Beadle's Dime Novels No. 142: The Sagamore of Saco — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

THE MARKED CHILD. 17 finally they were sent to England to be “ finished ” and pre- sented at court, for the true Englishman never neglects the duties of his birth, or the privileges of his rank. Little Hope had reached the age of seventeen. She was exceedingly diminutive in stature, but most exquisitely formed. Her cheek was still colorless, and her long, abundant hair still white; but this, while it gave a peculiarity, did not de- tract from her beauty. Sometimes the sisters of Hope would call her “ white head,” a term which she resented in a manner unwonted to her character, in which was no ingredient of vanity. It was evident that she considered her hair a sacred badge, and tenderly associated with the fate of her uncle Raleigh ;. hence, any jest aimed at this peculiarity not only shocked her reverence, but offended her taste. She held long and solemn talks with the old English nurse, Aunt Sallie, about the period of her birth, and the cruel death of Sir Walter, and the good creature did not fail to impress her mind with her own super- stitious belief in the supernatural omen which we have here- tofore related. f “Your hair is a mark, my pretty darling,” she would say ; “it is a mark, and you are none the worse for it. Not one of your sisters can compare with my pretty, for handsome looks, with all their airs.” It was evident that Hope was the favorite of Aunt Sallie, who sometimes conceived that the child was not fully appre- ciated by the members of the househcld, whose characters circled within the more ordinarily understood limits. Hope was freakish and petulant, Aunt Sallie would exclaim : “ And why shouldn’t she have her own way! Surely she is pretty enough to have it, and J see no fault to be found with her.” ¥ Indeed, Aunt Sallie had little cause for complaint, as all the freaks of Hope were patiently tolerated, and her peculiar, but most abundant hair accepted as no detriment to her good looks. At home these peculiarities were less dangerous to her than they were hereafier to become to her abroad. The Indians around her saw and turned again and again to mark those lips, of that ruby red which goes with perfect health; black, perfectly arched brows, and long, dark lashes, omuevoekscom