The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-15
Lola. An Idyl.
fIfrorn An AZ ~,

dove-cote on the gable, and rustic
porch and veranda. It stood in a for
est country, aridyWith its garden, or
chard, and scraps. of velvety pastnr-
age, was surrounded on many sides by
trees climbing pr heights, trees Dip
ping and courtesying il hollows, trees
wading into the river where the red
sided cattle loved to drink, trees "
in soft heaps against the silver grays
of cloulland witlfa mysterious blue
mist behind their boles.
The morning glitter was on every
thing AZ the master of the house, going
out with his dog, stopped and spoke
over the. low garden wall to his wife,
who, with hands in her apron pockets,
was standing gazing attentively at her
bee-hives.
Let Fan have the satin for, this
time, bat she mtlst try to do with less.
Our living Is too Expensive
have just been thinking of where
we Gun economics" !" replied the wife,
in an irritated tone. 1--WE are too
many in the house for one thing. 1t
is time that girl Lola was earning her
bread"
i" Humph!" said the husband, II
think she earns II already. She saves
you nursery gOverness."
can teach tlle children myself
was the reply and their sisters
must learn to.help. Lola gets nothing
from Us but food and shelter. It would
he only fair to let her go into the
world"
"Sne's u shy thing, and is better
where she is. BESIDES, what would
become Of Granny's cl,ildren.".
The husband and wife had walked
slowly from the bee-hives to the house,
and stood under q lattice window,
which lay open.
"Talking of Granny" said the hus-
band, "how long is Gray going to
stay at Roselands7 He's a 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 un-
der prudent control. There is no mis-
take about his footing in this family"
well, Pm glasl you're all SO piu-
dent, for he'd be 30 better for good
wife. He's q good fellow, and q clever
fellow, though poor as job"
The porch swallowed the mistress
Of the house, and HE master went off
wl,istling; and then a face leaned for
ward and looked ont Of the lattice
window, pale, but with q sort Of un-
derglow, giving warm charm to its
dimpled sOftness, with darkness and
depth about the eyes, and brightness
about the hair which the sunshine
now illuminated with genius for
love in every curve Of it, and a sort
Of golden light wavering across the
steady eyes and grave though happy
mouth.
"Thank God, l am not young
lady," mnrmured Lola, taking her
fingers out Of her ears, where she had
placed them all too late. "What
would they think if they knew what
he said to mo yesterday Z"
She rose up qnivering at the recol-
lection, nearly touching the slant roof
with her head in her pride. The room
was dark, and scarcely large enough
to hold Lola and II glass Of flowers
and some woodcuts framed with plait-
ed twigs on the dimly Lighted walls.
"He'd be the better Of n good wife" !"
said Lola, echoing the words that had
come up to her. through the ivy, "but
he's as poor as Job, aud SO the fine
ladies leave him to me. | wonder
what it would be like, being good
wife to man as poor as Job. There
would be good deal Of scrubbing
and rubbing, l dare say; but Pm
ready for it if Pm wanted. Thank
Heaven I am not delicate" !" feeling
her FIRM plant wrists with her clasp
ing fingers. "Id Us soon cook the
dinner as do worsted work any day.
It's well l have no elegant tastes;
making common things look pretty is
the finest have. have rather good
appetite" (ruefully), but then 1
could live on bread and milk. l can
cook; l can wash; and can make
clothes. The smallest, tiniest cottage,
an easy chair and Il plain one; wine
IOF MHI, iullA IOI me- slH CtOnHS
lamp, book ease, garden, good humor,
plenty of flowers
Lola's Thoughts wandered away, and
lost themselves in the delights Of the
home she was sketching. She shook
herself out of her dream with a low
laugh Of undoubting happiness. "The
chicks will be waiting-Granny will
scold." She adjusted her white calico
dress, plucked 4 crimson rose that was
hanging over the sash, and fixed it.,
with artistic fingers, in her bosom,
smoothed wilful ripple out of her
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.
Granny'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 Il certain old
fashioned grandeur. Indeed, none Of
these people i'll this forest country