So long as Anna Miller was the inmate of the school, Julia was satisfied to remain also, but the father of Anna having determined to remove to an estate in the interior of the country, his daughter was taken from school; and while the arrangements were making for the reception of the family on the banks of the Gennessee, Anna was permitted to taste, for a short time, the pleasures of the world, at the residence of Miss Emmerson on the banks of the Hudson.
{Gennessee = Genesee River, which flows north through central New York State to Lake Ontario--at the time of Cooper's story it was still on the frontier of settlement}
Charles Weston was a distant relative of the good aunt, and was, like Julia, an orphan, who was moderately endowed with the goods of fortune.He was a student in the office of her uncle, and being a great favourite with Miss Emmerson, spent many of his leisure hours, during the heats of the summer, in the retirement of her country residence.
Whatever might be the composure of the maiden aunt, while Julia was weeping in her chamber over the long separation that was now to exist between herself and her friend, young Weston by no means displayed the same philosophic indifference.He paced the hall of the building with rapid steps, cast many a longing glance at the door of his cousin's room, and then rested himself with an apparent intention to read the volume he held in his hands; nor did he in any degree recover his composure until Julia re- appeared on the landing of the stairs, moving slowly towards their bottom, when, taking one long look at her lovely face, which was glowing with youthful beauty, and if possible more charming from the traces of tears in her eyes, he coolly pursued his studies.Julia had recovered her composure, and Charles Weston felt satisfied.Miss Emmerson and her niece took their seats quietly with their work at an open window of the parlour, and order appeared to be restored in some measure to the mansion.After pursuing their several occupations for some minutes with a silence that had latelybeen a stranger to them, the aunt observed--"You appear to have something new in hand, my love.Surely you must abound with trimmings, and yet you are working another already?""It is for Anna Miller," said Julia with a flush of feeling.
"I was in hopes you would perform your promise to your cousin Katherine, now Miss Miller is gone, and make your portion of the garments for the Orphan Asylum," returned Miss Emmerson gravely.
"Oh! cousin Katherine must wait.I promised this trimming to Anna to remember me by, and I would not disappoint the dear girl for the world.""It is not your cousin Katherine, but the Orphans, who will have to wait; and surely a promise to a relation is as sacred as one to an acquaintance.""Acquaintance, aunt!" echoed the niece with displeasure."Do not, I entreat you, call Anna an acquaintance merely.She is my friend--my very best friend, and I love her as such.""Thank you, my dear," said the aunt dryly.
"Oh! I mean nothing disrespectful to yourself, dear aunt," continued Julia."You know how much I owe to you, and ought to know that I love you as a mother.""And would you prefer Miss Miller to a mother, then?""Surely not in respect, in gratitude, in obedience; but still I may love her, you know.Indeed, the feelings are so very different, that they do not at all interfere with each other--in my heart at least.""No!" said Miss Emmerson, with a little curiosity--"I wish you would try and explain this difference to me, that I may comprehend the distinctions that you are fond of making.""Why, nothing is easier, dear aunt!" said Julia with animation."You I love because you are kind to me, attentive to my wants, considerate for my good; affectionate, and--and--from habit--and you are my aunt, and take care of me.""Admirable reasons!" exclaimed Charles Weston, who had laid aside his book to listen to this conversation.
"They are forcible ones I must admit," said Miss Emmerson, smiling affectionately on her niece; "but now for the other kind of love.""Why, Anna is my friend, you know," cried Julia, with eyes sparkling with enthusiasm."I love her, because she has feelings congenial with my own; she has so much wit, is so amusing, so frank, so like a girl of talents--so like--like every thing I admire myself.""It is a pity that one so highly gifted cannot furnish herself with frocks," said the aunt, with a little more than her ordinary dryness of manner, "and suffer you to work for those who want them more.""You forget it is in order to remember me," said Julia, in a manner that spoke her own ideas of the value of the gift.
"One would think such a friendship would not require any thing to remind one of its existence," returned the aunt.
