proud lady whose words were not as complimentary as now, but she
merely bent her head in supposed acquiescence to the belief that Baby
Cameron was, or soon would be, capable of discriminating between a nurse
refined and one the opposite. There was a moment's silence and then
Marian asked if baby had been christened?
"Not yet, we cannot decide upon a name," was the reply, while Marian
continued:
"I understood your daughter that it was to be Genevra."
Marian Hazelton was growing too familiar, and so the lady deigned no
answer, but stepped a little to one side, as if she would thus indicate
that the conference was ended.
Dropping her veil entirely over her face, for the servant was now
lighting the parlor lamps, Marian turned toward the door which Mrs.
Cameron opened, and she passed out just as up the steps came Wilford,
Marian's skirts brushing him as she passed, and her heart beating
painfully as she thought of her escape and began to realize the danger
she incurred when she accepted the office of partial nurse to his child.
"Dark, mother? How is that? Why is the hall not lighted?" she heard him
say, and the old, familiar tones, so little changed, vibrated sadly in
her ear, as she dashed away a tear, and then hurried on through the
darkened streets toward her humble home, so different from the Cameron's.
"Who was that, mother?" Wilford said, expressing regret that he had not
happened in a little earlier, so as to have seen her himself, and
asking what his mother thought of her.
"I liked her. She seemed a well-bred person, and her voice is much like
Genevra's."
Wilford turned his eyes quickly upon his mother, who continued:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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