Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-29

found the nest Of the hermit thrush, anC
the whip.poor.wilIs eggs on the bed ofmos'
In lonely pasture, and would tell wonder
lul stories Of woodchucks, and hawks and
owls. lie could 20 straight TO the spot.
where The wild strawberries grew thickest,
and the irst running blackberries we're ripe
And many long ramble Bessie and had
with him on Saturday afternoons, through
tho woods and by the stream that wound its
way among the green meadows below the
village; for the minister aud his wife had
always a kind word for John, and assured
the deacon that they believed he would yet
come out right"
As for Bessie, John was the hero Of her
narrow world the prince to whom, in her
fancy, all things miuistered. Among my
aunts books was Robinson Crusoe," /"
which, when baby viii did not demand nt.
tention, we read together, sitting beneath
the old elm tree in the garden. | think, 4"
said Bessie, as we finished it, L think
Robinson was just like John. But oh !
! hope John will never run away to sea-
| should be so lonesome without him."
The pleasant summer drew near to an
end. With tears and promises to come
again, | parted from Bessie and went back
to my city home. That winter We exchanged
various childish letters, and was secretly
looking forward to possible return in the
spring, when in March came the news Of
my aunt's sudden death, and in the May
following an extension Of my fathers busi-
ness involved our removal 10 distant part
Of the country. Thenceforward Marston
and Bessie belonged not to hope but to
memory-memory which always brought
them tcndcrly to mind but fainter and
fainter as time wore on, bearing me to new
and more absorbing scenes.
Twenty years had come and gone; twenty
years apart from the life of my childhood.
No longer Mary Temple, but Mrs. Chester,
| came to New England to pass the summer,
and fixed on Bears Head, on the New
Hampshire coast, as the place where could
spend the month Of August The hotel
was ample enough to accommodate a hun
dred guests, and filed with people from
Boston and the large towns in the interior,
who passed the time in the usual lounging,
bathing, watering-place, fashion, aud de.
voted the evenings to dancing in the broad
parlor.
1t was glorious weather for the FIRST
week after my arrival, and | was hardly
indoors from its beginning to its end.
What delight it was to breath again the air
Of the sea to watch upon the beach the
tides come and go, while the crested waves
rolled shoreward and dashed into sprays at
my feet of on the horizon to see the white
winged fleets sailing away to the Grand
Banks aud the stormy Labrador, fearless as
the gulls that circle above them to mark
when the sun went down the lighthouse
fires, and all night long to hear the thunder
Of the surf upon the strand.
The wind shifted. Heavy fogs obscured
the ocean and crept over the land, and but
for the mufled roar Of the breakers, | might
have thought | was in the middle of q
western plain. | betook myself to my room
and in the pages of Palgraves" " Arabia, " for.
got the gloom of the northeast. How sub
tile power is memory. There are periods
in our lives which seem almost forgotten
blanks in the vista Of the past--when 10
in an unexpected moment, glance, tone
watt of perfume evokes the buried years
and gives to vanished scenes the freshness
Of to-day.
=
A knock at the door disturbed my rev
erie. Supposing it was the chamber mait
on her usual rounds, ] said, "Come in,
without even raising my eyes. Some on,
entered, and going to the wash.stand laiC
down pile of towels, saying, You
must excuse the delay to-day. The we
weather hinders the work at the laundry
and the clothes have only just been brough,
over"
The gentle, quiet tones arrested my at
tention, and looking up saw not Bridget
but slender, delicate-looking woman, per
haps thirty-fve years Of age, whom | had
once had a glimpse Of on the stairs, and
whom ! took to be the housekeeper. She
was pale and careworn, but there was some.
thing very pleasing in her mild blue eyes
and her brown hair waving softly back
from her forehead, while her black alpacca
gown aud narrow linen collar, fastened with
tiny brooch, ed quito in keeping with
her voice and mien. Whom did she recall /
| looked at her in a kind of maze, when she
said
:" | have not found you in your room be.
fore. Is there anything more YOU would
like7n
Nothing, thank you," said [.
al am glad you are comfortable here
she replied, and passing me, she went out
| remained lost in thought, and then sud.
denly said 10 myself, " Ii is Bessie HYDE
she is like. This place must be near her
home. Can it be possible il is Bessie her.
seif?" lurrying to the door, | saw her
standing at the lower end Of the hall, and
asked her full name and place of abode
and my arms were around her neck, and We
had recognized each other as the Bessie and
Mary Of the old DAYS at Marston.
That night, while the house below wa,
given up to waltzes and cotilons, Bessie sal
With me in my remote room, and with III,
storm beating against the windows, told me
the story of her life for twenty years. And
this was its sum:
She had missed me sadly after left, and
hoped for nv return /; but when nv aup,
died, and my farewell letter came, only tell
ipo her vaguely that We were " going 4
orsa, wavs efT - sbe had nevar oxneoto5 4,