The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-11-10

4 ~ 91tt StA tuD1D 0PttOno oA . ttocSnS[b @@
they will be shortly Remember be has not
long entered upon his estate and title, and
ell this isonly 70 Le expected at first. With
all these fresh cares and duties pressing
upon him, it is nothing very surprising il
he should eeem little absent and thought
full in your society.
You will see him again shortly. We sns-
| pect him back at Clifford House within .
fortnight at the latest, to receive visitors.
There is going to be company at the House
and then, when he comes, ! atn sure you
will have no reason to complain OF his abb
sence."
slf he is not too much engrossed by their
society to care anything about mine," re-
piled my mother with sigh.
At this point the partly opened door was
again closed, and heard no more. stole
away silently into the garden, quiet and
thoughtful, deeply pondering upon what
had heard. This conversation, only heard
BY stealth, short asst was, had considerably
added to my scanty and imperfect kno Rl-
edge Of my parents, and especially Of my
father, and, although could not understand
all had heard, was now old enough and
rad gained sufficient knowledge Of the outer
world TO have some idea Of its meaning
more, by the way from the books with which
| had been plenui lily supplied, and which
| had alwaxs devoured with intense and alb
sorbing interest, than IRON any Information
1 given me by my parents. Ny little personal
knowledge was entirely confined to the cot
tage, the pleasant garden around il and our
two occasional visitors my mother told n
little Of life the outer world and OF the
customs and social obssrvances OF society,
| perhaps because she knew so little Of them
herself, and nay father had always carefully
avoided giving me any information On the
subject
Ny few occasional enquiries, prompted by
the descriptions and illusions | had read,
were generally met BY him either with .
laugh or good humored recommendation
not 20 trouble my curly head with matters
above its comprehension. He seeened to
wish to keep the knowledge of anything be-
yond our own pleasant home from me, per-
haps TO avoid exciting my curiosity and so
to prevent me from making an attempt TO
leave the secusion in which he seemed
anxious to keep us both-a most mistaken
idea ; for. the less my curiosity was salts
fed the more eager it became.
r. Still, the little acqua;ptance had gained
by reading with the customs Of the mys-
terIous world that lay beyond our tall
shady strawberries, was sufficient TO enable
me to understand in part what had been
said
noticed that Laudor had always spoken
Of my father as " my lord" Of his having
lately entered upon his title and estates,
and cf his tenants and popularity.
Until the present, had no idea Of what
I.taxy fafbar zuha nanfziAa nntf ags
walls, except dim idea that he lived in
the great house whose tall chImneys were
Just visible above the distant trees at the
far end Of the park and whose white walls
flashed white between their SEEMS. Now
knew MORE.
What, again, had my mother meant By her
illusions to Granada, and 10 my father hav-
ing taken her away ? She had called herself
too, poor, Ignorant, giPsey girl. Had she
then GER been anything different from
what she was now
These words sank deeply into my heart
ali the more so, perhaps, because | could
get no explanation Of their mysterious
meaning. Once ! ventured to question
Landor when he was unusually Kind and
good natured, as to my father, hoping to
get some explanation, but in vain. A grave
look at once overspread his kind old face !;
be looked at me for q moment, ~ II as
tonished that / should ever have asked
such q question, and then seriously told me
that must never ask anything Of the ~
again that | was very little boy ana
must not seek to know more than was
right for me, and that | must especially
take care TO say nothing about the matter 10
my mother, unless wished to make her
very unhappy indeed
| After this rebuff had no alternative but
TO wait AZ patiently as possible until circum-
stances should reveal what my only source
of information seemed Absolutely resolved 10
conceal but | did 90, however, with the
full determination OF penetrating the mys-
tery at the earliest opportunity.
| IL was not long before one occurred Of at
least getting more information concerning my
father than was at present in possession
Of Ara0-
I II was about three weeks after the con-
versation between J dor and my mother
that have already aided to--a time dur
| ing which my mother seemed calmer and
happier than she had appeared for long
time past, no doubt in anticipation Of my
fathers approaching long visit to the great
4 C.
and had again spoken Of his speedy arrival,
and that ahousefull Of company was expect
cd in very few days.
At last the long expected day came, aud
my n.cther was all in happy hutter of
Joyful anticipation She dressed herself il
her prettiest robe--the one he had always
said she looked the best in-And sal ct our
pretty little bon1oif, eagerly awaiting his
arrival, starting at every feotstep, and every
now aud then looking cut from her window o
catch the first glimpse of him ~ hs cane
across the park NJ 4
The day wore on but still be did not coma,
and IL was with the shadow again upon her
face that she put me into my little CRIB, and
pressed her evening kiss upon my lips. "He
will come tomorrow. perhaps" heard hpr
say with sigh as she turned awar.
How well remember that next day. Il
broke clear and bright Not acloud dimmed
the vast blue expanse Of ether that spread over
the azure csnopy above. Il was one of those
fresh, breezy mornings whose faintest breath
seem 10 send thrill OF more vivid life
through the veins, when the heart bounds
with rapture at the mere joy and exhiIarasing
zest Of existence. thought the sky had never
looked as bright blue before. The trees
and grass never looked so vividly green.
The birds had never sung so sweet
The spirit Of the bright, breezy morning,
redoient Of restless life and cheerful ener-
getic activity, seemed to have catered into
me- wandered for some time through The
garden, and amongst the winding walhs Of
the shrubberies, and, at last came 20 the
low railing forming the only enclosure thai
separated cur own especial territories frea.
the park.
stood and gazed on the broad green sx-
panse beyond me, studded here and there
with graceful clumps'of stately forest trees,
With wide strstches Of gre. turf between,
and cFosssd q intervals BY herds Of oospd-
ing deer, md = did 50, for the first tine,
30 intense longing took possession Of Ne u
know what lay beyond these clumps, and
thst bet efsdistsnt trees which shut = nv
vision in the distance, like long living val
= mx1riant yerdpre; TO know in short sou1e-