Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-05-20

said the minister, "But we are all drifting
OF the tide that takes US there"
Don't" she cried.
"Ah, have felt it myself" said the min
is:er youth is SO full of vitality that it
is antipathetic TO death There are only
two things that quite reconcile us with the
inevitable fact.-one, WEAKNESS of life, and
the other, that exceeding love which makes
the hours seem long. hope the first will
never come to you, my"
"No. indeed."-cried Bessie. "lIow
could be weary of .life-how could any
one be?''
''If such an hour as this were perpetu-
AL" said the minister, taking of his hat,
better TO enjoy the periumed breeze upon
his brow and in his hair-"this purple air,
with the scent of the hay fields floating
through it; this tender sky, that trembling
star. and the young strong health and
heart. oh, no if such an hour were per-
feetual'
1T is :" said Bessie. 1T comes dav after
day, summer after summer. 1t always
Will come to me as long as live. No, |
never shall be willing 10 die and leave it;
never shall be willing to lie in my grave,
and know that other girls are walking in
the lane these summer nights with the
sweet wind blowing over them. and the
the"
Bessie stopped in confusion. What was
i. she had been about to say:
Perhaps the young minister was not
aware that he still held Bessie's hand; but
Bessie was. She essayed to withdraw it,,
and then the grasp tightened. She blushed
red and redder; she felt an arm stealing
round her; and then, looking detian.ly up,
there was the ministers face bending be-
fore her. She knew what he was about TO
say. She didn't want to hear il: not yet, ut
J any rate, did she want to hear it, But she
did hear it. That arm held her close, close
To plunginw heart; that voice was muir
muring in her ear; those lips, they sought
her own; and her oyn-yes. indeed, Mis-
tress Bessie-ha eager, half unwilling,
! were answering them-were answering
! item. And suddenly, almost as if she did
not know what she did. she had lifted her
hand. with the willow switch in it with
which she had been playing, and dealt the
horse beside them swift little blow that
startled him into rear and bound. tore
the bride from Mr.. Beckwith's other
hand, wheeled Mr. Beckwth shortly
shout and sent the horse off at "A galOp
| There was nothing for Mr.. Beckwth to do
but hasten after the horsc-so valuable a
creature and not his owu-and there was
nothing tor the wayward. wicked Bessie to
do but sit down on Il stone and cry, and TO
90 home at last all dcw-be- -draggled, and
dash past the family room like wrath,
up the stairs To her own nook, boltin9 the
dpor with rcsounding echo that might
| have diSpellcd a"v fear of the supernatur-
al. She sat down IA her dark room then
alone. but safe. She loved him-yeS, She
/ loved him, she was afraid; but he was 4
minister, and she didn't want to love 4
minister. She was half promised to him,
but in her thoughts there in the dark room
She dcfied him TO exact the promise.
"What in the world is the matter with
the girl 2" said her mother.
But the father only nodded his wise head
and bade the mother leave her alone. lie
lookeo at the absurd little portrait of hi,
short-wai,ted aunt Dorothy, OF whom Bcs-
sic was the image and super>cription, aud
remembered the story of her courtship as
he had heard her tell it. 1t will all come
| right, mother he said.
III, all wrong now" said the mother.
"And these tantrums will be the death of
me II they don't come 10 an end soon"
Perhaps Mr.. Beckwith thought they
would be the death Of him. If he did he
could devise no way 10 overcome them.
Half promised as she was by those melting
lips OF hers. he could not arrive within sur
hcient distance again of the rebellou- lit
tie maiden TO exact the rest OF the prom
ly felt now but recognized, was evident
enough. or she would never have tried to
escape him so. In the mask of hoyden, or
IN the mask OF nonnette, whichever was il
she was equally inaccessible.
III there was 10 be a picnic now In the
parish. an occasion where all were on
level, this young woman announced her
Intention OF going, before Mr.. Beckwith
had the chance to invite her, in the com
pany of another suitOr. and nobody in that
house had ever been much in the habit OF
gainsaylng Bessie Allan. When evening
meetin: was over. she was not the one 10
wait for the minister: She caught her faith
er's arm and said, Quick Don't let any
body take me-" And after that mark OF
confidence, the proud and loyal father.
happy slave of a spoiled mistress, would
not have surrendered her TO the minister
himself. who was, 1t was very likely. plod-
dlhg on behind with her mother and the
lantern. When the sewing circle closed
Its session, Bessie said yes to the first
spruce young Corydon that stepped for
ward. And when three weeks had passed
after that twilight in the lane, Mr.. Beck
WIN had not spoken one word viii: her.
But. for all that, there was a change in
Bessie. Nobody ever heard her voice car
ollng out of the window now nobody
! heard her old sweet laugh. like the music
OF brook: there was a curious little
irown beteen her eyes when on her mad
dcst escapade. Mr.. Beckwith, looking ut
| her unperceved, with his longing pain.
felt that if he did not conquer soon, it
! would be the worse for Bessie He knew
well enough nOw-after the inocent kiss
| whose rememberance so thrilled him-that
she loved him; he knew well enough that
1t would break her heart should he aban-
Ia att
| those hidden springs of feeling which re-
acted so upon the young nature OF which
she was totally ignorant, and whose first
stirring SO disturbed her; he knew enough
that he could make her so blssful that she
| would one day wonder at and despise this
time OF doubt and fear and this desire for
longer liberty from the great thrall oflove.
But not one chance was he finding to make
her learn these things.
1t was just at this season. as it happen
ed, toward the close of the bright Septem-
Der day that flaming handbills were posted
at every corner and on every empty fence,
proclaming the approach of Eden's great
Scriptural Show and Gymnastic Entertain
ment, which the villagers were not, how
ever, deluded into suppoSing ANYTHING 9th.
er than circus. Miss Bessie, of course,
read the handbills in common with others,
and straightway announced to her aston
ished family that she was to be a patroness
OF the great Scriptural Show to the extent
OF single ticket.
Go to the circus." came the astonished
chorus of remenstrance.
1T isn't circus" said Bessie. .Its a
Scriptural show. There are texts from the
Bible on every CART
They take the livery OF God to serve
the devil in" exclaimed her father
81 don't see any such necessity" she re-
joined. "lts an opportunity for studying
natural history such as seldom occurs, the
bills say
Much natural history in those dancing
women and riding men!'
"Oh, as for that part. shouldn't think
there could be anything more interesting
than the sight of those people springing
through the air from their trapeze,r said
the well-infOrmed young person. land
showing what fine bodies they can make
for themselves. Like pictures of the heath
| ell gods -