Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-02-08

at was my interest TO stay" he
replied, dryly. 81 have purchased
a large amount of government land
just here, and / wish to examine IL
at leisure"
Red-beard and | placed little
Freddy-for so his mamma called
him-on litter, improVised for the
occasion, and carried him to the
grove which we had observed, and
Mr.. Jones, the elderly gentleman,
carried An umbr, LA over him to
protect him from the sun. We ar
ranged q comfortable couch with
the shaWls and cloaks and laid him
upon it. Poor little fellow another
convulsion soon seized him, but we
again resorted to Red-beard's rene
dies, and with success.
BY daylight, next morning, the
tents and provisions had arrived,
and we made ourselves COMPARE
lively comfortable. The spot upon
which we were encamped was one
Of the loveliest imaginable. y park
like wood, with q stream near by,
the plains stretching like an ocean
around US, and the blue mountains,
with their snowy caps, bounding
the horizon, made landscape
graudly beautiful.
We three men took il by turns to
share Mrs. GordOn's watch beside
little Freddy's couch, and when
Red-beard's turn came, Mr.. Jones
and explored the country around,
and l was so much charmed with 1t
that l determined to purchase from
him, with the hope of one day build
ing a home for myself in tAis lowell
est of lovely lands. But an invol-
untary sigh escaped me as the thO't
that without woman there can be
no home, and the only woman had
ever met who filed my highest ideal
of womanly loVeliness, belonged to
another.
Freddy was at length pronounced,
by both Mrs. Gordon and Red-beard
to be out of danger, and the latter
took his station at the roadside to
stop the now expected coach, in
order that we might continue our
journey.
1 had brought the dear little fel-
low a handful of prairie flowers,
and with his tiny waxen hands, he
began to arrange them into bou-
quet. eyes, that is right" said 1,
''let US make a bouquet for man.
ma"
He fixed his glorious eyes upon
me and lisped "My mamma is in
Heaven-but will make bouquet
for Gracie," and looked up at Mrs.
Gordon. l, too, looked up with a
strange, dazzling hope daWning in
nv mind yU;fb ono cfav, I rus0 ak
her side. care you not Mrs. Cor
don ?" l asked with a trembling
voice.
''No," she answered, with a bright.
blush and half smile, 81 am Miss
Gordon
All! gentle reader, were you ever
relieved Of great heart burthen,
which threatened to crush you be-
meath its weight? And did not this
duh world look to you like heaven?
The rush of feeling was too strong
to admit of any oOncealment or re-
straint.
"Thank God ~ 1 exclaimed simp-
ly.
And Grace Gordon-did she un-
1erstand this passionate exclama-
ton? She placed her little hand in
mine and said, "Oh, Maj. Peyton,
you haye been so kind to me and my
little brOtherw
"Have l been kind enough to IN
luce you to try to love me, Grace ?"
The only answer was a deeper
blush, and well it is the old, old
story and L need not repeat it. A
signal from Red-beard told us that
-he coach was approaching, and we
hurried to the roadside.
We reached San Francisco and l
Miss Gordon to her
Incle's residence. Alas a hearse
with sable plumes and a long line Of
carriages stood before the door.
We both understood it all at a I
glance. The aged invalid had gone
20 his rest. On entering, we were
net by an old friend of mine, Col. !
Powell, to whom l introduced Miss
Gordon.
He seized both of her hands and
said with much feeling, 'My dear |
Toung lady, l would have given my
fortune could you have come in 1
lime to have cheered the dying mo-
nents of your uncle. His brothers. |
children has been the one |
dea which possessed his mind du- |
ing all his illness. His last words |
10 me were, 'Powell, take care of !
ny brothers children"
Grace had never seen her uncle, |
put her distress was very great. |
lie was her only near relative eX- |
;epting her little brother. She was
'eceived by the hOusekeeper and |
to her room, while l |
ipent the few moments preceding |
he funeral in conversation with |
Col. Powell. 1 found that Mr.. |
Gordon had no immediate family, |
md Grace and Freddy were heirs to !
! very large fortune.
Three months from that time /
Grace and l were married, and we
low live "'on the PIainsn-Grace's !
Ortune enabling me to carry out my
avorite employment, landscape |
gardening, to its fullest extent. |
With this, i also carry on a large
arm, and Red-beard, whose real !
name is Jack Bronson, is my fore
wife and child living in !
cottage on my estate. /,
Mr.. Jones, from whom l purchas-
I'd, is my neighbor and although
'ough, uneducated man himself, has .
'ducated his sons, one of whom, a /
graduate of Yale, is a man of fine |
alents. He built his house within |
. mile of us, and is our nearest |
leighbOr. Settlements are SPRING
ng up in every direction around US, |
md L think our mode of improve
nent has had much influence over
he improvements of our neighbor- |
loOd.