, 1876-10-14
ESTHER CnILLiyGW0DTu'S RIy0.
LdJiff Ndp1xfne.

anti1ue trfnkcts, ard souvenirs OF the past; her
past, that seemed so very, very old; for sho was
my mothers aunt, not mfne-wcro stowc1 away
In rows of tiny drawers, packed In soft jewelers.
cotton, and smelling sweet and strong OF Tonkn
bcans. 1t was ring Of old yellow gold, cur-
ousty dressed with the iacnsh cut cresccntwlsc
and act In tiny sccl.pearla; and the Jewels and
setting, an in many old rings. opened at tho
coaxing Of nngcr, and showed wee space for
hatr-whosef
Iaskcd Aunt Lucinda, but she was hurry1ng
to shut up the cnbinct, and only said:
"Rcminl inc to tell you about 1t In tho morn
ing, child" for 1t Was late, and she wnutcd 10
send me OF 10 bed.
"Can't keep this, Just to wear while I'm
tterc,-it 50 prctty,-and Ill take such good
care of It, Aunttel"
"Wcll, put It on" eatd Aunt Lucinda, "and
then ruin away, for lt's past II o'clock. To
think Of sou keeping NC up talking until this
late lour!"
So went away to bed, slipping The narrow
bnntl Of frctted, carven, crusted gold over my
flrst finger, and watching tho rich, warm aake
Of light in tho heart Of the jac1nth-llke drop
Of clear honey. ~ 1853
slept alone at Auut Lucinla's, In queer
old room, with an open fireplace mud brass and-
irons, md With grcat, ltlgh-postc1 bed, dark
With HGHSfEu E4llukA CAiAA4Hqs AtHA HHu Al>
most Inaccessible mountain Of feathers, into
which usually lcapcl with tho ail of q chair,
when l had blown tho candle out. I always
went to sleep droway apeculatiug upon tho
ark Of bed, unlcr tint aucicnt red silk quilt,
md wondering II my Of their forgotten dreams
lllrkcd round those .dowered curtains, to creep
into my brain when slcop set lts gates niar.-
did not 'arcam that night, at any ratc; am
suro q Il, for / had not silent ten minutes by
the old alabaster clock on thn mantclpicce, when
/ was awakened By the pressure Of o l!and.
1t WINS not Aunt Luefnda's hand; even In
sleep knew tho difference Of the touch. They
wcre young fingers that sltd codly over mine.
soft, ROUND tips, that left n damp chill upon
my fcsl, where they crept n1nnE. Ns my autiscs
awokc, gradually, fclt these fingers working
at the rings On my left hand, and | felt cold
breath OH my forehead, llko little pull Of
ftrled 10 strike away the hand, but It fasten-
cd clingingty on mfne, and a moaning votco
said, passoiately, md yct pitco,lsly, like ahurt
child:
Let mo l,aye lt-let mo have itr'
"Who are yona Where aro youl What ts
tho ,',ns %esp ,t trough OF tic featherbed' "Aant
Tho dark, stlll folds Of The curtains waysrcd
widcnel, and then they wcro pushed quito
apart. Thcn eaw the moon shining Of, tho
Hour, md the tlrc dying on the hearth between
the brass andirons, and a figure standing by tho
bc.l,-stend!ng right In the arch made ny tho
When toli this story,-.ny ono solttary
ghost-story, -or when cvcn think It over In the
silence OF my own mind, cAn feel ngain, lust
breath from . aanir vault, blowing straight
from that nottonlcss figure.
It was a woman, md / saw her Just as plainly
IN SEQ at this moment tho wortaB written by
tho pen in my hand. 1could tell you every
rf hn f1rnR3 ahn tn fhh rflrfnfF
Of lace tho tight sleeves tint reached her ci-
bows, and the littlo hluu damask figure on her
gray gown. Her lacc was vory pale and quiet,
and there VI - Hight ~ her eyes; they wero
II with crying und waking; but alio was bcantt-
ful Tor all tllat,-bcautiful as some old dim pIc-
ure with story In It. There shu stood, with
her face aud neck gleamlng duil-whItc, like old
sr Siesk tO8 Sair W twlsteS S found sS her throat ike
d soft necklace, and her little tInmp, coil
hand lying OIL milne, and her lips moved yet, as
II sl,u were saying over again:
" Lot me havo IT,
"Wlo ars you p cried, trembling and hardly
breathing. "What do you wa,lt3n
"My rIng.-mIno ind Rogers. No other
wos ,ia hnt sa., wear @y ring Lookl don't you
Aunt I,lclnln's ring! There was no staIn on
1t wl.en size took 1t out OF the old casket; hut
saw it now III tho moonlight dash Of ugly
rcd among the crHstc1 carvings. tore 1t otf
my finger, and dung 1t AWAY is II itwcre coal
"Wlo arc you'll" cried once more.
Aud the answer cuue softly and slow, like
2'E:sthcr Clilliugworth"
started UP Ut her brcathlcssly,
"f.ook ut JIc,n she nIurmurc1. "Thts Is tho
face tlsnt Roger Vaue loved nigh 200 years ago;
this Ia tho hand thnt wore ILLS ring, that sent It
blck to him from Salcm Jail when he carcd no
longer to remember how lsc slipped It on with
ttaSra jfAr aa1I fN}r IN u In fhnHp
days. Look ut me. AIN cotney now1"
She swept buck her long hair from her face,
but without dsp3lacng the loek that cured llk9
st 'a et a.. i1op pks i5 aa a,oS IT. md wsr hs1
IL lind thu fa,rest faeo in Satem,-old Chill
lingwurth's daughleri 'The grass withcreth
the Hover fadrtli. The parsou used to tell me
it. WIS b4t yaip show, md ! laughed him tq
was pcklng May-aowers, and rustling usllo tho
brown leaves to lind their ptnk anu white clus-
tered stars, NIT Roger Vanc, and lla told me .
swccter tale than tue preacher knew. And let
the breath ot May.aowers. o the salcm woods !!
y my love, Roger, ltogcr!'
Her wall swept by like gust Of chilling wind,
md the folds ot thu curtains stirred and trcm-
blc1 with II; but she never stirrcd.-not even n
lair OF her hea1 wa4 shaken aY she sto0l tl.erc.
lie was bEnye, aud {oung,, alul handsome;
and lie ca1nc riding In from Boaton, and rode
QOWH tno 6tlCEk ul 02lG[u tnAk hpTttlE-lAyt LILO
eoodllcst day ever saw. III old England, or
III tho new, bleak cudntry. there were none to
conparu Nth hlnl, In MY eyes; and 80 loved
him. And he stayed In Salem, and l saw him
lay after day; aud none knew II 1t first, Tor
We strayed far away In those green woods
| looked 70. May.dowers. aud, later on. for tho
blue violets that cfept up through the rustl'ng
dead 10 lagt nf Last year. And ut Inst lu
can,e to my fathar's house; but Abel Chilling
wurth was old and stern, aud feared him,
and lad no mother; and 70 we kept our
secrct-ltoger aud l. fcared nothing, asked
nothing, lunly love; drained the cup of each
day dry, and Nss content with lts full druught
| uf joy, and never dreamed, with summer aud
The roses round me, Of winter and decay, md
dust and ashcs, Until one day came when w
met lu Tue Salem woods 10 part.
"'No tears. my little May~dower,' Roger
Sane said. softly, ~ he held tho there within
hls strong, kindly arms u have never seer
the drops IN those sweet eyes Of thine before
and would not have my last sight Of them 81
nlarrea. i Is only for a little space, sweet
heart. shall come hack to steal aWay my little
Puritan maiden btfore tho first Leaf has furuet.
rcd by her tathcs's door,
"'Why-wtay Will you go. Roger u cried
a. ] ClunE round him; and j asked It only tt
| hear over Agalu what knew before o,ite will