The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1869-01-26
MISCELLANY.
AFTER MANY DAYS


last Yulc tide had appeared, as viewed
from the solitude of his chambers, he
gladly accepted. Brian's exile, if il may
be so called, was entirely voluntary II
he had accepted the invitations that pour.
ed in, he might have passed his days
hunting, shooting or dining, but being Of
an ambitious turn, and having from his
earliest boyhood, heard il asserted that
he wonld edo something and attain
some position above the ordinary herd,
Brian had laid down G course Of hard
law reading, to which he had hitherto
stuck honestly. Perhaps there was not
much merit due to him vet the plough
and furrow may have been az fascinating
as the outer world. He had run the
gauntlet, it is true, OF many of those
temptations which moss easily beset a
man but he had never been IL love that
trial remained, and we shall see how he
met it; of flirting he had done his share,
possibly more than his share. Law is,
we know, at best, dry work, requiring
counter excitement, now and then; and
Brian being indolent in his amusemeDts,
took that which was st hand But the
women with whom he ilrted said he had
no heart.
1t is written that there is tide in the
affairs Of men. This particular tide had
not as yet set in upon the even shore OF
Brian's life, but the crisis was not far off,
and, as is generally the way, fate came
concealed by the most innocent of dis
gulses and so it was, that being in fair
way to become G. c., ii nothing more,
Brian, running against his cousin, John
Mellish, in the Strand, was summoned to
meet his fate at "The Cedars." where, a
week before Christmas, we find our hero,
sitting by the Squirrels young wife, but
looking with all his eyes at the pretty
face of the wifes younger sister Kate,
and trying with all his ears to catch the
murmurs of her low, soft voice.
"Ill marry that girl, or none," Brian
said to himself, as he undressed the night
after his arrival and so he repeated still
more passionately, when, on the footmsn
rousing him next morning, he became
conscious that Hates grey eyes had been
shining upon him in his dreams.
"The hounds meet at the Kennels, sir"
said the servant and master says you'd
better be down soon, as he and Miss Kerr
are going to ride to cover"
IAN right" quoth Brian, and having
luckily come provided with breeches and
tops, it was not long before he descended
to the preakfas room, where he found
Kate presiding, and the squire and a
couple Of strangers from the other side
II eiro vuuurry, busy IN foruTylng against
the chances of long day.
I've ordered the young chestnut for
you, Brian" said John. Il want him
shown off, and am too heavy for the
country we Il most likely cross o-day
besides, you handle horse better than
any man | know" Then the converse
ton turned upon the merits of the horse,
and the prospect of having q run.
For the first ten minutes after starting,
Brian had his hands full, and not until
the chestnut quoted down, had he fair
opportunity of looking at Kate, who like
all pretty women who can really ride,
looked better on horseback than any
where else; and as Brian watched her
Frightening color, and 1.-THE figure, sway
ing with every motion of the horse, the
remembrance of his chambers came up
light a nightmare.
What had green leaves laced with dew.
laden gossamers, caroling larks and full
throated robins, to do with dusty folies
and blue lined fools-cap2 Brian thought
it over that night, while the picture was
still fresh in his memory, and he thought
it over every night, till, Us the reader will
see, the Odds against the q. {, became
longer and longer H
What the riding, dancing and games
had left undone, the dressing up of the
church and house, for Christmas day,
completed, and by the time the greenery
was gathered and hung, Brian knew that
the tide" had set in, and that the full
waves were beating down every obstacle
in their course
And yet he had not by word or look
betrayed himself to Kate. He was much
too deeply in earnest, to risk asking too
soon. He knew it was life OF death, so
to speak; and so, though he haunted
Hates steps, people did not see what the
truth was, partly because Of the mask he
wore, and partly because ola very special
reason which l shall explain presently.
Christmas was over some guests left,
and others came; so that going into the
4 al, hair n,
rather late, Brian found every one assem-.
blcd, enjoying that pleasantest of all times,
the cleaning half.honr before dinner,
Kate was sitting near the fire, and con.
sequcntly in the lightest part of the room,
and by her side stranger, not young
man, but old enough to be her father so
Brian stood aside, content to worship his
divinity at distance Presently she
caught his eye, and reckoning him to her,
introduced him to General Amberly,who
held out his hand saying. l
~ have just been telling Kate that your
father and were comrades in early days,
and saw some hard times together with
the Duke Of York. You have heard him
speak Of Jesse Amberly p And then,
turning TO Kate, he won't on, "Jessy was
my nickname when joined / believe in
those days was considered very pref
ty boy, and, coming fresh from mother s
care, my ways and wants we're different
from those Of public school men. This
young gentleman's father joined the same
year, and being bigger and stronger at
that time, stood by me in more than one
ron,