Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-09-07

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now his duties became light and cheering
and he sang and whistled at his work.
The overseer at the mills was MIR. Gray
son, and with him Paul found a home.
Mr.. Grayson's daughter, Della, was
beautiful, light-hearted, true-splrted girl
of nineteen. She was one of those blonde
beauties whose whole presence was sun
shine, and her merry laugh rippled like the
music of the dancing waters in the pebbly
brooklet. The student of human nature
who heard that laugh would unhesitatlng-
ly declare that only a heart Of native purity
and gentleness could underlie it.
At first Della Grayson, when she saw
that Paul Renford was weak and detected.
Esought to cheer and entertain him. She
had heard the story Of his great loss and
she pitied him.. She played for him upon
the harp and piano, and she sang to him
and talked with him. But by and by when
he had grown strong and vigorous, and
when his innate manhood had manifested
Itself, she grew shy and taciturn and
sought to avoid him.
And then for the first time in his life
Paul knew what true love was. For the
first time in his life he experienced that
feeling of devotion which leads the heart
to offer itself upon the altar Of faith in the
woman loved. He asked Mr.. Grayson if
he might seek his daughters love. The
overseer did not object
And Della? Had Paul been so we'll
versed in reading the human heart in its
native truth as he was in translating the
siren song of fiattery, he might have known
that the love of the beautiful girl was all
his own.
So, when Paul ReDford had been year
at Wildwood, Della became his wife, and
was happy-happier far than he had ever
been. And he was advanced in the mills
from q clerkship to a responsible agency,
and thus he had frequent occasion to visit
the city, but there was nothing in its din
and glare attractive to him, and he always
came home with deeper and more abiding
love for his IN fond hearthstone at Wild
wood. 4y
During the first year Of Paul's marriage
branch railroad was opened to Wildwood,
and thus they were within an hour of the
city; and the mill property was greatly en-
HANGED in value.
''Ah," said the young man one day, as
he stood upon the piazza of his cottage,
and looked off upon the rolling landscape
of hill and dale, that stretched away be-
yond the river, eff I only owned that strip
of land -
! at is certainly a fine prospect said his
/! Uncle Betterman, who had come up to pay
him visit.
"Aye," added Paul, land how it must
increase in value now the railroad has
opened this way.
| At this juncture Della came out and
/ called them in to tea. She took Uncle
! Arson by the arm and told him he was
her prisoner. And he bent over and kissed
her, and said it would be most blessed
| imprisonment.
+ Don't you find it so. Paul?'
sit is heaven where she ~ was Paul's
answer.
And upon that she left Uncle Arson,
and threw her arms about her husbands
neck.
| dear Paul, you are great blessing to
me ~ @
Shortly afterward the old merchant said
! to his nephew:
'Paul, do you ever find yourself longing
for the old life in the city,"
! ''Does the saved mariner look back with
| longing upon the fearful death he has es-
capped, and willingly return to storm and
Wreck?"
Il think not, my boy.''
''And can a man, in his full sense, long
life that brings only pain and unrest, when
a bright spirit like this holds watch and
ward for him over an earthly heaven?"
He held his wife by the hand as he
spoke, and his eye was radiant with alght
supernatural.
1t was on the following day-a beauti
full day in early autumn-that Paul and
Della walked out upon the gentle hill that
sloped up from their cottage. And again
he looked eff upon the grand spread of
landscape beyond the river.
"Ah," he said, eff 1 owned that land l
would do a great work, Della
"What would you dor" asked voice
behind him.
Paul turned and beheld his uncle.
eff you owned the land, what would you
do with it?''
II would make it bloom with life!'' re-
piled the youth eloquently. Think, now
that the rail is laid, how near it is to the
CITY, Think of the toilers there who might
find light and comfort in these healthful
shades. If 1 owned that land would in
vite capital to open it to the life that
ought to occupy it. would lay out streets
and portion off lots for dwellings, each
with it's garden; and 1 would call it the
Eden of Wildwood.''
"And suppose you had the capital of
your own, my boy?"
1.-THE Eden of Wildwood should be a
verify"
A shadow passed over the old man IS face,
after which there came shining light,
He reached out and took his nephews
hand.
''Paul, the capital is yours-the land is
yours"
Paul would have laughed if his uncle
had not looked so solemnly upon him
while he spoke. AS it was he simply ex-
hibited bewilderment.
II heard you express an earnest wish
for the land and I secured it for you, - con-
tinued Betterman.
| "Uncle, this is serious JEST 81
! cit is no jest, Paul. In one word-Por-
ter Lovett has returned.'' ti
"LOvett- returned?'' 1iJ
| Twas. o,,d vour fortuna 10 cofo -