Litchfield enquirer., 1874-03-26


 and lntentioned hospitality the ssthees' and sthous" besprinkling us with emolliat- ing profusion, as the cool spring water and glasses of rich milk were offered for our refreshmen:. And there was shadiness aboat the great room We were ushered in- to that would have been grateful but for its exasperating tameness. There were no sofas to lounge upon-only the straight backed chairs that had tortured my spin al column in the few others visits I had made there; no musical instrument, no pictures. or pretty trifes of porcelain and bronze, or bright-bound books; no carpet, even. with color and tracery to please the eye. when weary of scanning the bare, white walls. Only the plain mating, fourteen straws this way and fourteen that. forming the monotonous plaid for twenty, more or less, square feet.
 What was 1t that made this house a home, or these spirits kin? But there was electricity enough here to-day. Six grown beings in perfect health, with the whole day for pleasuring, and Mrs. Harrington the easy medium of it's transmission. Hannah and I knew, more than we would tell of, concerning the hours of stupidity spent in that unsocial room, when neither had the power to stir But now We had scarce been there half an hour, and had gone through the gradations of familiar chat, til 1t seemed the most natural thing in the world that the stiff dame Should propose that we go through her house and her dairy.
 'sThee will come to the garden first, " said her spouse, ''before the sun gets too high" And we all went out, past the l wisv grass-piat, where yard or two of already immaculate linen lay bleaching to snowier whiteness; thence through a rose-boarded path, every blossom as the grass was green and the linen white; then through an unornamented way that led to the garden. Oh, how beautiful 1t was! I quite forgot my dignity. and clapped my hands with delight. Variety in vege- tation perhaps usually gives most of charm; but here everything had grown by rule, each species of vegetable and plant, in its own clean-cut bed, square, oblong, or triangular, have evidently determ1n- ed on its own maximum height, and gloriously reached 1t with every fibre and twig, so that the whole looked liked sepa- rate growths of evenly trimmed hedge, or l like picture you have seen of some fam 1 ed French garden; only here we had the | coloring-the more brilliant, and the soft | hues of green so artistically shaded that | very mosaic of emerald was formed. Ah, 1 Friend Davidl thee has somewhat of worldly taste within thy Quaker soul. But outside this enclosure nature had her own whey way, and red berries tang led themselves with the clustering leaves. Then specimens of the new breed of COWS must be exhibited to the gentlemen, and the invitation, ''Will these also come, Friend Lucy?" seemed to include us all, and We followed on. Then there were white ducks in the little pond, educated so far toward Quakerism as to say ''duick" with peculiar accent; and wonderful chick ems, with their speckled feathers growing modestly down to their toes. Madame Mere cuddling and hugging them, and hruah;ng their pIumage the wrong way. and feeding them with mush from the end of a sharpened stick. merry as any child, most Imaginable names; and Quaker Cum mings and his wife looking benignly on through theIr partial eyes.
 An! she could be gently gracious, sweet ly dignifed, artlessly childllke. this step mother of ours. lowered near her for safety All the startling shafts that were directed sisterward came against her as arrows to an archerybelt, losing none of their point, and making no perceptible wound.
 Then we went to the dairy to see what those cows had done towards supplying the milk There were tiers of shelves, and rows on rows of pans, shining like silver-not with the glitter of new tin; and pats, and rolls, and jars of butter, golden with its own richness; and great solid cheeses. The secured floor had just been sprinkled with white sand, and there was a fresh smell about it all, that, 1 was have enough to confide to Madame Mere, could not be of anything earthly, except that it was ''that cleanliness which is next to godliness." I felt my benevolence ex- pand. There was heartsomeneSs and gen. ersity in all these surroundings. Plenty bespoke itself on every hand. I never thought of it before, but don't believe these were Quakers born; they were trans planted here into the genial soil like the herbs they largely cultivate, pungent and astringent property or power.-
 The sun was getting hot, and we all re- turned to the parlor. was beginning to feel the effects of my folly. Determin- ing not to be outdone in an endeavor at assimilation, had worn the only gray dress possessed, one warm and skin 4AC1t1IlS eO iidNC lation in an iceberg; and it did not lessen my temperature the sixtieth part of Fahrenheit degree to see Mrs. Harrington step just within Dame Hannah's sleeping room and remove the buff cambric skirt and loose saeque, that had done morning duty, and appear just before the dinner hour in fine spoless white, finished as to skirt and overskirt with q plain broad them, looking as cool as foam-crest toss ed suddenly upon a sun-scorched beach. A filmy sash was carelessly knotted about the waist, simple enough to look at, but costly, as though 1t had been vandyked out of ''greenbacks, instead of Brussels laced.
 ''Thee has more than thy share of come Illness, Friend Lucy" quoth David, and father looked unutterable things; but I had not time to grow unrighteously en- vious before John smiled his loyal admira- tion into his foolish wife's eyes. But I looked like an ash-heap, 1 know, with a sullen shoulder of fire about 1t.
 Mrs. Hannah came in from the dining room, accompanied by young girl, whom she mentioned to us as ''Grandfather Susan" I had seen her once before, a year ago; but these people were so retl- cent concerning their affairs that l had not ventured to inquire for her, and she seemd then, as now, to have the air of be- ing there by sufferance. She was sweet, fragile creature, with tender, appealing eyes, that reminded one of the poets ''dear gazelle that one day pined and died" She approached me with simple greeting, gave her hand moment to faith CT and John, then turned to Mrs. Earring ton with the same wistful look that she had given me at our first meeting, and which had haunted me for many a day, my conscience by no means chary of re- bukes that l had not attempted to touch the spring that might have opened into her heart. But I could not, Ny clumsy fingers never yet had subtle touch enough for aught but visible locks and keys; or, had l by accident there entered, I should have stumbled first into the secret chamb- CT in which delicate and sacred things are kept.
 Mrs. Harrington returned her look with one from her own limpid, beautiful eyes. c0 a I1Ir