The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-09-06
THE OLD HOUSE.

ihE UlU hUUSE.
The old house was slowly dlopping tx
pieces about the young people. Yet, fol
all that, they were as happy as though
it were palace building up about them
Youth requires few conditions; it is al
sufficient to itself as Eden; it is only the
unsatisfactory middle years, to which
the loveliness of the virgin world has
become a twice-told tale, that are in
sistent.
In truth, it should have been enough
to content any of US simply to be Rose
Marks-the rose no roster, the lily nc
snowier, sunshine not more golden than
her hair, more dazzling than her smile
q lovely little soul and body, enjoying
every moment of life, and making il
precious to every one within her inhu.
ence. She never thought of grumbline
that the house was shabby and the food
scanty, but contented herself with bread
when there was no dainty, and when
the roof leaked, moved her bed to an
other room where it did not leak SO
badly. Every timber in the old house
was dear to her, and she never asked for
q better. No wonder everybody loved
Rose Marks in general, and her cousin,
Roger, loved her in especial; not her
cousin, that is, if you demand the literal
fact, but her step.mother's nephew, yet
always called cousin, and always loved
like brother. A brothers Well, no,
not exactly. People are not so very apt
to think whether or no their brothers
will like this ribbon or that flower, to
blush damask if their brothers catch
them gazing qt themselves intently. to
pout at an inatrention from their broth
ers, or to have their hearts beat like
wildfire at touch of the brothers hand.
These two children were all alone in
the house now, for Mr.. Marks and his
wife had followed the elder children,
who had died when the great typhus
epide.aic ragged some ten years ago; the
old servant, who had never forsaken
them, had gone her way too at last;
and Louis, one day taking the ancient
plate, had sold it for enough to insure
the house for term of five years, and
formally resigning all right and title in
it to Rose, had bade her and Roger
good. bye, and had gone to seek his for
tune. So Rose kept the old house as
she could, and Roger paid her regular
board from his little salary as clerk Of
the only store in the village. Rose
cried every time she took it; but as all
the rest she possessed happened to be
the COW and the garden and what the
grass sold for, there was nothing, of
course, to do but take it. How many
times Rose had resolved to go out by
the day end do sewing since she had
been sixteen "I could earn two hun.
dred dollars a year, easily, Roger" she
would say, as she was mapping it out to
Roger in the evening, at the other side
of the table where he WAS studying.
"Anl what would become of me p
Roger said.
"Why why, you could have much
better dinners, you know, Roger, at
Mrs. Deans" = e-~......
s'Hang Mrs. Deans! 1 should have
no home, I should go to the bad. II
is missionary duty to stav as yen are"
go "But, Roger" then Re Sc said, grow.
ing red and redder, tsome dry, you
know, you will be-married, and then
you won't want me round"
"Sha'nt II"
"Your wife won't, at any rate; TO,
you know I'm not even your sister, and
your wife, when you marry -
"Can't you wait till I do9" thundered
Roger, getting up and stalking out oi
the room. "You won't forget how tc
sew, will youa" And Rose began to cry,
and Roger strobe round the place TIL
bedtime like an unhappy ghost. HI
marry! Why was she harping on thai
string2 Did she want to marry herself,
and have him first put himself out of the
waya And thereat he wrought himself
into fury. Was there man in all the
world who would dare to think OF sucl
sacrilege as marrying his little Rose
Never, never, should he have her HI
would stay here forever and guard her
he would make it impossible! And the1
lie felt that he was a fool, and that h
knew better; he knew the modest little
Rose, living her secluded life, never hat
the remotast sort Of a lover; he knew
now that she was lying all in white
wrapped in her innocent dreams ant
thinking of nothing less while he wa
mar.uling up and down the garde1
path. He was very much mistaken; she
was hiding behind the window at tina
moment. watching him between thu
streaming courses of her tears as h.
went up and down and tortured himsel
with angry thoughts and passionate
emotions. Why had fate fixed him so
he Was asking. Why was there ne
chance for hima Why would no open
ing offer that he might enter and gain 6
promise of sufficient income to Justify
him in telling Rose what he fetal
the wild wishes and bitter longings
Now moneyless clerk in a village
store,. he had no right to bind her for,
tunes with his, to bring upon her, even
if she would, the weary cares and heavy
weight Of marriage with a man so des.
titute.
For look, even should she be kind,
should they marry-ah, what throbs bis
heart gave at the fancy they would
have no more than they have now, and
as the years came and brought their
burdens, it would simply bow Rose into
thegrave. Andshe knew it, he Thought;
yes, she know it. That was what this
desire to 60 out into the world meant
to break up their way of life, to he off
and away from him. And then Roger
groaned and clenched his fists. and
asked himself the whole round of ques-
tions over again. Yes, why was he, of
all men, so placed that nothing could
ever accrue t. him ? no help reach him ?
no one hold land to lift him up just
suffered to rl,"l along from hand to
p.onth when tile capital would put
him into such havena If he had but
a, couo'e of Thousand dollars to start
With, he could open sec,nd store here.
lie knew the whole structure of trade
there was quite business enough fnr an,
osher without robbirg the first; he
could even make new business. he
knpw mot Dhoro ho xro,15 x>1,>,$ h;s