Litchfield enquirer., 1875-12-30
rTrom the Sprinheld Republican,
 MARGARET.

MARGARET. a
 It was yet too early for the earliest guests, when Margafet came into the. l0nG lighted pariors., She glanced around as if pleased with the general effect of the rooms, then went up to the mirror and stood looking ut herself with quiet. .mrss ing regard.
 "Only this is wanting" Philip said and. coming from among the white curtains. .he held out to Margaret camelia not quite blown; the petals just exquisitely pouting on the verge of full bloom, all it's delicate fy-fushed whiteness without crumple or stan. As Margaret looked down at it with the faintest tinge rising in her cleaf| cheek, Philip could not help exclaimings
 eff had created the camelia, wbald have named it Margaretp sssiss {
 She smiled, but without any other reply leaned her head for him to place it in shef dark hair. While he was doing this ha felt light touch on his shoulder, and he turned quickly; Margaret. feeling the abrupt movement, turned also. Before them she stood.-girl. child, woman, the most subtitle, elusive, charming rconlS bination of all these In one; with iong3 lashed, serious eyes. gazing at them with half-artfui naivete, mouth with inst a suggestion of pathos. forever vanishing into arch dimples and curves; a rose-leaf complexion, and golden hair: with here and tkere bright tress playing truantl from restraining coils. This vision, reare ing it's head with Titania-ik air, said. i. in voice mocking sweet like the face.s
 And pray what flower would you have named for me, you precious old Hamlet? Only tell it and will cultivate it when | get me to nunnery!" ,.str.t>s :.
 "Why Alicei-no-is it possibiel cried the young man; and even Margaret looked uncertain, but in the next instant reached, out her nohly moulded arms in the quick. tender gesture of welcome. When Philip would have been equally demonstratiye:
 Respect les eonvenances!"7 laughed Alice, drawing back. ''Not so may yon jump over the two years since last we met, Shall Alice Brown of lang syne, who hlind- ly adored the pale, stalking Hamlet of her limited horizon"
 'And who made, as remember, 'excel- lent we'll most comfortable, approacha- ble Orphelia-'' 4
 Letting us trim her yellow locks with daffodils and daisies, said Margaret.
 Don't remember anything about daffo- dils, '" sad Alice, smiling demurely; "but that stupid damsel is no more" l
 ''But, cousin" ,ss.e
 Cousin me no cousins" with a wilful, winning smile. ''You were always good plain, Philip Brown. You were never d chrysalid-you don't know how it feels to have wings. Come, Maggie, have not been at home more than three hours {, think of supper, bath, domestic embraces, and this toilet"- spreading her cloudyg blue draperies-''in that timei I hurried over on purpose to see you by yourselsea first; so do let us go and look at all the pretty things before the crush comes,- and Oi Philip. if you can find your tongne. we'll have some of the dear old music"
 This little scene and their voices had come me distinctly through the stiffness of the parlOrs to the conservatory, where was busy placing among the fowers some tiny candles which were to be lik later in the evening. when those nos burning r were spent spent , ..,... .,,,.s..,,. row stair which led down from the wire gallery of the conservatory. and listened to their singing. The lark-like rippling of Afice's trained soprano rose alone for a few measures. then Philips mellow tenor came flowing in, serene, sustained. as if, in the realm of music at least, the soul that bore him company in it should feel the rythmn of wings in e flight lnftier than it's own. Unto these two voices rose rich, resonant contralto, seem. ing to swell beneath and slowly to flow upward, surrounding and enclosing them, but as an atmosphere encloses, leaving free what it encircles. This was the ma pression made upon me by these three voices, rare in themselves and so perfectly that could never listen to them without that sweet pain of delight with which noble music thrills the heart.
 On thls night felt Q new emotion as I Q vague prophetic sense that this song was like their lives as they were to be; no definite shaping of events, no color of hope or expectation, scarcely of fear; not even grouping of fancies. but fore. bOding, borne to me in their mingling voices, but most in Margaret's, swelling strong and wonderfully sweet, with pas. sion in 1t had never heard, or, hearing, had never perceived. do not know what they were singing, nor was it likely to have been anything so solemn as the interpretation gave it in my unyont- ed mood; 1t made me think of Christ, alone in the darkness of the garden, taking, in lovliest trust, that bitter cup that might not pass from him. We all have our ats prehensive moods, our flashes of present. ment. have had dozens that came to naught. speak of tbis one because of what happened on the very evening when l suffered it, and afterwards in the life of my Margaret.
 loved them all; Philip, my serious, true hearted nephew, and petite Alice, beautiful. wilful, rare and sweet as Q wild fioser; but Margaret was my darling, no. ply formed, but hardly beautiful as the world judges, yet--iu all she said or was the most ineffable expression of woman. hood have ever known. They were the only children of three as kind and dear brothers as ever plain old nnaiden sister had.
 Philip, very delicate as child-we had been afraid he would go like Margaret's lovely young mother, r,--but in fihe health now, was learning to be an artist. and working hard, for his father was not man of means. The father of Alice was only af little beforehanded with tAe world, but Margaret's father, the brother John with whom had lived since her birth, was . successful merchant, master of large wealth, carefully but generously managed, eager to help his less fortunate brothers in every way they would permit, and claim ing to the full his uncle's right of doing for Alice and Philip. The cousins had been together all their lives until the time when Alice had been seat to boarding school, and it was from shis two years absence, broken only by one or two brief in which she and Philip had not chanced to meet. that Alice had re- turned in time to be present at Margaret's birth-night party. s. ls+ ..-.a a-.1 -.s ;. s
 During these two years Philip and Mar garet had been growing side by side in in- timate companionship, as beautiful, nat ural. and seemingly unconscious as we deem the unfolding of flowers to be. Phil ip was twenty y-five years old. six years Margaret's senior. and sometimes Il thought he was beginning to feel, as lov- CT would feel, how rare q Margaret she was: but I could not be sure, for they were yet unconstrained as little children with each other Margaret's heart. saw in this quiet time as we see the sky in a at ufp A rL- AI. |