The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-11-19
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1870
JUST A DREAM.


meSLlC ploLur9 buat us rays III u p.
A cottage with stating roof. and
broad latticeo windows, and white
washed walls cleaning through
tangled masses Of Woodbine and scent
ed tea-rose. A narrow gravelled path
leading up straight from the little
green gate, with nOddipg grass and
blooming flowers nesting close togeth-
or on either side; and few big trees as
a background to the whole. The tiny
domain enclosed by low stone wall,
and over the wall-Under the shadow
of a low laburnum, whose fallen
petals formed a carpet of golden It's
sue for her feet-the leaning figure OF
young girl.
A girl with great laughing eyes and
dimpled cheeks, with Hebe's face and
Aphrodite's form. Her straw hat
sung on a neighboring branch, and
her rich nut brown hair, tossed back
careiessly with an impstuous move
ment, displayed a candid, intelligent
brow. and a pair of sweet chlld-lke
lips slightly apart, as with upturned
face she intently watched the teecy
cloudlets chasing one another through
heavens blue vault, and listened TO
the singing Of the birds hard by. She
was revealing in her new-found llber-
ty, this maiden who bad reached her
seventeenth year on this glorious day
of summer. Released from the tram
mels Of the schoolroom, she felt as
though she had thrown off the iron
chains of slavery, and was free--iree
as the balmy air and the floating but
terflies. She was mOtherless, and the
only child of book-worm-a dabbler
ia ancient lore, whose tdus debates
we're Plato and PlutaTch, and whose
familiar subjects were all the "oligies. T"
Plunged In grief at the death OF a
wife whom he, adOred, he took to
study as a mode of oblivion, and, i'm
mersed In musty folios, he sometimes
forgot that he had a daughter, and
yet she was unutterabiy dear to his
heart.
She was q wild little creature, this
Ethel West, or Ethie, as she was
usually called; she was fall of the eX-
uberant spirits Of childhood, and her
greatest enjoyment seemed to be de-
rived from running throuh the YER
dant woods and fields, and tanning
her lovely face rich brown shade to
match her lustrous tresses.
Listen to her soliloquy as she leans
upon the wall:
What can papa mean by saying
that am just commencing my battle
with life2 Battle, indeed, when all is
so bright and so PEACEFUL could
stay here forever, with the breeze fan
ming my cheek so sweatly. l like to
see the blue smoke curling through
the tress and going upwards, upwards,
until it loses itself in that strange
Il Il j. III 70 hn hvrkA
fes skimming over the flower beds,
and the bees, and everything else that
seem so gay. Why do people say,
Z Life is a mistake and shake their
wise heads, and look sad ominous2
Life is delicious on such a day as this,
and I feel as happy as a bird"
And she broke off two big clusters
T of yellow blossoms from her canopy,
and placed one in her bosom and one
I in her hair, with all the coquetry Of a
girl in her teens, and then, glancing
down the road to see if any one was
coming who might notice her attempt
ct finery she deserted figure in the
distance.
Mayfeld was quite a rural locality
+ and the appearance of its inhabitants,
few in number. was very familiar to
, one another. Ethie shaded her azure
eyes with tiny hand, while she tried
to discover which of the May6eld mag
T mates was In view. It was not the Will
age Hsculapius, she knew, for he was
low Of stature and inclined to obesity;
neither was it the new curate, who
was fragile in form, and, in spite of
his evangelical notions, sported an
eye-glass; nor was it the Squire of
Glenford Manor, for be was a Methu-
selah in years and as red as a rose.
Ethie was non-plussed. But mean
while the figure had nearly reached
the end of the garden wall, and under
the shade she was able to recounoitre
his personal appearance.
A very tall man, and athletic
enough; dark eyes, large and deeply
set beneath straight, we'll defined
brows; a nose and chin after the an
tioue, and thick mustache over the
full lips; and about tho whole counte-
nance a good deal of weakness and
indecision; but as Ethie was no de-
ciple of Lavater, she only saw the
handsomest man that her eyes had
ever fallen upon. Upon arriving al
the gate, he stood undecided SIS to the
locality of the bell. Ethel advanced
with vivid blush on her cheeks.
who is 1t you desire to see?" she
asked him shyly.
The visitor, started at the appari-
ton before him, kept silence for a
minute or so. he was a painter, with
painters eye for the beautiful; and
in one quick glance he took in all her
attractions. and longed to perpetuate
them on his canvass. He already saw
the picture in his mind-the low white
cottage, the flowers, the grass, the
dropping branches, and in the fore
ground the girls sweet speaking face
and graceful form.
Mr.. West lives here, I believe
and I have a letter of introduction
and some books for him. he told her
10 a singularly musical voice.
Ethel invited him In, and few to
acuuaint her father of his arrival
then she rushed breathlessly up to
her own room, aud smoothed a wealth
of curls the zepher's breath had rufled
and donued afresh white dress, Their
shes lowly descended the stairs, and Gu
tered the drawing room with all the
dignity of a demoiselle who had IN.
dergone several campaigns in town.
"Ethie, my dear, Mr.. Seymour ha;
been asking my permission to sketch
you; he tells me that yours is jus
+ the face he has been seeking for the
principal figure in the new picture he
Is painting for the exhibition this
year: and I have promised him yoU
shall sit, if it is Of service to him.
And you tCiH do so. Miss West2'
Seymour demanded eagerly. ut vii
be an inestimable boon to me; TO
your hair is just the shade | re
quire, and the features correspond
Ali