The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-10-22

VI oul AOuecAOlu. we uAu tne pro-
jected garden we'll stocked with all
desirable fruits and herbs, the orchard
full of music and swelling buds; a
terrace Of green sward, where we could
set the parlor roses and geraniums in
the summer; the runlet, which rush
ed or tinkled according as it was high
or low, and row of naples on either
side Of the public road, extending as
far as we cared to walk without the
formality Of usual outer coverings.
1t seemed that we should be very
happy. There was at first great
deal Of pleasant labor. Herbert would
spend his long summer vacation at
Elton Corner then would succeed the
gorgeous, dreamy beauty of autumn,
beyond which 1 would not anticipate;
for l dreaded inexpressibly the un-
broken, solitary winter, the heaviness
of storm-imprisoning weeks, and,
above all, the invariable loneliness OF
Sundays. 1 feared that Mrs. Mar
garets philosophy would not be sat
isfactory substitute for our usual Wis
itor. even for herself, much less for
another.
Elton Corner was not a village,
only a loose cluster of houses SO wide
| apart that the most adventurous
chickens were rarely able to trespass
on neighbor's supply of .grubs.
The inhabitants, like their dwell.
lings, exhibited no conspicuous char.
acteristics; accordingly, in the ego.
! tism of our own engagements, We
scarcely thought of them at all
Southward from the windows of my
room there was visible a broad, low
farm cottage, against 2 background
of glistening mulberry-trees. AS the
position was pretty and the edifce
quaint, I was tempted to essay a pen
cil-sketch Of it, which Mrs. Margaret
was pleased to admire and to hang
just over her writingtable in a scrag,
gy frame of larch cones. This pic.
ture excited our interest in the cot
tage, and we used to watch it analyti-
cally every time We went by in our
chaise. We had not discovered any
thing particularly entertaining or re-
markable, either in the garden OF
large yard, or in the two little child
rem who we're always playing under
the mulberry-trees good ways from
the road, until, one day, when they
came down to swing on the gate, close
by which we passed. Their sun-bon-
nets were thrown back, and revealed
such wonderful childish beauty as I
GH3 ST 81 E AaHa sHa sfPtsa Pss vfhSs ths
tie upturned faces were exquisitely
human and rich in bloom, by no
means suggesting conventional cher.
ubs, and prospective translation
from this to more congenial celestial
abodes. They looked as indigenous
to their homes as the struggling bou-
quets which their pretty fingers clasp
ed, made up Of clover, butter-cups,
and dandelions, the rude sweetness
and gayety of our New England fields.
Mrs. Margaret, who is always attract
ed by children, guided our fat, lazy
horse close up to the gate to make
the acquaintance of such pleasant
neighbors, when I saw that the elder
girl was much more beautiful than
her sister, and that lurking some
| where in full lips, violet eyes, and
bright brown hair was an expression
that irresistibly reminded me of one
of the angels in the Sistine Madonna
So I loved the child from my heart
henceforth.
Mrs. Margaret was diplomatis1
in her own way, and she soon became
very popular with Mr.. and Mrs
Branch, the owners of the cottage
and with the children, whom sh'
privately called the little Twigs> W.
had long stool placed in the chais'
at our feet, whereon the Twigs rode
when we trotted along the highway
and by~ways, and proved themselve
very agreeable and well-behaved com
panions, and not communicative be
yond the capacity of the observation
and memory.
One day their heads were nearl..
turned with news in prospect of I
summer boarder, who was to hav
the parlor and the best bedroom lead
ing out Of it for everyday use. I
was to be a lady from Boston, in al
respects worthy of such resplenden
accommodations. Mr.. Hendrick ha'
been there to make these. arrange
i ments, and Mrs. Hendrick would fol
| low in a day Of two.
'That is all very nice. We vii
make her acquaintance if we lik
her." said Mrs. Margaret to me.
Mrs. Hendrick abundantly satis6et
the condition Of our favor, and will
the brevity of prelude which tn
country air authorizes, we established
a familiarity thatprrmised the recipro
cal advantage of good company in {
locality that had little experience 0
| the refnements Of town life. Mrs
Hendrick charmed me at one. Sh
was stylish in her plain French print
and ginghams; she was thorough.
well-bred to the last in all the provok
ing contrarieties and the apologetl
fatigues of country-rambles; sh
evidenced by a fascinating indirect
ness a high culture and wide observa