The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-12-10

tended sun-iowers bore witness 10 her
marvellous skill In cooking.
Mother Danforth-za good sort of woman
In q melancholy way, who was much given
to frequently sighings and complainings,
whose most cheerful recreation was q tuner
al now and then, and to walk up to Eagle
Crag TO inspect, after the time honored
fashion OF mothers.in-law. the doings ofits
little mistress-was fain to confess that even
TO her critical eye the household manage
ment was perfect.
"Her cookery is faultless; and everything
is sumptuously neat" she acknowledged
TO her NEXT door neighbor, Mrs. Gray
"But she doesn't seem 10 pine after John q
bit. But then, what else could one expect
from such n child2 Out Of sight, out Of
mindr / suppose ifJohn is pleased, fought
to be. But I'm sure Il was never my way,
whom Danforth was out on q voyage. Many's
the night l AVE cried oil night, and the
house was more like a funeral than any
thing else all the time he was gone"
Mrs. Gray, wise woman that she was,
carefully abstained from limiting that this
might be the reason Of Johns preference to
merry, cheerful Robin, whose unfailing
good spirits were to him a constant source
Of wonder and delight.
Il thought she always seemed very fond
of John" she contented herself with say
ing, as Mrs. Danforth rose to a her
leave.
''Seemedr' echoed Widow Danforth with
her deepest sigh; "let me tell you, Mrs.
Gray, when you have lived in this wicked
world as long as / have, you viii find that
things are not by any means oil that they
seem.
Aud with this u~nintentional parody OF
the sublime song of the poet, Mrs. DAN
forth went her lugubrious way homeward.
SO the summers came and went in frag-
rance and song to the little cottage on the
Crag; and the white ships sailed stately
aud grand, or flew like frightened birds TO
their haven under the hill" and the
Ocean Bird, commanded by Captain John
Danforth, touching nov at this port, now
at that sometimes driven by prosperous
gales, sometimes buffeting adverse winds,
set sail for home.
And in the heart Of the brave man, who
sometimes in shine, sometimes in storm,
always cheerfully and hopefully pace her
deck, there dwelt q picture of a face which
whether bright with piquant smiles or SAD
with April tears, had always been eloquent
with love for linn, and which was iairel
and dearer to his eyes than all the worlt
beside.
OItAlh Ohf hbuNhh NhDAhAh DhhlOAAhs "
you the Joy and the brightness of love ar,
over-for you q storm is gathering which
will scatter your love dreams as easily ~
the wind which sweeps over the deck o
: the Ocean Bird ~scatters the foam that crest
: the wave whereon she rides.
!, The Dutch clock ticks merrily away, sur
, voying the neatness and cosinses of the lie
: tie room with q face shining with approba
ton. The fire burns cheerily in the fire
! place, the canary ozes sleepily ON his perch
and the old cat purrs loudly in the corner
Meanwhile, the little mistress, daintily at
tired ina merino dress, with lace at thu
throat and wrists, sits before the sparkling
y = fire and gazes dreamily into II.
= Her work lies idly upon her lap; the bal
of worsted has rolled, unnoticed, upon tn
! floor; 80 deeply is she immersed in her re
! verie that she heeds vol the fact that Han
has gone 10 sleep in his chair in his usua
= fashion, and sits with his round head bob
: bling up and down like a Chinese mandarin
, in n toy-shop. Without, the wind whistle
! drearily, as only the November wind know
= how, and the moan of the surf upon tn
: shore chants its monotonous dirge.
Outside the cottage, close TO the win
: dow, stands a man needless Of the bite
J wind, deaf to the roar of the angry sea, ga2
ing, gazing, with hungry heart aud a hap
= Ply smile, upon the picture within.
"How beautiful she is" he whispers I
himself, anda proud and loving look come
over the bronzed face, as he gazes on ID
little figure in the merino dress.
4 IL WAS thus that nc had pictured he
" many a time-the bright fire, the shinin
little clock, even the pattern Of the chint
curtain, had blended together in o harmon
ious whole, labeled in his mental pictur,
gallery, gHome."
a But the slight girlish figure bent a lit
forward, the falling brown hair, the shil
y ing, truthful eyes, this hGdbeen the brigh
est. because the dearest Of all
=, She was thinking Of him, perhaps, lit
dreaming OF the happy surprise in sto
7 for her in his unexpected return. What
that2
a Ayl start, John Danforth, and reel as
ar struck by a sudden blow. Is this the wi
nj you have seen in doting dreams, for who
III you have kept your soul pure and uLstai
nj ed, that it might hold enshrined her sacr,
10 image2
he An inner-door is opened, q quick, mar
or step upon the door, and q man, mufll
be with coats and wrappings Of fur, is best,
le Robins chair. She looks up in his fac
| How well John Danforth knows that 10
ID ing smilel and though the wind proven
III their words from reaching him, she seer
We from their gestures TO be urging reno
he ~strances against his going ont in such
he storm.
's- lie shakes his head laughingly, the bo
M ish curls glancing to the freight, al
a stoops down beside her. She filings DO
Do arms round his neck, presses his lips to I
he smooth cheek, innocent Of beard or razo
and he lays his hand upon the latch, slow
o. ems the door, and in a moment more
IN out in the stormy night.
ne The heart of Captain Danforth sinkii
If down, down like lead his bosom with Il
r. weight Of his loss, leaps and burns with
the fury Of a savage as he hears the footste
a: of his rival beside him, 30 close that If
N should stretch out his hand he could thrC
tie him in amoment.
Dy he looks at the darkening sky and star
I'd on the road 10 the village.
~ The village roadl That way is long al
ell rugged; few travellers ever tread the lone
llt way. Revenge, revengel
st II Is said there is a drop Of tigers bio,
in every human heart. Think il must ha
been alive in Mr.. Danforth's heart then, al
ia prompted the stealthy, creeping, pace wi
which he followed his victim ON, on, ov
Is rugged paths, watching the boyish form, I
ch the sudden, blind impulse of revenge gre
he into q settled puTpose-til the sure, roller
less hand seconded the murderous pla
Of the heart.
in Halfway down the winding, rocky 70
til a deep chasm runs parallel with it for o |
lat tie distance, then. with an abrupt TUT
takes another directions toward the Goa
he John, breathlessly DIGGING the footste
pie Of the boy-he is but little more than IL
he -ohuckled with savage delight at /
thought of a miggteD. which miOht nluu
ic- his unconscious enemy headlong down I
ir- abyss to a frightful death on the sharp. il
lr- ged rocks below.
! A L. rnnnhnn Ahln nninA II L. 49,.