Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-11-19
The Rain in the Afternoon.
BY VIRGINIA y. TOWNSEND.
"On tho many joys Of life he gazed still, with the
eyes Of childhood "-IlYPERIOH.

"On the many joys Of life he gazcd still, with the
eyes Of childhood. ."-llYPERIoN.
"Rowcna! Rowena!"
"Wcll, uncle Harry ?"
The voice, soft and clear, wandered through
the long hall, and down the broad staircase,
to the gentleman who stood at its feet
" II going to rain, and the airs very damp.
You mustn't ride out this afternoon. Now
mind what say, child" And moment aC.
ter the swinging back of the street door sent u
sullen echo through the building.
NOW, If that isn't too bad," calculated
Rowena Strong, as she pcttiShly tossed on the
table the new fall hat, which for the Inst half
hour had cngroSscd her attention, and walked
to the window.
Just look at her q moment, as she stands
there, with the crimson curtains throwing n
rich artistic glow over the facc she has drawn
close to the window pane. 1t is not hand
some face -no heighlening colors-no harmo-
ny Of surroundings can make it this; but il is
plquant and interesting, aud, am halfincined
to think, the pOut that curves the full, rcd lips,
is rather becoming than otherwise.
Rowcna Strong is an orphan, and her rich
uncle'S pet and hcircSs. Her memory can
look OVER some half score Of years, 10 the time
when she lived in little brown house in the
country, with her mother.
Mrs. Strong had married in opposition to
the will Of her family, and for many ycnrs there
was but little intercourse between them. When
her husband died, and left her in poor health
with scarcely any means Of support, the wild
ow was too proud TO appeal to her relatives
for the aid she needed. Two years went Ly,
and Mrs. Strong lay on her dying bed; and
when she looked ON Rowcna, tho wolnan's
pride yielded to tho mothers hcart. She wrote
to her brother. \ few weeks before, he had
lain his Young wife under the summer grass ::
and it was with Softrncd heart that hu hast
cncd TO the dcath-bcd Of his sister. From her
dying hand he received Rowcna, and pledged
himself to be in deed and in truth father to
her.
lie had fulfilled his promise we'll Rowcna
had become the idol of the rich merchant and
her life flowed up to its twentieth year, bright
picturesque, peaceful river.
ROwcna was by no means a novel writer's
incarnation Of all impossible sweetness md
goodness. She had her faults, and her pcttcd,
luxurious life was not calculated to evolve the
noble character Of her nature.
But underneath all the accidental or indigo.
nous faults Of her nature, lay warm, true
heart, Nnda sub>tratum ofgood common sense.
Rowcna stood II few moments obviously search
ing the clouds with her blue eyes, and then
the large drops began to pattcr on the roofs.
We'll, there's no use fretting about it," she
said, drawing the curtains together with sigh.
:" It's going to pOur.' That's plnin enough to bc
seen, and must make the best Of il. How
provoking, though, when | wanted to wear
out my beauty Of n new hat so badiy Not n
soul will come here this afternoon, either, and
it'll be as dull as State Prison all this after
noon. ] must get hold of something to read,
or | shall certainly die of cnnui before uncle
Harry gets back" Aud she went to the table
and whirled over the uncut leaves of several
magazines that lay thereon. As she lstlessly
glanced among the pages, her eyes lighted on
French sentence, and she paused to translate
the latter portion oft: "E gull SoH dit nuc
jdrira du un homme hcmreur IN ma ric."
81 wonder if that can be said of me =" MUIR
INJURED the young lady, as she laid down the
book and, folding her hands behind her, she
walked thoughtfu!ly up and down the room.
Let's see here am twenty years old, and
yet can't think I've ever made one being re.
ally happy in all my life. 1t makes me feel
bad to say it, for don't believe I'm any moro
selfish than other people. I've given good
deal to beggars now aud then and there's that
poor family that lived round the alley. Didn't
| clothc up all the children in nice, warm, shil-
ling delaincs3 They looked just as dirty in
two weeks, though, as if hadn't touched
them. And that threw cold water on all my
benevolent projects. 1t wasn't tight to bc dis
cOuraged SO easily, s'posc; but noW should
really like to feel as if Id performed one really
good act-something that would require self
denial and eXertion on my part, and"
Just then there was knock at the chamber
door, and domestic put her head inside
" Here's letter as has just come for ye, Miss
Runy."
The young lady caught It eagerly, and, with
a little scream of delight recognized the hand
writing. 1t was that Of her old Schoolmatc,
Julia Gilman, between whom and Rowcna had
always existed warm intimacy.
They had known each other when the for
mcr had lived with her widowed mother, in
the little brown cottage in the country, and
the child.attcction had strengthened with their
years julia was the daughter of the village
doctor, and, of course, her social position was
then superior to Rowcna's, but this had in no
wise influenced her choice of her friend, and
when the brown cottage was exchanged for the
luxurious city home, Julia's disntcrestcdn
was fully repaid.
saw the sweet face of the doctors daughter
bcaming out of Rowcna's chamber windows,
and when the wind carried their voices across
the street, It seemed like q sudden outburst Of
music.
Rowcna broke the seal, unmndful Of its
iiowcry device, and read eagerly the letter !;
but the latter part especially attracted her ut.
tention, and thus it ran -
"You remember, darling Rowena, our old
SchoOlmatc, Matte English. Can YOU not see
her now, with her brouse brown curls, and
her eyes wearing just the color of chcstnuts,
when, in frosty autumn nights, they break out
Of the bursg We'll, have sad story to tell
you Of Matte.
"Alter her father died, the property was
very much involved, and it is known that for
several years past, Mrs English and her
daughter have lived mostly on mortgages of
their home, which, you are aware, was the
formers dowry. Last month she was taken
severely ill; indeed, her recovery is quite
problcmatical, papa says: The mortgages on
the old place are quito exhausted, and they
have now no means of subsistence. believe
it would kill poor Mrs. English outright to
leave her old home, though how they can long
stay there is mystery to me.
"And now have a secret to confide to
you, m0chers! Mattic's beauty has more
than fulfilled the rare promise Of her child.
hood, and her face is a picture; q sweet but
rather sad one, with its clear Grecian contour,
its lips like June rosebnds filled with meadow
dew, and her hair and eyes Of brown-brouse
and hazel brown.
WWeu bSouire Allen -vo,I roroo,hGoA h;,,,