The Morning herald., 1876-10-21
MIZPAH.
CHAPTER I,

Evening in the Island of Jersey, and the
sun already set. A wash of pure carmine
in the western sky; film of w|itish haze
in the grassy bottom of a long valley
scooped out between steep wooded hills.
Rising out of the haze, q sort of natural
embankmeut like bridge, dividing the
valley in two, and separating Maitre LIE
Caves half from Maitre somebody else's.
Barely indicated in sepian shadows, a
rough, strong path, dug out Of the. hills,
powered in trees, and leading down to the
embankment.
This smbankment, in shadow too,
beneath the fringe on either side of lofty
elms. green, leafy, beautiful in summer
glory, and tipped with cadmium gold on
every topmost twig. Hanging somewhat
periiously over the bank, fallen trunk ;
and resting upon it woman, young,
beamy-eyed and beautiful her feet buried
in a tuft Of Guernsey daises; cleaning like
white stars in the foreground; the tall
stem of fox-gleve, heavy with pendent
bells of dusky shaded pink, pricking in
her loose waving hair; q basket OF ferns
on her knees her white round hands
clasped over the fragrant burden, and part
!, hidden in dainty emerald fronts; her
eyss half hidden, too, beneath the cream
white lids, and long curved lashes, which
rest on 2 cheek as rosy and purely soft as
an infants. In the background string of
mi,d.eyed COWS, patched with brown and
whits. and driven by q girl in white Brit
tanv csp and short skirt down among the
ferns and blackberry bushes on the hillside
path. A bird chirping in the elm tree.
Now and then the bark Of dog from some
distant farm. Oyer both the voice of the
cattle girl singing in the summer twilight.
Scraps of the refrain float upon the soft
summer air, while Mizpah LIE Fenille sits
waiting on the old tree trunk. Below the
brook babbles over the stones, and frogs
gurgle among the long grass and water
rushes. A gray wood beetle comes out on
the log and trots leisurely along making a
great piece of work over every little hil.
lock Of crusty yellow lichen or red-tipped
moss. Two uissipated linne.s dutter twit.
tering among the branches overhead, in
stead of going home to roost. Then a
small brown lizard puts out its head from
a hole in the bank, and begins to leisurely
ascend the log. 1t has slow, sanctitied
air, this lizard, as if it were thinking OF
nothing more sublunary than prayer
meeting but happening to meet the gad'
ding wood beetle, it stops short and de-
YOURS him in selfabnegatory way, much
like some human Phasisee.
Mizpah sits still and waits.
By-and-by there is sound of footsteps
tramping over tho stones down the hill
path. Out of the shadowscomes the figure
Of man; a man before whom Mizpah
rises, letting basket and ferns fall pnheeded
to her feet i; man who catches her hapds
in his and holds her with passionate
force-a smothered, quivering cry, as Of
one who has waited long for this meeting,
and hungered for it nightly.
It is some seconds before he hears what
MizpSh is saying, some seconds before any
words de Ineligible between the girls
heavy, painting breathing, that sounds like
sobs.
"Let me 60, let me co." she says twice
and at last he understands, though more
from s,e hands striving almost desperately
to free herself than from the parted, perfect
lips" from which all color has Aed. Loos-
ing her little, he puts one hand ande5
the little chin, turning it toward him, ana
says, half reproachfaliy-a very loving re-
proach:
"Let you 60? Why, my darling, I have
only just got you! Is that Dur greeting,
Mizpah, after three years waiting for this
one momen,?"
He is going to kiss her as he speaks.
His brave, blue eyes and handsome face,
bearded and bronzed under suns more
burning than these, are very near her own,
and she is snly as little bird in his hold.
IN the desperation Of the moment she
thrusts his hand away with all the strength
% both hera, and gssps out
Gerald, don't for heavens sake, don't
am marriedW
Then he let her 90 drops her = though
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