The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-02-26
VOLUME s.

The ''thing' was finished, and leaned
against the wall, white and staring,
in virtue of three coats.
"What will she do with it?" queried
Will.
"Wait and see, was the sententious
rejoinder.
"Can you get up at day-break to-
morrow, and go TO the swamp for moss
and ferns p ..s-4
"I reckon so. II you will go with
me. I wouldn't know what you want. 3"
CAN sorts-high, long and creeping.
Any green thing that lives in shade"
"All right; you shall have them. !"
And true enough, Milly was wakened
before sunrise by the call, Here is
your trash--a whole eart-load," and
running down, was soon able to realize
her ideal screen. The bed of the frame
was filed with earth and small stones.
In it were planted all sorts of fern, the
tall ones at the back, the low-growiDg
next, and the delicate viny creepers
trailing over the edge, then the surface
was covered with fresh green moss, and
couple of luxuriant basket-ivies put,
one at each end, and trained to small
nails in the outer board, SO as to make
a lovely living frame for the lovely
living picture. Even prosaic Will was
delighted with the result, while MiIly
could have danced with joy. This
room was her especial pride. The
pictures, brackets etc., were all Of her
choosing. She had an idea of rooms
expressing character, and this day, of ell
days, wanted hers to show faultless
taste. She was a sensible girl, though
Icannot affirm that she "had no nom
sense about her." Her weakness for
poetry, which she wrote of the desper.
ately sentimental kind, common with
people of healthy, highly-nervous or
ganism. Consequently she was shy of
having it seen, and few of her nearest
friends ever saw it. Will was pro-
foundIy ignorant upon the subject. He
could not understand, you know. Rural
Quill, Esq, was somewhat celebrity,
wrote humorous articles that went the
rounds of the state press, and was
hailed wherever he went by the same
unquestioned authority, "Wit, Scholar,
Patriot, Poet" and, indeed, only missed
being great man by so many others
having been greater in his peculiar
line. He was editor of sfThe Clarion"
published in Lynesville, live town,
some thirty miles away. Some months
ago Milly had seat him, with q letter,
quantity apologetic for the "sin of
rhyme, a poem, beginning
"Above the ftful, moaning sea
The wild winds sigh and shiver,
O.! Winds! Blow home my love to me;
love my love forever"
and so on, through a dozen stanzas,
wherein several most heart breaking
images, and all available rhymes for
Ever, Never, Culver, and Shiver, were
completely used up. He had replied
assuring her that "The sin of rhyme
ia one not to be paliated here, nor par
doned in the world to come, but when
one can write as you do (and that one
woman) then It's sinful to be silent"
and published her poem as one that
would do credit to the pages of our
best magazines and the correspond
ence and contributions had gone on,
increasing in vigor aud intensity until
now. His last letter had said, In
such case I too know no impossible,
SO five o'clock Thursday afternoon will
find me in presence Of the Rose OF
Brier Wood" ard this was the fatal
It was not without trspida |
tion that she conlided all the moment
Gus affair to Will and she was relieved |
that his only comment was, Take |
care that no don't get scratched. No |
rose without thorn, you know"
That was q busy day for Milly. She
filed the house with flowers till Will |
declared !" the garden had moved in
doors,' ransaeked the orchard for
fruits and helped the cook get |
up many and various dainty supper
dishes. At O'Clock she went to array
herself IN The freshest Of mus1ins, ard |
came down q perfect picture, with her
white draperies and tea roses and hello
trope crowning her brown braids. She /
vas pardonably proud Of her appear
ance. Even viii thought 'sthere
wasn't a girl in the whole country who
could hold q candle to Milly in that
rig" How he liked to tease her, SO
now he said 81 know you don't al
low spittoons in the parlor, Milly, but
you'd better have one hunted up. I'll
bet my head your editorial friend ehews,
md, with the ecoentricity Of genius, be
may take your new screen for substi-
5ate. =
q Horrorsl What proclamation Il
would be unworthy a Fesiee Islander.
Sc, sfr whoever else allows If, my face
= yet against il for ell lime. But hush;
,hete he comes. And sure enough,
ounotual to d minute, across the lawn
rolled shining buggy, and from it
alightsd the dapper and disttngete Rural
quill.
When Milly rscoTered from the en-