The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-11-24
EFFIE'S TRIAL.


EFFIE'S TRIAL.
FROM dawn to dusk you might have
heard the clang of Merrick Masters's
Often long after the dusk of tho Winters
day have watched the golden sparks
rs they flew away into outer darkness,
throughthe wideopen door, like so many
long imprisoned spirits, just set free
after years Of bottling up. And ever
and always, while work was doing un-
der the sloping roof, could hear sort
OF anvil chorus, either whistled or sung
by the rich voice Of Merrick Masters.
II it had only so happened that some
musical enthusiast had come across
Merrick Masters in his boyhood, as such
"a one is said to have met Jenny Lind,
ssinging by the wayside, there need have
been no anvil work for him, and instead
of toiling for pence and shillings, for
tunes might have been showered upon
him, and critics might have talked about
his" chest notes, "and beautiful members
of upper tendon have flung bouquets at
him, and even penned him love letters
sou the sly, as they are fond of doing too
a''well, to no matter whom, at the opera.
No musical enthusiast, however, came
ito Hammersly, and it is doubtful if any
body suspected Merrick of being a mu-
ssical genius, unless, indeed, it was the old
lparsOn, who had requested him to make
IF f1aa al, ,rn1, hot rx,I,n 1, hol
lowed as gloriously as any basso pro-
fundo who ever shook the walls of the
Academy of Music, and apologized for
1T to the owner of the shrill soprano
itrather cracked) yclept Miss Spriggs.
He didn't mean to 60 drownding
ladies voices, bnt when he got going
Tho couldn't help getting too loud. 1t
was the fault, he reckoned, of the black
ssmithing." ..
The deep snow was white,.on the
lground one December eve, and the gold
zen sparks rushed from the changing an
vii faster than ever, and the song to
which the strokes kept time were louder
and clearer, when somebody leading a
ihorae stopped at the forge door and look
sed'through with an eye that took in the
picturesque scene at glance.
!" BY JOve, it's like some of those old
Dutch pictures" muttered voice under
"a golden moustache. "I'd paint it IL
was an artist"
Then in a louder tone:
Halo, young fellow, my horse has
lost shoe, and want 1t looked to i'm
rnediateIy."
Ybe "young fellow" dropped his
hammer and strobe toward the door,
aAd ia smother moment horse and mas
Ger stssA beneath the forge roof. Then
- Gerriok Masters bent down to look
ut the fseta6 the splendid animal, the
Esdar, rs AkleHdid a parsonage in his
wAE, santeree do the fire and stood
baski.x in its geEisl warmth, and shak-
Ing or the feathesy fakes that clung to
his shoulders. A light,haired, blue-eyed
exquisite, as great contrast to the
brown Hercules of tho forge as can well
be aTeasined, though i4 hiswsy Merrick
was NacS ihapdsstne.
Just Rs sthe'blacksGfdaiss " histle began
10 play about the hosf he was shOeing,
and while the strahger was standing
with his back toward the fire, admiring
the light and shadow On7the wall, steps
came tripping through the sAsw, aud n
girl with o shawl over her head came
dancing IN from tie shadow
"Tea will be cold, Merrick, p she said,
"and your mother says"
There she stopped, covered with con-
fusion al the sight Of a stranger-cne
too who stood locking at her as uacon-
eernedly as he might at picture.
Certainly she Was we'll worth looking
at, pure brunette, with large brown
eyes and cheeks like rose, with isshes
long, curling like achild's, and buXom
form where not an angle was visible 1t
was only moment that she stood with
her red shawl slipping from her black
hair, in the full glow of the frelight-
the next moment she was gone, and the
stranger turned to the blacksmith.
"a pretty girl, that, your sister,"
"No, Pm glad to say" replied the
blacksmith.
"Glad? Why"
"Because she's something better than
sister to me-" replied Merrick. "We
are to be married In May"
Then out rung the whistle again, shrll
and clear, and the stranger asked M
more questions. lie paid Merrick fol
his work, and rode away few moments
afterward, and for all the blacksmith
knew or cared they had seen the last ol
each other,
He washed his hands and went int
the great kitchen, whore At the tea tabl
sathis mother and the girl who summon