Which Was Most the Lady?

by T.S. Arthur

"Did you ever see such a queer looking figure?" exclaimed a younglady, speaking loud enough to be heard by the object of her remark.She was riding slowly along in an open carriage, a short distancefrom the city, accompanied by a relative. The young man, hercompanion, looked across the, road at a woman, whose attire wascertainly not in any way very near approach to the fashion of theday. She had on a faded calico dress, short in the waist; stoutleather shoes; the remains of what had once been a red merino longshawl, and a dingy old Leghorn bonnet of the style of eighteenhundred and twenty.As the young man turned to look at the woman, the latter raised hereyes and fixed them steadily upon the young lady who had so rudelydirected towards her the attention of her companion. Her face, wasnot old nor faded, as the dress she wore. It was youthful, but plainalmost to homeliness; and the smallness of her eyes, which wereclose together and placed at the Mongolian angle, gave to hercountenance a singular aspect."How do you do, aunty?" said the young man gently drawing on therein of his horse so as still further to diminish his speed.The face of the young girl--for she was quite young--reddened, and sheslackened her steps so as to fall behind the rude, unfeeling couple,who sought to make themselves merry at her expense."She is gypsy!" said the young lady, laughing."Gran'mother! How are catnip and hoarhound, snakeroot and tansy,selling to-day? What's the state of the herb market?" joined theyoung man with increasing rudeness."That bonnet's from the ark--ha! ha!""And was worn by the wife of Shem, Ham or Japheth. Ha! now I've gotit! This is the great, great, great granddaughter of Noah. What adiscovery! Where's Barnum? Here's a chance for another fortune!"The poor girl made no answer to this cruel and cowardly assault, butturned her face away, and stood still, in order to let the carriagepass on."You look like a gentleman and a lady," said a man whom was ridingby, and happened to overhear some of their last remarks; "and nodoubt regard yourselves as such. But your conduct is anything butgentlemanly and lady-like; and if I had the pleasure of knowing yourfriends, I would advise them to keep you in until you had sense anddecency enough not to disgrace yourselves and them!"A fiery spot burned instantly on the young man's face, and fierceanger shot from his eyes. But the one who had spoken so sharplyfixed upon him a look of withering contempt, and riding close up tothe carriage, handed him his card, remarking coldly, as he did so,--"I shall be pleased to meet you again, sir. May I ask your card inreturn?"The young man thrust his hand indignantly into his pocket, andfumbled there for some moments, but without finding a card."No matter," said he, trying to speak fiercely; "you will hear fromme in good time.""And you from me on the spot, if I should happen to catch you atsuch mean and cowardly work as you were just now engaged in," saidthe stranger, no seeking to veil his contempt."The vulgar brute! O, he's horrid!" ejaculated the young lady as herrather crestfallen companion laid the whip upon his horse and dashedahead. "How he frightened me!""Some greasy butcher or two-fisted blacksmith," said the elegantyoung man with contempt. "But," he added boastfully, "I'll teach hima lesson!"Out into the beautiful country, with feeling a little less buoyantthan when they started, rode our gay young couple. As the excitementof passion died away both feel a little uncomfortable in mind, forcertain unpleasant convictions intruded themselves, and certainprecepts in the code of polite usage grew rather distinct in theirmemories. They had been thoughtless, to say the least of it."But the girl looked so queer!" said the young lady. "I couldn'thelp laughing to save my life. Where on earth did she come from?"Not very keen was their enjoyment of the afternoon's ride, althoughthe day was particularly fine, and their way was amid some bits ofcharming scenery. After going out into the country some five or sixmiles, the horse's head was turned, and they took their wayhomeward. Wishing to avoid the Monotony of a drive along the sameroad the young man struck across the country in order to reachanother avenue leading into the city, but missed his way andbewildered in a maze of winding country roads. While descending asteep hill, in a very secluded place, a wheel came off, and bothwere thrown from the carriage. The young man received only a slightbruise, but the girl was more seriously injured. Her head had struckagainst a stone with so strong a concussion as to render herinsensible.Eagerly glancing around for aid, the young man saw, at no greatdistance from the road, a poor looking log tenement, from the mudchimney of which curled a thin column of smoke, giving signs ofinhabitants. To call aloud was his first impulse, and he raised hisvoice with the cry of "Help!"Scarcely had the sound died away, ere he saw the door of the cabinflung open, and a woman and boy looked eagerly around."Help!" he cried again, and the sound of his voice directed theireyes towards him. Even in his distress, alarm, and bewilderment, theyoung man recognized instantly in the woman the person they had sowantonly insulted only an hour or two before. As soon as she sawthem, she ran forward hastily, and seeing the white face of theinsensible girl, exclaimed, with pity and concern,--"O, sir! is she badly hurt?"There was heart in that voice of peculiar sweetness."Poor lady!" she said, tenderly, as she untied the bonnet stringswith gentle care, and placed her hand upon the clammy temples."Shall I help you to take her over to the house?" she added, drawingan arm beneath the form of the insensible girl."Thank you!" There was a tone of respect in the young man's voice."But I can carry her myself;" and he raised the insensible form inhis arms, and, following the young stranger, bore it into her humbledwelling. As he laid her upon a bed, he asked, eagerly,--"Is there a doctor near?""Yes, sir," replied the girl. "If you will come to the door, I willshow you the doctor's house; and I think he must be at home, for Isaw him go by only a quarter of an hour since. John will take careof your horse while you are away, and I will do my best for the poorlady."The doctor's house, about a quarter of a mile distant, was pointedout, and the young man hurried off at a rapid speed. He was goneonly a few minutes when his insensible companion revived, and,starting up, looked wildly around her."Where am I? Where is George?" she asked, eagerly."He has gone for the doctor; but will be back very soon," said theyoung woman, in a kind, soothing voice."For the doctor! Who's injured?" She had clasped her hands acrossher forehead, and now, on removing them, saw on one a wet stain ofblood. With a frightened cry she fell backs upon the pillow fromwhich she had risen."I don't think you are much hurt," was said, in a tone ofencouragement, as with a damp cloth the gentle stranger wiped verytenderly her forehead. "The cut is not deep. Have you painanywhere?""No," was faintly answered."You can move your arms; so they are uninjured. And now, won't youjust step on to the floor, and see if you can bear your weight? Letme raise you up, There, put your foot down--now the other--now take astep--now another. There are no bones broken! How glad I am!"How earnest, how gentle, how pleased she was. There was no acting inher manner. Every tone, expression, and gesture showed that heartwas in everything."O, I am glad!" she repeated. "It might have been so much worse."The first glance into the young girl's face was one ofidentification; and even amid the terror that oppressed her heart,the unwilling visitor felt a sense of painful mortification. Therewas no mistaking that peculiar countenance. But how different sheseemed! Her voice was singularly sweet, her manner gentle and fullof kindness, and in her movements and attitude a certain ease thatmarked her as one not to be classed, even by the over-refined younglady who was so suddenly brought within her power, among the commonherd.All that assiduous care and kind attention could do for the unhappygirl, until the doctor's arrival, was done. After getting back tothe bed from which she bad been induced to rise, in order to see ifall her limbs were sound, she grew sick and faint, and remained sountil the physician came. He gave it as his opinion that she hadreceived some internal injuries, and that it would not be safe toattempt her removal.The young couple looked at each other with dismay pictured in theircountenances."I wish it were in my power to make you more comfortable," said thekind-hearted girl, in whose humble abode they were. "What we have isat your service in welcome, and all that it is in my power to doshall be done for you cheerfully. If father was only at home--butthat can't be helped."The young man dazed upon her in wonder and shame--wonder at the charmthat now appeared in her singularly marked countenance, and shamefor the disgraceful and cowardly cruelty with which he had a littlewhile before so wantonly assailed her.The doctor was positive about the matter, and so there was noalternative. After seeing his unhappy relative in as comfortable acondition as possible, the young man, with the doctor's aid,repaired his crippled vehicle by the restoration of a linchpin, andstarted for the city to bear intelligence of the sad accident, andbring out the mother of the injured girl.Alone with the person towards whom she had only a short time beforeacted in such shameless violation of womanly kindness and lady-likepropriety, our "nice young lady" did not feel more comfortable inmind than body. Every look--every word--every tone--every act of thekind-hearted girl--was a rebuke. The delicacy of her attentions, andthe absence of everything like a desire to refund her of the recentunpleasant incident, marked her as possessing, even if her face andattire were plain, and her position humble, all the elements of atrue lady.Although the doctor, when he left, did not speak very encouragingly,the vigorous system of the young girl began to react and she grewbetter quite rapidly so that when her parents arrived with thefamily physician, she was so much improved that it was at oncedecided to take her to the city.For an hour before her parents came she lay feigning to be in sleep,yet observing every movement and word of her gentle attendant. Itwas an hour of shame, self-reproaches, and repentance. She was notreally bad at heart; but false estimates of things, triflingassociations, and a thoughtless disregard of others, had made herfar less a lady in act than she imagined herself to be in quality.Her parents, when they arrived, overwhelmed the young girl withthankfulness; and the father, at parting, tried to induce her toaccept a sum of money. But the offers seemed to disturb her."O, no, sir!" she said, drawing back, while a glow came into herpale face, and made it almost beautiful; "I have only done a simpleduty.""But you are poor," he urged, glancing around. "Take this, and letit make you more comfortable.""We are contented with what God has given to us," she replied,cheerfully. "For what he gives is always the best portion. No, sir;I cannot receive money for doing only a common duty.""Your reward is great," said the father, touched with the nobleanswer, "may God bless you, my good girl! And if you will notreceive my money, accept my grateful thanks."As the daughter parted from the strange young girl, she bent downand kissed her hand; then looking up into her face, with tearfuleyes, she whispered for her ears alone,--"I am punished, and you are vindicated. O, let your heart forgiveme!""It was God whom you offended," was whispered back. "Get hisforgiveness, and all will be right. You have mine, and also theprayer of my heart that you may be good and wise, for only such arehappy."The humbled girl grasped her hand tightly, and murmured, "I shallnever forget you--never!"Nor did she. If the direct offer of her father was declined,indirect benefits reached, through her means, the lonely logcottage, where everything in time put on a new and pleasant aspect,wind the surroundings of the gentle spirit that presides there weremore in agreement with her true internal quality. To the thoughtlessyoung couple the incidents of that day were a life-lesson that neverpassed entirely from their remembrance. They obtained a glance belowthe surface of things that surprised them, learning that, even inthe humblest, there may be hearts in the right places--warm with purefeelings, and inspired by the noblest sentiments of humanity; andthat highly as they esteem themselves on account of their position,there was one, at least, standing below them so far as externaladvantages were concerned, who was their superior in all the higherqualities that go to make up the real lady and gentleman.

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