Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-09-07
"Did you love Harry" l asked

She shivered at that, and looked
imploringly at Louise.
"Charlic, you are unkind," said
Louise, reproachfully.
Well then, | won't ask her if she
loved Harry, I'll 60 off and read my
book of hobgoblins."
40 no! don't be vexed, Charlie"
said Emily with great sweetness.
Stay by me, and | will tell you a
story" So stopped, and she told
me a senselesS story of two girls who
went to school. When | saw it wasn't
going to amount to anything, | start
ed to leave her.
a don't like that" | said. {" | like
witch stories"
"Ahw she replied, smiling, per.
hapS this will be better" And then
she told me a story Of an old witch
who had a throne down in the slime
of the sea, with a string of bones
around her neck, and a toad on each
shoulder. And this witch bought
souls, and gave people power over
hearts in exchange.
That was a good story" | said
at the end.
"And now, dear Charlie,go to bed,'
Louise directed. So | kissed my pret-
ty sisters hand and glided off
Emily very soon learned to be per-
fectly at home with US. She seemed
to wind herself about the hearts of my
father and mother, and as for Louise,
Louise would have walked over
burning pIoughshares to do her ser,
vice. liked her about half the time,
and the other half | felt like teasing
her, She would grow so white and
terrified when | Sprang out at her
from behind curtains or doors. More
thau ever | wished that | had fairy
power, to change myself into all sorts
Of shapes,-a tiny flea to hop into her
ear, a yellow snake to twine myself
with her curls, a mouse to run over
her pillow, or an elf in her desk to
open her letters She was such an
absurd coward. But being four feet
high and not fairy, could only find
my wicked pleasure in annoying her
by constant surveillance and sudden
starts. She seemed afraid to be an
I cry with me, and never exposed me.
Perhaps her conscience made her un-
easy, for my dear innocent-hearted
Louise never was startled or terrified
by her dwarf Charles tricks.
0, slender, willowy Emily, yellow
haired Emily, my brothers darling
why were you not all Louise dreamed
you, pure-hearted and true, sorrowing
and loving? My father treated her as
another daughter, and declared she
should never leave US; my mother
gradually came to consult her exquis,
ite taste in all little matters which
Louise formerly decided. And at
last they even insisted on her putting
of the badge OF her fidelity to Har-
ry,-her mourning,-despitc the sad
little shake Of her head in remon-
STRANGE.
- She shall not make a nun of her
sell, exclaimed my father.
Ny heart will be in mourning all
the time, she whispered to Louise
and Louise kissed her.
Spring came, aud our mother CON-
menced house cleaning on a grand
scale; every room was visited, scour-
ed, and painted, and the furniture re-
arranged. How she made the ser.
wants fly about! Every one wished it
well at an end; every one but me
found too much fun in it. | rolled
over on mattresses; made nests to
curl myself up in among heaps of
blankets; reveled in hidden relics
brought to light; pcrched myself on
cupboard shelves; read Gulliver's
Travels undisturbed in the pantry by
a jar of sweetmeats and a dozer
times nearly trippcd up our portly
butler as he was carrying loaded trays
up stairs. When the raid extended
to the sitting,rooms, | found unantici
patcd pleasure. The statuettes O
bronze and marble had always looked
at each other so unmoved from theil
different corners that it provoked me
| had read somewhere in a German
story Of house where the China fig
ures Of shepherdess and a chimney
sweep made love to each other wheI
no one was in the room, and fnall,
ran off together. | was always hopin!
something Of the kind might happeI
in our art collection, and now, whel
all the casts and figures were set dowl
in a crowd on the great center-table
it really seemed as if they could no
keep silence.
At night, when every one had gon,
! to their rooms, a whim seized me t.
creep softly down stairs, and peep in
to the drawing-room to see what wa
: going on among the bIonzeS and MAI
, bleS. The moonlight lay across tn
table, and Clytie unchanged neve
ireathed or moved, though a bronz
Pan made mute music on his pipe
, before her,as motionlcss as she Faus
did not kiss Marguerite; and Mer
, curry, poised on one toe, did not cate
t at the chance to substitute the othe
foot. Altogether the assemblage wa
a failure. Have the fairies then, neve
[ crossed the ocean from Germany ?
T. There was a low hum of voices i
;, TIE kitchen below, so, disappointed
, my miracle-seeking, l thought l woul
r slip down stairs, and see what wa
: going on so late. The butler, the COO
:, and the chamber-maid, each stoo(
| candle III hand, lingering over som
: dispute.
r Well, leastways,' said the butte
y " Miss Emily have a very sweet mai
c ncr, and that's all | know"
d She have her own way, that's whs
+ she haveT' said the cook.
e Hum y Interrupted Kitty, /" st
d makes cold chills run over me. She
winding em all about her two littl
a fingers, and she has the evil eye fc
I certain. Mind you, she brings Il
d goodr'
Next morning, as | met Emily o
: the staircase, stopped her and lool