LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 774, 13 December 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

ISABEL HEDDINGTON’S STRATA GEM.

‘My own pet! who has been putting such notions into your head ? What makes you think my affection for you is alienated ? I shall come to you soon, darling, and convince you how much you have wronged your own loving ’ ‘To write thus—and I loved him so ! ’ and the note is crushed vengefully between a pair of soft hands. ‘ Ah, well, it is very hard; but I must bear it, as others have borne a similar affliction. Still I will show him that I am not a toy, to bo played with and cast aside ! ’ Margaret Eburne was only a poor girl, who supported herself and her mother by giving lessons in French, Italian, drawing, and music. She was beautiful, and had withal an unbending spirit. Her father had been a bank clerk, with a tolerable salary ; but he gave his only daughter a relined and elegant education. He died, leaving her to support her mother by daily labour. Some time previous to his decease, Tom Heddington met with a severe accident while entering a railway carriage at a small suburban station, and was taken to the nearest habitation, owned then by Mark Eburne, where he laid in a precarious state for nearly a mouth, during which time no friend came to see him. It was, therefore, concluded by the household that he had none.

One, however, had nursed and tended him with all the care and anxiety of a sister, scarce leaving him for a moment; now reading to him, now procuring some delicacy for Avhich he expressed a wish, and now conversing with him upon different topics. This was Mark Eburne’s daughter Margaret. One day, when he had advanced far towards convalescence, and she had been reading to him from Moore’s ‘ Lalla Eookh,’ he took her hand in his and said earnestly, ‘ Miss Eburne —Margaret! —what a fortunate fellow I am to have been brought under the care of one so good as you! I shall never be able to pay you as you deserve, but 1 am very, very grateful, and shall never forget your kindness.’ ‘Nay, sir, you overrate my services. It was my duty, you know, and I should have done the same for any other in a similar position ; and, believe me, it has given me great pleasure to have been of some assistance to you, as it would to any in suffering.’ ‘ Bless you, Miss Eburne ! i dare say you have wondered that no friend or relation has been to inquire about my condition, but the fact is 1 have but one who cares sufficiently about me to trouble whether 1 am living or dead, and that one is away on the Continent. And yet lam a rich man - that is, rich in wealth. I shall be leaving you soon, Margaret, Will you give me leave to call upon you ? Will you look upon me as a friend, a true friend ?’ ‘ Indeed, I shall be happy, sir, if it pleases you to call me friend.’ And so it went on. It was but natural that two hearts brouhgt together in such a manner should blend into one; and when Tom Hcddiugton went away he took Margaret’s heart with him. After the death of Mr Eburne, the widow and her daughter removed to a neat cottage nearer London, where Tom Heddington became a frequent visitor. ‘ Will you excuse me for a moment, Miss Margaret,’ he said, on one occasion ; ‘ I wish to write a few lines ;’ and he left her. Presently he was called away to dinner. ‘ Margaret, ’ he said, subsequently, when they were alone, ‘ will you make happy the life you have saved ? Will you give me this little hand, and your heart with it ?’ ‘ I will give you the hand, Tom ; the heart became yours when you laid suffering beneath my father’s roof.’ An affectionate kiss was pressed upon her lips, and he ran off, light-hearted and happy. Margaret wandered into the pretty little parlor, feeling happy! Presently her attention was attracted to the writing desk, upon which laid a sheet of note paper, with writing thereon. ‘My own pet,’ she saw, in the wellknown characters ; and, thinking that he had left it there for her, she read on, as we have already seen, and finding her mistake she passionately crushed it up, without turning it over to see the conclusion. She sat for some time with an expression of despair painful to see, and then she rose, with a determined air, and quietly folded the note, placing it in the desk, ‘ Why, Margaret, what has happened ? ’ ‘ I have been deceived, dear mother, as many others have been before—that is all ! But it is hard to bear at first. ’

* What, Tom—Mr Heddington ! He— ’ ‘ Nay, mother, dear, do not mention him. Hist ! there is some one at the door ! Leave me for a while.’ ‘ Ah, Mag, my love, I have returned, you see I I left my note ’ As Tom Heddington came into the room, and uttered these words, she went to the desk and took out the letter. ‘ Mr Heddington, ’ she said, haughtily, ‘ I do not wish this interview to be prolonged ; and I must also beg to be spared the honor of your visits in future !’ ‘ But, Margaret 1 what is all this ? Explain 1 I cannot understa ’ ‘ Enough, sir ! Not another word ! Take this, and leave me ! I read part of this epistle under a mistaken impression, for which I must ask your pardon.’ He calmly took the note from her, unfolded it, and turned over the leaf. He suddenly made a step forward, as if to show her something written on that side ; but he stopped, and, assuming a haughty mien, he cast the letter into the fire, and answered, ‘ Miss Eburne, perhaps it would have been better for us both if you had read that epistle to to the end. For the kindness and attention you bestowed upon me when I was helpless, I am sincerely grateful, and always shall be ; and, believe me, you have my hearty wishes for your future happiness. Farewell! ’ He bowed to her, and went out of the room, and the house. ‘ Oh, Tom, Tom, my life, come back to me- -forgive me ! ’ But it was too late ! ‘ Gan I have wronged him ? No ; others have spoken thus before! “Perhaps it would have been better for us both if you had read that to the end ! ” ’ And her eyes wandered instinctively towards tbe lire. The paper had burnt to within about two inches of the top when it had fluttered on

the bar of the grate, and fell into the fender. She caught up the fragment eagerly. ‘ My own pet,’ she read, ‘who has been putting such notions into ’ She could see no more. She turned it over, and became like marble. ‘ Brother,’ it ran, ‘And when I come, my dear, I hope to present to you a sister (my own darling Maggie !). Ah, such an angel—such a Ah, well, never mind ! wait till you see her, Belle; and—— ’ The rest was black ash. ‘ Oh, Tom, Tom ! where are you ? Why did you not tell me ? Why did I drive you away ?’ she ejaculated, her slight frame showing signs of mental suffering. •K* •Jr dfr -Jf Six months have passed. Margaret had become as sorrowful as Niobe. She bore her grief in silence, and alone. ‘He has gone!’ she had said to her mother. * Why, my child, how ill you look! He has broken your heart!’ ‘No, mother, dear, the fault was mine. We will let it rest.’ And she went on with her labor, receiving the astonished inquiries of her pupils as to what affliction had befallen her. ‘lt is but that which has been the lot of many others,’ she had answered; ‘and I must bear it.’ And Tom Heddington had also changed. He was a quiet, grave-looking man now, whose only solace seemed to be the care of his sister, and in reading, the latter chiefly from ‘ Lalla Rookh,’ and other works which she had read to him.

‘Tom, dear,’ said Isabel Heddington, one day, ‘my Italian is imperfect, I should like to have a few finishing lessons.’ ‘ Very well, my sister. Any particular tutor ? ’ ‘ No, Tom; I have no choice.’ ‘Well, let me see. Signor Bachetto adopts the Milanese accent; and Signor Bianchi the Florentine. Which do you pre But stay! Come here, my sister. Will you grant me a favour ? ’ ‘Y ou know I will, Tom. What is it ? ’ ‘ Well, my love, you remember 1 told you mouths ago, I had intended to have brought you a sister? Well, pet, Miss Margaret Eburne is an experienced teacher of the pure Tuscan, and I should like to know how she is —whether she is in need of assistance? Will you go to her, my darling ?’ ‘ I shall be glad, dear Tom !’ The next morning Isabel went to the house indicated by the addressed paper given to her by her brother, and was shown into the little parlor, where Margaret was arranging some drawings, ‘ Am I in the presence of Miss Margaret Eburne ?’ ‘ I bear that name, Miss.’ ‘ You teach the Italian language, I believe ?’ ‘Yes. May I inquire the name of my visitor ?’ ‘ I wish to be known only as Isabel. I have been informed that you are an efficient teacher, and my pronunciation of that elegant language being somewhat defective, I have come to you to perfect myself. I am willing to pay liberally if I improve under your guidance. ’ * I shall be pleased to give you my assistance, Miss Isabel. You will find my terms upon this prospectus. Anything beyond that I cannot accept. Shall we commence at once ?’ ‘lf you please. You do not seemhappy, Miss Eburne.’ ‘ We are all liable to affliction, Miss Isabel, and I hive not been free. Do you read the poets ?’ ‘ Imperfectly, lam afraid. Well, we will read torn Tasso.’ And they read from the ‘ Jerusalem Delivered. ’ ‘ You read nicely, Miss Isabel ! Try the ‘ r’s ’ a little harsher and rather more stress upon the accented finals. There ! that is perfection ! You will soon read better than your tutor, Miss Isabel!’ ‘ Ah ! so Miss Haddington has been told many times bef Dear me, Miss Eburne, Avhat ails you ?’ ‘ Nothing—nothing. Only the name you mentioned brought to my memory a dear friend I once had.’

‘ I ask your pardon, Miss Eburne, if I have pained you. I had no intention of awakening a reminiscence of the dead.’ ‘ Oh, no, no ! —not dead ! I {hope not! Will you excuse me for to-day, Miss Isabel?’ ‘Undoubtedly, dear Margaret—you will let me call you Margaret ? Thanks ! May I kiss you ? I have never known a sister, Miss Eburne, and I should so much love one like you ! ’ Margaret took the fair young face between her hands and pressed a fervent kiss upon the pretty lips. ‘ Good-bye, darling Isabel ! ’ she said : ‘ I have known you but an hour, and yet there is but one other woman I love as I do you, and that is my mother ! ’ And they parted. ‘ It is some mistake which has separated them,’ mused Isabel, while walking towards the station. ‘ And they are killing each other. But I will unite these broken hearts yet.’ ‘ Well, Belle, darling, how is she ? What do you think of her ? ’ eagerly inquired her brother, when she reached home. ‘ Miss Eburne is a lady,’ she replied. ‘And I think I could not have found a better teacher. ’ ‘ But is she well and happy ? ’ ‘ I am not a physiognomist, Tom. There, do not plague me more now; I am fatigued.’ ‘ Bear Margaret, ’ said Isabel, a few days afterwards, ‘ will you return with me to my home ? I have a reason for asking this favor - you will not refuse me ? Ah, you will come ? Thanks ! Good-bye, dear Mrs Eburne !’ Margaret had left the room to dress for chc journey. ‘ We shall not be away long, and when we return I shall call you mother i’ And she kissed the good lady, and leaving her puzzling brain to 15nd a solution to this problem she ran oil’ with Margaret. ‘ Ah, Margaret, dear ! you are a connoisseur in drawings, what is your opinion of - But I have not introduced to you my only brother ’ ‘ Your brother, Isabel ? But I ‘ Nay, nay; be patient, my darling I’ And she ran gaily out of the room. In a few moments the door was open, and the manly form of Tom Heddiugtou entered. ‘ My sister informs me Miss Eburne 1 I beg your pardon ! I did not know ’ She did not scream, but stood gazing on the loved form in a state of torpor, until he

turned to leave, and then she spoke in a calm and sorrowful tone : ‘Mr Heddington, will you grant me a few moments 1 I wish to return this to you, together with an apology which is requisite.’ And she drew from her bosom the halfburned note, and tendered it to him. He took it mechanically, and answered somewhat mournfully, ‘ The apology is unnecessary, Miss Eburne. Had our positions been changed, I might possibly have acted as you have done. As this interview is probably painful to us both, you will pardon me leaving you ?’ ‘Tom—l beg your pardon, Mr Heddington,’—and the humid eyes were lifted pleadingly—' I have a favor to ask you. I am aware I have no right to expect you to grant it, but I would go away so happy if I could hear you say “ 1 forgive you.” His features shone with peculiar brightness. He extended his arms and uttered, fervently, ‘ dome darling 1’ and she glided silently into his arms. ‘ Oh, Tom, Tom, my darling, I shall never forgive myself !’ ‘My life ! my joy ! Let us not speak of the past now!’ At this moment the door opened, and a musical voice exclaimed, ‘ You see, brother Tom, I have brought myself a sister in spite of you I Ay, and gained a mother, also !’ ‘Ah, Belle, come, here, you gay, deceiver ! ’ But he had no time, for the fair arms which were encircling his neck were instantly transferred to that of the ‘ gay deceiver.’ ‘ Isabel I my sister I’ And any other exclamation which might have escaped the lips of the ‘pet’ was effectually stopped by a shower of kisses. And so we’ll leave them.