The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
THANKFUL BLOSSOM.
A ROMANCE OF THE JERSEYS.
I7,e..
Dy BRIT HARTx.
PART I.

mornings thaw into a rigid record OF that
days wayfaring on the Baskingridge road
The hoof prints of cavalry, the deep ruts
left by baggage wagons, and the deeper
channels worn by artillery lay stark and
cold in the waning light OF an April
day. There were icicles on the fences
rme of silver on the windward bark OF
NAPLES, and occasional bare spots on tho
rocky protuberanccs of the road, rs IL
nature had worn herself out at the knees
and elbows through long waiting for the
tardy spring. A few leaves. disinterred by
the thaw, became crisp again, and rustled
in the wind, making the summer thing
so remote that all human hope and CON-
lecture fed before them.
Here and there the wnyside fences ana
walls were broken down or dismantled.
and beyond them fields of snow, down
troddeu and discolored, and strewn with
fragments OF leather camp cquipage. har-
ness. and cast-on clothing, showed traces
of the recent encampment and congrega-
,,.n OF men. On some there were still
standing the ruins of rudely constructed
cabins, or the sembance of fortifcation
equally rude aud incomplete. A fox steal
ing along a half. filled ditch, wolf slink-
ing behind an earthwork, typined the hu-
man abandonment and desolation.
One by one the faint sunset tints faded
from the sky, the far-on crests OF the
Oiange hills grew darker the nearer file1
Of pines on the Whntnong mountain be-
came a mere black background. and. with
the coming on of night, came, too. an 10y
silence, that seemed to stiffen and arrest
the very Tind itself; the crisp leaves no
longer rustlcd, the waving whips OF alder
and willow snapped no longer, the icicies
no longer dropped Il cold fruitagc from
barron branch and spray. and the road
side trees relapsed into stony quiet. So
that tho sound of horses hoofs breaking
through the thin. duh, lustrelcss films Of
ice that patched the furrowed road might
have been heard by the nearest Conti-
mental picket mile away.
Either n knowledge OF this or the dim.
cultes of the road evidently irritated the
viewless horseman. Long before he be-
came visible his voice was heard in half
suppressed objurgation of the road, of his
beast, of the country folk, and the cOun-
try generally. Steady. you jadei"
Jump. YOU devil. jump!" Course the
road and the beggary farmers that burst
not mend it," And then the moving bulk
of horse and rider suddenly arose above
the hill, fioundered and splashed, and then
as suddenly disappeared, and the rafting
| hoof beats ceased.
| The stranger had turned into deserted
lane, still cushioned with untrodden snow.
| A stone wall on one hand-in better keep
| inc a,.I
| monuments of the outlying fields bespoke
| protection and exolusveness. Half way
up the lane the rider checked his speed.
and dismounting, tied his horse to a way
| side sapling. This done he went cautious
| ly forward toward the end of the lane,
and farm house from whose gsbls
window light twinkled through the deep
ening night. Suddenly he stopped. hesi-
tated and uttered an impatient ejaoula-
ton. The light had disappeared. Hs
| turned sharply on his heel, aud rstraoed
his steps until opposite u farm shed that
| stood q few PAGES from the wall. Hard
by large elm cast the gaunt shadow Of
| its leatiess limbs on the wall aud sur
rounding snow. The stranger stepped
| into this shadow, and at once seemed 10
become a part of its trembling intricaoies.
| At the present moment IL was certainly
| blsa. place for tryst There was snow
yet clinglng to the trunk OF the tree. and q
| film of ice on its bark the adjacent wall
! was slippery with frost and xrlnged With
| icicles. Yet in all there wns "A f1dte-ray
suggestion OF some sentiment past and un-
easonable-several dislodI god stones of ths
wall were 80 disposed a. to form "a bench
| nd MI ain I'm nf
| ice could still be sren carved ON its bark
the effigy Of heart divers initials. and
| the legend, "Thinc Forever
The stranger. however, kept his eyes
fixed only on the farm shed. aud the open
field beside II. Five minutes passed In
fruitless expectancy. Ten minutes And
then the rising moon slowly lifted herself
over the black range of the Orange hills.
aud looked at him, blushing "a little Us IL
the appointment were her own.
The face and figure thus illuminated was
that OF IL strongly built. handsome man OF
thirty so soldieriy in bearing that II need
ed not the bun epaulets aud faelngs to
show his captains rank IN tho CONT
mental army. Yet there was something
in his facial expression that ooutrhdicted
the manliness of his presence-an irlta-
ton aud querulousne,s that were neon
sistent with his size aud strength. This
| fretfulness increased ~ the nornents Went
by without sign or motion in the family
lit field beyond, until, in pccyish eXasper-
ton. he began to kick the nearer stones
against the wall.
| "Moo-Oo-w!"
The soldier started. Not that he wac
frightened. nor that he had failed to REQ
ognllo in these prolonged syllabes the
deop-ohestod, halt-drowsy low of n COW.
but that it was 80 near him-evidently
just beside tho wall. II an object so bulky
could have approached him 80 near with
out his knowledge, might not she
"Moo-ool"
IIe drew nearer tho wall cautiously.
$50, Cushy Mo1ly g. Como up, BossyV
he said, persuu-,ycly Moo" but here
tho low Unexpectedly broke down, and
ended in very human and rather musi-
cal little laugh.
"IhAukfull" exclaimed the soldier echo
ng the laugh II trlile unvasily aud Affected
ly ~ IL hooded httlo head arose above tn,