sweet will about the house; flits from branch
to branch, or rather from room to room; goes to and fro; approaches and
retires; plumes her wings, or rather combs her hair, and makes all kinds
of gentle noises--murmurings of unspeakable delight to certain ears. She
asks a question, and is answered; is asked something in return, and
chirps a reply. It is delightful to chat with her when tired of serious
talk; for this creature carries with her something of her skyey element.
She is, as it were, a thread of gold interwoven with your sombre
thoughts; you feel almost grateful to her for her kindness in not making
herself invisible, when it would be so easy for her to be even
impalpable; for the beautiful is a necessary of life. There is, in this
world, no function more important than that of being charming. The
forest-glade would be incomplete without the humming-bird. To shed joy
around, to radiate happiness, to cast light upon dark days, to be the
golden thread of our destiny, and the very spirit of grace and harmony,
is not this to render a service? Does not beauty confer a benefit upon
us, even by the simple fact of being beautiful? Here and there we meet
with one who possesses that fairy-like power of enchanting all about
her; sometimes she is ignorant herself of this magical influence, which
is, however, for that reason, only the more perfect. Her presence lights
up the home; her approach is like a cheerful warmth; she passes by; and
we are content; she stays awhile, and we are happy. To behold her is to
live: she is the Aurora with a human face. She has no need to do more
than simply to be: she makes an Eden of the house; Paradise breathes
from her; and she communicates this delight to all, without taking any
greater trouble than that of existing beside them. Is it not a thing
divine to have a smile which, none know how, has the power to lighten
the weight of that enormous chain which all the living, in common, drag
behind them? Deruchette possessed this smile: we may even say that this
smile was Deruchette herself. There is one thing which has more
resemblance to ourselves than even our face, and that is our expression:
but there is yet another thing which more resembles us than this, and
that is our smile. Deruchette smiling was simply Deruchette.

There is something peculiarly attractive in the Jersey and Guernsey
race. The women, particularly the young, are remarkable for a pure and
exquisite beauty. Their complexio