The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-31
A Winters Evening Tale.

IA '" luLeI Evening Adle.
Beware of fraud beware of fickenesse.
In choice and change of thy deere-loved dame,
Lest thou of her believe too lightly blame
And rash misweening doe thy hart remove"
Two old men sal together over their wine on
new years eve. Two old men so different rare
10y sit in social converse; for one was tall, and
his shoulders were broad, and his loud "hal ha!''
rang out merrily every now and then, and a
healthy bloom was still upon his cheek, only
the first frosts of lifes winter whitened his
abundant hair, and CHEEKY good -humored
light still beamed aom his bright blue eye The
other, SO pale and wrnkle1, so bowed down. so
humble in address, in utterance so feeble and
ndistinct, thathis companion turned his ear to-
ward him in good -natured, close attention.
Only few scattering locks of gray were left to
stray over his furrowed brow, and his dim, half
closed eyes burrowing under the shaggy eye
brows, wandered listlessly over the table and
the floor, while his words fell hurriedly and
trembling from his tongue. The two were talk
ing over the storms that had swept over the
ocean of their lives but while one spoke of tenn
pests safely out-ridden, and rocks and shoals
well 'scaped the other told of long frutless wan
derings in far-off lands, under scorchng suns,
tormentlng spirits, urging him on, and vain, de-
lusive spirits smiling in mockery before him.
Come come, Phil" said his entertainer,
''you and | are too old move to mind much the
raking up of old school boy pranks Pray, now,
what high crime and misdemeanor, or what
atrocious blot against the stad decorum of yir-
tuous society, was it that drove you forth into
this wilderness of the world where, in truth,
you seem to have culled goodly bundle of sage
experience? What was it, Phil, that sent YOU
on your travels?''
Phil Hopes nervous mouth twiched more
than ever, and his hand trembled as he raised
his glass and shook half the contents out upon
the marble table; but he took heart When the
last drop was entered down his throat, and again
the glass flowed with the dark-red wine, and
again it was drained to the bottom
Then Phil Hopes eye was raised till it met
that of bis employer, and it warered moment
and wandered off along the frescoed walls, and
over rich glIded frames of great mirrors, and
back again till it fixed upon the Brussels carpet.
1T is hard, Mr. Willard he began thus,
low and tremu]ousI y-''hard to open ones lips
so late in life to secret they have kept so long
locked up within them; but there is something
within me now that drives me to confess against
my will, and that tears my secret from me, tho
| hoped it should be buried in my grave" And
bis voice grew husky, and once more the heavy
decanter was clutched in his feyerish grasp, and
a third brimming glass followed the others down
his throat.
Il was far different, Mr.. Willard, from what
| am now, when | went to pass my summer
vacation in lovely village among The noun
tains of Massachusetts. They called me a hand
some young man then'-hc1e shadow of d
smile tiickeled over his wan visage-"and I was
in much better repute for agility and skill in the
athletic games of college life than for any pro-
fcency in science or diligence in learning
With the last dying rattle of the chapel bell flew
away all thoughts of study, and examining my
taVonte volume into my pocket and choosing
out the safest resting place on the coach top for
my rod and gun, whirled out Of the narrow
valley. | found employment enough in the
beautiful county 1 had chosen, and many were
the dark, secluded pools l sought out, buried
deep in mountain glens, where the trout lay
still and secure, or played coquettishly with the
gurgllng ripples that poured into the deep quiet
basin, or went whirng round and round in
whipping eddles.
cit was early one beautiful morning. when
| was following up the coy wanderings of new
stream, brushing away the sparkling dew as l
stole along, stepping lightly over broken twigs,
and softly pushing aside obtruding branches that
might come unawares upon my game. [ had
just left the meadows behind me, and had plung-
ed into The deep chasm between opposing crags,
beyond which there stretched away a long, mar
row ravine that formed here and there deep,
shaded hooks, where the grass spread out in a
bright green carpet, and many coored moses,
clinging to fallen trees, and gathering thick upon
the rough rocks, made soft and gay-varie-
gated bed, on which to repose the weary limbs.
Just before me, carelesly reclining on one of
these luxurious couches, ust where the stream
spread out over its gravely bed into shallow,
pellucld pond lay graceful female form
Noiselessly y stealing, with a heart bent on mis-
chief, over the soGIy-cushioned earth, peered
unseen over the shoulder But oh! how chang
ed were my feelings then, when | caught a
glimpse, through the glossy brown ringets, of
bright eyes that danced under the shade of long
dropping lashes; of red lips that parted in hur-
ried breathing, while the white bosom, halfr
vealed by the negligent morning dress, heaved, /,
painting with exercise; and the flush upon her
cheek, and the sparkle in her eyes as the lids
slowly opened, showed that she had only now
flung herself to rest upon her verdant bed
The white, tapering arm reposed upon little
basket, and the fingers toyed languidly with a
bunch of mountain flowers.
''Amazed, and forget5ul of all else, there I
stood, when, with glance, her eyes met my
stupid gaze, and, with slight, balffri igbtened
scream, she was bounding away before could
think to detain her. But, in her haste, she fell,
and her little basket rolled away, and her flow
ers were scattered over the graund. Recover
ing myself, sprang forward to her assistance,
and, helping her tore gather her lost treasures,
| addressed some little word of inquiry and re-
assurance, and we sat down, with our flowers
before us, to talk over the many little secrets
that lurked among their petals.
THUS began my acquaintance with her l
used to call my Annie; and many sunny hour
we passed together then, and many lesson did
| learn that my heart long cherished, though
all are forgotten now. Would to God she had
never thought me them Mr. Willard, am
am an old man now, and years and care have
done their work upon me, and words of love