Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-07-22

dinner. I've got light wine Their
that's the best tonic in world. Yo,
might see how you liked it, and if yo'
could stand it I'd send you dozen bot
ties or so. Will you come Mr.. Fithian
I'll take it kindly if you would"
"Why of course I will Bigby, .ant
right gladly too, assure you. Wher
shall it Beg
"Any TIME; the sooner the better -
The train leaves at FIVE"
awoke to bland spring morning.
April had stolen in Oh March and
brought with her balmy air and sunny
skies and the songs of few dissipated
blue birds that had preferred the city
to the suburbs. There was something
in this sudden warmth and brightness
| carefully avoided Gertrude and the
st. Johns that day, nursed the faint
ray of hope and joy that had sprung up
in my respondent breast and reached
the 5 o'clock train for Bigby's with
something of my cid appreciation of
life.
just as we were starting, aud /
lingering on the platform to smoke my
cigar | was positively startled by a
vision of loneliness in the shape of a
school girl making frantic efforts to
catch up her skirts and bundles and run
for the train. She was within a few
feet Of me when the whistle sounded
and puff went the engine. A look OF
absolute despair Swallowed her young
beauty. She stretched forth her hands
with a gesture of entreaty, and her
blue eyes filed with yexed tears. l
was Immediately beside her, and fling
ing away my cigar, I held forth help.
ing hand. She leaned trustingly for
ward, was caught In my arms and landed
safely on the platform.
"Now that you are safe," l said, 81
am shocked at the risk you ran. Never
do that again I beg Of you; you might
have lost our life
ooh, l don't regret it," she said; 81
am so glad. There is no train after
this one till late at night, and papa
would be so frightened.
l made an effort to engage her in
conversation, but in her slight and cold
reply I saw an insurmountable objec-
ton to chance acquaintance. She
spoke no more, nor smiled, save at
some happy fancy of her own, but
spontaneously on the window pane,
ana watched eagerly the vanishing
landscape. The train FASTENED on, and
presently stopped at the station which
Bigby told me was a short distance
from his house.
To my immense delight the fair
young Stranger gathered UP her bundles
and won't before me to the door. !
leaped from the Car, held out my hand
to her, but she threw herself into a
pair of strdier arms than mine; and
looking in the face of the intruder, l
found it the honest, beatning face of
Bigby himself, my magnanimous tailor!
He lifted her from the ground in his
close caress, then looked over at ME
with the happiest, the fondest, the ex.
allied satisfaction ever saw in any one
in my life.
Oh, the delicious sensation of finding
myself close by her side in the comfor-
table little carryall! The evening sky
was rosy red, all the wayside hedges
were budding afresh in the glad new
spring, multitudes of birds swung and
swayed in the dry stems of the trees,
and daises, white and red, studded the
wide green pastures.
The dinner was perfect. We spent
the night in mild but psradisaical
dissipation. We had a little music,
some of Hattie Italian to please her
mother, few ballads for her father,
aud anything and everything for me.
AS l went down with my worthy
host in the morning, l promised him l
would visit him often. And vowed
in my heart it should be very often.
A tailor, and the daughter of tailor!
Yes, even so, what mattered it? She
might have been the offspring of a
prince, and at all events it was the first
oasis In my desert of life, and
needed to lie down in the shadow OF
q rock for lest
So commenced for me duel exist
ence, I paired off pretty equally-went
out to Bigby's by day and to Gertrude 8
by night. began to look upon Hattie
as my sister, and Gertrude as my be.
trothed. But was not prepared &c
say that I cared to have the nuptials
hastened-in fact, the subject was dis
tasteful to me. Blgby had maintained
a commendable reticence with regard
to my private affairs, and it was only
in the bosom OF his delightful family
could forget my cares and the unhappy
future in store for me. As Gertrude
! vas DESTROYS of having the foundation
of the new chapel laid before we were