The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-03
A NEW YEARS CALL.
4 Song Much Treasured In MY Memory.

Which ne'er forgot will be;
And Tor bonnie Annie LanTie
I'd lay me down and dee"
1t was my favorite song. I looked up from
the desk where was writing as the fresh,
young voice rang load and clear on the sum-
mer air, and, drawing the window curtains "a
little aside, peeped out at young girl in my
neighbours garden
A young girl us pretty, as blooming, as
pure-looking as the delicate white roses
blushing family in unconscfousness of their
beauty-that had stolen from their own trel-
lis to climb the grape arbor, by the side of
which, to pluck the fairest and sweetest, fop a
moment she singing stood
Then for another moment or two she fitted
hlther and thither among the other flowers,
the sun making gold of her flowing hair, until
some one called "Milccnt'' from the house
and thrilling the last line again, "I'd lay me
down and dee, like meadow lark, she van
ished from my sight
My .neighbor didn't know | was his neigh
Dor, though was perfectly aware he was my
neighbor. O
Twill explain. The cottage in Appleland, of
which | was occupying the second floor be-
longed to an old friend Of mine who had gone
abroad. Knowing that | was anxious to Sc
cure q secluded country home for a month or
two OF the summer so that might finish and
revise-well, no matter what, but work,
fatter myself, of some Importance, he had
kindly offered me the use of the rooms so long
as chose to remain.
Entire seclusion was my object in going to
my friends cottage, and that was thoroughly
understood by the old housekeeper, who never
made her appearance excepting at meal time,
and who had mentioned my arrival to no one
in the neighborhood.
After dark / used to let myself out at q side
gate effectually. screened from view by a
group OF grand old apple trees, and stroll
about for an hour or two, and then let yself
in again without any one being the wiser
Not difficult proceeding, however, / must
admit as my neighbours house and my
friends house were about half a mile from the
village on one side. with about two miles of
dense woodland on the other.
They had originally been built for twin sis
tiers, who, marrying, refused to be utterly
separated from each other, so only low
fence divided the front lawns and back gar
dens. O
My neighbor, as had discovered by peep
ing at him on sundry occasions. was an elder
ly, stout gentleman, with keen, dark eyes,
shaggy eyebrows, decidedly fiorid complexion,
study nose, stubby beard, stubby hands and
a projecting chin and upper lip. His house.
ing old lady. as stout as himself, q cook as
stout as her mistress, q coachman and gar
dener as stout as the cook. a rough-coated
awkward dog. answering to the name of
Dub, and a shaggy pony called Sis
Well here / had been domiciled for two
weeks, writing away as for dear life, as total
~ lost to the world as though had never ex-
listed, until the morning when I heard the
meadow lark singing Annie Laurie"
Who could she be? She didn't resemble my
| resolved to find out, if possible, and SO the
next morning l said careIessly, to the old
housekeeper, when she brought up my toast
and Coffee Have the elderly couple next
mo, sir" was the reply, mot chick or
child, which don't mean they havn't chick
Gus. sir, for they have only as the saying is
Never have had, and never will have sup
pose, at their time of life, unless by miracle,
though they're awful fond of EN-. Seems to
me as folks that are awful fond of young ones
they're 50 fond of 'em, not knowing what a
worry and care they are falling into ponds,
and out OF trees, and down stairs, and getting
the he. cholera morbus with eating unripe
"And the young lady," I interrupted, dip
ping a crust in my coffee and nodding toward
my neighbours garden, "whom | heard sing
ing yesterday was -
Their niece sir, and is to have all the
money when she comes Of age If she don't dis-
please her uncle. You see sir. Miss Mill
cents mother lived next door and her aunt,
her mothers twin sister, lived here They
were the !ovingest sisters you ever knew, and
ing daughter, Miss Mile, and the other a
sou, Mr.. Chester, and Mr. Gardner, now our
was their eldest brother, though he
he's the guardian, and Miss Milicent,s to
marry her cousin, and he's expected here on a
visit this very day"
l couldn't tell for the life Of me why l spill
my coffee on the snowy white tablecloth and
but do, and the old woman hastens to my
side and thumps me, upon the back with all
the force of which she is capable, and says,
Good gracious, sir, you
turned quite black in the face. Don't do it
again, sir, for what dreadful thing 'twould
be to have you dead in the house and every
thing been SO mysterious, and me p'r'aps ac-
cused of the murder" With which pleading
remark she hurries away to answer a ring at
the front door bell and then returns to tell me
has come. The driver made mistake and
stopped at our door instead of Mr.. Gardners
And very Incorporating young man he is,
too, one of those men who look as though
they would make good husbands and excel
lent providers, and she glances askance at
my papers, pens and ink, for as / had already
discovered the worthy old soul shared Emer-
sons opinions on the subject, and gravely
doubted the capability Of writer's and artists
and people of that ilk in regard to their TAX
all as to their utter incapablity of taking care
Of anyone else.
Breakfast over, I went to work again that
Is, tried to go to work, but my efforts were
head, and l .iumbled my historical facts and
the words OF the west Scotch song together in
such wild confusion that at last gave up in
despair, and putting my writing material
away [ determined to refresh my eyes and
brain by taking look at my neighbours beau
tiful garden.
AS | peeped between the blinds Bub came
tearing out like mad, ran around the grape
arbor three times, snapped at q grasshopper, !
jumped over the low fence into the meadow,
made some communication to Sis, who was
grazing there, and got back in time to meet
the two people who came sauntering up the |
garden walk
Milcent and the cousin a tall, slim, sharp
faced; passably good-loolling young fellow,
with his hair carefully parted in the middle,
a blue necktie and a faultess summer snit.
l glanced in the mirror at my own oobsti-
nate, curly, brown crop, that refused to be
parted anywhere, my cravatted neck and my
well-worn blue flannel, and | began to hate
him. Milicent walked beside him, her fair
head dropping and a smile upon her lips. |
She was dressed in white, and had a pink rose
3linging to her curls and one in her bosom,
and a. bunch of half-nppnad h111C at hpr holt