Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-10-20

~,
stars give their light. The tall blacI
trunks of the NAPLES swayed anC
shook in the wind, which mOanet
5 through their leafless boughs. Nov
elists always make lovers in the moon
light. But il love is not. as the cynic.
r believe, all moonshine, it can at Ieas
! make its own light. Moonlight j.
never so little needed or needed, nev.
er so much of an impertinence, AZ in
a love scene. 1t was at the bottom ot
the first hollow beyond the school
: house that Ralph overlook the timid
girl walking swiftly through the dark.
: He did not ask permission to walk
with her. Love does not go by words.
and there are times when convention
ality is impossible. There are people
who understand one another at once.
When one soul meets another, il is
not by password, nor by hailing sign,
nor by mysterious grip. that they rec.
Ognize. The Subtlest freemasonry i'm
the world is this freemasonry of the
spirit.
Ralph and Hannah knew and trus-
ted. Ralph had admired and wonder
ed at the quiet drudge But it was
| when, in the unaccuStOmed sunshine
of praise, she spread her wings a little,
that he loved her. lie had seen her
awake.
You, Miss Amelia, wish me TO re-
| peat all their love-talk. / am afraid
you'd find it dull. Love can pipe
through any kind of reed. Ralph
talked love to Hannah when he spoke
of the weather, or of the crops, of the
speliing-schOol. Weather, crops. and
| spelling-school-th were what his
words would say if reported. But be-
| low all these commOnplaces there vi
brated something else. One can make
love a great deal better when one
| doesn't speak of love. Words are so
poor! Tones and mOdulatiOns are bet
| ter. 1t is an old story that Whitefield
could make All audience weep by his
way of prOnouncIng the wOrl MesO-
| potamia. A lover can sound the whole
gamut OF his affection in saying Good
| morning. The solemnest engage
ments ever made have been without
the intervention of speech.
And you, my Gradgrind friend, you
think me sentimental. Two young
fools they were, walking so slowly
though the night was sharp, dallyiBg
under the trees, and dreaming of heav-
en- they could not have realized if all
their wishes had been granted. OF
course they were fools! Either they
we're fools to be so happy, or else some
other people are fools not to be. After
all, dear Gradgrind, let them be-.
There's no harm in it. They'll get
trouble enough before morning. Let
them enjoy the evening. L am not
sure but these lovers whom we write
down fools are the only wise people af-
ter all. Is it not wise to be happy?
Let them alone. If you do not know
how it is yourself, | pity you.
For the first time i'm three years, for
the first time since she has crossed the
threshold of "Old Jack Means" and
come under the domination of Mrs.
Old Jack Means, Hannah talked
checrfully, almost gaily. 1t was some
thing to have a companion to talk to.
1t was something to be the victor even
in a spelling-match, and to be ap-
plauded even by Flat Greek. And so,
chatting earnestly about the most un-
interesting themes, Ralph cOuTteOusly
helped Hannah over the fence, and
they took the usual shortcut through
the bluegrass pasture" There came
up little shower, hardly more than
sprinkle, but then it was so nice to
have shower just as they reached the
boX-alder tree by the spring! 1t was
so thoughtful in Ralph to suggest that
the shade of the boX-alder is dense,
and that Hannah might take cold :
And Hannah yielded To the sugges-
ton. Just as though she had not milk
ed the cows in the open lot in the
woI st of storms of the last three years
And Just as though the house were not
within u stones throw! Doubtless it
was not prudent to stop there. But
let US deal gently with them Who
would not stay in paradise ten min
utes longer, even though it did make
purgatory the hotter afterward? And
so Hannah stayed.
"Tell me your circumstances, said
Ralph at last. Il am sure 1 can help
you in something"
mo, no! you can not" and Han
nah's face was clOuded. mo one can
help me. Only time and God. l
must 90, Mr.. HartsOOk. And they
walked on to the front gate in silence
and in some constraint. But still in
happiness.
As they came to the gate, DR.. Small
pushed past them in his cool. delibe-
rate way, and mounted his horse
Ralph bade Hannah goodnight, hav-
ing entirely forgotten the errand
which had been his excuse to himself
for coming out of his way. He has
tened TO his new home, the house Of
Mr. Pete Jones, the same who believed
in the inseparableness of "lickin' and
larnin'."
"You're a purty gal ant yOu?-
You're a purity gal, ant you? IOu
air! Yes, you air :" and Mrs Means
seemed so impressed with Hannah's
prettiness that she choked on il, and
could get 10 farther. "A purity gal,
you! Yes! you air mighty Eurty
gal ~ and the old wOman's voice rose
till il could have been heard half q
mile. To be saunterin' along the
big road after ten O'Clock with the
master! Who knows whether he's a
fit man fer anybody to go with? Ar
ter all I've been and gone and done fer
youI That's the way you pay mel
Disgrace me! Yes, L say, disgrace
me. You're a mean, deceitful thing.
Stuck up bekase you spelt the master
down. ketch me lettin' you 90 to
spellin' school tO-moTry night ! Ketch
Me! Yes, ketch Me, | sayu'
"LoOky here, marin" said Bud "it
seems To me you're a maxim blamed
furss about nOthin'. Don't yell SOS
they'll hear you three or four mile
You'll have everybody tween here
and Clifty walked up" For the Old
woman had gotten so excited over the
idea of being caught allowing Hannah
to go to spelling school that she had
raised her last " Ketch me-" to n per-
feet whoOp. "That's the way I'm
treated" whimpered the old wOElan,
who knew how to take the injured
innocence dodge as well as anybody.
That's the way I'm treated. You
alters take sides with that air hussy
apin youl own flesh and blood. You
d0npt keer how much trouble l have.
not yoI. Not a dog-On'd bit. | may
be disgraced by that air ongrateful
critter, and you set right here in my
own house and sass ME about it. A
purity fellow you air! An me a del
vim and drugin' fer you all my born
days. A purity son amt you"
IL. T.