LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2576, 10 July 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

“MY HERMAN.” BY MAHOA.IVKT BLOU3T. ‘ Engaged to Herman St a ay 1' Mita Hanson sank down on the garden seat beside whloh she had been at work, and looked helplessly up at her niece. Miss Mabel Hanson was a maiden lady, as her name betokens. She was quite five and thirty, If the family register on the fly-leaf o! the great family Bible in the best parlor was to be believed; yet her eyes were as blue, her color, was as bright, her figure as trim and neat, and chestnut hair as soft and pretty as when Herman Stacy, then a poor young lawyer, just on the point ef leaving their native village for the great city, bad wooed and won her, In that very garden, fifteen years ago. Beside her stood her orphan niece, Patricia, * a girl of the period,’ just seventeen In years, but, oh, how mnoh older in thought and feeling, and in practical knowledge of life than her little ahnt!

Patricia was the only child of Miss Hanson’s only brother, who, dying a penniless

artist In New York, had given the baby, with his last breath, to his sister’s o&ra. J For the child’s Bike Mabel Hanson ha 3 fc rt Eused to marry the young lawyer—to lm- a V>ese such a burden upon him at the begin- b ning of. hia career, She had devoted herself C ever since to Patricia, had labored for her, taught her, hoarded up her scanty means to give her luxuries and pleasures, loved he*, idolised her, end this was her reward ! standing there in her fresh young beauty, and her pretty, fashionable, summer attire, Paitrlola carelessly told the etory that seemed so little to her, while it quenched ' the last light, the la t hope, that (unknown 1 to herself till now) had shown over the 1 lonely spinster’s path. * Five years before that day Herman Stacy I had returned- to Oamptown, and returned, as he had vowed to do after her rejection of film, its wealthiest and most influential man. On the hill whore hia father’s farm formerly stood he built a princely mansion, and filled It with the pictures and statues which he had collected during a two years’ tour in Europe. Thither ho came for four months every summer, spending the rest of bis time between Washington and New York,whither a doable interest, as a politician and * a railroad man,’ drew him with magnetic force. Mabel Hanson had heard marvellous tales of the splendour of the great house on the hill, but she had never entered It, nor, to her knowledge, had Patricia ever done so ; and now, in her bewilderment, her first question was—- * Bat where did you ever see Herman Stacy, Patricia 7 Not in Camptown, lam sure ?’ ‘Oh no, auntie. It was last winter—that is, the first time—when I went to New York with Lucy Hale end her parents, you know. Mr Hale knew Mr Staoy, and they had something to do with each other about bnsi ness, I believe. And so—and so, they went out with us to places of amusement; and i& fact that was the way it all came about, auntie dear.’ • Last winter ! And it is now late autumn —very nearly winter again—and you have but just told me.’ ‘lt is so awkward to own to any such i thing,’ salt Patricia, looking very handsome as she blushed and laughed. * I’m not sure that i should have made the confession even now,’ she added, 'only that Herman la coming to night or tc-morrow, and, of course, he will call on me here. And you mm.t be i ready to see him tad say '■ Yes,” like a dear i soul as you are. Won’t it be delightful, auntie, when we can all live in that magnificent house together, and yon won’t have to I worry your dear old brains any longer to i make both ends mset at the end of the year? I Love may be all very well, auntie, but I’ll r own that I do love my Herman dearly, but I lore with plenty of money and a palace to t live In is far batter than * love in a cottage,’ l with an empty purse, whatever these igeeae s of people may say. And now I’ll go and s make myself lovely, on the chance of Her--3 man’s coming out on the evening train, 1 instead of the morning one"' i Patricia kissed her aunt on both cheats i and ran up the garden walk toward the i, house, singing as she went. r Miss Hanson leaned back against tha !i grape arbor, among the yellow leaves, and closed her eyes. , ' Thank Hod, I have not betrayed myself r In spite of the surprise,' she thought. * Poor :> child 1 she would be wretched if she knew ii all. And I have been idiotic enough to hope ii that he might remember how I loved him i that ho might come and ask me ti share bis I last years. I, who am thirty-five, and sere . and faded in his eyes, no doubt, as these i leaves are in mine But what am I to do F 1 Where am Itogo 7 Live here and see her 3 happy as his wife, and in that home, 1 can , not I Oh, Herman, my love for you has j been the curse of my whole life 1’ [ ‘ Miss Hanson ! I beg yr nr pardon !’ said a voice near her —a voice she had not heard for fifteen years, and yet her heart recognised and responded to it at onoe. ■ She sprang to her feet, blushing crimson, and trembling from head to foot. 7 A tall, portly, fine looking man. with a touch of silver in hia dark locks, but with ’ all the fire of youth in his large, dark eyes, J stood In the garden path looking at her. [ ‘Pray pardon this intrusion I’ he said, in f a tone that was agitated, In spite of his appa 3 rent composure, ‘ Your charming niece, , Patricia, told me that I would find you here. 3 I suppose you guess my errand. I have . come lo ask your permission— ’ . * You have It 1 ’ said poor Miss Mabel, wildly, feeling that she must fly instantly if dignity and decorum were to ba preserved. [ ’And I am sure I hope you will bo very [ happy In your home, both of you.’ , * All three of n», yon moan 7 ’ questioned Mr Staoey, with tha old, well remembered smile. ‘ Yes,’ I suppose we shall be. She aqema a vary nice girl.’ | ‘ls that all you can say at such a time V exclaimed Miss Hantom, wonderlngly. ‘ And she will make a good wife, I dare say,’ Mr Staoy continued, with the same quiet indifference. ‘As for Herman, he J Is a good fellow, thongh I say It. Steady, too—in a good business, and tremendously I fond of her.* ' Herman !’ gasped Miss Hanson. ( *My nephew. Yes, my favorite nephew, L I may say, since he is my only one. But how pale you are Ma—Miss Hanson ! Shall I call Patricia 7” - ' Yonr nephew ?’ repeated Miss Mabel, ; 'ls It he whrm Patricia has just told mo , about 7 I—l thought it was you 1’ ‘Me 7’ | ' Yes 1’ ‘There never was Ibnt one woman in the world that 1 thought of msny'ng or ever wished to marry,’ s»id Mr Stacy angrily, * And she jilted me, fifteen years ago 1’ | ‘lt was for the child—for Patricia I’ stammered Miss Mabel, blushing like a rose. 1 ‘ You were poor then, Herman, and I could not burden you with the care of her.’ ‘ Did you love me at all, then 7' he asked, drawing nearer. ‘ With all my heart! But I promised my brother, on hia death bed, to devote my life to her. I dared not break my promise. Indeed, I meant it for the best. God knows how hard it was for me to lose yon 1’ she added, as her bine eyes seemed to look sadly back Into the lonely past. * If that is so, here I am again, Mabel, and yon need never loose me again, unless yon wish,’ said Mr Staoy, taking her hand. ‘Say the word, my dearest. I’ve been miserable for fifteen years without you Why shouldn’t we marry next month, and be happy as well as those two young fools ?’ Those ‘ two young fools’ happened to be coming down the garden patch just then. They saw the practical answer which ‘ the Gorenor ’ (as Herman, junior, called him) asked and received to his proposal. And then they fled back to the house, bursting with langhter over the courtship of their elders. But Annt Mabel made almost as fair a bride as herownnieoa, after, the next month. And it is hard to say which of the two homes is the happiest now, though each foi d wife upho'ds ‘My Herman ’ as tha one perfeet being in this imperfect world.