The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-10
BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.

My story begins IN midsummer
when the scarlet lilies were a-bIOom
In the garden Of Larch Lanes, and
Lindsey Walton wore July roses in
her hair. In her hair, and upon her
bosom, and clinging to the airy white
draperies she wore, as If she was
summers very self. Ii was Terry
who painted her for his private gal
lery, and called the head june"
Why, there was June's very sunshine
in the golden ripples of her hair
She knew that she was beautiful
and exulted In the fact. / have seen
her let those wonderful waves Of hair
down over her knees, and watch the
lights among them with fascinated
intentness. / have watched her
turning her polished arm In the light
with q smile OF joyous delight upon
her lips. i never chided her; / only
smiled too. 1t was the girls innate
love Of beauty which made her so
enjoy her own.
The sasls instinct made her col
lect beautiful things around her.
Her dress, her horse, her dog, her
rooms, were all perfect 10 their way.
[ was only her fathers housekeeper,
Marion Douglas-Aunt Nanny she
used to call me-a decent Scotch
body, and old time nurse to Lindsey
mother. For Mrs. Walton had been
Scotch. u was from thence that the
girl got her name and her bonny yell
low hair.
Colonel Walton was rich, and Lind
sey was his heiress, but when she was
little, q fair-faeed BARN, slumbcred
in her tiny cot, l used to shed tears
of pity over her, for he's but poor
that's i'll loved" as they used to say
in the old country, and no one on
earth loved Lindsey when she was a
child bat her old Aunt Nanny. But,
as she grew older, / used to tremble,
looking at her. Her cheeks took on q
hue like the sunset, her blue eyes
grew more and more Winsome, and
then her hair was q glory about her
when she was scarce fourteen.
Her father was aye surly with her.
He had hoped that the child would
have been a bOy--it was Jennie's
only one-and when he found that
it was a daughter which God had
given him, he glowered on the little
sleeping face, turned away, and 1t is
true for me that he did not know his
own child, two years later, when he
met her in the porch, walking with a
servant.
Who's little one have you there?
he asked Nan.
Your own, sir, straightvay said
the honest girl.
He gazed a moment ON the little
pink face-then offered the child his
hand-but she would not take it;
and he shrugged his shoulders and
turned away.
1t was Just after this that we came
TO Larch Lanes to live, the new country
seatlWhich Colonel Walton had named
after his old English home.
There were beautiful grounds to 1T,
The larches grew everywhere, some
times in long rows with wild grape
vines laeing them together. Only the
underground was kept out, and the
shade was beautiful. But the garden
was highly cultivated. A great deal
of the ornamental shrubbery, was
foreign. There was a double row oil
graceful French poplars along the
terrace. and below lay the whole
smiling garden, a great web OF color
At the south end was q summer
house, all open, and the pillars twined
with vines-roses, jasmine and elem
ats. Here Lindsey used to sit foI
hours with her book and her dog. he
was no blinking little Blenheim, but
an enormous great wolf mastilf whom
Lindsey had adopted when he was q
mendieant puppy, and cherished into
the most magnificent proportions,
The two were Iuseparable. she
would sit upon his back and ride
down the garden path as If he were 1
pony. /,
She was a happy girl. | don
think, until she was twenty, that SIT
ever thought she had trouble-ex
cepting the loss Of her fathers love
if that can be lost which was neve
gained.
She scarcely saw him. He break
tasted very early and was away to TIT
city, not returning until the evening
boat. Lareh Lanes was on the sea
shore.
In those days he was a large hand
some man of fifty-dark, and full 0
fierce, imperious ways. AS L hav
said, Lindsey got her bonnie look
from her mother, Jennie Lindsey
Colonel Walton was always a self
indulgeBt man, and, / think, In thos
first years at Larch Lanes, he ha
pleasures that were best kept sscre
from his family.
Lindsey was too innocent of evil I
suspect this. She stood in awe G
her father as of some superior pow
er. He was utterly mystery to hel
with his great abilities, courage an
Oh A.,f.,rr,1 ~ n
to all human weaknesses, and L neve
undeceived her.
Her life was, after all, not lionel
one, for she studied q great dea
having several masters from the cit.
and then she was very popular in th
neighborhood among the young folk
Both at Grassmere and the Willow
were large families of merry CIR
who were rather led by Lindsey. Th
few young men she knew admired be
exceedingly, but Lindsey kept a
lovers at a distance until Ben. Arur
del came. He made his appearance
frst as q visitor at the Willows
There Lindsey met him.
It was beautiful to see them s
fond of each other, two young peopl
all in all to each other, and life a
before them. For myself, l we
heartily glad that Lindsey's weddiu
was coming In my day, foI l was ne;
sixty when my darling's twentiet
birthday came, and l could not bel
the thoughts Of dying and leavir
her alone in the world. For / love
her we'll, and though she was beaut
full, wealthy young girl, and l an ug
old woman, we were much to Gao
other. Many a sweet little secret 81
told me that summer after Ben begs
coming often to Larch Lanes, al