Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-04-16


what might be termed the melancholy bust.
ness of life-sckness, funerals, and burials-
seemed singularly out of place here; and
was glad, I admit that with the exception of
a brief inquiry, which received briefer an
swer, the subject of Sir Johns illness was not
alluded to.
For, it is necessity of our earthly exist
ence obligatory upon us all, in the inscruta'
BILE wisdom of Divine Law, that, whether the
occasion be festive or mournful-the Birth Of
a New soul, or the outgoing of the Old-the
Rising Of the tide Of life, its Flowing, or its
Ebbng-those trivial, everyday details which
make up the sum of our brief existences-are,
and always must be, inexorable in their con-
slant demands upon us. And perhaps it is
we'll for mankind that it is so-though there
are hours in every life when each heart could
wish it were otherwise.
How long we sat thus, it would be impossi-
BILE for me to recall definitely. What young
man situated similarly ever took note of time
But we finished lunch, listening now and
then for the footsteps which should indicate
the approach of the old lawyer, and mindful
of his remark that Jenny was to visit Sir
John. But he came not and finally drawing
our chairs nearer to the fire, we sat converslng
in low tone such as beftted the occasion
Mrs. Harold, with her forgotten knitting
lying upon her alternately listening and
rehearsing some reminiscence of bygone pc
riod-"when she was young"
Oh, the world of hopes, wrecked or brought
safely into port, comprised in these four words,
"When I was young| And, as good Mrs.
Harold now repeated them with such fervor'
showing how much of joy, pleasure and hap
piness had been anticipated in those years,
and certainly not altogether lacking fruition
to her, shall it be wondered at that |, Henry
Macintosh, sitting there in the firelight-for
the darkening shadows without had crept into
the duskier room-shall it be wondered at, |
say, if sitting thus blissful vision of far'oh
happy time, having this scene for one of its
rosiest remembrances, should rise rapturously
before me? Again, think not.
Thus time winged its rapturous flight, and
the afternoon had far advanced toward night
fall, when the foot-step for which we had so
long waited, was heard.
Even then, so noiseless was its advent, that
it had crossed, unnoticed, the threshold of the
room where we were, and had advanced close
behind us-Uncle Danforth, indeed, but look.
ing pale and haggard in the waning light, as
he came slowly forward.
"Do not rise," he said, in a voice which
sounded strange and harsh, coming from him,
causing us all to start; but Mrs. Harold had
already anticipated him, and pushed large
cushioned easy chair in front of the fire, into
which he sank.
81 should have come to you, sir," she said,
"but for the peremptory command of Sir
John, as given through you, to wait until l
should be summoned"
"And you have been quite right, Mrs. Har-
rold," he returned, "quite right, in waiting.
Although not desiring your immediate pres
ence in his sck-room, you will find, my dear
Mrs. Harold, that Sir John has not forgotten
your valuable and disinterested service in his
behalf so many years. You will be quite
comfortable!'
comfortable ?" faltered the good woman,
turning pale with forebodings, and smoothing
down her apron with trembling hands. "How
is he now, sir-can 60 to him?'
"Compose yourself, Mrs. Harold! You
could do no good-alas now. No good.
Prepare yourself !-and you, Jenny, and Mr..
Macintosh-for what was inevitable to him
is inevitable to us all Our estimable friend,
Sir John Harrington, is no more! He ex-
pired calmly and peacefully in my arms ten
minutes ago."
He looked at his watch, as if the question
of time required the utmost nicely of exact
ness; while my glance reverted from his face
to Jenny's, in half stupefed amazement; first,
at the information he brought secondly, at
his manner of imparting it-and thirdly, at
being addressed by him for the first time in
my life as Mr.. Macintosh.
And this last circumstance caused me to re-
member what had before noticed, that Jenny
had sprung from her chair, on our first dis
covery Of his proximity, and flown toward him
with outstretched arms but strangely enough,
as it seemed to me, he had scarcely noticed
her oemonstration-appearing rather to re-
sent the mute caress she would have given
him.
What did this change of manner indicate :
Was it a rebuke to any glow Of happiness on
my face, which presumed to be all too visible
in his daughters presence?
For moment feared so, and then came
a thought of the probable scene he had just
left-suficient, doubted not on reflection, to
account for any and all change 1 saw. For,
had he not just come from the death-bed of
his old friend, for whom and for his father be-
fore him he had held unlimited trust2
was myself again, directly, on remember
ing this.
Our low.toned expressions of surprise and
regret and Mrs. Harrold's deeper grief, I pass
over without remark.
The old lawyer for once had his legal mask
completely off, and to confess truth which
subsequently occurred to me, looked much
the worse for it. lie sat, as if apart, in grow
! ing abstraction-speaking again but once, to
request of Mrs. Harold glass of brandy,
and pleading, as he did so, his want Of sleep
the night previous, and the great shock to his