Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-11-21

For her mothers house used to be next
the Gordon mansion; and when Hilda
was young girl, she used to be in and
out OF the Gordons' honse rs though she
was one of the daughters; Indeed. Mad.
am Gordon always senl for her when she
had company to help her make iclIies and
cake for the evening, and always told her
when she was through, to go horne and
/ brush her curls, and come back To the
party. tor it would not be IA party without
Hilda Hyde.
Christie Gordon thought so certainly,
and his mother did not scold him for it; {;
hut Hilda was one of those who had II
smile for every body; and nobody could
Gordon or Martin Grant, the Young mau
who was learning carpenters trade,
and had been building himself house
by the mill.
! Christie Gordon had left suddenly the
day before the fire, that terrible fire that
Oldville remembers 10 this day. that burn
ed down the great Gordon mansion. and
the little house belonging To Hilda liyde's
mother, and the doctors house, aud in
deed half the village. II is a fire that is
not forgotten now. because there was u
loss of life, as well as loss OF property.
If only Mrs Gordon's son had been at
home, all might have been saved; tor
Mrs. Gordon and the servants were all SO
bewildered al the very beginning, that
they took no means 10 put the fire out.
and by the time help could get To them il
was too late. II spread TO the'outhouses.
then to Mrs. Hyde's house; she was in Il,
the time, aud the shock of it made her
worse; and they took her straight TO the
aims house for the night. But Hilda
stsid round 10 see what she could do TO
help the Gordons. And there was Mar
lin Grant working harder than any one.
First, he had helped the Hydes, doing all
he could. Then he tried to make Hilda
60 TO one OF the neighbors TO rest, for all
this was in The middle of the night.
So when he found she would not leave
the fire while he was working there, he
set her down on the broad stone fence a
little way opposite, in full sight. and gave
her 4 bundle 10 hold, done up in bright
colored handkerchief. This grandmother
saw; and she remembers it so plainly, rs
one OF the things that happened that
terrible night, and how Hilda's yellow
hair was streaming down over her shoul-
ders. But just then there was crash
and 4 scream; and some one said Mrs.
Gordon had gone back into the house to
save an old picture she had thought of;
and her daughters were Tor rushing back
into the flame after her But Martin call
ed TO them not TO GO. He took II ladder,
and mounted it to one of the windows in
the room to which Madam Gordon was
going. And there was stiffness for
while; and then he was seen To come To
the window and then came blrs, of
flame. and the roof fell, and all was in a
blaze and that was The terrible end, for
these two were burned in the flames.
Nobody paid any attention to Hilda.-
Martins mother was the first to be tho't
OF, and Mrs. Gordon's poor daughters.
But they went away from the town di
rectly they could not stay in place so
full OF sadness to them; they joined the
| brother who was TO sail, it seemed. for
Europe, so they went with him.
But the next Sunday. Hilda WAS seen
coming up to tho meeting house, walking
slowly, with bundle in her hand, look
ing. so grandmother says, like an old
woman changed all at once from young
girl. And just at that moment some of
the loungers on the steps read on the
publishing board, that Martin Grant and
tIilda Hyde proposed marriage.
And Hilda looked neither one way nor
the other, but went 20 her old seat in the
Gordon's pew. and placed her bundle nj
her side; and that she did every Sunday
afterwards that she could 60 out And
so everybody understood why it was that
Christie Gordon had gone away so sud
denly. because Hilda had settled 10 marry
her poor lover rather than her rich one.
asked my grandmother many ques,
tions about this Christie Gordon, whether
he ever came back, and what became OF
him. She thought he did return, but that
he did not stay. Hilda did not recognize
him. or no one knew whom she did rec
ognize. or what she was seeing through
her large wide-open eyes
And there was Hilda Hyde still sitting
on Sunday in the Gordons' pew, when
returned alter three years absence in the
war, for Reuben and |, of course, joined
the army.
| What day that WAS VIXEN our little
band collected to march TO the station on
our way TO the camp. We could not find
Annette TO say goodbye to us. when we
went over TO her aunts house. "She
says bidding goodbye is too sad," said
her aunt, who had tears in her eyes.
But at the corner, just where we turn
ed to the station, there she was, with her
hands full Of yellow and white crocuses.
II thought l would bring you some-
thing" she said; and bit of sunlight
strayed over her yellow curls, and she
tried To give US n sunny smile for the