The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-05-13

Lady Of the Lake and & much worn
drawing pencil in my dress pocket.
Having made this inventory of nv
present available property, | selected the
pencil, and amused myself by sketchine
the passers by on the smooth; white bark
/ Of the birch. The body of the tree was
quite covered with oddly contrasting tig-
ures, when l put up the pencil and turned
to look across the meadow. Mr.. Graham
stood near, regarding my rough sketches
with an amused look. a. ....
! Pardon lie, if have disturbed you 7
he said.
Having worked up my materials can
afford to be disturbed. You are an hour
too late for the coach, Mr.. Graham
'Ies; | was misnformed as to the time
of its arrival. sec my valise is here, but
not the person who brought it
4 brought it before the stage came
along, and have been keeping faithful
watch and " ard over 1t since
you brought it over! extremely re.
! gret it-nor can understand why the
task was imposed upon you. left word
with Mr.. Smiths man, Tom, to come on
with my valise.'
Mr.. Smiths man, Tom, was otherwise
engaged. Therefore it devolved on Mrs.
Smiths woman, 'Batsey,' to fulfill your
commission
That a-young lady should have done
me menial's service
Need occasion no uneasiness, Mr.. Gra.
ham. | belong, literally, to that class Of
individuals who are 'hewers of wood and
drawers Of water Were to sketch my
self, it would be with burden on my
shoulders, cumbersome as that which poor
Christian bore, in the illustrations that
grace the ancient editions of his pilgrim.
age. But, if ysu please, would like my
shilling, my porter's hire, Sir, said she,
bowling with mock dignity.
Thank you for reminding me- said he
! laughing, as he held forth a bright gold
eagle.
Keep your gold, Mr.. Graham. shal
not take a penny more than | have earn
ed, Havn't you a stray shilling?
If have, would much rather give
you the gold
And will have nothing but the silver
sir
Without further parley, he bestowec
the compensation asked.
What will you do with itP buy new
penci: said he.
mo, | shall keep it for the sake of lant
syne.'
4 do not see the drift OF your enlgmat
ical expression said Mr.. Graham, very
slowly, and looking at ne attentively th'
while.
Then the riddle must remain riddle
| have neither time, inclination nor inten
tion to enlighten your understanding
which, pardon me. is quite obtuse. But
now that my mission is ended, and m
wages paid, will go home. wish yoI
a good morning, sir
| returned by way Of the field. Oh
gaining the shelter Of the bushes tina
grew along the border Of the meadow,
looked back, and saw Mr.. Graham ye
standing beneath the old birch, studying
the delineations on its bark. For many
a day had not known so light a heart
The interview just passed, reminded III,
so forcibly of old times, that for the mo
ment seemed once more child, delight
fully occupied in vexing and perplexine
Weld Graham. However, no sooner die
cross my guardians door q was Mr.
Smiths ward) than these pleasant fancie,
vanished. Tregained my identity. More
than that, | privately read Betsey Lake
a pretty severe lecture, showing her the
utter folly Of thus dragging from oblivion
bright passages in the early girlhood o
Lizzie Lake.
The next morning Jane and were en-.
gagged finishing the weeks ironing that
had left the day previous when sent off 10
the crossroads.
4 have always supposed till now, Bet
sey, that you had no property more than
| have, remarked the housemaid.
Nor have I, Jane. am Us poor as q
churchmouse, which means, | suppose,
poor as it is possible for one to be-.
But Mrs. Smith says you have some
property. Just now heard Mr.. Graham
asking her particularly about you, and
she at last said, in 10th kind of a way,
that your father left voc a little some
thing, which you would have when you
came of age. She said too that you were
intractabe when you came here, and she
and Mr.. Smith thought you would be
more manageable if made to think you
were dependent on them for everything.
dropped my work and went straight
to my room. The mystery was solved at
last, for never could understand how it
was that my father had left me utterly
pennilesS at his demise. And the motives
of my guardians were thus easily OWNED
The charge Of intractability was totally
false. That knew for, overcome with
grief at the loss Of my dear father, and
placed among entire strangers, | had pas
sively submitted to my lot. But saw
now that a kind of selfish. parental in
Stinct had induced Mr.. and Mrs. Smith to
place me so low in the scale of social
standing, that there could be no possible
rivalry between their darling Lizzie and
their ward. And how blindly had furth-
cred their scheme Being impressed that
| was indebted to charity for a home,
had bowed my neck TO the yoke, and Of
fcred my willing hands to the work of
hireling, rather than submit to the CALLING
sense Of dependence.
Lizzie and had grown up to woman
hood with divided interests and pursuits.
We were also entirely unlike in character
and person. Though tKo years my Sc
nior. Lizzie looked younger than by
three years. She bad an infantile, pink
and white face "a tall, slender figure, and
an abundance Of glossy, very light brown
hair. On the contrary, was dark skin
ned, short and sturdy in stature. Lizzie
was called beauty; rather a good look
ing young woman was the highest COM
mendation ever awarded to my inferior
person. Lizzie had no open glaring vice;
but she showed an indefinite number of
petty faults, fruits of unlimited maternal
indulgence. She would not boldly repeat