Litchfield enquirer., 1877-09-06
isuMMERss GOLDEN DAYS.
tA CHAPrER I ~ aas lIsEA9a {.
5 sswSnan islat best eontrsdie.son stilLn


 zE h4fN TafIfstnE Eg---- si,.4zr.f .ssft. ts fs Iaf@ atis 'hAAtfl r Al lhh EAs 4alla. 8ili lIJ .s4d Iad ssswdanan sat best aeontfadiesiOn stnLn a. .1a I have an intense, inexpressible desire te go into the countryiI I have wild, un
 utterable longing to see the green fields. and to hear, the murmur of the river as 1t flows smoothly through the meadow at the end of auntie's garden;I have a mad impluse to throw myself down in, a hay held, and to toss the hay abont until am weary: but I can have none of these glor- i0us things. for it is the height of the London season, and mother will not let me leave home. Ithink 1t is very hard of her; but she believes she is doing her du- ty by keeping me in hot, wearisOme Lon don; aud she thinks I ought to have my chance as we'll as the other girls so she takes me about to concerts. garden par- ties. balls. ,fetes, and flower shows. until I B an in such whir of excitement that 1t is squite by chanee that I say the right thing to the right person, and do not do soms- fhin0 tfa asaku myself Ee kidleul0Hs and to vex my slstera.,s Mother thinks that it is Rilgil time one of hs was married; and as I am Ehs second, and am 921, all her ehier- gies seemst0 be expended on me this sea son. -~, n4 suppose it is because Barbara, my eldest sister. is snclra a lovely girl that she can pick and choose her husband, so that there is no fear of her being put on the shelf, and that there is plenty of time for Helen. who is only just out that another pitches on me to torment nunmercifully just now.,a9 4 -,93,I494 ,.ea q 9o June is so hot in London. and do long for the country; and yet I am so strong and well that my longing does not make me look pals,l and late hours do not even lake the slustre from. the, roses in my cheeks, or l might appeal to mother s heart, and then she would let me go to the country to freshen up my beauty.
 liam not tIa, bit beautiful, though; only I am young, and all the Heseltines have good mouths and pretty figures, so come ID for those two attributes just in the same way as4 get any name of Lois Hessltine.
 | am sli this time dreaming of the coun- try and of pleasant things instead of dress ing for dinner, and the bell will ring di- fectfy and shall be late, and father will look grieved and mother will scold, and l shall not be one bit nearer Coolmory. .- !" h the midst of my meditation Helen comes into my room, and says father is waiting for me before he tells us all a piece of ne~s.io .H es Ii5O .z5uI a 9 Lquickly change my dress while Nellie gets out my ribbons and frills, and before long we are all eagerly listening to fathers stories. 'aa 35iiaa97 i5t tioitbf7 ,H # 'ld 8 He tantalizes us by making us guess his news. and after refusing to do SO we all make the most lamentable failures in that line. until say, (my mind still full of the country:)o ssbas4@a 7tlaefe ..=.. :. i 'Has it anything to do with the. Cool moEy people ?"' t..s-;.r.e, f.-. t..... E Then father says:
 ''Lois' guess is the nearest, for Maggie is going to be married this day fortnight, and she wants Lois to go down at once to h he!g her make preparations and llf to be e her ii .!And how did you hear it, father ?'' Barbara asks, as she absolutely looks in- terested about Maggie: for we are all very fond of onr only cousin.
 "Well, the yonng man came to see me at the office to get my consent. as I am her guardian; but as your amt and Mag gie had ,already settled everything. there was nothing left for me to do except to give them my blessing, which did most heartily. 'gs ado.iaS.agag a1 @a9
 Mir. Stfaford is gentlemanly young fellow, and has been curate, at Coolmory for year; he has just been presented with a living and nothing will con- tent him but to marry Maggie of hand, so that they may take holiday and we'd ding tour in one, before they settle to his parochial work down at Westbury.5s.
 s'It is very annoying that Maggie's we'd ding is to take place just now" mother says; and then continues: .sWhy could she not have asked Barbara or Helen to be her bridesmaid instead of Lois? But they alwayslwere such friends. I suppose l must let her go;" and then father decides the question at once. and adds: g" s' s'Of course Lois must go. aud after the wedding she must stay with Aunt Mary until Maggie returns from her honeymoon expedition. "' ii''' &1 .'+| 7 Already I am wildly happy at the idea of leaving London, and happier still when I think that shall be out of all the gave ties that are set down in the engagement book. and which stretch out until the end of burning July. How l commiserate my sisters when I think of what they will have to go through while I shall lazily en- joy the lovely Summer weather down. at Coolmoryi 4af saa.' .a..
 Don't think am not fond of gayety, and even of London; but am weary of it all just now. and particularly weary of mothers efforts to get me married. .-.-
 l have never wanted to be married; but mother will insist on it, and seems to think it reflects discredit on her tact that she has still her three daughters on her hands, J0a Dig0g 51 .au1srtl. ...a. fa
 am quite content to wait until the oth- CTS are married, and then trust she will let me alone to enjoy myself in my own way, and keep father company, while she goes about finding husbands for other people daughters. ...ses. at....... B., .4,..
 l have no reason to grumble just now, though, for my wish is gratified. and am going down to Coolmofy' for six weeks holidays and shall only return just in time tor general migration to the coast or the Continent.
 Mr.a Strafford has been to see us and we alEagree with father i'm thinking him quite an unexceptiOnably agreeable young
 man. and mother considers Maggie g, lucky girl to have already secured such a prize in the natrimonial lottery. 39
 Heproposes to take me down to aun- ties on Monday morning: and as Maggie also signifies her approval of this plan in her letter of invitation. I agree to it, and am radiantly happy during the next three days. though l am taken about great deal more than I consider good for me. -s y..
 Monday at length arrives, and. amid kisses from the girls and innumerable' di- rections from mother about the length and it of my bridesmaids, gown. ! father slips q clean. crisp ten-pound note into my hand Mr. Strafford and I are at last driven away. ao}s1I3 @aE at 5i9}- CD 1lsL
 Then. and only then. I realized the gra- titioatiOn of being on my way to the eonn- try, and at the same time as happy . girl as was to be found within the bills of mortality. as somebody says. am leav- ing behind me all fthe gaYeties and so-call- ed pleasures of the metropolis, and all dear mothers plans for my future happi. ness. which cause me 50, much weariness ptspirit in tue pressntsd . ajqzAlLJ ladsa aidi 9Ism of sE,a7-71 bs44 .sfefa l gg a.S.4rA CHAPTER IT.
 ai.G,,,r Words are easy like the wind;
 Faithful friends are hard to find. .n fl ' .
 siAasi9aH aas IIF fg.sis. x Shakespeare.