The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-02-18

/ wandered disconsolately about the
%streo's, given over TO vendors of old
hats aud strawberries, putting of the
hour when l should take the train for
b.. .
l realized that there must b. q change
in my relation with Julia-that the
purely intellectual companionship pos
sible in correspondence kept up at a
distance, must, in the shock OF meet
ing, be either quite overtime wn or turn
TO an emotional affection, The first l
could not face the last seemed posi-
BILE. The image OF Julia, too-plumr,
with q wbito drees fastened at the back,
her chestnut hair, wild and curly, fail
ing on her neck and about her blushing
round fec,, laughing, shielding her
bushes with her plump hands con.
SANITY rose TO my mind. II was pretty
enough. 1t was not all my ideal. j
returned to my hotel and read halt a
dozen OF her last letters. Yes, this was
the m who could be my companion
AMI helpmate, who would expect OF me
my highest SELF, and give mo a tender
md comprehensive love ii she gave
me any paused, She WIS not n
woman to be lightly won this woman
of the letters. Suppose she cast me off,
and1 went al my life missing what ]
hal almost Known. She might not like
me when she saw nro. | might have n
dozen unkno VI iiva's. She hal never
mentioned any che 10 mo in this con
n~ection. Yet we had written on love
abstractively, Of friendship OF marriage.
Her ideal was a high one.
] would not go; / would write. 1t
was easier TO write than begin a new re-
lation viva voea. | passed shree more
disconsolate days awaiting her answer,
and the little note in my pocket was all
that came.
The delays Of the train | was in caused
me much anxiety, as it was to connect
with the last one, that evening, to B..
rhe conductor repeatedly assured me
that it was "all right, but found it
all wrong by tho space Of three minutes
when ! allghtcd NJ tho station, aud
there was nothing to do but to put up
at the hotel for the night. 1t was n
hotel much fr%equented b%ysummer visit.
ors on account OF its vicinity TO many
attractive PLACES, elsily reached by par.
tics Of plelsnre, TO which en- the roads
we're sOwn with mile stones and sign.
posts, which were an aggrayation to be-
hold, especially the one setting forth
that it was 40 miles to b. Perhaps
could got a horse to take me there. |
insiunated as much to the keeperO oil the
hotel, but he informed me that there
wasn't D hotse left in the village, as a
large party mad thkon advantage OF the
full moon to visit and keep within sound
of u remarkable waterfall. =
The piazza and a cigar proved no
consolation in my restless frame OF
mind. ] took my newspaper into the
patlor to read 1t by the usrlat kerosene
lamp, which stood on tho usual worsled
mat and marble-topped table. The
identical cheap enaravings common to
all country inns Of my naki9e land stared
familiarly at me from the white walls,
tha horse-hair sofa stood nnc )mfort-
ably in the corner, and certGin ferro-
types and photographs of people with
an undue proportion OF hands adorned
the mantel-piece.
Tue paper had nothing in it. / took
ont the note. The words had ceased to
have any meaning to me. | went to
tho window that looked out upon tho
piazza, attracted by heavy footsteps.
They were those OF an old lady VINO
tramped in the moonlight weariiy, drag
cling her shadow behind her with a
comic expression of futile hurry. Nov
she turned and rctraced nor steps, seem
ing TO chase the unfortunate shadow
with n CONSCIENTIOUS, ponderous haste,
as if she was anxious lest in her IN
wieldiness it should get there before
her. With That puerile interest that
small things have for US in moments OF
excitement, | stood Watching her I'LL
she turned the corner OF the piazza and
left my exterior world unp9Opled.
| was ponderiny on the effect little
have upon us, how undoubtedly
That old lady had set come s2ed in her
mind 20 hear fruit of some kind, some
lay, VIII II we both had forgotten this
lay aud hour, when two otte- people
anne into my worlds lady ana gentle
nan.
They had eoatcd themselves before |
loticed them. The lady, whose back
turned to ms, threw Oft the black |,
ace shawl that she had worn over her
charming head, and famed herself with
, quaint fan made of black ostrich
feathers. Her d,tsswas Of guazy black,
with many well adjusted eruflles.
thonght she seemed weary. Her com
panion wore n res less, excited air. He
had n boyiah, slender figure, a mouth
at once coarsc aud sensitive, not con
cea'ed by his fall, light mustaehe. He
might have been any age from 20 to 40,
for his boyishness seemed rather 0 mat
tor Of consultation thnn years; and his
fair, 3 ky hair, tossed ard blown. might
belonged to n young child, and
the maiks about his heavy-iidded blue
eyes one could AS easily attribute to
dissipation as to maturity. He kpeeled
with knee in the seat OF o chair,
his exquisite delicate hands owe
Tho back OF 1T, and, always seeming
about to speak, snie nothing, but drew
hi4 breath quickly through his parted
You promised nee never to say any
tliqg more to me on the Dubieot, and
you have broken your PROMISE, said
the lady. Her voice, which was strange
ly sweet. & emedto gu lily the severity
of her words. The man seemed to an
swer the voica: =
"You couldn't expect me to keep it.
I didn't expect TO meet you.'' /
MNh nonlAn't nxnec uon 10 lcnn