Middletown transcript., 1869-08-14
COUNTY, DELAWARE MORNING.

ing it very carefully and conspicuously on
the branch of q tree, prepared to make
the fatal plunge. But at that instant my
mothers face, wan and pallid, and full of
bcsoeching love, seemed looking up from
the moonlit waters. A keen pang shot
through my heart. How would she bear
my loss, she who had always loved me so.
| could not do this deed without even bid
ding her FAREWELL could not break my
mothers heart! Snatchng down my coat,
| struck across the meadows at rapid
pace. AT the cottage gate paused, chill
ed to the very soul by feeling of awe and
dread. The moonlight streamcd down.
There sat my mother in hor low sewing
chair; could see her wan and white face
plainly. opened the gate, and went up
the gravcl-walk with suppressed steps.
She might be asleep, I thought-and she
was, that quiet, dreamless sleep that knows
no waking. She was dead.
Two or three days after her funeral, our
old pastor came down to see nc.
"Well, CLANCY, my lad," he said, after
few moments comforting conversation,
"what do you propose doing in the way of
making livipg?"
81 am undecided, sir-I haven't
thought much about it, I've been writing
a good deal of late, and l thought, per-
haps--"
But he cut me short by gesture.
"No, my lad, no! Give that up, it
isn't your vocation. Follow in your good
mothers footsteps-stick to your dairy,
and you'll make man of yourself"
I was cut to the very heart, but, some
how, his words stuck to me- The more |
thought of them the more I was convinced
of their sense; and after awhile made up
my mind to take his advice. threw away
my pens and paper, and took to my moth
er's old occupation, driving the cows, and
making butter-pats for market. 1t was
solitary life, yet l soon grew to love it,
Twenty years after 1 found myself rich
man, the proprietor of the great Pearl Val
ley Dairy, and the owner of Walnut Hill
Farm.
I had ample means, SO gratifed my
love for travel. | wandered all over Eu-
rope, launched my bark upon the waters
of the Nile, and sat beneath the shadow Of
the Pyramids; returning home again,
sun-burned and foot.sore, with weary,
loveloss heart, shut myself up, having
no intercourse with my follow-men, only
in my business relations, and regarding
woman-kind with bitter feeling of hate
and distrust.
One sunny autumn aftemoon-T have a
vivid remembrance Of it even to this day
it was early in October, and the sun
light, streaming down upon the great wal
nut-trocs in front of my dwelling, ana
glinting through the tawny chcstnutlcayes,
seemed to have n peculiar warmth and
brightness. | lay on little hillside, Just
beyond the house, half-buried in yellow
broom-sedgc, listening to tho distant roar
of the pines, and watching, by turns, the
blue smoke curling up from my mccrs-
chaum, and the busy yillage-folk down be-
low me. There was fair, or something
of the kind, on foot, and an unusual hustle
prevailed.
After awhile, | noticed trim, eirlish
figure, wearing a brown robe, and Il aun-
ty little hat, coming up from the town in
the direction of Walnut Hill. | watched
her with u feeling of interest, in spite of
myself; and when she actually turned in
to the lane that led up to my door, | felt
my heart palpitating like boys. Could
it be possible that any woman would have
the audacity to force herself into my house,
to beard the lion in his den? On she
came, her brown veil and streaming rib
bons huttering in the wind, her little gai-
ter boots beating brisk tattoo on the
gravel. lay quito still till she passed
me, then rising on my elbow, watched
her covertly. On she went, straight up
to my house, up the front steps, and then,
bang! went the knockcr. [ heard the
door open, and knowing that she had been
admitted, [ arose, and sauntered up my
self, thoroughly yexed at the tremulous
eagerness I felt to know who and what she
was. She rose from her seat as entered,
saluting me with pretty little bow.
"Excuse me, sir" she said; "but you
are Mr.. Chancellor Trowbridge, l believe,
and am Jessie Dunbar"
The silvery voice, the familiar face, the
name, and some glittering ornament in her
bosom, all struck me at the same moment
I felt my head spinning around like top !;
but managed to ask her to be seated
again, and as she complied, I satisfied my
self in regard to the ornament she wore.
1t was my ruby-brooch, the one for which
l had given the hard-earned proceeds of
poor mothers butter-pats-I could have
sworn to that. What could it mean?
''NVe are holding a fair, Mr.. Trow-
BRIDGE" she began, "for the benefit of the
soldiers orphans; every one is giving us
something, and I've come up to see if you
won't help us. You will am sure"
"No, Miss" answered, assuming a
sternnoss I did not feel; "'tis principle
with me, never to encourage such institu-
tions."
''Sirw patting her dainty foot impati-
emily against the carpet, mot encourage
feeding the orphans of dead soldiers-do
you mean that p
Her clear, dove-like eyes embarrassed
me with their steady gaze.