As she sat there, she was by some occult agency led to think of her grandfather’s young wife—­to think of her tenderly, charitably, compassionately.  Poor Rose!  In infancy, from the day of her father’s death, an unloved, neglected, persecuted child; in childhood, driven to desperation and elopement by the miseries of her home; in girlhood, deceived and abandoned by her lover; now, in womanhood, as friendless and unhappy as if she had not married a wealthy man, and was not living in a luxurious home.  Poor Rose!  She had lost her sense of honor, or she never would have married Mr. Rockharrt, even for a refuge.  But, through all her sins and sorrows, she had not lost her tender heart, her sweet temper, or her amiable desire to serve and to please.  She had now a hard time with her aged, despotic husband.  He had not gratified her ambition by taking her into the upper circles of society, for he seemed now to have given up society; he had not pleased her harmless vanity with presents of fine dress and jewelry; no, nor even regarded her services with any sort of affectionate recognition.

Cora sat there feeling sorry that she had ever shown herself cold and haughty to the helpless creature who had always done all that she could to win her (Cora’s) love, and whom she was about to leave to the tender mercies of a hard and selfish old man, who, though he highly approved of his young wife’s meekness, humility and subserviency, and held her up as an example to her whole sex, yet did not care for her, did not consult her wishes in anything, did not consider her happiness.

Cora sat wondering what she could do to give this poor little soul some little pleasure before leaving her.  Suddenly she thought of her jewels.  She resolved to select a set and give it to Rose with some kind parting word.

She took her hand bag and withdrew from it case after case, examining each in turn.  There was a set of diamonds worth many thousand dollars; a set of rubies and pearls, worth almost as much; a set of emeralds, very costly; but none of them as lovely as a set of sapphires, pearls, and diamonds, artistically arranged together, the sapphires encircled by a row of pearls, with an outer circle of small diamonds; the whole suggesting the blue color, the foam, and the sparkle of the sea.

This Cora selected as a parting present to her grandfather’s young wife.

She took them in her hand and hurried to Rose’s room, knocked at the door and entered.  Rose was seated in a white dimity-covered arm chair, engaged in reading a novel.  She looked surprised, and almost frightened, at the sight of Cora, who had never before condescended to enter this private room.

“Have I disturbed you?” inquired Cora.

“Oh, no; no, indeed.  Pray come in.  Please sit down.  Will you have this arm chair?” eagerly inquired the young woman, rising from her seat.

“No, thank you, Rose; I have scarcely time to sit.  I have brought you a keepsake which I hope you will sometimes wear in memory of your old pupil,” said Cora, opening the casket and displaying the gems.