The Portland daily press., 1877-01-06
From Harper's' Weekly.l
Miss Van Anden.
The Way She Gave Love and Gained III.

The Way She Gave Love and Gained HI.
Rosalnd, Down ON your knees
And thank Heaven, fasting, for good mans love .
"Whats the name of that great hill,
please?" asks stately young woman in
fashionable travelling dress, of her companion
on the next seat.
'Ye're stranger in these parts, mebbe ?"
returns the astute son of New England she
add esses, while he considers whether it is
best to trust her with the desired informa-
ton.
Miss Van Arden replies with stare.
From New York, naow?"
eyes"
'Dunno much about it myself-'spose you
do, though? '
But what Miss Van Arden knows about
New York is not likely to appear, for Just
then the train slackens its speed and stops at
the station of little town lying at the base
of Monadnock mountain. The naughty
frown with which the young lady has vainly
attempted to extinguish her inquisitive fellow
traveller clears off slightly as she steps out up
on the rough little platform and she turns
look Of reverent awe and admirati
"The inhabitants OF Judea fled to the hill
country In time of trouble, and thus l come
to you. old mountain" murmurs this young
woman with the discontinued mouth. care
you as calm and restful as you are grand and
statelyp
But if we are to know what has sent the
feet of this fashionable young lady straying
alone and unattended among the hillsiof New
Hampshire, it will be necessary to go back to
New York and find out.
Five days ago, the perspiring populace of
Gotham had groaned under the infiction of
fha hat ut oil horarn n1 10
be Miss Van Anden's birthday. Now to in
form you how she spent it will not only give
the intelligent reader an insight into the
young woman's character, but also explain
her flight into the hill country. Not that
Miss Van Anden celebrated the day in any
manner. That birthdays are invariably
snubbed by young women of 26 is notorious
facl that needs no explanation whatever.
In the morning, for the 49th time in seven
years Miss Van Anden informed Archie
Westervelt that she would not marry him.
The service was pretty well advanced when
her silken skirts rustled up the tesselated
selves together in the conventional attitude of
prayer the officiating clergyman began to in
tone that portion of the liturgy known as the
general thanksgiving. But when it was con-
cluded, no responsive Amen found its way to
her lips. Miss Van Anden was too weary Of
existence to be in any way thankful for it.
She sat the long service out with stolid sort
of patience, wondered why the sermon didn't
seem to mean anything, yawned furtively
now and then, and at the conclusion of the
last prayer rose to depart, carrying with her
the same old restless conscience and dis
contented soul, upon which benediction had
been pronounced, but no peace descended.
On her way to her carriage Miss Van An
den bowed to such of her dear five hundred
friends as fingered about her path. The Tay
lors nod to the Andersons as she passes by,
and remark:
show frightfully she has gone offP'
"The old mans money doesn't seem to do
her much good" suggests Harry Dupont.
Sand then that dear, delightful Mr.. Beck.
man ought to have had it any way" replied
little Celia Minturn.
As the lady in question drove away from
the sacred edice, her glance lighted on &C.
rard Beekman-the man who. eight years
ago, swore either to marry the he.ress or
break old Jacob Van Anden's will. He had
failed in the first undertaking through having
left one Of his letters where it was carried
straight to Portia Van Anden's hands, and
in the second through her own endeavors,
coupled with those of her lawyers. But it
was long struggle, and in the course of it
the heiress had learned to know the world
well, with its hypocrisy and sycophancy. She
took possession of her wealth with sore
heart, after the four years of weary litiga-
ton for Miss Van Anden had nearly
trusted her heart into Gerard Beekman
keeping before she learned to know his char
acter.
Late in the afternoon, Miss Van Anden
took her place in the front of small organ
in an alcove 10 her drawipg-room. Soon the
q VIC TUit "a nj n
that glorious psalm, "My soul shall flee as
bird unto the hills"
''Why should 1 not go to the hills ?" asks
Miss Van Anden. SIS there anything in
their grandeur and majesty Ito soothe and
curei this terrible soul sickness that thou
shouldst recomend flight thither, o King
David, sweet singer of Israeli" You were
weary and heart-siek while you sat upon
your throne amidst the glory and magnifi-
cence of Jerusalem. and 1 am sorrowful and
oppressed with the encourage of Jacob Van
Anden's wealth. Did they datter you and
lie to you and cringe to you and deceive you
mighty king! until you longed for the rest
and quiet, the immovable fixedness of the
everlasting hills?"
Three days after, Miss Van Anden's maid
was electrified by the following order from
her mistress; To pack small trunk with the
plainest dresses in the lady's wardrobe. On
the fourth day, the stately butler closed the
great hall door after his mistress; and
thus # Is at the end of the fifth we find Miss
Van Anden vainly endeavoring to ascertain
the name of Monadnock from ''son of the
SOIL" whose characteristic precaution pre-
vents him from parting from any information
without first securing an equivalent in kind.
But we left the young lady in an agitated
fro IF mil nd rdi ru hor
Miss Van Anden proceeds to inquire at
the station if she can procure accommoda-
tons at the hotel. She had no particu lar
reason for stopping at Monadnock, but she
has travelled all day, and is tired. some hill
Is as good as another in all probability; and
here is one that stands grand and stately
among his fellows"
But, satisfactory as hills may be, humanity
must eat and sleep. The gentleman who pre-
sides over the tickets and telegraph wires at
once inspects her critically, and finally con-
descends to inform her where the hotel is to
be found. Then Miss Van Anden secures an
interview with the proprietor of that estab-
lishment, and the scrutiny she receives from
this individual reduces the inspection of the
ticket gentleman to mere trife. She is shown
into the long supper room, where party of
laborfng gentlemen are introducing their sup
per into their mouths by means of murder
Gus looking boue- handled knives. s"Them's
the help havin' their tea," explains the keep
er of the hotel; and then Miss Van Anden is
to the care of one Sally, who as
sists her to her supper and sits down to join
her at the repast, in most engaging and
friendly manner. Miss Van Anden is dis
posed to be little amazed at first. but she
suddenly remembers having seen Mr.. and
Mrs. Barney Williams play "Customs of the
Country" and she begins to understand mat
tiers more clearly.
In the morning she sends for her host, and
inquiries II there is quiet family in the
nelghborhood where she could board for
while.
Eyer wouldn't like to stop with us?" in
quires the New England BoDiface, whose
eyes have caught sight of Miss Van Anden's
plump purse, She remembers the "help,"
and thinks not.'
There's the Westons. They're ruther
pushed and want ter git somebody. The
school missus is there. Horace is there; he
amt doin nothin'. The old man thought he
was doing great things when he made miu-
lister of him, but guess he amt no great
shakes never ARMED cent yet that hearn
on"
SLOW many in the family?"
"Only them four. There's Z Suke; she
helps sometimes; but Lord they can't afford
to hire nobody"
Before night Miss Van Anden is settled in
an old farmhouse perched halfway up one
Of those strong and peaceful hills she has