Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-12-25


ing the current of the sweet and terrible
stream.
There was another observer-old Elkanah.
He had noticed for some time, in a rather
purblind way, the thiekening intimacy be
tween Faulkner and Emily; and now. quick
ened by what had occurred within the few
minutes past, his broad blue eyes, under their
penthouse brows, were vigilant upon the
pair, and every moment dreadful suspicion
of what already existed or was coming on,
between them, slaked by his hearty fondness
for Faulkner and his love for Emily, was
kindling in his fiery brain. To his other
troubles, this one added, he thought, would
be worse than all.
He had way Of talking TO himself. alone
or in company, in an inarticulate bass under
tone, like the booming of fsome enormous bee ;
and presently, as first one and then another
of the group roamed away across the passage
into the rooms beyond leaving him standing
on the hearth, with only the little child sit
ting silently near him, il was in this voice
that he entered upon a recapitulation of al
that flung columns Of darkness among the
lights of his Christmas Eve.
" Something wrong, | fear" he said,
- coming on, or come already, between Faulk-
ner and Emily. 0 house of troubles, trou-
bles But it can't be There'll be murder
done on Faulkner if such a things afOJt.
And what'll become of Emily And my son
John going back to the war. with his life
spoiled and uis heart-broken And little Lily
ailing-peThaps to die, like the other. George
lost and dead. Rupert worse than dead, if
he's liying-the Internal young, heart-rend-
ing william Every thing g0ing-going. Even
poor Tom : got q girl that goes from INN.
All going together. And ruin hanging over
me. The old home. where I've lived so long,
going from NE in my old age. How can
ever break it to them They We got to know
that We must soon leave all TO the auctiOncer,
and begin the world again, among strangers.
Country going too, I'm afraid. The blaze of
victory light- the Shenandoah but Oh. the
c0ryses. the corU-es Grant in the deadlock
at Richmond Sherman made the grand
march, and now he's in for the mad belly
breaking wnstle. And the old wife going
from me. All, that + the w0rst-the worst of
all And | to keep up stout heart. and be
merry and bold, on Christmas Eve the last
/ here-the last-the last; o my God my
/ God go
He ceased abruptly, and sat down in Emily's
D
/ ing between his knees, his gloomy yisage bent
upon the lcaping antlers Of the flame. For
q little while there was complete silence in
F the hollied room. only broken by the mur-
muir of distant voices and laughter from the
other apartments.
'' Grandpa, " at length said little Lillian, in
/ her plaintiye voice, .'I want to hear my
'Olian harp very, very much indeed.
The old man smiled.
3. Do YOU. darling? And so you shall. If
T the wind wills. " he answered. ' Lets see.
/ Where shall we pun it, SO thatyou won't get
the draught3 Here. | reckon.
lie had risen as lie spoke, and, taking from
/ a shelf near by the -Eo.iau harp. he opened
the window on the leit-hand side of the fire
place a little way. and set the instrument in
f the aperture then resumed his seat and at
ttude beside the child.
For minute all was still But presently
stole up on the silence, holy and solitary as
the breaking dawn. the long low strain Of
remote and thrilling sweetness. wild, delicate
and lonely. and hung lowering for a moment
in the charmed air. then failed away in a dim
mysterious cadence. which. ended vet seem
eli to lnger, like the spirit of bright things
departed, Of tender summers gone.
Little Lillian listened with a face of
braaJhless ec,tacy. The wind-harp was again
still. remaining soundless in the minutes that
followed, and the child finally res gned her
self with 81 little sigh.
90 Grandpa she said presently. what
,r1s Jesus Christ ?'
The old man glanced at her smilingly.
~ Lo- 49, -
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bim
Lillian ouietIv sal. .co,itatin.. bi- ro,, ,,,.til.
tie old man ,ya--ed H. s-1r,ly Ls55' 1T.
cbucklin- over the ei,niti..,r.s ~ i,;7 -a
r5n.e with nm eniay,re1t I.sror.i ,r--5.
T.. Grandr, '' rbe .ilver cler-,-;., i..-r
aooin d. Will Ias-s Cbris+ conn, t.-, g..
eIerio., 9''
FItanob stared ,t ber "a, tl.-t ,..-.l.-
rnert tber bnr.r inf, n b.II.,r .,f -
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Now r'' .5,,,o.,,. ,llgsf 7si'Toi7ilo,s Lu l
.l.;s a,.,r o", suPp'5iD9 .I9 ne "1s 10 come 4heFe
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MI Io'i,l a'i..iiI' '.e''i NM sI,'iiu a.
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ti' ,,'-,.oo siiIoAe' anu 'he he@rlh gave
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tIie N. ,,',l A''i,', ,o'll At lne same moment
1"'iS "'9 i'!n', sweet cnoru Oh mysterious,
'i1i'iz-lii aWli7 must ii!3 IRON I,, 'he harp;
:. Tlo, [,' g, 1lt a,.I rlA''Ii', W. Wia' l1en
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MI III n G..
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80 d, 'i.,'' 'ii,'' .lie 4iu man Ielt SORT
u ~oluei oloepins over niln' ana without
.eis 5 i.is, ~ or n?ei l; rom ms erouchlnS atti-
lluc' lN'lSu ms iaee slowly around with
5ii'SciaI 5i go" anu cIo9s-oaTS OF sAade upon
HIS FEATURES ana scanned the shadOWed room,