Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-25

|Or would I await Madam de Kim-
berly What was she doing Where was
she It was SO rare to find the three, the
! happy family, separate, that 1 naturally
asked myself those questions. Everything
was breathing a vesper sigh. Tranquility
was almost tangible. But now the star of
twilight approaches. The last ray has
vanished. Hand in hand the father and
daughter paced slowly towards tho cottage.
A servant was meeting them with a shawl,
for Violet to ward off the damp OF evening.
I step forward and walk rapidly to catch
up with De Kimberly. Violet was the
first to see me- ''Uncle Nick ! Uncle
Nick p She exclaimed, elapping her
hands. 11 90
"Hello, Nick, we've been expecting you
the last week." said my brother. "Little
Violet has been speaking about you ever
| since you were here, and every morning
she has been in the habit of putting a rose
in vase with water, and placing it on the
round table in your room, saying that
8 for Uncle Nick She will not sit down
flower to pin in my button hole, and lit
tie bunch to stand near 10y plate" I had
Violet in my arms. She was so much
heavier So much prettier SO many
golden curls clustering round her head! I
did not reply to De Kimberly's greeting,
SO busy was / caressing my little Violet,
niece
"And SO you haven't forgotten Uncle
Nick %
Ono, indeed. Uncle Nick has been too
kind to Violet to forget him"
Another kiss.
| "Uncle Nick was always kind to the
poor, and he told me that too should be
kind to them. Pa is very thoughtful. And
al b xuh
they come to the door, You remember,
Uncle Nick, how last Christmas we had
such merry making, and how poor Dick
Robin. whose nanny was an invalid,
stayed with us, and took some of our cheer
to brighten the face of his mother. We
visited her, ma and I. You taught me all
these things"
Thought Violet would never end telling
of all that happened since [ last had seen
her. She was now almost eight years of
age, and conversed fluently. Bright, beau
tiful, rosy checked, cherry-lipped, flashing
eye, silver voice, merry laugh, light-heart-
ed thing, "a Joy for ever" flower in the
bud to be frosted, and to die. looked,
gazing on her gentle spirit, SO suniul, 50
full of the dream of future bliss.
"And my poor Violet has not forgotten
her uncle ?"
"No. How could Violet forget uncle
Nick and glad tears would instantaneous
ly spring. She was a precious flower,
whose petals [ could have plucked, and
found beauty spots in them all. How long
[ stood holding little Violet to m breast
don't know. A thousand memorie flashed
across the brain. I was Santa Claus again,
filing the hung-up stocking with zcandy,
and with bonbons. [ was again plotting
my own dreary way through the drearler
life. was hurrying home with Christmas
toys for my little ones. I was seeking VIC
let from the many merry faces that strag
gled in my path. All was dark. And all
dirge. But no. [ would recur to some
thing else that sounded almost such
"Thus on Life's gloomy sea,
Heareth the Marinere
Voices sweet, from far and near,
Ever singing in his ear,
Here is rest and peace for thee ="
So thought that [ had found rest at
[ would soon see her mother, who, in times
gone by, was my idol, and who was yet
But she was De Kimberly's.
Whats he matter, brother" said he.
Still in a quandary p
'About what ?"
so you know-but let us not talk of
that. Here is Mary. She is delighted
to see you" Sure enough there was Mary
de Kimberly coming towards me from the
kitchen. a sunny smile lit up her hand
some face. An outstretched hand, soft as
the dozen in The cygnet's nest, pressed mine.
"Glad to see you, Nicholas. We've been
so long expecting you, and Violet has been
almost crazy to see you. Every step at the
door she would start, and cry that's uncle
Nick. - [ was soon ensconced in my old
seat in the parlor. Old times were wildly
brought back to my mind. [ would look
in the cracking fire, and seek to rake light
from the dying embers that kept tinkling
in the ashes. The ligbtwood knot spit
The fame passed up the chimney in wave
lets. The pretty charms, the twinkling
eyes so full of mischief, the precious dim
pies, the graceful majesty, the Development
of so much of the loneliness, the goodness,
and the beauty of woman, the restoring
balm of life which she exhaled, my own
folies and consummate foolishness-al re-
minded me of Mary. It is said by some
that
"Heaven lies about in our infancy -
that we are glad of soul, light of heart in
the sunny days of childhood. A vision of
the brightness of Eden would dash athwart
the mind, and recall the joys and hopes,
that had been buried. Mary was my
UrOGuer mary was gone violet,
pretty Violet, the dove and beautiful one,
child again, existed. / was alive. [ saw
all. was among them. 1 was apparent
~ happy. was happy because they were
happy. Thus is it ever in the life of some
No jealous, vengeful eye was mine.
would not bring palor to the life, nor
fading to the flower. I would not make
the innocent heart tremble. [ would not |
warp in the soul OF Mary, nor in the heart
of Violet, the germs that were of O birth |
higher than this fleeing earth. For beth |
no bliss is too supreme. No beauteous
stock from classic Greece or Rome too val
liable They were my idols-the daughter
on account of the mother. would have |
Graded them in my love, and rocked them !
asleep in the glory of Heayen-I would
have dawn upon them the bursting gold of |
morn. Yea, I would have offered up to
them the wine of sacrifice. Was I to be |
robbed Was I to be sacrificed ? Was I |
to lose my earthly treasure Was death |
to blight the rose? Was I to weep in the |
eternal shade of sorrow We're the depths |
of the grave to swallow up all that on earth
T loII l. 4