Tempest and Sunshine

Three weeks after Mr. Middleton's departure for New Orleans, Mr. Miller's

school closed. Uncle Joshua was present at the examination, and

congratulated himself much because he did not feel at all "stuck up" at

seeing both Julia and Fanny acquit themselves so creditably. After the

exercises were concluded, he returned with Mr. Miller to Mrs. Crane's.

Just before he started for home he drew from his sheepskin pocketbook five

hundred dollars, which he divided equally between his daughters, saying,

"Here, gals, I reckon this will be enough to pay for all the furbelows

you've bought or will want to buy. I'll leave you here the rest of the

week to see to fixin' up your rig, but Saturday I shall send for you."

Fanny was surprised at her father's unlooked-for generosity, and thanked

him again and again. Julia was silent, but her face told how vexed and

disappointed she was. As soon as her father was gone, her rage burst

forth. "Stingy old thing," said she, "and yet he thinks he's done

something wonderful. Why, my bill at C----'s already amounts to two hundred,

and I want as much more. What I am to do, I don't know."

She would have said more, but Fanny quieted her by saying, "Don't talk so

about father, Julia. It was very liberal, and really I do not know what to

do with all mine."

But we will not continue this conversation. Suffice it to say that when

Julia retired that night, her own money was safe in her purse, and by the

side of it lay the hundred dollars she had coaxed from Fanny. As they were

preparing to return home on Saturday, Julia said to her sister, "Fan,

don't let father know that you gave me a hundred dollars, for I fear all

your powers of persuasion would be of no avail to stay the storm he would

consider it his bounden duty to raise."

There was no need of this caution, for Fanny was not one to do a generous

act, and then boast of it, neither did her father ask her how she had

disposed of her money. He was satisfied to know that the "four silk gowns"

were purchased, as, in his estimation they constituted the essential part

of a young lady's wardrobe.

Since Fanny had disclosed the heartless desertion of Dr. Lacey, she seemed

to be doubly dear to her father; for pity now mingled with the intense

love he always had for his youngest and best-loved daughter. Often during

the last three days she passed at home prior to her departure for New

York, he would sit and gaze fondly upon her until the tears would blind

his vision, then springing up, he would pace the floor, impetuously

muttering, "The scamp--the vagabond--but he'll get his pay fast enough--and

I'd pay him, too, if I hadn't promised not to. But 'tain't worth a while,

for I reckon 'twould only make her face grow whiter and thinner if I did

anything."