Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-07-28

among the very first which unsheathea
themselyes on comfortable deeds intent
for those brave but chilly fellows dwelling
for Tho first time in martial but too airy
tents. What il tho lines ot thought,
meshed in with every sock all these klnd
nir fingers are knitting this winter, weroto
become visible and palpable as the homeiy
fabric itself In and out, tearsnever shed'
and dloneeomeness never spoken, thoughts
busy and sad as death. Out and IN,
hncies warm and blight as midsummer
Of Paradise-high, tend II glows from full
pulsed, healthful hearts. All these very
possible in a singlestockng
The too quiet and almost too long Gays
came and went for Sylvia. "Winters wild
birthright" was passed, and now the WIN,
ter's life was fully come in all Its storm ana
cold. Sylvia received q note one day from
Miss Katinka Creevy, bustling manageress
of half the benevolent societies in town,
requesting her presence at the olganiza.
tion and initial meeting of the "Soldlers
Dorcas Society.
On the evening named Sylvia set out,
without companion except the boy who
drove. on her lonely ride to the town. Had
her heart been ever so light, the scenes OF
the Journey would have taken somewhat
from its cheer. The snow stretched out IN
long chastity reaches under the dead grays,
it's W6iteness only broken by distant strips
Of forest which lay along the land, as she
thought like dead giants, prone ana Olack-
palled. -, I,..
Reaching town finally, she found Miss
Creevy's parlor full Of q smiling, nlmple-
handed company, among which she took
her place, glancing for q momens at the
gentlemen, variously disposed, many OF
| them holding skeins of yarn for ladies to
wind. others in lieu, of that keeping balls
in dilioent ward. No doubt much OF the
most invigorating elech lefty wrought back
and forth on the lines so formed. Her
ewes souqht her work relieved, he was not
tIere-though for that matter had he been
n thousand miles away the chill waters be-
tween them could not have flowed more
coldly than if he had been at her side. For
nearly an hour she busted herself with her
work and pleasant lady companion. Fin
ishing the task at length, her hands rested
moment in her lap. Then Miss Creevys
vivid voice. :
"Miss Farnham, please come and wind
this yarn off Mr. Elcaren's hands, every
body else is busy"
How little Miss Katinlla knew, as she
waited to supervise her visitors compli-
ance, how thunder bolt like her simple re-
quest had been
Sylvia took in 'the situation, as they
say in the papers, at u glance.
Most of the company had looked up at
Miss Creevys ting-a-ling voice, and We're
taking in Sylvia's movements with placid
observation. How those eyes would have
widened, and those tongues ratified, if Syl-
via had acted ont her impulse before them
She could not do that; but it was scarcely
easier to take the thread from her hostess S
hands and wind round after round from
these others, whose owner had done her
such heart despite, and between whom and
herself word even had not passed for
months.
The company soon resumed their occu-
patton, and Sylvia wound ON and on il
seemed for hours almost only vaguely
clad the often treacherous thread did not
tangle. A little snap, and 10 the supply
had ceased and the end of the yarn had
hidden in the skein, and was not to be
seen
The gentleman leaned forward for her to
regain it, and as she songht futilely, with
fingers nearly quivering, spite of her al
most fierce effort to keep them firm, she
heard question, as others might have
done, but whose two-fold meaning was for
her, and understood by her only.
"What has made this breach 2"
She looked up at him instinctively for
tho first time, and found his eyes, full and
earnest, steadily on her.
"Ask yourself sir.
81 have done so often, and there is no re-
''Then your mind fails to include a con-
versation some time ago at Mrs. Mayhcws,
with her SON."
lie seemed in surprised reflection.
IL certainly remember talk with young
Mayhem; but where in anything then said
offense to you can lie declare l do not
know"
'You do not see presume" and her
voice was full of indignant pain-"how a
lady can hear berself adjudged forward
and unmaidenly; nay, desirous of forcing
herself upon man, and yet feel no dis
pleasure"
We can believe the yarnwas got in fine
tangle by this time, albeit Miss Creevy,
glancing that way just then, wondered, in
an undertone to DR.. Akerly, who was Off
ciating as her holder, how some folks
could contriye to snarl and fool over yarn
in such purblind way; whereat the
worthy Doctor who, by dint of holding the
skein close to his nose, had not slipped a
thread, proudly braced opt his yarn, and
watched it till his elderly eyes and arms
must have ached.
Meanwhile Phil. Elcarens memory had
run swiftly back, and was sharply review
ing every word OF that long-forgotten dia-
logue. Then he looked mentally around
the parlor, whose festive garlands had been
three months dead-saw Sylvia at chess
with the doctor, and heard himself warding
off the green young collegian's accusation
as regarded himself and that shallow little
flirt Euphrasia Lance
Eureka He didn't say the word, but
long before the yarn began to reel off
smoothly it would have told two young
folks mental state thoroughly.
Two-thirds of the great skein had van
ished into the growing sphere she held,
when, fearing to tire him, she asked:
"Shall we not break off now, and throw
the rest aside ?"
"Stop a minute" said he, in low,
quick voice; 'the threads have run double
almost from the first. II you break of this
visible grey one shall take ii the other is
snapped beyond repair; otherwise (oh,
happy chance y il will run on goldenly
through life, and take us both to wind il
side by side"
She did not break the thread but after
one quick look, wound on and on until,
finished, it slipped softly through his
fingers.
And SO Sylvia set out on her journey
home over the winter hills. The moon
was mp in the sky no less than in the
heart; and it is wonderful that under the
glamour of two moons the trees should
have turned from dead giants to harps Of
Eulus, which seemed touched 10y hands Of
fair spirits as the wind stirred softly in
their million boughs; and the laud no
longer grim, but lying with o calm smile