Quick-witted Stanton early learned that the surest way to winning
a smile from her was to be polite to people that, hitherto, he had
habitually ignored. To Miss Burton herself he made no secret of
the fact that his course was prompted only by a desire to please
her, but she smiling persisted in ascribing it all to his good-nature
and kindness of heart.
Chapter XIX. Man's Highest Honor.
Van Berg had not been very long in discovering that Miss Burton
had a ruling passion, and it seemed to him a rather unique one.
He was familiar with the many forms of self-seeking, common in
society; he knew of those who were devoted to literature, science,
or some favorite calling, as he was to his art; he had seen a few
who apparently so abounded in genial good-nature that they rarely
lost an opportunity of performing a kind act; and there were men
and women in the world who, he believed, had fully consecrated
themselves to the work of doing good from the purest and divinest
motives: but he did not remember of ever having met with one whose
whole thought appeared bent on disseminating immediate sunshine.
And yet this seemed true of Miss Burton. With admirable tact,
with a tireless patience, and an energy out of proportion in one
so fragile, she kept herself quietly and unobtrusively busy among
the miscellaneous people of the house.
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