St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1878-11-23

m beautiful and sonl-soothin SC
clesion. Here, among tic scene o.
roses and applebloo2l, from the
rir-mciess music OF bird-songs, the
!.;in o. hess ami the chirp of insects,
or from the tilulderoas dir.es u Il
: st3-ll among the hills. could
wyay. - eleaics = f,2tasi;t or cx-
,,;,y;..s MIA. uu:aolestcd, IS born
and measured by my mood.
Very late one night, when the old
moon hung white and S!iitcriny
above the tallest Western mountain
peaks, [ SIT alone IN lily room,
gazing through ny open wiudoas
upon the far-stretching orchards
Witlout---thc garden and the or
chards that waved IL the sweet
night -breezes, ike foalny sea
flushed with the god and rose OF an
aurora bolealis.
The call of i distant night bird,
the rustic % mouse IL the wains-
cotiDg, or the ereaking OF the uead
tree that grated against tie Will
iows that i,anked the portrait :
some sound that was neither Il song,
nor iIutter. nor asigh, startled re.
1 arose from ny recu!l bent ease
on sofa and looked curioUsIy
about IL.
The luminous, silyery splendor Of
the old ;noon-crescentlay .road and
clear down the length OF the room
and touched the picture of the
printed woman with an unearthly
ligat
As | looked, the vivid scarlet of
the lips, the lustre OF the azure
eyes. the coronal of dead-gold hair,
/ the eqaisite figure and lace seemed
to grow dim and fade away, and a
shroud of ghostly, blush white
cloud veiled the canvas from the
ceiling to the door. And then ont
Of the spectral c!ood grew a deli
cate, corpse-Gkc form. and with a
waving Of waxen hands and Il mes
meric gaze of eyes. that were Ike
two smothercd blue flames, trans
fixed me as il in 4 nightmare.
Z an Gcnevra KoMaine,' said
m Eolian voice that thrilled me.
You have oi.en looked upon me a.
was once, in the days OF my youth
and pride and loyeliness. My lady,
City years have come and gone
since those halcyon days. Shall !
tel You what my lie was like then?
Il was like that OF the shylarh you
|. found dead among the roses this
norning-the dead bird with Che
broken wing. whose heart had been
pierced, while it was singing toward
the sun, By d sportsman's needless
shot. It was like the lily you pinck
ed this morning, before it wrs torn
AID tralhplad by the strange blood
hounds that bayed at your gate. \
lilv and 4 lark-that WAS what he.
called me-the nan [ loved. My
lover was Col. Beresford. lie had
much wealth, and he was heir to a
title, and all I had was this little
house, with its gardens and fields of
roses and applebloom. But he
woocdme as Il gallant knight should
q royal lady, and became shis-wife.
But our marriage was at dead o..
night. in darkness md Secrecy. No
bridal bells were rung; I wore no
strange flowers, and bridal satins
and :accs. Tlere was no witness
of orr wedding VOWS save the one
a:cly.e ot the weak old priest who
read tire service and heard orr
promises. andldeclarest us nan and
wife. But 1 Was satisfied and happy
with my handsome, d.,rk-eycd nus
baad. This house WAS our home,
this very room our marriage cham
her. | Ioyed the place, fol- here |
was born and here my parensG dice;
[ loved it with an eternal love. and
when my husband was made Count
Beresfurd, l was 10th - :eaye it for
his home aefosss the sea. AAt first
mr. husband laughed AT my foolish
fondhcssS fol.ihe place wllsfc7beassdi
wooca and won rae. He said he
mus Gaze his singing lark IN his
beautiful English castle; that he
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