An Heiress

An illiterate peasant girl, servant iu a prominent family of South Maitland, Australia, han lately inherited a million and a half of francs, or $300,000. The gulden shower lias descended on the neiress f rom the will of a distant relative, of whoso existence slie was ignorant, but who liad inade a large fortune in America, and left it to tliis girl and her brother in equal proportions. The brother is a stable boy in a wealthy family near Paris. B0Ü1 are uttcrly without education, noi even knowing how to read. The lady, with whom the heiress continúes to live while the affairs of the defunct relative are being settled, is vainly trying to give the girl some clear notion of the importancc of the fortune she has fallen hito, but it secms impossible to make her see either the responsibilitiea it will entail, or the necessity of turning it to useful account. Her solé idea in coniicction with her imijroved fortune is to have " a littlc house iu the country, and a good lot of fowls." She stubbornly refuses to lenrn to read or write, declaring that Bhe can look after "thelittle house and the fowls " without either. "But how will y ou manage your servants?" urged the mistress, "if you do not take the troublo to improve yourselJ and acriuire a better idea of thiugs?" "6'ci-vants!" answered the girl, with Frenen gestures of amazement and disgust. "Do you think I would have servante? Whyi what shoulddoifl had Bervante to do iny -work ? No, nu; no servante for me. I want no one to meddle with my littlo house and my fowls. I shall take care of them mys-lf."