Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-07-03
Yes, that Paul'--said the old

have believed it!' But she did; and
took hold Of my hand again. flor she was
bIind) and then smoothed down the plaits
of her apron, and logged her strings, to
look tidy in the presence of 'the gentle
man. And she told me long stories
about the old house and how the people
came in after wards and she called me
sir sometimes, and sometimes Paul.
But l asked her only to say Paul she
seemed glad for this and talked easier;
and went on to tell Of my old playmates,
and how we used to ride the pony--poor
Jacko land how we gathered nuts
such heaping piles; and how we used to
play fox and geese through the long win5
ter evenings; and how my poor mother
would smile here I asked her
to stop. She could not have gone on
much longer, for l believe she loved our
house and people better than she loved
her own.
AS for uncle, the cold, silent man, who
i lived with his books on the hill, and who
used to frighten me sometimes with his
look, he grew very feeble after l left,
and almost crazed. The country people
said that he was mad; and Isabel with
her sweet heart chung to him, and would
lead him out when his step tottered, to
the seat in tie garden, and read to him
out of the books he loved to hear. And
sometimes they told me, she would read
to him some letters that I had written
to Lilly or to Ben. and asked him if he
remembered Paul, who saved her from
drowning under the tree in the meadow?
But he could only shake his head and
mutter something about how old and
feeble he had grown.
They wrote me afterwards that he d.
ed, and was buried in far away place.
where his wife once lived, and where he
now sleeps beside her. Isabel was struck
with grief, and came to live for time
with Lilly but when they wrote me last
she had gone back to her old home
where Tray was buried-where we had
played together so often, through the
long days of summer.
was glal l should find her there,
when came back. Lilly and Ben were
both living nearer to the city, when l
landed from my long journey over the
seas; but still | went to Isabel first.
Perhaps / had heard SO much oftener
from the others, that felt less eager to
see them or perhaps l wanted to save
my best visits to the last or perhaps
| q did think iO--perhaps l loved Isabel
better than them all.
So | went into the country. thinking
all the way how she must have changed
since left. She must be now nineteen
or twenty; and then her grief must have
saddened her face somew hat; but thot'
| should like her all the better for that.
Then perhaps she would not laugh and
tease me, but would be quieter, and wear
a sweet smiIe--so calm and beautiful l
thought. Her figure too, must have
grown more elegant, and she would have
more dignity in her air.
shuddered a little at this; for thought
I,-she will hardly think so much of me
then; perhaps she will have seen those
whom she likes great deal better.
Perhaps she will not like me at all yet
l knew very we'll that should like her.
| had gone up almost to the house; l
had passed the stream where we fshed
on that day many years before and l
thought that now since she had grown to
womannood, | should never sit " it'll her
there again and surely never drag her as
| did out of the river, and never chafe
her little hands. and never perhaps kiss
her, as l did. when we sat upon my mo-
theirs lap-oh, no-no-no
saw where she buried Tray, but the
old slab was gone; there was no ribbon
there now. l thought that at least Is
abel would have replaced the slab; but
it was a wrong thought. l trembled
when l went up to the door-for it flash
ed upon me. that perhaps-Isabel was
married. Icould not tell why she should
not but knew it would make me un-
comfortable to hear that she had.
There was a tail woman who opened
the door; she did not know ne but |
recognized her as one of the old servants.
l asked after the housekeeper first, think
ing l would surprise Isabel. My heart
futtered somewhat, thinking she might
step in suddenly herself-or perhaps
that she might have seen me coming up
the hill. But even then, | thought she
would hardly know me.
Presently the housekeeper came in,
looking very grave; she asked if the gen.
tleman wished TO see her.
The gentleman did wish it, and she sat
down on one side of the fire; for it was
autumn, and the leaves were falling. and
the November winds were very chilly.
Shall | tell her--thought l who /
am and ask at once for Isabel? tried.
to ask but it was hard for me to call
her name; it was very strange, but l
could not pronounce it at all.
who, sir?' sand the housekeeper, in
voice so earnest, that l rose at once and
crossed the room and took her hand -
You know me. said |, you surely re-