Tempest and Sunshine

"Well," continued he, "whichever one is favored with his preference should

feel honored, for he is a capital fellow." Just then his eye fell upon an

elegant piano which stood in the room and he asked Mrs. Carrington to

favor him with some music.

"Perhaps Miss Middleton will oblige you," said Mrs. Carrington, looking at

Julia.

"Thank you," said Julia, "I am just taking lessons," so Mrs. Carrington

sat down to the instrument, and as Julia saw how skillfully her white,

jewelled fingers touched the keys, she resolved to spare no pains to

become as fine a player as Mrs. Carrington, particularly as she saw that

Dr. Lacey was very fond of music and kept calling for piece after piece

till the evening was somewhat advanced.

"You ought to play, golden locks," said he to Fanny, at the same time

taking one of her long yellow curls in his hand.

"I am taking lessons," said Fanny, "but I make awkward work, for my

fingers are all thumbs, as you might know by my dropping that four-tined

pitchfork this morning!"

Dr. Lacey laughed heartily at this and called her an "original little

piece," at the same time saying, "You remind me of my sister Anna."

"Where does she live?" asked Fanny.

Dr. Lacey sighed as he answered, "For three years she has lived in heaven;

three long years to us, who loved her so dearly."

Fanny observed that he seemed agitated while speaking of his sister, so

she dared not ask him more about her, although she wished very much to do

so. Perhaps he read her wishes in her face, for he went on to tell her

more of his sister, who, he said, drooped day by day, and they took her to

Cuba, but she daily grew worse, and often spoke of dying and heaven, and

then one bright summer morning she passed away from them, and they buried

her under a group of dark orange trees. That night Fanny dreamed of sweet

Anna Lacey, sleeping so quietly in her lone grave, far off 'neath the

orange trees of Cuba. Julia had dreams, too, but of a different nature. In

her fancy she beheld Dr. Lacey at her feet, with his handsome person,

princely fortune, and magnificent home near New Orleans, while off in the

dim distance loomed up a dark coffin, in which was the cold, pale form of

one whom she knew too well. Was her dream an omen of the coming future? We

shall see.