The Portland daily press., 1863-11-21
MISCELLANY.
Golden Hair,
You are no better tonight, Harry %
No better. Miss Ariel"

NO better, Miss Ariel"
Ariel King bent thoughtully over the low
pallet bed, with her slight fingers on the sick
mans restless pulse, and long amber curls al
most touched the coverlet that stirred with,
the uneven laboring Of the breast below.
While the frosty October sunset, drawing lines
OF moving gold athwart the rough plastercd
walls, fingered softly around the soft shining
hair and violeteycs, transferring her TO asaint's
strange beauty.
He seems weak and languid," she said
softly.
swine, and cordial and fresh fruit are what
he needs, Marian"
"And that is just what the doctor told me-
said dark, bustling little woman, who was
concocting some mixture overa sckly fire.
But bless you, Miss Ariel how are we folks
to get fruit? No, no, he must get we'll on ar
row root and Cruel: they don't cost much"
She tried to speak smilingly, this poor Mar
Ian Becker, but there were tears in her dark
eyes as she pushed the wet hair from her hus-
bands forehead
sit is not altogether that, Miss ARIEL" said
Harry, uneasily. / think i should get strong
er il it want for iretting about the rent. Old
keene is hard landlord-one who wouldn't
hesitate TO turn man into the street il he
were dying. do not mind it SO much for
myself shall soon be beyond trouble, but
Marian
He stopped abruptly. Ariel lifted her grave
shocked eyes-this was a new revelation of
want and woe.
'Do you mean to tell me that you have no
money left"
"None, Miss Ariel.n
% She bent her face ON her hands with sort of
passionate shudder.
sand this is the way our country re wards
the soldiers who have dared the peris of the
deadly battlefield Misunderstanding wamps.
She gives them "an honorable dischargen-a
discharge TO creep away into some hole or
corner and dies quick as possible! She prom
ises them "bounty" at the end of the war
as well say at the end OF world Is this right
is it justice.
"Nay, Miss Ariel" said the young soldier.
'it is partly my own fault if l had chosen to
remain in the hospital l should have incurred
no expenses. Only l fanced that Marian
could nurse me better, and"
sand you committed an objectionable sin
by preferring home to hospital barrack. and
this great and good country washes her hands
you accordingly. Oh, Harry if had but
one 1.-THE of my uncle's wealth y
Miss Ariel" said the yonng man, earnestly
'sdon't feel so grieyed about It, | know YOU
are hurt at your uncie's refusal TO help me;
but you must remember that he disapproyed
of my enlistment from the very first, still more
Of the idle fancy, as he termed il of my COM
known the bitterness of the homesick pangs
that come when you are sick I'M strange place!
He said in that note that the mere fact of my
once having been a clerk in his employ gave
lie no claims on him. And he was right,
Miss Ariel, only"
He turned his face to the pillow, with
strange, troubled light in her eyes, to see a
human being drifting out of the world, and
have no power to help OF rescue him.
lie ba eta el,ol a.
brief silence.
Twenty dollars, Miss Ariel; il is for three
months"
Twenty dollars !. and she had only ten in her
little silk purse. For Ariel King, portionless
orphan had nothing of her own: the very
watch at her girdle, the spot of opal fire that
fastens her collar, were her uncles. And to
him she well knew how vain would be any
application.
She sighed deeply as she rose to 90, and
once more came that passionate longing the
eager wish that she were rich!
The gas lights were beginning to culver
like lines OF fire down the long numerous
streets as she set out on her homeward way,
and with instructive timidity she drew down
her veil, and folding her simple scarlet shawl
closer round her shoulders, quickening her
steps as she did So
Cant cross there young woman wait till
Ariel started in alright as the goodhumor-
ed policeman drew her back, and then smiled
at her own timidity. But as she stood wait
ing on the corner for something like break
in the apparently endless string of carts and
omnibuses her eye fell on brilliantly lighted
window close at her side, and she mechanic
ally read, emblazoned on the glass.
HIGHEST PRICE PAID FOB HUMAN HAIR"
She looked down on her long auburn curls
that lay on her shoulders with a strange sud.
den thrill OF joy. For the moment she was
rich-she had something which she might
call her own, to keep or to sell as she pleased.
Harry Becker's need might be succored yet
Without pausing to reflect she laid her
hand on the latch, and entered the perfumed
realm OF Macassar and false curls A dash
ing little french woman advanced behind the
counter
I'm what may we have the pleasure of serv-
ing madame?"
II wish TO sell my hair" murmured poor
Ariel, her cheeks all aflame, as il she had been
doing guilty thing.
"Ahl certainly said the little woman in a
tone one or two degrees less concatory. "Will
madame please to lay aside her bonnet?"
With trembling fingers Ariel united the
strings and removed the straw bonnet: like a
cataract OF shining rippled gold the long soft
curls fell around her shoulders.
"Ciet!' circulated the little woman softly.
with appraised eyebrows and clasped hands,
81 the hair Is fine, urdiment it must be near
three feet long For what price do you wish to
part with it madame ?"
II must have ten dollars for it, said Ariel
taking courage from the others eyidenet
sdmration.
'Ten dollars = that is too large a sum-,
"Then must try elsewhere said Ariel TAX
ing up her bonnet.
"Wait-stay " said the woman meditative-
ly. Ii is good and thick, moreover it is good
color. Please walk into the other room, mad
anne. Fanchette shall cut it off in half sec.
ond.'
Poor Ariel, as she sat flushed and half fright
ened in the little gas lighted den at the back
Of the shop, with "Fanchette's cleaning scis-
sors flashing through her curls, she would have
given almost anything to have retraced the
sudden step. The bright, silken tresses, she
had brushed and carressed and twined with
flowers SO many, many times-the curls-oh.
how could she ever have forgotten that
Colonel Tylney had admired so much-that
he had said they were like coils of sunshine,
An involuntary sob welled up from her heart.
did you speak, Madamoselle ~ said Fan
Ghetto, suspending the scissors in mid air.
Ariel shook her head she could not answer
in words. There they lay, soft, shining heap
full of golden lights, and tender brown shad-
dows-her curls no longer!
"Please give me one to keep" she pleaded
with wistful earnestness. The French woman
smilingy tossed one across the connter; she