Litchfield enquirer., 1876-03-30

and ref6rsnees lsAsiings back by means red-ink stars to other documents, and ap- | pending elaborately phrased littlea som menka neatly signed in fourishes with his initial land the date, such as Truly g
 doughty deed. .sl c. B G. I852"--ss.Wor. thy, quothai2 Nay. it seemeth unto my 1 poGy comprehension 7nllpeIoNs 4 kind ness b. E. @. 1859. '-- May we all profit by thise o. B. G. 1858"
 This morning, as usual, Gardis' donned her gloves, threw open the heavy wooden
 shutters. apd, while the summer morning
 sunshine flooded the. room, she moved
 from piece topiece of the old furniture,
 carefully dnsting it all The room was large, lofty, there was no carpet on the in land foor, but tapestry rug lay under
 the table in the centre of the apartment;
 every thing was splndle-legged, chairs,
 tables. the old piano, two cabinets. a sofa,
 a card-table, and two little tabourets em- broidered in Scrlptural scenes, reduced
 now to shadows, Joseph and his wicked
 brethren having ia led to the same dull yellow hue, which Gardis used to think
 was not the discrimination that should have been shown between the just and the
 unjust The old cabinets ~ ere crowded
 with curious little Chinese images and vases. and on the high mantel were can delabra with more crocodiles on them, and a large mirror which had so long been yelled in guaze that Gardis had never falr- ly seen the fat gilt cherubs that surround ed it. A few inches of Wax-candle still remained in the candelabra. but they were never lighted, a tallow substitute on the table serving as nucleus during the eight months of warm weather when the even- ings were spent in the drawing-room. When 1t was really cold, fire was kind led in the boudoir-a narrow chamber in the centre of the large rambling old man. sion, where, with closed doors and cur tained windows, the three sat together, Cousin Copeland reading aloud. generally from the Spectator, often pausing to jot down little notes as they occurred to him in his orderly memorandnm-book-''mere outlines of phrases, but sufficiently full to recall the desired train of thought" he observed. The ladies embroidered, Miss Margaretta sitting before the large frame the sewing for the household Every little new material, and mnch repairing of old), but these domestic labors was strictly confined to the privacy of their own apart. ments-in the drawing room or bondoir SdAo1S I0Lu0ul. bered this with sadness as she removed the cover from the large frame, and glanc- ed at "Moses Tn the Bulrushes," which her inexperienced hand could never hope to finish; she was thinking of her aunt. but any one else would have thought of the bulrnshes, which were now pink, now blue, after some medieval sysem tof floss silk vegetation. s Having gone all around the apartment and dusted every thing, Chinese images and all, Gardis opened the old piano and gently played little tune. Miss Marga- rstta had been her only teacher, and the young girls songs were old-fashioned: but the voice was sweet and full, and before she knew it she was filling the house with her melody. H ~ rsg sf . Little Cupid one day in a myrtle bough strayed,
 And among the sweet blossoms he playful1y played,
 Plncking many sweet from the boughs of the tree,
 Till he felt that his finger was stung by bec,' sang Gardis, and went on blithely through the whole, giving Mother Venus's advice archiy. and adding g shower of improvis- ed trills at the end.
 ;, Bravo r said voice from the garden below. . 4 Rushing to the easement, Miss Duke beheld. first with astonishment, then, dis may, two officers in the uniform of the United States army standing at the front door. They bowed eourteously, and one of them sad. Can Isee the lady of the honse ?"
 "I-I am the lady," replied Gardis, confusedly; then drawing back, with the sudden remembrance that she should not have shown herself at all, she ran swiftly up to the study for Cousin Copeland. But Cousin Copeland was not there. and the little mistress remembered with dismay that old Dinah was out in the corn field, and that Pompey had gone fishing; there was nothing for it, then, but to go down and face the strangers. Summoning all her self-possession, Miss Duke descended. She would have preferred to hold barley from the window over the doorway, like the ladies of olden time, but she feared it would not be dignifed, seeing that the times were no longer olden and therefore she went down to the entrance where the two were awaiting her. ''Shall ask them Tn ?" she thought. What would Aunt Margaretta have doneg' The Gardiston spirit was hospitabie to the core. But these-these were the Vandals. the des. pots. under whose presence the whole fair land was groaming.. No; she would not ask them in.
 The elder officer. a grave young man of thirty, was spokesman. Do l address Miss Gardison ? he said.
 'I am Miss Duke. My aunt, Miss Gardiston, is not hvlng," replied Gardis.
 Word having been received that the yellow fever has appeared on the coast, we have been ordered to take the troops few miles inland and go into camp imme- 6fofoiu Mice nnko Thn oe this house, on the bank of the river. hay ing been selected as camping ground for portion of the command, we called to say that you need feel no alarm at the proximity of the soldiers; they will be un- der strict orders hot to trespass upon your grounds.
 '.Thanks," said Gardis, mechanically: but she was alarmed; they both saw that. B II assure you, Miss Duke, that there is not the slightest cause tor nervousness. |" said the younger officer, lowing as he spoke.r~s @
 "Andsyour servants will not be enticed away, added the other ei a...s s.sWe have only two, and they-would not go, !" replied Garis, not aggressively, but merely stating her facts. BAT
 The gEmmer of Q smile crossed the face of the younger officer, but the other re- mained unmoved,.
 1'My name. madam. is Newell, David Newell. captain commanding the company that will be encamped here. I beg you to send me word immediately if any thing occurs to disturb yoalquiee,n said.
 Then the two saluted the little mistress with formal courtesy, and departed, walk ing down the path together with quick step and soldierly bearing, as though they were on parade.
 a''Ought I to have asked them in ?'' thought Gardis; and she went slowly up to the drawing room again and closed the piano. ''I wonder who said 'bravo?' The youngerone. I presume. 7 And she pre- sumedi correctly. .--s At lunch (corn- bread and milk Cousin Copeland's. old-y oung face appeared promptly at the dining-room door, Cousin Copeland, Miss MargaTetta's cousin. was little old bachelor. whose thin dark hair had not turned gray, and 1Bhesey small bright Esyes needed. DO spectaeles: he dress ed always in black, with low shoes on his email fSG& 6efH K {e F AZ ~nIC5aa s,...s,