Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-09-21
tFrom weod'A Household MssasIns.i
ONLY AN OLD STORY.
BY MARY MORRISON.

before the door on horseback, Van Enden
was ready with his knapsack to join their
CAV company And so their merry excur-
sions went on for few days, when for some
reason or rather he no longer seemed TO care
to Join thin them. Belle poued, and Sey-
mour swore; but all to no effect. Hayden
laughed at him for his laziness but he told
him he wanted to sketch the view in the val
lev; and finding all entreaty of no avail,
they finally left MIN to himself altogether.
''He wanted to sketch views in the valley"
Ah, yes and one view aboveall others-two
soft violet eyes a calm white brow shaded,
l might almost say lighted, by golden waves
of hair; face so sweet that all the hills and
trees seemed only waiting TO serve as back
ground to 1t That isn't far-fetched as they
say, is it2 Was not man made in the image
of the heavenly, to have dominion over all
the earth ?"
And so Arthur Van Enden's sketches null
tipled, but all had the same little figure,
either with checked handkerchief over the
head, or with the golden mass of hair falling
over the shoulder, and flickering like sun
light among the trees as she climbed over the
rocks by the waterfall. All, little Rachel,
how bright the world is, how the birds sing,
how merrily the waters dash, how the flow
ers bloom; and dearer, sweeter than all the
words which fall on your ears-the low,
deep tones of the voice you love; and more
thrilling still the earnest look from those dark
eyes. All, your mother was wrong-the
story was right-there are thrills of pleasure
and depths Of joy in the world which she has
never known
And day after day, sometimes in the long
afternoons when the woods were dark with
shadows, and only here and there a rift of
sunlight fell through the green, and the lazy
mnnows flickered in the depths of the pool,
the distant hum of the little mill only adding
to the rest of the sleepy hollow, sat Arthur
and 'sketched;" and Rachel's heart was
filled with happiness as she sat on the
rocks by his side, and heard of all the
wonders and beauties of the great world of
which she knew so little.
One day he came with Goethe in his hand.
There sat Rachel, on mound of moss and
flowers, passing her fingers through the ferns
and maiden-hair growing by her side; and
like devoted slave he threw himself at her
feet. He opened the book ut scene between
Faust and Margaret. A thought passed
through his mind as he looked up at the ex-
pectant face above him After all ii is better
fun reading to these little girls who have
never heard anything, than TO those others in
New York who either know something or
havn't mind for anything but lace; and
aitOi iOONiiiS uP AGAIN iVi liloPlatiNii hS NC
gan TO read.
Suddenly he closed the book, and taking
her hands in his, said "Rachel darling how
happy we should BE- ii we could be always
together, just So If we were like those llt-
tie birds up in the tree there, we would fly
off to some little island and it should be
always summer, and we would live there
forever"
Rachels heart beat fast. What was he
sayng2 What did he mean? Was there
anywhere an island where it was always
summer Wouldn't they be happy together
unless it was and was it only as birds they
could be together? So rapidly passed one
thought onto another in her mind
"Come, little maiden, stand up let me see
how tall you are, he said, rising to his feet.
UnquestiOningly she rose, and he drew hel
10 his side. "Your head comes just to my
heart, little one. Look up here" And when
she looked he bent his head and kissed her.
The young girl, half in fear, started back.
"IOu needn't start, Rachel There, sill
down again as you were before. Now tell
ME, have done anything wrong ? Wouldn't
1t have been wrong il had treated any one
else SO Is ii wrong as it is ?"
And poor little Rachel looked down at the
handsome face and listened to the pleading
tones. Alas for the Garden of Elen-"No
Arthur,-NIr. Van Enden, no, she said, and
bade him read on,
But soon she interrupted "Arthur-Mr.
Van Enden the sun is going down. Mother
will soon he back from the Society Meeting
must go back to work y and as he did moi
seek to detain her, she went alone up the hill
into the house. She put on her little blue
apron and began TO mould the biscuit for tea
trying us she worked, to sing some of the ode
German song which she had been taught
When tea was over, and the ''hired man
had gone, and the dishes were washed ant
put away, she went up into her room. Shl
wanted especially to be pretty that night
She never had thought much more about il
than the flowers in the glen; but tonight sh
remembered some little blue ribbon she hat
put in her drawer, and she wound her hail
over her head and down in curls over he
back, and bound it with the ribbon. The
she put on the white cambria which had beel
done up for Sunday AS she glanced il
the old worn looking. glass, she half smile
at the image which gloritied it; and as sh'
looked she wove bright dreams of the future
with her tender thoughts 81 think of thee,
she sang over and over as she flew down thI
stair But 10 at the open door stood, in
stead of Arthur, two strangers-a lady and
gentleman and behind them a large ba
rouche, with two grey horses, who impa
tiently paved the ground and chafed at tn
tight hold of the driver on his seat
Rachel Deans started back confused. "Af
the secret" said the gentleman, aside; an
then turning to her, sail, Can you tell me
Mr. Van Enden is her p
mo, yes-yes, sir, think so I'll see.
And she went back up the stairs and knocke
at his door He opened it, and looked at tn
fair little creature in admiration. "Ah, Mai
guerite, what"
ARTHUR" she in errupted-'Mr. Van Ell
den, there's a lady and a gentleman to sc
you down stairs-an old gentleman"
He looked puzzled, then veXed.
''Did they give you their cards ?"
''No."
When she had delivered her message, sh
went out to the back door and sat on the Ii
tie step She thought they would go befol
long, and then he would come and seek he
out. But they staid so long. Finally 81
heard the horses go away; but Arthur di
not come. Then h r father came, and 81
lighted his pipe for him; and the hire
man" came and sat down with him; al
they talked about the meadow-grdss and IL
hill-grass, and the horses hOOfs; and Rach
went TO the window and looked out wearil.
The moon shone no n, and bird was sin
ing; but all else was still. Then she saw
shadow, and her heart beat fast but 1t WI
only her mother-only her mother All, it
hard when one comes to that.
"Well Rachel, what be you doing ther
mud in your Sunday dress, tooP 1t won't
fit to wear to meetin"
akfN. .nfI, I af2alr will