The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-02-23


led for its low, soft sweetness, completed
the young syren's triumph. This by the
way, for we had exchanged no confidence
as yet on subject very near my heart
We were bound to a merry sleighing
party at Windy gap Farm ostensibly to
hunt upon vast scale, which ac-
counts for my two rifles and ammunition
lying in the sleigh, and for the noble
deer hound, the third individual who
had curled up his great body at our feet.
and aided to keep them warm. I had
known her brother in the Canadian Ri
fes-had killed bar at the Salt-licks'
with him; had met Lota and her family
on board St. Lawrence steamer, and
was now guest at their house, enjoying G
their frank and bounteous hospitality.
Hurrah = Through the keen, sono-
rous air, sleigh and horses bound along
'Cling-clang!' go the Ginning bells.
Crick. crack' goes the long-thonged
whip, with sharp, cherry insigni6cance.
My Madawaska Cariole, sleigh which
is the perfection of locomotion, is not
less perfection than the fiery steeds, with
their sinews of elastic steel, which |
drive.
Driving sleigh tandem is the easiest
thing in the world, a0hen you are used to
IT, | was member of the Tandem
Club, and reckoned cracked hand, of
course. exulted in my skill now, as l
bore my rosy companion through the air,
and the whip went crick-crack |! like
double barrel gun going off, and the
sweet bells sang and chimed 'Oh sweet
echoes of far distant wedding bells y l
thought-and the crisp snow was split
and shattered into diamonds under the
grinding of the hoofs and the attrition of
the runners : and with an exhilaration
l could not repress, l gave vigorous
hurrah J which conveyed itself to Lota,
wrapped up in moose and bear skins, and
warm as toast. A sweet girlish laugh
echoed my exutant shout
You appear to enjoy this, Mr.. Har-
ding she said.
If l don't-.' Crick-crack =
filled up the hiatus. What pair of
beauties /! Phoebus Apollo never drove
their like down the sleeps Of heaven
The willy Ithacan never raised such
cattle when he cleared the stables of
Rhesus of his horses. Crick-crack 7
and the horses neigh and toss their arch
ing neck, and the bells are Ginning and
tinkling. and the mad exulting rush up
lifts one like wine.
| remark to myself that the sky has
deepened into an intense, still darkening
blue. darkening with a strange, un,
earthly, tenebrious inkiness. betokening
coming snow storm. No matter
Windy gap is right ahead, and the
welcome lights will blaze out of the case
ments soon. for the afternoon is wearing
On we go-but do not see them yet !;
and yet-5ut ao-it's all right
Are you warm-quite snug, dear
Lota 7 said |, half turning to look at the
rosy exquisite face peeping forth with SO
much furtive coquetry from it's encadre-
naent of white cosy furs.
oh, so comfortable = she answered,
with nesting movement, and smile
which made my heart leap joyously up
ward.
But my attention was called away to
the creeping, corpuscular inkiness Of the
sky. 1t was light. yet not daylight,
but bike light--to coin word that win
try hue of livid darkening steel always
the precursor 10 fierce change in the
weather. This only made the long level
plains of snow gleam with a lustre the
more dazzling and intense. l remarked
this, but with momentarily divided and
wavering sense.
| had never familiar as We had grown.
and | was honest as the skin between
your brows, as she was in fact)-I had
never said dear Lota' before, and the
words were yet in mine ears like sweet
old burthen. l loved her we'll with all
my heart and soul, but had never told
it. | yearned to tell her SO now but /
thought it scarcely fair-not up to the
mark of my manhood-to take what
seemed an unfair advantage of the pro-
lection l was supposed to extend over
her. magnanimously resolved to wait
choking down the words-but not for
long.
Meantime, Crick-crack = went the
long whip. and still cling-clang' went
the Ginning bells. and the horses held
on with unabated pace, and splendid
vigor, but-schere had Windy gap gone
to all this time ? for time was up, and
We should be there by this.
Goodness = exclaimed Lota all at
once. how strange the sky looks; we
shall have more snow--a heavy fall, too
! fear so,' | replied but n'importe,
we'll soon be out Of it,
We are very long. | fancy she con-
tinued, reAectively; you have driven
there quicker than this before. %,
Heaven 7 she cried, with the sudden
ness of revelation. can we have lost the
track =
The blank question harped with a
horrible jar on my most vivid nerves.
Now or never was the time to be quite
cool.
No, ! think not replied, with as
sumed carelessness we shall come to
our landmark presently
"A clump OF firs-an old mill farther
on-yes.' she added, Il recollect but
we should have passed them long ere
this. /, Oh, ! fear we are lost!'