The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-25
WASHINGTON, d. G.
For the National Era.
BE P AT E n T.
CHAPTER III.
BY MARY IRVING.

Anne KS home A miniature river, the merry
s.. tumbles unsteady among the rocks,
that seem to have been flung into its channel
by some "old man of the mountains" tall 1t
finally cleaves the ledge and bounding over a
crescent precipice of solid granite, almost loses
itself among the byulders and NOISY isiets be-
meath The banks below are two steep, solid
masses of ragged rock, over whose edges nod
scrub oaks and whortleberry bushes. AT this
day, YOU would be dazzled by the glare of high,
red walls above them; for the manufacturing
interest has planted its foot firmly there, and
the rude water-wheels of unitarian age whiz
and whirl in the very arms OF the beautiful
crescent cascade. But forty years ago, before
Art had discovered the spot Nature was there
alone To be sure, there was little settle
mentn-a village if tavern, store, and post
Office might be allowed their customary pre-
- &c -ey--s.s.tiuo a VILLAGE R~'-Ahs few
hooses beside were scattered so widely about
IA - ,r---. x 1, :. 7sy
enterprise that it scarcely seemed reused from
the simplicity of its primitive woods
Ii was November-the month that opens
most brilliantly on the New England hills, but,
long ere departing, rends its robe of richness
asunder, and scatters its myriad fragments to
the northeastern winds. The hectic of the
forest had already given place to the decay it
too surely BODIED. Softly the Indian summer
had whispered to the few, lingering, dying
flowers the hope of a glad waking beneath
brighter sky, and flown to his prairie-nook in
the sheltered "West"
Il was tho dismal afternoon of stormy day !;
cloud-caps, heavy with mist, hung gloomily on
every hilltop and the shifting winds, moaning
and whooping through the valley gorges, drove
battalions of watery spectres hither and thither
at their will Damp, chill, and cherries, the
night was coming on, hard on the steps of
noon-day A ruder blast than usual dashed
the honeysuckle vine against the SMALL square
window Of the dingy little post Office on the
hillside and startled the bald-headed post
master from pulling over the last months
register. He looked up, peered out and about,
and then thrust his stump Of quill behind
his right ear to muse.
~ hope she won't come to-day" he began,
half to himself half to his help-meet who sat
in the ightest corner of the Office, turning a
monotonous hax-wheel with her busy foot.
al hope she won't come through all this
driving storm for nothing
What's that? WhO?p asked his wife,
but half compromising.
"Who but Major KS Anne--she that has
come every living day to this counter, for two
months, as regular as the mailbag It's all the
same to her, it seems rain or shine; and Pm
AFRAID It'll be all the same for many day,
more's the pity"
Heaven help the poor, young thing re-
piled his wife - otis some trouble that's wear
ing upon her heart like, ye may be sure, John.
nless ye, she come driving through the storm
to-day, and she so pale and ailing Ye needn't
keep looking"
Hush, you it's her own SELF whispered
the old man, deprecatingly, as hoof.fall struck
on his ear and in a moment Il bay pony with
its rider, dashed down past the little window,
its drenched name dripping to the grass
"Too bad, the good man exclaimed start
ing from his high stool-"rll meet her at the
door, poor thing that she needn't light in all
this mud"
But before he could hobble halfway to the
door, it was thrown open, and burst of cold
storm-drops ushered in Anne X. Was it she,
with cheeks 80 pale and sunken from their
summer beauty, with those large unnaturally
lustrous eyes each of which, in that moment,
seemed in itself whole world of souls Truly,
IA strange spell had shaken her in its grasp!
She stood one instant upon the sill, clenching
her gathered-up riding-dress more nervously in
her gloveess hand, as if she would ask, by look
rather than by voice, the question that had
cost her 30 much agony. The long filaments
OF her soaked plume swung forward as she bent
her head, brushing her colOrless forehead and
cheek She nerved herself TREMENDOUSLY to the
efort-her heart told her that it was last
effort
ANY letter for me to-day?"
The words were spoken with forced husky
calmness. The postmaster turned his head to
one side, avoiding the glance that shot pang
of pity through his heart, and answered with
Involuntary assumed Indifference
"No!n
lie had said it more than fifty times with
those great eyes looking into his, growing
larger and wilder at each denial; and he did
not like to say it again. His wife saw quick
spasm convulse the girls lips and eye, as she
suddenly pressed her hand against her heart
care we ill, Miss K-?b she exclaimed
rising. "Sit we down, do Let me bring We
some'at warming. It's sorry getting out this
weather, specially for such u weakly body.
wonder yer folks didn't send Come in, doD
Annie was herself again. at the last word of
this harangue.
mo" she replied, clearly, and, without an
other word, turned to go.
when she first used to come in the later
summer days the lame postmaster had been
accustomed to limp to the doorstep, and take
the rein of her pony, while the old lady came
out with cricket as she called it, to assist
her in mounting Anne would smile abstract
eddy, but graciously, sometimes stopping to ex-
change few words with the kind man, or,
suffering the good woman to insert a sprig of
evergreen, or of tansy, over the ears of her pony
whom she characterized as "the darlingest
grown-up colt that ever We see ~ Latterly,
she had refused the foot-stool, and spurned the
offered head-ge much TO the danes cha
grim but she had suffered the post-man still to
act the part OF groom. Tonight, however, she
caught the wet rein in her own hands. and
sprang into the saddle unassisted.
Take care, Missp vociferated the old
man from the doorway, where his few gray
locks were whistling in the blast for the pony.
startled as by the suddenness of the shock, him.
sell Sprang back, and nearly cut the acquaint-
.n'ce OF his mistress. She smiled proud, bit
S ter smile, and, dropping her wet plume over
81 iorehead again, she drew up the bride
Guns quickly, and dashed on down the hill
o,,; declare soliloquized the postmaster,
fo,hs through the mist after her "right
orazv way IRON home. do believe the gals
fo.rs Ian aiive!' shouted his wife above the
o. rbeSu =, ,he gust "ye're catching yer death
Of tbo is out there, let alone the beating in
awav , la,n on the floor just mopped Come
sno, en ! wonder!n added her obedient
Of oa. MODELLING back to his thrse-legged stool
viii "ne gaiioped down the hill, face to face
stn~. .ne tempest. Oh, there was a wilder
cIonI. within her surging breast! The black
goh,:" sunk over her like pail, and the mist
''""' Anr'eked and rsved about her, shutting