Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-05-05
THE LADY OPPOSITE.

They've come, uncle Cnafley5 they've
comet"
"And who has come, little one?" asked
he, passing his hand over the golden curls.
"Why the Lollards, that we've been ex-
pecting so long, you know Now just look
out of the window, for here they all are"
So he went, and not reluctantly. The Lol-
lards lived in a grand house opposite, whose
grounds occupied the whole square, but they
had been abroad since we came on the street.
SO they were quite myths to US, and we must
all plead guilty to large amount of curiosity
concerning those who were about to become
realities to us. went to the window too late
except to catch a glimpse of a gentleman
closing the front door, and the splendid bays
and a family carriage, which was just turn
ing off round the corner.
Served US right what business have we
to be watching our neighbors? said Charles,
but still lingering at the window, evidently
taken captive by stray thought and for a
moment led away from the outward world.
Mother" asked little Margaret the sun
ny-haired herald of the Lolards, ''didn't YOU
tell me, the other day, that actions speak
louder than words ?"
eyes, pet"
"Well, then, it seems to me, Uncle Char
ley, it isn't any use to talk while you stand
waiting to see if they don't draw up the front
curtains over there"
Madam, wait till | catch YOU" and with
a terrible trown of Indignation, he started off
for a romp with the child He did not come
in to see us, my mother and |, again till eve
ming, when my father came too. Charles
was one of those who were born favorites,
who seem to have all nobleness and grace,
and beauty too. Not red and white and
black handsome man, whose attractions lie
on the very outside and so is attractive to
only few, but man in whose physical face
you could see a spiritual one which spoke
goodness and truth; a goodness which was
not abOue the common courtesies and gale
ties of life, a truth not confined to doctrine
but which entered into the daily walk Two
years older than l. he was to me the imper
sonation of manly beauty, strength and wis
dom. lie had clear, dark eyes, so full of love
and tenderness-a mouth so firm and hand
some, the perfect shape of abow-wavy hair,
turned off from broad pure forehead He
and my father came in together. After the
kiss which he had not grown to think child
ish in his manhood, he held up a letter.
What will you give ?" said he.
g." All the news it contains"
agreed" and he handed it to me. The
it, Gas every lady does,) wondering who there
was in Dedham to write to me. gave it up,
and opened the letter to see 1t was from
my husbands brother, who, being detained
at Dedham, had written there. He, with his
sister, was coming to New York, and while
there wished to make me a visit Could
receive them? | read it aloud.
Certainly said father and mother. SO il
was settled that they should come ! wrote
to them accordingly, and in week they
were with us. How bright our little, plain
dining room looked the morning after then
arrival. Charles and little Margaret, the sun
shine-father and mother and AMY Marstor
the calm azure-while Paul was a cloud but
tinted with the brightness around him. Amy
had sweet, pale face; brown eyes anc
brown hair, smoothly put back. Paul's face
was very striking; his eyes were like Amy'>
but the contemptuous expression of his moutl
scarcely ever changed. George (my husband
had told me that his story was the old one
he had loved, but he was poor then, and hel
father was wealthy and proud, and one day
there came a cruel note requesting TO be
freed from the annoyance attendant on hi
presence. Then he gave her up and became
almost a woman-hater. But this morning
the sunshine around him aud the fire which
smothered as it was, still burned in his heart
seemed to have cracked the strata so Ions
forming above it, and his own genial nature
becamg visible. Little Margaret sat mex
him. They were talking and laughing about
the wish-bone he had found.
"Do you know, Paul and Amy" said
that you have entirely distracted our atten
ton from our principal objects of curiosity?"
"And what are ttose?"
"Why, the Lollards," our opposite neigh
bors, who returned from abroad a week ago
and whom we have never seen, although we
made an effort to do so the dav that the,
came"
81 suppose" said Paul, "that you inves
the people with the same Importance tha
their position and wealth has, and with the
same beauty that their outward surrounding;
have"
"Well, it must be confessed that. do
though l see by your looks that you think i
very foolish and altogether womanish. Still
l do not incline to give it up. To us, at pres
ent, they are myths, their hom1 is beautiful
as temple why not make them gods anG
goddesses ?"
Well, for some reason or other, temples
nowadays do not warrant deities. whether
temples OF stone, beautiful with the archi.
lecture OF man, or temples of flesh, beautiful
with the architecture of God"
The rose-tint was fading from the cloud
Just then some one sang, in a clear. rich
voice, "-Ah, per che non posse" &c, evidently
some one across the way.
There, said L, triumphantly, Z" is not that
a goddess ?"
Zone who lives in a temple, doubtless re.
piled he bitterly
felt where his thoughts were tending. and
looked to Charles for relief
Paul" said he, az see that YOU have for.
gotten what hero worshipper Sis is. l warn
you fairly that you have an almost homeless
task if you undertake to be iconoclast-in. chief
to her."
"There is no need" said he, in the same
tone as before. "Time never fails in that
office"
The rose-tint was all gone, Charles saw
too.
"But, Sis" said he, 81 did not tell you
that saw Mr. Lollard in the office to-day
He had some business with Mr.. Chamberlain
After it was finished, we were introduced tc
each other as neighbors. He seems a real
gentleman, and | should judge by no means
mistakes his wealth for himself. By the wav,
Paul. l must tell you about his case. Most
curious thing"
And so the two lawyers settled dom to a
discussion of the case, and we left them