The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-04-05
LDLi--AN IDYL.

The house was one of the nest-like
sort, low-roofed, matched, with latticed
windows buried III greenery. with a
e-cote on the gable, and rustic
porch and veranda. 1t stood in a
forest country, and, with It's garden,
orchard, and scraps of velvety pastur-
age, was surrounded on many sides by
trees climbing on heights, trees drip
ping and coultesying III hollows, trees
wading into the river where the red
sided cattle loved to drink, trees lying
in soft heaps against the silver grays of
cloudland with mysterious blue mist
behind their boles.
The morning glitter was on every
thing as the master of the house, going
out with his dog, stopped and spoke,
over the low garden wall, to his wife,
who, with her hands in her apron peck
cts, was standing gazing attentively at
her beehives.
'Let Fan have the satin for this
time, but she must try TO do with less.
Our living is too expensive.
4 have just been thinking of where
we can economic, " replied the wife, in
an irritated tone. eve are too many
in the house for one thing. 1t is time
that Lola was earning her bread"
Humphl" said the husband
think she earns it already. She saves
you nursery governess."
q can teach the children myself"
was the reply; "and THEN sisters must
learn to help. Lola gets nothing from
Us but food and shelter. Ii would be
only fair to let her go into the world. .
"She's a shy thing, and is better
where she is; besides what would be-
come Of Granny's children?"
The husband and wife had walked
slowly from the beebives to the house,
and stood under lattice window, which
lay open.
:" Talking Of Granny, said the hus
band, "how long is Gray going to stay
at Roselands? He's good deal here,
isn't he!"
He's very pleasant company"
And our girls are attractive
Nonsense How little YOU know
of your own children / have brought
up my girls to have their feelings I'M
der prudent control. There is no mis-
take about his footing III this family. "
!" We'll, TIA glad you're all SO prn
dent, for he'd be the better of a good
wife. He's good fellow, and clever
fellow, though poor as Job.
The porch swallowed the mistress of
the house, and the master went off
whistling; and then face leaned for
ward and looked out Of the lattice win
dow. pale, but with sort of under
glow, giving a warm charm to its dim
pied softness, with darkness and depth
about the eyes, and brightness about
the hair which the sunshine now Illus
trated with genius for love in every
curve of it, and sort of golden light
wavering across the steady eyes and
grave though happy mouth.
"Thank God, | am not a young
lady !" mTmured Lola, taking Ler fin
gers out of her ears, where she had
placed them too late. "What would
they think if they knew what he said
to me yesterday 2"
She rose up qulyerlng at tue recol-
lection, nearly touching the slant roof
with her head, in pride. The room
was dark, and scarcely large enough
to hold Lola and glass of flowers and
some wood cuts framed with plated
twigs on the dlmly lighted walls.
"He'd be the better of good wife, "
said Lola, echoing the words that had
come up to her through the ivy, g but
he's poor as Job, and so the fine ladies
leave him to me. ] wonder what it
would be like, being good wife to Il
| man as poor as job. There would be
good deal of scrubbing and rubbing,
dare say; but I'm ready for it if I'm
wanted. Thank heaven I'm not deli
cate !" feeling her firm, plant wrists
with her clasping fingers. I'D as
| soon cook the dinner as do worsted
| work any day. It's well | have no ele.
giant tastes; making common things
look pretty is the finest / have. / have
rather good appetite" (ruefully),
"but then [ could live on bread and
milk. I can cook; can wash; and |
can make clothes. The smallest, tiniest
cottage, and easy chair and plain one
wine for him, milk for ne an evening
lamp, bookcase, garden, good-humor,
plenty of flowers -
| Lola's thoughts wandered away, and
ost themselves in the delights Of the
home she was sketcbing. She shook
herself out of her dream with. low
|
Chicks will be waiting Granny will
scoid!" She adjusted her white calico
dress, plucked a crimson rose that was
hanging over the sash, and fixed it,
with artistic fingers, III her bosom,
smoothed a willful ripple out of he1
shining hair, took a sun-burned straw
hat from peg on the wall, and went
out of the small chamber, and out OF
the house.
Grapny's house was handsomer than
that nest-like one in which Lola lived
on sufferance Granny was not rich,
but she liked to keep up a certain old
fashioned grandeur, indeed none of
those people III the forest country con-
slider themselves as people who were
certainly poor. Granny must have
trips to London and two horses in her
carriage, and her son, who lives in the
nest-house, would be very well off only
that Fan must have her satin dress,
and he his hunters suit. Lola,,was the
richest of them all, with her little lodg-
ing under the ivy for nothing, and her
slender wages for teaching two small
orphan cousins, whom Granny had
taken to herself. Lola was the only one
amongst them who knew how to enjoy
her life
Lola's way lay through a green lane,
| across fields, over the river. on a rustic
bridge, and then plunged into a wood,
through blue tunnel followed among
leaves, where the path was moist and