Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-25
THE SLIP CARRIAGE.
BIZ WALTER THoRNBCEY.

1.-THE WHITE UMBRELLA.
Many pleasant transformations were taking
place around him
Quite procession of strange little creatures
the Blenerhasset woods, under his white UNI
brella- They came one after the other, like 80
many dePutations from a fairy kingdom, yet
they failed 10 arouse him to any interest.
IL was the third, week OF rather q cold Nav
and the little amber-colOred leaves of the oak
were still in eramped, Grumpy condition, like
the badly-packed clothes of the last arrival at a
Watering-place. The ferns, covered with q
reddish down, the color OF q deer's hide, were
unroiling their curious globes, and unfolding
those crOser-shaped stems from which the
medieval jewellers must have derived some of
their devices. The Eme-leaves, limp, and of
an exquisite transparent green, danced in the
wind; the sharp tufts of the ash were unfolding
Ia the soft blue air; the chestnut was expand
lng ITS fans from dozen places among the
sun-dappled beech trunks. The blackbirds
sang their frank bold songs, and the thrushes
nured their more varied and subtle capriccios
ON the old themes of love, hone and spring
The cuckoo, too, that strange African exile
enanloured OF his own name, kept repeating
his one idea; and from the larches on the next
hill another cuckoo answered like an echo.
But the fairy deputations sent to cheer the
expectant lover, let Us not forget them; Tor any
one but Frank Probyn would have taken
pleasure IN observing them. First came a little
S0ld-gTeen beetle, who. after staring a moment
with almost scientific interest at a twig near
Probyn's easel, suddenly darted on at n railway
man late for a business appointment Next
wavered by great colored butterfly, who skim
med by as swift as a swallow, then fell coquet-
tlshly musing over little blue flower on which
1t alighted, with quiyering wings, and a bear
ing much grander than your mere low-born
white pspillon, whose home is cabbage, and
who, from sheer li2ht-headed inadyertence
futteIs straight into a he'd ge-sparrow's mouth
Presently, in fiery and vicious haste like q little
diabolical estafette, trOtted across the path one
o. those insects called By country children the
water-wagtail, that quickest and daintiest of
birds, who, with little lady-hke run and
fat,er, snapped up and swallowed Apollyon's
slightly disagreed with him. Then a nightin-
gale in the brake gave one of those low delicious
gurgiing shakes which such birds practise some
times, when the wood is quiet by day; and
Sss OVERHEAD se 10 one ten
feet lower, while II still VIbrated and quavered
little song OF welcome and warning, and was
oil again. few minutes later q harmless green
snake moved off in the grass of the nearest
bank, and rabbit scudded over a narrow track
That led up into the wood.
And all this time the great brown-eyed cows
watched the artist from the meadow as thew
munched among the gilt cups and the clover,
not yet foamng with the big daisies of june;
opening May blossom, eyed him with little pert
head ON one side, as a citizen OF Lnliput might
have regarded Gulliver.
But still solidly, almost savagely, PrObyn
smoked and painted on, needing no fairy mes
sages, his quick EYES caring for spring sights,
his ears heecing not the rnstudied music in that
bay Eood, whose trunks bothered him, and
whose foliage his right hand was slow that day
% express. There was Nature singing, dane
ing, fattering, talking with thousand minute,
merry tongues, Of hope. and love, and spring,
caring nothing for him and all his troubles, and
rs careless as his colorman whether Harriet
Blenerhasset ever became his or not. All,
selfish Nature, selfish in its boundless happi-
ness of spring, The result of which agreeable
ref a list STR I'd fOv fba
ground ivy, and dipping q sponge in the brook
that flowed close by the edge Of the wood, just
to spite Nature, sponged out half his mornings
work in huff. Then he viciOusly squeezed
load of brds-eye into his briar-root, LIT it with
fuse that went of like a saloon pistol, flung the
little frebrand into clump Of pretty, innocent
three yards on, and smoked sullenly for ten
minutes. except once when he paused to hum,
s'I awake from dreams Of thee" which seemed
to do him good, because he had once sung il to
Harry-Harriet-at certain moonlight water
party when they were down in DevoushIre at
that mutual friends where they had first met
and where Dan Cupid had, from behind the
blue circle Of Harry's eyes, shot a sheaf Of his
keenest arrows at Captain Frank Probyn, of
the Seinde Light Horse, till his heart was stuck
through and through like a pin-cushion, and
violent MT OF that temporary insanity called
love had suPervened in its most alarming form.
elm blamed idiot, that's what 1 am by
Jo,' said the amateur artist at last, sand as
great duffer as ever lived What am doing
the fourteenth cousin Of her maid. anil no more
chance or getting a moment with her than
have Of seeing the Emperor Of China. ] know
What it'll be; that old pompous fool VI a father,
ana that old match making mother, will tease
and worry her till she marries that fool of q
worst OF ali, that fine fellow freshsm. who was
Ike my luck; and they'll 70 and keep all news
OF me from her, till she'll think I'ye forgotten
n D. and then she marry in despair. Curse
The tree. there a fresh light on it eyery three
minutes There, you beast; ont You 20. thatTl
tsach you; and this tobaccos ~ damp as old
boots. By 10, IL haven't half a mind to 20
native sa a s.s get % IN
do, here's some Of the Blenerhasset people
G. miug.'
hes, indeed there were: Two or three guests
- the house above, he'd BY the fussy and i'm
perioas Mrs II encrhasset. had suddenly ap-
pesred on a path that wound down through the
wood to the sloping open meadows on The edge
of which Probyn had planted his white tent
Ii Was ros>ibie that object had attracted them,
aud that they were making for IT," -
"By yo," said the artist, at once reused from
his stotld sulienness, heres 60! But III be
He had evidently come prepared for sach
possible emergencies, for In n moment he had
snatehed from haversack he wore, a false
beard and whisk ers III the late Bfoomd si,i- Kush
pattern, and had slipped them nimbiy on. dis
enlsthg ms eyes at-o with an enormous pair Of
Sfeen bIinAers Then he buttoned up HE gray
turned MP his tsoasers. From a hAndsohe
young ohcer he had shrunk up in . moment
Into mir.eniogs old Gstmaa Jew. An, Frank
froby n those pi, asant private theatricsls down
In DerOIsaffre. when y0u were always the lover,
md HAIRY the young Sngssse, uore not loSt
Upen you Won did not look very natural Jew;
bet chem, who says the stage has snyttAha to do
With nature? rses- - fTs.z = } : -
Dowr they came, IKE wolves on the fold.
Mrs Blenerhasset in purple aud gold. the young
barVnst Joing the agreeable = HAr-