Family Pride; Or, Purified by SufferingHolmes, Mary Jane
General
Family Pride; Or, Purified by Suffering
Holmes, Mary Jane
American fiction; Dime novels
"I did not think of her, it is true, until Miss Hazelton inquired about
baby's name, and said she understood from Katy that it was to be
Genevra. Then it came to me whose her voice was like. Genevra's, you
know, was very musical."
"Yes," Wilford answered, and in his eyes there was a look of pain, such
as thoughts of Genevra always brought.
She was in his mind when he ran up his father's steps, not Genevra
living, but Genevra dead--she who slept in that lone corner of the
churchyard across the sea. "Genevra Lambert, aged twenty-two," and not
Genevra, aged nearly thirty-two, if she had been still living. Kindly,
regretfully, he always spoke of her now, separating her entirely from
the little fairy who was mistress of his house and love--Katy, who was
preferred before Genevra, and to whom no wrong was done, he thought, by
his sad memories of the beautiful English girl, whose grave was at St.
Mary's, and whose picture was so securely hidden from every eye save his
own. He never liked to talk of her now, and he changed the subject at
once, asking when it would be best to send his child away.
"Miss Hazelton is ready any time, and so I decided upon the day after
to-morrow--that will be Saturday--thus giving Katy the benefit of Sunday
in which to get over it and recover her usual spirits."
"You are sure it is right?" Wilford asked, for now that the time drew
near when the little crib at home would be empty, the nursery desolate,
with no fretful, plaintive wail to annoy and worry him, he began to feel
that after all that cry was not so very vexing as he had imagined it to
be; that he might miss it when it was gone, and wish back the little
creature which had been so greatly in his way.
Besides this, there was a sense of injustice to Katy. Perhaps he had not
been considerate enough of her feelings; at all events, his mother's
arranging the time of baby's departure looked like ignoring Katy
altogether, and he ventured a remonstrance. But his mother soon
convinced him of her infallible judgment; not only in that matter, but
in all others pertaining to his household; and so with his good opinion
of himself restored, he went home to where Katy waited for him, with her
baby in her lap, both tastefully attired, and making a most lovely
picture. Wilford kissed them both, and took his daughter in his arms, an
act he had not often been guilty of, for baby tending was not altogether
to his taste.
In the dark hours of agony which came to him afterward, he remembered
that night, feeling again the touch of the velvet cheek and the warmth
of the faint breath which floated across his face as he held his little
girl for a moment to it, laughing at Katy's distress because "his
whiskers scratched it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account