New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-06
DAILY CRESCENT
BE PATIEN 7,
lap Marp Firing.



=" old man of the mountains till it finally
oleaves the ledge, and bounding over a crescent
precipice of solid granite, almost loses itself
among the boulders and messy islets beneath.
The banks below are two steep, solid masses OF
rock, over whose edges nod scrub oaks and whor-
tleberry bushes AT this day, you would be
tiazzled 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 o utiGtarian age whiz and whirl i'll 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 settlement"-a village,
if tavern, store. and post-oflice, might be al
lowed their customary prerogatiye OF constl-
tuting a village. But the few houses beside
were scattered so widely about, and the place
was so innocent Of all parade or enterprise. that
it scarcely seemed reused from the simplicity Of
its primitive woods.
IT was Noyember--the month that opens most
brilliantly on the New England hills, but, long
ere departing, rends its robe of richness asun-
der, aud 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 whis-
pered to the few, lingering, dying flowers, the
hope of glad waking beneath a brighter sky,
and fed to his prairie-nook in the sheltered
West
1t was the 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 win
dow of the dingy little post-oftice on the hillside,
and startled the bald-headed postmaster from
pulling over the last months register He
4
his stump of quill behind his right ear to muse
81 hope she won't come to-day he began,
half to himself, half to his help-meet, who sat
in the lightest corner Of the Office, turning mo-
notonous fax-wheel with her busy foot.
e hope she won't come through all this driv-
ing storm for nothing
zsWhat's that Who''' asked his wife, but
haE comprehending.
s1Who 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 | am
afraid it'll be all the same for many day,
nlore's the PITY"
g Heaven help the poor, young thing re-
piled his wife; it's some trouble that's wear
ing upon her heart like, We may be sure, John.
Bless ye, she come driving through the storm
to-day, and she SO pale and ailing! Ye needn't
keep a locking
Hush, you it's her own SELF" whispered
hiiC VAN AAAuAs uSh
on his ear; and in moment o bay pony, with
its rider, dashed down past the little window,
its drenched name dripping to the grass.
sc Too bad" the good man exclaimed, starting
from his high stool-ss I'll meet her at the door,
poor poor thing that she needn't light in all this
But before he could hobble halfway to the
door, it was thrown open, and burst of cold
storm-drops ushered in Anne K Was it she,
with cheeks SO pale and sunken from their sum-
mer beauty, with those large, unnatnrally lus-
trous eyes, each of which, in that moment,
seemed in itself a whole world Of souls! Truly,
a strange spell had shaken her in its grasp!
She stood one instant upon the sill, clenohing
her gathered-up riding dress more nervously in
her gloyeless hand, as il she would ask, by look
rather than by voice, the question that had cost
her SO 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 effort
her head told her that it was a last effort!
"Any letter for me to-day" p
The words were spoken with forced, husky
calnness. The Post master turned his head to
one side, avoiding the glance that shot q pang
OF pity through his heart, and answered with
inyoluntarily assumed Indifference
mop
He 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 II again. His wife saw quick spasm
conyulse the girls lips and eye, as she suddenly
pressed her hand against her heart
care ye i'll, Miss K----?' she exclaimed, ris
ing. :" Sit ye down, do. Let me bring you
some'at warming. It's sorry getting out this
weather. specially for such weakly body. |
wonder yer folks didn't send. Come in, do
Anne was herself again at the last word of
this harangue
.sNo,' she replied, clearly, and without ano-
Jyop tn-
When she first used to come in the later sum-
mer days, the lame postmaster had been ac-
cushioned 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 abstractedly
but graclously sometimes stopping to exchange
u few words with the kind man, or, suffering
the good woman to insert sprig of evergreen,
or OF tansy, over the ears of her pony, whom she
characterized as &c the darlingest grown up colt
that ever We seet' Latterly, she had refused
the foot-stool and spurned the offered head
gear, much to the DANES chagrin; but she had
suffered the post-man still to act the part Of
groom. Tonight, however, she caught the wet
rem in her own hands, and sprang into the sud-
die unassisted
Z" Take care, Nliss'' vociferated the old man
from the doorway, where his few gray locks
were whistling in the blast; for the pony, star
tied by the suddenness of the shock, himself
.
4 mistress She smiled proud, bitter SMILE and,
dropping her wetpllme over her forehead again,
she drew up the bridle-reins quickly, and dashed
on down the hill.
81 declare!" soliloquized the postmaster,
gazing through the mist after her, :" right 10th
er way from home. do believe the gals crazy
"Man alive!'' shouted his wife, above the
roaring of the gusts, ''ye're catching yer death
o rheumatic out there, let alone the beating in
of the rain on the floor just mopped Come
away, there"
SWELL, lwonder!" added her obedient spouse
hobblmg back to his three legged stool of office
Anne galloped down the hill, face to face with
the tempest Oh there was wilder storm with
In her-surging breast The black clouds sunk
over ner like pail, and the mist-goblins
shncked and raved about her, shutting her in
rom human sight. Once she dropped the rcns
to the neck of her horse, and, clasping her cold
hands, pressed them against her scared eye balls,
as though to bar out some terrible sight
oblivion or deaM!" she groaned yelemently
But oblivion never yet came at the cly of the
despairing. Then she grew stronger as Il seemed
tor She threw back her tangled hair, tossed hack
her crushed hat, and laid bare her forehead to
the pelting of the storm. She laughed n low
shuddcring laugh, as the icy drops trickled up,
on her feyer-hot ewes