Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-02-26


who had only known her so very well
since her widowhood might lose a some.
thing, and that what lost others would
gain, 1 had begun to be jealous of the
world already. -' ''" Wv ,l
She talked very merrily that evening
she spoke of her maiden life, of London, /
of my looming out for was seventeen |
of people who had been beauties and
heiresses; of some who had married well |
and others who had married i'll of love in |
a cottage and of those who had agreed |
that, considering the chances of this |
mortal life, otis best repenting in a coach |
and six" / was amused and interested |
beyond measure. She spoke with q brill !
liant fsmili- rity of the life Of her youth. |
1t came back to her in memory with evil !
dent pleasure, and we stayed up gossiping |
much beyond our usual bedtime. q ~ |
AS we stood at last on the landing of-the !
stairs, saying goodnight, she said: -
"Shall we walk to the Beeches to-mor-
row." l !
40, yes" exclaimed for the Beeches
was wooded hillside, dotted about with
huge masses of granite, at the foot of
which rapid river ran, with most pic
turesque windings, and th ere Lady Margs-
ret had already given me two lessons in
sketching, the spot to which we went
.
very agreeable for the time of year.
To tell the truth, dreamt of the things
we had talked about, and when Lady
Margaret met me in the hall, after break
fast, in her short black serge, and said,
"Come, Mary, or the morning sun will be
gone And do you know it is Valentines
dayS / colored up to my eyes, because
had said to myself over and over again,
at hope she will not marry again-Oh,
hope, hope"
Away we went the day was the bright.
est that ever dawned on any Valentine, l
am sure; the sun was like summer, the
birds were singing, the primroses were
showing in the sheltered places, and when
we got to the Beeches, there was the dry
rustic of the beech mast beneath our feet,
and gay green patches where the leaves
of the blue hyacinths had pushed their
way. Il
90, this is exquisite ~ cried Lady Mar
garet "See the light on those glittering
rocks-look how the shadow of those
great boughs gets painted on them. But
we have not the river yet let US get up
the bank and see how it looks from above
declare, it is hot"
Lady Marparet was quite right We
had walked fast we were in place at
once sunny and sheltered, and it was
moment of as much enjoyment and prom
ise as any lady-sketcher could desire.
She had got beyond me now, by rough
path up the steep bank, and she stood
waiting. ..fs.
go, Mary, it is delicious! So peaceful,
so pretty 1t seems odd to think of so
much beauty going on, whether or not
there be any to look at it. Nature is
prodigal. Here we are quite alone, not
creature have we seen-not Valen-
tinep
And then she laughed like girl. She
took one or two steps more, SO as to COM
mand the other side of a granite rock, and
then she came back quietly to me.
90, l hope he did not hear. There is a
man there, sitting down, drawing in water
colors; what shall we do"
"Go home," said.
az don't know. The place is my own.
1 shall speak to him."
She went up the bank once more, keep.
ing me by her side. But as we neared the
highest point of the intervening wall of
stone, the man appeared on the top. He
took off a cloth Scotch esp that he wore,
and bowed to u.s. We were both struck
by the extreme picturesqueness of his po.
sition, attitude and general appearance
and it was with peculiarly sweet voice
that he said:
al know 1 am on Lady Margaret Ca.
rylrs grounds. But hope l have not
trespassed too far-too near the house, l
mean"
"You are nearly mile from my house, "
said Lady Margaret. The stranger again
gave little bow "Do not leave your
sketch unfinished. The scenery here ia
very fine, and you will not often get SO
good day at this time of the year"
THANK your he said. And once
more touching his hat, he turned away
as if to go back to where Lady Margaret
had seen him. We, too, turned away
, and thought Lady Margaret looked dis
/ turbed.
"We will come some other time"-then
she added, after pause, with an odd
} short laugh, as if vexed at being 1isap
, pointed of our sketching hour" wheT
: there are no Valentines about !" and /, 8
little chafed, perhaps, by her manner-fol
the first time in my life it vexed me-saiC
: quickly:
: "Nay it was your valcntine--you saw
} him, not l ~
/ "Childp
8 l started; stood still took her hand
and kissed it.
, at wish had never uttered the word,
cried.
y sue SuluY anu l. ouLW ~, ~
I well as SdGS 1t first so the whole fault o
this is mine = kiss me, Mary. There
4 Now, no morer
And so we did not speak of it Just thel
: any more. But before the day was ende(
! we had both laughed heartily over tn,
r Valentine, the Yexation and the adven
7 ture. We called the sketcher "the Valen
J, tine" we wondered about him a little
: and finished the day by coloring up ou
morning walk till it gloWed as good sto
C ry, when we told it at "little tea," to M
/ mother. There it seemed to end. But
e again and again, as weeks passed by, fel
a an unaccountable vexation rise in m,
4 breast because Lady Margaret had seei
}. "the Valentine" At last, when June wa
# come, there was something else to thinl
a about. The return Of the old public day
: was announced. The people were to haV
their fill of pleasure, and once more the,
5 might go heme tired, loyal and satisfied
!. if they would. The day fixed upon wa
e the goth of June, and everybody said tina
they should "make it point to CO."
o Then everybody wondered if Lady Mar
8 garet would leave of her mourning ol
Q that day-if she would really wear colorE
r | was very slave in my love for Lad,
4 Margaret. did not wish her to b
Y gay after that fashion. hoped, feared
d wondered. When the day came she kisse,
= me lovingly, and was dressed in rch-fiow
z ing, soft-shining gray, with white bon
d net ard delicate marabout feathers in it
y and the blessedness of her presence SCENE
y to wrap me round like garment.
> Such day it Was such lights ana shad
ows. such warmth and gladness such
CONFUSION OF happy sounds The Who'll
> PaIh' except where the deer were en-
= closed, was alive with moving multitude
5 enjoying the glad fellowship Of those mol
; day hours. Suddenly Lady Margaret cam
Q up 10 me-
MARY" she said" the Valentineu
8 thought she looked odd and excited.
l suppose l seemedRery stupid, for she wen
n on with strange earnestness-
" Have you heard of mana youn