The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-02
4 TERRIBLE VISITOR

NS'Ve' u my 1ucu1cstl lil;lIl tllaC 1OtlnU
myself late one autumn, abont n
dozen years ago, at the little town of
Quimper in Brittany, surrounded by
the usual impediments Of married
man Oh his travels. Not, indeed,
that [ intended my journey to extend
much further at that time, for had
taken fancy to the quaint old-world
Breton country, and SO long rs I
escaped the keen EasterIy winds of
our English winter, had free choice
left me to pitch my tent for tho next
few months ut whatever spot I might
think best; and it seemed, both to
myself and to those who wero with
me, that we might go further and
fare worse. About eighteen miles
from Quimper there stands an old
: fashioned honse of considerable size
with high-pitched roofs, twisted chin
neys, and dormer windows, known,
appropriately enough, as Maison
Girls. The rent demanded was mo-
dcrate in amount, and as We could
find no other place that promised to
suit rs equally we'll, q bargain was
quickly struck; and three days later,
ourselves and baggage were comfort
ably installed in our new homo. The
house, to be sure, was far too large
Tor the requirements of our small
family, which consisted only of N.Y.
self and wife, and our little girl Min,
eight years old; my wife's sister
Laura, and two stout Breton lasses to
wait upon us; but we put such of tho
rooms as we did not require under
lock and key, and feminine tastes
soon gave the others comfortable
home-ike appearance. Our life at
Maison Girls was, of necessity, u very
quiet one. Our mornings were va
riously occupied-my wife's in look
ing after the necdful domestic econo-
mics; Laura's in instilling into Minis
mind some of those multifarious
items Of knowledge which go to form
the sum OF modern young lady's
accomplishments; while T worked on
steadily at my great picture, growing
more i'll love with it from day to day.
rs, bit by bit, the idea 1 was striving
to work out took shape and color
under my brush. I had chosen one
of the best apartments in tho house
Tor my palntlng-room. It had been
the d1nlng-saloon once Oh time, and
had large mullioned window front
ing the North, consisting of small
acknowledged panes set in lead,
with thin iron bars running across at
intervals, and having the family
lozenge let in, high up, in painted
glass. After the fashion of the period
from which this window dated,
small easement opened out of it's
middle compartment; but the hasp of
this easement being defective, Min
had found out a ready way of opening
it from the outside by means of q bit
of crooked wire; and sometimes when
! was busy with my brush and pallet,
the mink would cease from trundlinn
her hoop in the garden, and wait
with her nose pressed against the
window for the encouragement with
nod or half-smile; taking which
us permission, she would manipulate
for few moments with her bit of
crooked wire, which she kept on the
sill outside ready for such emereen-
cies, till the hasp yielded, and the
easement opened. when she would
creep demurely through, and steal on
tip-toe to my side. The doors opened
into this room; one from q corridor
which ran through the lower part Of
the house, the other from corner of
the verandah which led hy % descent
OF tive or three steps into the garden.
Why am thus particular in my de-
scription of this room, will appear
by-and-by. x *
One autumn morning, L got up, as
l had often done before, inst MS the