Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-08-08
"Let all the ends thou m at be thy Count thy Gods and Truths


: strike across the country whe1
the moon is up, if you'll give mt
rest till then"
! "Most welcome" said Mr.. Ca
mute courteously.
/ "Ah-ah!" quoth the stranger
eff that's the way you pursue
your discourse, / don't think ]
shall learn much from you.
hope, however, that I may get g
wife who will follow your exam
plea woman of two words, in
short; she'll be a rare specimen
of her sexP
"Ah-ah!" calculated Mr.. Ca.
mute.
"But come, tell me, for time
presses" said the young man, sud.
denly becoming grave-"tell me
all about Ambermead, and the
squire-how long he's likely to
last. For, in fact, the friend ]
mentioned, who is with me during
this walking tour, is vastly inter
terested in all that concerns the
place and property"
"The heir?" WHISPERED Mr.. Ca
mute mysteriously.
"Well, well, suppose we say
he is, he's not altogether bad
fellow, though he is considered a
bit reckless and wild. But he
has heard of Clara Harwell's
beauty and goodness from his
cousin, Lady Ponsonby, (she's
Clara's cousin, too, you know;)
and he is really quite sorry to
think that such a lovely creature
should be turned out of the old
Hall to make room for him. He
wants to know what will become
of her when old Harwell dies, for
all the world knows he's ruined.
It's a pretty place this old Amber
mead-a paradise, l should say.
I know what I'd do, if / was ever
lucky enough to call it mine. >
The youth rubbed his hands glee-
fully. 81 should be a happy dog
then"
"And then?" said Mr.. Canute
smiling.
"Why, then, I'd pull down the
rickety old house up there, and
build a palace fit for a prince; I'd
keep nothing but the old wine;
I'd have lots of prime fellows to
stay with me; and / should sport
the finest horses and dogs in the
country" The speaker paused
out of breath.
"And then?" said Mr.. Canute
quietly.
'Why then I'd hunt, and shoot,
and ride, and drink, and smoke,
and dance, and keep open house,
and enjoy life to the full-feasting
from years end to years end
the feast of reason and the flow of
soul, you know, in old Ambermeadp
"And then?"
"Why, then, l suppose that in
time / should grow old, like other
people, and cease to care for all
these things, SO much as l did
when strength and youth were
mine."
"And then ?" said Mr.. Canute
more slowly.
"Why, then" and the stran-
ger hesitated-"then, / suppose,
like other people, in the course of
nature, I should have to leave all
the pleasures of this life, and
like other people-die."
Sand then?" said Mr.. Canute,
fixing has eyes, glittering Like dia-
monds on the young mans face;
which flushed up, asbe exclaimed
with some irritation
"Oh, hang your sand thens!-
But the moon is well up, see, SO
I'm off. Goodnight, and thank
you" And without further par
ley he started off on his walk o.
yer the hills !. and Mr.. Canute ST.
lently watched his guests retreat
ing figure, till in the deep shadows
of the surrounding groves, hewa
lost to view. In the moonlight,
in the darkness, in the valley,
and on the hillside, these words
haunted the wayfarer, and he kept
repeating to himself, Sand then?'
Thoughts took possession of his
mind that never before had gain
ed entrance there, or at least they
arranged themselves in sequence
which gave them quite. new sig
ni6cance. His past life presented
to him for the first time as a CO.