The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-15

| WHuHt OlHilHy HAu tftNCH w ltOi ooAi'
Lola was the only one amongst them
who knew how to enjoy her life.
Lola's way lay through green lane,
across fields, over the river on rus
tic bridge, and then plunged into n
wood, through blue tunnel followed
among aleaves, where the path was
moist and brown with dew. Then she
entered Roselands, which deserved its
name, and went into the house with
the perfume of thousands of roses
hanging nbout her. Granny was q
wilful old lady, who loved lilac rib
bons in her cap, and old china in her
cabinets, and who could scold and pet
little people, and sometimes big peo-
pie too. She was somewhat severe
upon grown-up folks, unless they hap
pened to get sick, when she became
an angel. Arthur Gray was an in
valid when she first made his acquain-
tance, and people said this was why
she took such a fancy to him. He
was son of q distant connection of
the family, dropped by chance into
their lives-clever, poor, and with no
friends. The ladies', hearing he was
scientific, had at first stood little in
awe of him, with an idea that science
is-tincomfortable; but Gray had been
presented to Granny by the most ia
nous scientific man in London We
do not say that Granny would not
have been kind to him if she had
picked him up in the gutter, yet the
great man had his weight when he did
choose to step into the scale of tho
young mans chances Of finding favor
among his kinsfolk.
Granny was sitting in her dainty
antique drawing room at the head Of
q table drawn up in q cool corner un-
der the shade Of green blinds, her
work basket before her, her children
on either side with open books, and
Arthur Gray ut the foot of the table,
pencil in hand. He was now 10 Ion
ger an invalid, and was supposed to
be plnning his wings for some won
derf,A tiightin the regions of scientific
discovery. BY tile sidelong looks of
awe which Granny was casting to-
tacles, she evidently thought he was
ut this moment deep in some abstruse
calculation; but he was only scrib
ling faces in his pocket-book. He
had d broad, square brow and troubled
eyes, aud a mouth which betrayed {;
! character resolute and tender. He
WIS man who had great future be
| fore him-of hard toll, heartlche and
| fame.
Lola was late. Granny pointed to
the timepiece, and the lessons began.
Lola's voice was low in asking the
questions, and the children's tones
were shrill in giving the answers.
Granny raped witloller knitting nee
die OH the table when things were not
going to please her. Arthur Gray re-
manned for the study, and his study
was Lola's face. Lola's voice grew
lower, and Granny's raps fell fast up
on the board. Arthur Gray suddenly
got up and left the room.
He walked out on terrace, and
paced up and down. Life was ut this
moment q tangled skein to him. He
wanted to have for his own that sweet
woman indoors who was teaching the
children, yet how was lie to have her
without blighting his career7 Mar
riage meant poverty, struggling, un
congenial drudYery, and Arthur had
had enough of it from childhood up.
W.lius was stirring within him; OPP
portunity, at this moment, lay invit
| ingly before him. He held in his hand
letter which invited him to join q
scientific expedition to the other side
of the world. A few months ago such
an offer would have been hailed as q
realization of his sweetest dreams.
But now there was Lola. Success,
power, fame, all to be swept away by
q woman's hand. Only this morning,
us he sat sclibbling at the table, he
had declared to himself that the thing
was monstrous, that it could not be /;
but Lola had walked into the room,
anil he had felt at once that it would
be easier to walk hand in hand with
her instantly into the valley Of death,
than to set out on any sunny path to
fortune, leaving her behind.
| He was nowhere to be seen when
Lola and the children came out Of
Granny's house and ran Off towards
the woods. The children from the
next house met them with dinner in
their bags for this was to be an out
door holiday, while the elders Of both
families dined with a neighboring
magnate Of the land. The children
were wild with glee, Lola less wild
than usual on such occasions. The
children tried to light fire to roast
their chestnuts, but failed, and Lola
lay III the glass, her hat tilted over
her mouth and eyes, and listened to
the happy humming of the insects.
The children cheered suddenly, the
breeze blew Lola's hat aside, and here
was Arthur Gray coming to join them.
This was like one Of the old prime
val days when the Garden of Eden
bloomed, and before sorrow came into
the world. Gray made . great fire,
and screened it with thick boughs, so
that the sun could not put it out. The
children shrieked with delight, the