Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-07-12
Closer than a Brother.

hopfields and the green Kentish hils-a
town with an old, old church, grim and
grand and gray as some ancient cathedral
and which was a cathedral once, to Judge
from the name of the quaint old pile OF red.
brick red-tiled buildings hard by, which
look, from one side, upon high-walled orchard
and ohurchyard from the other, upon the
lazy, full brimmed river. "The palace
people still call that ancient pile Of peaked
gables and quaint oriel windows loopholed
walls, and winding stone steps, which lead
down from ivy-hidden postern doors to the
river path below and, ii YOU get permission.
will take you To a room where dim frescoes
still linger on the walls, and where Craumer,
the last resident archbishop once dined in
homely state.
But there are relics Of older times than
Cranmer's on the other side of the church
the gray, ivy-mantled ruins of an ancient
monastery; and clusted near IL, hidden In
trees, surrounded by quiet meadows aud
modern gardens, buildings as gray and ivy
mantled, and which, under the disguise of
nineteenth-century roofs and windows and
furniture, yet bear the old titles of Priory
and Chaptcr-house. And below all these
many feet below gardens and meadows,
church and palace, flows the tranquil river
starred here and there by the floating bios
SONS Of the yellow water-lily; broken by the
passage Of some heavy barge or stirred by
tile fresh, sweet breeze, waited across the
low-lying meadows on the farther side.
am looking across those meadows now,
who write this, aud who live in one Of the
aforementioned houses belonging to the
ancient monastey--a beautiful old place,
garlanded with rich, red roses wreathcd
with green, fragrant lines and set in
garden redolent Of tall, snowwhite lilies,
roses pink aud creamy, and masses of
scarlet geranium. Tangled sprays OF feath-
cry jasmine and thorny, ACKNOWLEDGMENT
rose boughs, wave and dangle over the gar
den-wall, thrusting aside the tufts of wild
wall flowers and lilac veronica which spring
between the liohen-crusted stones to reflect
themselves in the dark brown mirror below
Behind is a background of dark, shadowy
trees above, vault of cloudless blue, fad
ing gradually into purest, clearest gold upon
the west; the sun is almost hidden behind
the horizon, save for one last ray Just touch
ing the heart of dangling rose aud turn
ing it into fiery ruby. Bells are ringing
from the little Catholic chapel at the lower
end of the town a light skiff, with man
in it, is moored at the farther side of the river
"a man in boating flannels and blue cap.
| am not thinking of boat or man, how
ever. am watching for Esther, and won
dering when | shall see the shadow Of her
gray dress upon the sunlit path below the
old palace. There is no path under our
wall 1t comes to an end between the
churchyard aud the ruined monastery, turn
ing abruptly up a sharp incline to the town.
She will have to 60 up there, and come round
TO our door across the meadows But where
is she
am beginning to think that it is not well
to have such terribly useful and popular
person for friend. Perhaps if she were not
quite SO nice, people might not be always
wanting to take her from me but then, per
haps, might not be wanting to take her from
them This is a matter to be considered
lou know who Esther is, don't you No 2
1t seems strange that anybody should not
know Esther-Esther, the help and favorte
OF all Maidenborough. Nine years ago her
father was the rector here and She and her
widowed mother now live in a tiny suite Of
old-fashioned rooms ia the palace. which
building, like royal residence at Hampton,
serves at present for home for certain wives
and relations of deputy clergy not over
hurdened with this worlds goods. They
laN ibl ouNi boAttl,t VI tOhintt anu IitN
highly but all the same it is a favor to be
allowed to reside in the old Episcopa lplace
and only certain specially favored families
have the right of doing so.
My father is the present rector, aud how
FIRST came TO know Esther was in this wise
had Just left school to join my parents at
Maidenborough, and was walking along the
towpath one day, when | met a small boy,
2 NO hpuffit,er il. hn ,lia,,.al
fashon a very dirty small boy, and ex-
eeedingly ragged. OF course | stopped
What was the matter} The boy fitted
up his voice more audibly, and demanded
"Mammyl' asked where " Nanny" was
lie didn't know. lie asked me something
but what didn't know. His little naked
foot was bleeding from bad cut; but whei
| tried 10 lift him and examine it, he resisted
with shrieSs so appalling that any passer-by
must have thought ! was in the act of mur
dering him. In Difference to my father
position couldn't subject myself to be takeI
up ON such a charge. la Difference to my
own soft heart ! couldn't 60 on my way re
joieing Accordingly ! sat down in the dus
and was near weeping, too, when shadow
fell across my path, and, looking up, saw
Esther
A slight, gray figure; an oval face, pure
of all tinge Of color; gray, liquid eyes, full
/ of an unutterable look, as of one who has
been waiting for long, long years, and ye
4 was content to wait as much longer; fair
| white brow, smooth and pure as an angels
a small firm mouth and chin, grave with al
1 exquisite sweetness, which seemed to cling
about them like some subtle fragrance
! That was Esther; that is Esther stil-ml
darling, my friend
In two words she found out what was thu
matter In two more the child was quieteC
and clinging TO her neck, jabbering away ii
I baby gibberish the while, She seeming to un
derstand as though she were the " nanny
he had been waiting for
Esther and made friends that afternoon
as we carried home the wounded hero be
tween us.
Nobody seems capable of getting marie,
in Maidenborough unless Esther will act a
bridesmaid; of falling i'll without her TO
nurse or of dying unless she be near b
close their eyes, and comfort those left be
hind. Therefore feelno shame in avOwinl
that am utterly incapable of making up
new bonnet, the materials for which are noy
lying on my bed without Esthers assist
ance and feel righteously Indignant whel
the said assistance does not come, and | an
summoned indoors instead, TO assist th
mother in entertaining some particular
stupid townspeople.
One last look ! give along the river patti
stretching over the wall for the purpose an,
then, in the same moment, hear splash
and see that | have capsized my new para
sol, which was lying on the wall beside m,
into the river below, The individual in Nh
boat hears the splash, and probably my cr
Of woe at the same time, unfastens the boa
from its moorings, paddles across, and, fish
ing out my property hands it to me. III
has TO stand up in his boat and stretch high
and ] have TO bend down and stretch low
for the purpose. Our faces look into eacl
other. Mine reddens and his smiles
pleasant smile, pleasant face-more thai
pleasant, indeed.
"Oh thank you" ! say awkwardly, an'
scarlet-iaced.
" Not at ALL he says, lifting his blue cal
with cool ciyility; aud then the boat glide
on, aud depart into the house. My para
sol is spoilt; but | have not noticed it, 81
full Is my mind of the conviction that tb