The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-09

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of delightful obscurity, with the sun of fame
rising in the near future. and streaking the
| present with fair auroral tints, or making OF
| 1t. at worst, golden gloom. have IL much
az heart that you should know Cecil"
| "Who aud what, may Cecil be?''
| ga question not TO be answered In min
utei I'VE are pair of artists; and we dwell
| topetber in much unity OF thought and pur-
pose meaning that the world snail De some
thing better than we have been; our lives
attnned TO natures concert pltch-wnlch Is
/ indeed trifie high for the chorus, hence the
discords-and pursuing our harmless ways,
| with entire salts faction to our consciences
in short, we are two gentle gypsies as ever
played az housekeeping. And why?'-to
| fores.ail your next question. Because Cecil
| is the best friend have In the world.
Thus laughingly spoken, with bright mis-
chievous eyes looking into hers; then,
| in a winsome tone not TO be- refused
.'You will come, will you not?'
| surely: if only to investigate your in
imitabie mensge. and satia.e my curiosity
with your poem"
| And that is how Clair happened to be sit
ting on the lawn, with an old empowered
house on one hand, brilliant garden fulJ
of bloom and beee, sunshine and fragrance,
on the other; before her the sea Tapped the
white curves of the shure, singing its long
song; tbs blue sky brooding above; and
Mark lying idly at ner feet.
S0e vas there, as the best answer she
could give to his laconic note
| "Come-see-and be conquered"
note over which she mad smiled, even
while little Tesenting its thrasonical boast
fulness and quite determined within her
self never to capitulate.
She had been also.
Naturally, her fancy had often roved Cecil
ward in the interval; aud feature by tea
ture, as with d msllet and chisel, lt has
wrought fair ideal OF Marks "best friend"
masterpiece of manhood, strong and
gentle, firm and tender, bending down, gaz-
| ing, as one who leans and looks from great
heights; in eyes and smile and tone FORE
shadowIng the great soul, the deep heart.
hidden within. And thsD, Prometheus-
like. she borrowed fire from heaven to ami
mate her marble creature, whom she
believed in, revered, and chrlstened "Cecil."
Well, she had seen Cecil when she sat
there. and, looking back upon the ruins OF
her sheltered masterT iece, Clair had the
gress TO smile.
This was the way OF il.
AS she sat idling over her early coffee, in
her little breakfast parlor, the newly risen
sun poured Danac-shower of gold In at the
long lattice, filling the room with brightness,
shifting the sweetness from her heliotrope,
gliding the soft brown ferns and moses of
the carpet, and stirring within her the old
longing, never wholly subdued, for noun
tains fields and woods. The canary in his
cage must needs put in his note, greeting it
with flood ofrejoicing, swelling his throat
in musical ecstacy as If the foolish thing
thought spring had come again.
Glsnciog out, shs saw the glad blue OF tho
October skies, full OF promise, and she knew
that Nature bad sent Gala day; heard the
birds singing OF their southwark flight: felt
the soft airs blowing, and knew her opPOr-
tunity.
By steam ard jolting car ferry boat and
country wagon, she LEFT the city smoke and
din behind and lastly, by a iootpath, came
to the gate of her friends paradise, which
she found guarded by invisible angels only,
and a rustic latch where fastenings were
easily undone.
She made no haste along the yet dewy
walk for the house, moss grown at the
caves, its quaint gables dabbled with gray
lichens, half-hidden by masses OF brilliant
green and wine-red woodbine, was study
of itself-the very ideal of au artists sum-
mer home. Besides, she liked such gradual
approaches to waiting pleasure-or friend,
teasting eyes and heart upon anticipation.
All the doors and windows stood wide
open, inviting and hospitable. The spacious,
old-fashioned hall, with family fragrant In
dian mating on it's floor, bamboo chairs and
tables its picture hung walls, its cushions:
books and papers strewn carelessly, as If
wandering wind had been the latest conner |
made pleasant prologue to the friendly |
biographies so soon to be opened, leaf by |
leaf there, for her heading.
by curious difficulty at the onset; for she |
could lind neither bell nor knocker to an |
nounce her coming, not so much as a dog /
TO whistle among the riding whips in the |
rack. Looking about her, and vaguely |
specializing on her probable success should |
she hollow her hands about her hips, and |
lift up her voice as she bad seen a woman |
at the door OF farm house she had passed, |
hail the men home from the distant fields, |
she discovered in the cool gloom OF an adj |
joining room. the white glimmer of ivory |
keys, where the piano stood open.
Pausing before it, she played an Alpine |
jodel, and sent its clear, sweet notes ringing |
through the silent house. Listening then, /
she heard from some distant room, coming /
nearer and clearer, a voice singing an |
answering strain; it was followed by Mark, |
who entered with hands outstretched, and |
eyes frightened with honest delight.
LET the stranger within your gates come |
henefOrtb. provided with Crumpets also, ano |
shawms. since you disdain the modern
inventions.
sI.et them sound what tirnbrels they may;
it was like you, and appropriate, TO herald
yourself with sweet sounds" was his gay
meeting.
While one hand strongly imprisoned her
other two, the other deity unfastened the
ribbons OF her bonnet, and cast it aside, not /
roughly, but with manly disregard OF the |
very frail nature of millinery; removed
the shawl pin and left that marvel of Indian
looms to slip unheeded TO the floor. Then |
a curl was lightly coaxed by gentle touches |
into place, a tress the wind had coquetted /
with smootbed aside; and the artist with |
two steps backward aud a critical eye to the
effect, utterei satisfied
"So!"
think the reader will have to pardon the
artist these little, but not disrespectfuI |
peculiarities. and all the more, that long ago |
Clair had found herself Obliged either to par
don him for so many, and to accept him, or |
Lose him altogether. Now, because Of that
strong love, out spoken, faithful and tender
but not TOO tender to have borne many |
tough strain in stormy weather, I'm whose
stress love less real, less true, would have
gone down-such loss would have been not
to be endured: tor Mark was, Clair had fire.
quently averred, one of the few suns that
shone upon, and warmed, and revolved