The Path of Duty, and Other StoriesCaswell, Harriet S. (Harriet Sophia)
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The Path of Duty, and Other Stories
Caswell, Harriet S. (Harriet Sophia)
Country life -- Fiction; Family -- Fiction; Friendship -- Fiction; Pastoral fiction; Short stories
Then, turning to me, she introduced them each by name. I must confess
that I was not prepossessed in favor of the eldest of the girls. She was
very tall for her age; she had a dark complexion, with very black eyes
and hair, and had, as it seemed to me, rather a forbidding expression of
countenance. She also gave me, as I thought, rather pert replies to the
few remarks I addressed to her. There was not the slightest resemblance
between her and her younger sister; her name was Georgania. There was
something peculiarly attractive in the countenance and manner of Bertha,
or Birdie, as she was called by all the family. She was indeed a child
formed to attract the admiration and love of all who saw her. Her
complexion would have appeared almost too pale but for the rose-tint on
either cheek; she had beautiful eyes of a dark blue, and her soft brown
hair fell in luxuriant curls upon her shoulders. She came forward as her
mother called her name and placed her hand in mine. I thought at the
time that I had never before seen so lovely and engaging a child. The
little boy, Lewis, was a manly looking little fellow for his age,
although I feared, from his countenance that he might possess a temper
and a will not easy to be controlled. He somewhat resembled his sister
Georgania, as his complexion and eyes were dark; but he had a more
pleasing expression of countenance. When Mrs. Leighton had dismissed the
children from the room, she turned to me, remarking that probably I
would like to retire for a time to my own room, she called one of the
servants and requested her to show me to my apartment. As I was leaving
the parlor she informed me that tea would be ready at half-past six
o'clock. The room appropriated to my use was very pleasant, and was also
tastefully furnished. At the tea-table I was introduced to Mr. Leighton,
whom I had not before seen. I was very much pleased by his manner, which
had none of that patronizing condescension with which the rich so often
address the poor. I found him a gentleman, in the truest sense of the
word.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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