Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-08-31

my house III order. III you will
stay with me until you c9n 90 back
to town, you can be made as com
Portable as you would be, perhaps
il out on picnic that lasted over
night. My house has been Shut W
all winter, and | have No servant
with me-"
Miss lIarlcm-thcrc is no reason
why her name should be concealed
had 50 much Of the good Samari-
tan in her face as she spoke, that
Flora could not help thanking her
for helping her out of the ditch, a,
it were; the lady seemed pleased tc
be taken at her word.
There is nobody to expect me, .
she said, as they stood ON the plat
form at the depot for a moment
while she twisted her veil around
her hat and looked down the lane
like road which ran on and on, ey-
identity toward the dwelIing-pIaces
scattered along the hillside, $50 We
may as well 90 at once. "
Flora could not have dropped in.
to a grcencr world or one more still,
for the stiffness was not broken by
the singing of the birds, which filled
the budding trees and made vocal
the wayside fences.
When, laden like two peddIers,
they had gone about a mile, induIg-
ing now and then in 4 bit Of speech,
Miss Harlem suddenly turned int,
a still narrower lane, and rounding
a curve in the road, they bchcld q
small, old house half hidden by the
great apple trees which, blu8biug in
aged beauty, surrounded it.
Here we are, all in the month Of
May" said the guide. &" Wait 4
minute until ! let the daylight in
So she unlocked the door, went
in, uniastencd the tight wooden
shutters, and stepped quickly about
with u song in her heart, which
now and then presented itself at the
door of her mouth. She was evil
dcntly at home.
While Miss Flora stood in the
rustic porch, looking across tho
green grass to the lonely, winding
road, she felt how much she had
yet to learn of real solitude. | wish
| could disclose to you that old
place, though YOU are here for quite
another purpose; and, indeed, what
words could give you the subducd
and wondcrou3 coloring Of that
August twilight-thc wide cxpansC
Of that glorious sky, gorgeous even
with its dying hucs-thc sound oI
the long swaying branches, as they
scarcely moved in the zcphyrou.
air-thc dense shadows in the grass
the chirp of the little Jiisobcdient
birds that would sit up late and
talk?
In less thanan hour the water wa.
boiling in the tca-kcttlc, and they
were seated at a little tea-tabIo in a
square room, which suggestedt to Mis-.
Flora that possibly she might be in
the house Of one of Barnum' 5 collcc-
tors or manufacturers. Every mi
mute thing that could move on
wings seemed to have flown in there
to be impaIcd. There was no end
of bultcrhies-no end of minor in,
sects, and a wilderness of birds
Glass cages protected all these spec
linens. The room was 4 library,
but the books wercthe works of ma
ture. There was no furniture be-
sides, except the table at which they
sat, and the chails which supported
them. Dividing the six cages
OF stuffed birds and other preserved
creatures, were three windows and
two doors. and through n these WIN
do"S' vs. between inc Sl'ricu ,'! prapcIleS NJ,
oi 'ho'G blooming aPPlt-''y''Iol' .S'l ,,,
my good rco'er' "oI,'o YOU! 'IIa' I,, ~, y9" ano
| m'SnI See WHAT MISS / ioi" D '!''
oenelu
"Thc like OF this VIII never hap
pen to me again. | will ENJOY IT t'
the full extent" Miss Flora
thought, reminding herself IN good
time that she was Il philosopher.
her hostess aS, perhaps APPS ulElGGG m gDs;, ntl e.
thoughts '7'l0n you you oG oiI "Il"lu h"n'. u, ~
SPehu inc hlEnV Ill 'll'' oio nousc
sne a'Nc" "'l' ''L.'"I Lt oe,"s
there's n, no oepy!ns IT, ou. ~, i annn' a',, M
WHICH, ! he9G 'll'''9o ~" ''' 'io''n'
are my FOSSIL relno'ns'
Hlf YOU DO not repent having
invited me, | congratulate myself,
said Miss Flora.