National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-06-27
THREE BOTTLES OF CLARET.

IuhEb oVt hh4o vi NLAnLls
The Major sat looking into the fire
for though it was August. we had brigh
wood fires in the evenings, rs we oftel
do Mt the Profile House. He locke,
very steadily Mt the Goals on the hearth
shivered once as If he were cold, bolte,
two glasses of claret in quick succession
and | waited, confident that | shout
hear his story Mt last. Soon he begaI
TO talk.
"Draw your chair close up. Ligh
another pipe, and fill your class. 1t i,
cold night. Ny old bones shuddel
. when | hear. the wind wall over the
| house and through the trees. Capita
claret, that John, come in here. Oper
another bottle of claret. John. What
not another, Certainly. man, l mus,
have it. This is only the second, and
Mr.. - has drank half, of course.
| Not drank any You don't mean to say
that he has been drinking nothing al
the blessed evening? EAiendi. thought
Won knew my rules better than that.
But you al ways would have your own
way.
some more bottle, John-but one.
1t shall be the last and, John, get
some Maraschino--one of the thick
black bottles with the small necks, and
open il. But you know how, old fellow,
and just do your best to make us com
Portable.
"How the wind howls ! NV boy, i
am seventy-three years old, and seven
days over. My birthday was week
ago to-day.
"An old bachelor Yea, verify. One
of the oldest kind. But what is age !?
What is the paltry sum of seventy
years Do you think / am any older
IN my soul than / was half a century
ago? Do you think because my blood
flows slower, that my mind thinks more
slowly, my feelings spring up less
freely, my hopes are less buoyant, less
cheerful, If they look forward only
weeks instead Of years | tell you,
boy. that seventy years are day in the
sweep of memo, and once young
forever young /, the motto Of sn i'm
mortal sonl. / know l am what men
call old : | knowmy cheeks are wrinkled
IKE parchment, and my lips rre thin,
and my head'gray even to silver. Blu
IN my soul feel that | am young, an
| shall be young till the earthly ceases
and the unearthly and eternal begins.
Il have not grown one day older
than | was at thirty-two. l have never
advanced day since then. All my life
long since that has been one day--onc
short day no night, no rest, no succes-
sion OF hours, events, or thoughts has
marked any advance.
81 have been living forty years by
the light of one memory-by the side
OF one grave.
John, set the bottle down on the
hearth. You may go. You need not
SIT up for me. We will see each other
to bed tonight. Go, old fellow, and
sleep soundly.
She was the purest angel that flesh
ever imprisoned, the most beautiful
child of Eve. con see her 1ow. Her
eyes raying the light of heaven-her
brow white, calm, and holy-her lips !
wreathed with the blessing OF her smile. !
She was as graceful as form seen in |
dreams, and she moved through the
scenes around her as you have seen the !
angelic visitors of your slumber move
through crowded assemblies, without
eifort, apparently with some superhuman
aid.
She was fitted to adorn the splendid
house in which she was born and grew
70 womanhood. 1t was grand old
place, built in the midst of growth of
OAKS that might have been there when
columbus discovered America, and
seemed likely to stand a century longer.
They are standing yet, and the wind
tonight makes wild lament through
their branches.
recall the scenery of the familiar
spot. There was stream of water that
! lashed down the rocks hundred yards
, rom the house, and which kept always
'uii and fresh an acre of pond, over
winch winch hung willows and naples and
'ther trees, while on the surface the
8hite blossom of the lotus nodded lazily
m On the rlpples with Egyptian sleepiness
and languor.
The old house was built of dark
s'ohe' and had massive appearance, {
no not relieved by the sombre shade in
which 1t stood. The sunshine seldom '
penetrated to the ground in the summer
nt tU1i'ls, u except in one spot, just in front I
~ ~ ,ne library windows, where it used I
~ ~ he and sleep in the grass. as if it loved 1
!. tue 1d place. And if sunshine loved
IT, why should not II s
ueneral Lewis was one of the pleas
n.' VIZ old-fashioned men, now quite gone
w. oi memory. as we'll as of existence. s
ie ioved his horses, his dogs, his house,
,s punch. He loved his nephew Tom, t
ihcouth, = rough cub that he was but
1--WE horses, dogs, house, or all togeth- a
:, ne loved his daughter Sarah, and l O
wed her too. s
=, Yes, you may look at me as you
H. loved Sarah Lewis and, by all e
ie gods, l love her now as loved her o
len; and as l shall love her if l meet
er again. b
Cali it folly, call it boyish, call It a
! oid mans whim, an old mans Sec I,
ld childhood, care not by what name
u call it it is enough that tonight 1
e image of that young girl stands be- I
re re me splendidly beautiful in the il
'nness of her young life, and could
Nv down on my knees and worship
4 now again. c.
why did Isay again? For forty Il
ars l have not ceased to worship her. n
, hhesl to pray in the morning, she b
sses between me and God. If "
'aid read the pray ers at evening twi- ri
~, she looks up at me from the page.
! would worship ON . Sabbath morn. Il
: IN the church, she looks down on
: from some unfathomsble distance, b
'ne unapproachable height and b