The Argosy — page 310: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Little Maid, an Old Maid and the Major. 289 eyes and a cloud of finest golden curls that encircled her brow like an aureole. She was six, and precocious in mind, but very small and slender. She had the prettiest clinging ways with those she loved— and seemed to possess an inexhaustible store of elfin caresses. Maud she worshipped, and nestled in her arms now, as being the place of all others where she felt herself most at home. Her mother died in giving her birth, and Maud, already then sixteen and the eldest but one of a family of eight, had stood her far more in lieu of that lost parent than the amiable but slightly incapable Aunt Hester could have done. For Maud had early learned to be grave and strong—early began _ to think for others. Her father, whom she loved very dearly, and who died only a month or two before his wife—had been a charming but impecunious man, always in need of sympathy and rarely failing to obtain it. The blighting presence of poverty shadowed all Maud’s childhood ; but she soon laid its lessons of discipline to heart. Love surrounded her in abundance: and love to weak natures is sometimes a corrosive; but Maud’s strong heart and brave spirit only gained from it a deeper capacity for responsive tenderness and ungrudging help. And now on her little sister she lavished a wealth of affection and watchfulness as requisite as they were wise. ‘* Maudie, put by those horrid paints and let us go for a walk—yjust you and me,” said Effie coaxingly. This was a request often proffered but not always granted, at least in winter, when Maud had need of the whole brief day for her painting, and generally only went out by owl’s light. On this particular occasion, however, feeling a little restless, she charmed Effie by assent. The child as an additional element of enjoyment suggested that she should wear her new pelisse, which was a recent present from Maud. It was trimmed with sealskin, and worn with a little sealskin cap, was ravishingly becoming to Effie’s small, wistful and delicately-tinted face. ; They started off presently, the child holding fast by Maud’s hand and chattering gaily. She had a clear, musical voice, a little shrill, such as one might imagine some silver trumpet in Elfiand to be; and made very quaint, unexpected observations, so that her society was delightful. | On their way they had occasion to stop at the Post-Office, which being also a kind of general shop was the most frequented place in the village. Mrs. Welbrow was delighted to see them, but Maud greeted her rather coldly, and showed even less disposition to chat than usual. She could not help feeling with some resentment that if Miss Dodson really did know of her writing to Major Murdoch it could only be through the gossip of the Post-mistress. CON @) NOOKS (C(O) mn