Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-06-19
Doves of Fire.

ton with life. Yet, excepting for this mys-
teal glow of mental atmosphere transfgur-
ing common things, the day was much like
other days. To Eva they were all homespun
days, and, as almost every one would have
said, unenviable days for youth and lowell
ness and superb health like hers.
She had been'busy in the house all day,
and busy chiefly in the kitchen, as moulds
OF jelly and rows of currant pies testified ;
besides an immense federal cake iced for the
Fourth, and two pans of "angel biscuits"
as the children called a sort of biscuit to be
eaten cold, which Eva made as no one else
could.
She was standing by an upstairs hall win
dow, a western window, that caught between
cleft of deep blue hills perfect sunset
when her father, coming through the entry
to go from the house, paused and joined her
Her father was the village doctor-a man
beloved the country round one of those
clear, bright, genial spirits that we never
can associate with sorrow and infrmity, ex
cepting as the exorciser of both. The only
grief that had bowed him-and that only
bowed him with a look of age, not of sorrow,
for he wore no sign of the veritable trouble
was the death of his beloved wife.
"Cooling yourself, Eva 2" asked the doc
tor, as the girl, kneeling by the open win
dow, turned to him with her face still flushed
with the heat of labor.
"Oh, father DEAR" said Eva, caressingly
and so drawing him with loving look and
touch that, clasping her hand in his, he act
ually went down on his knees beside her
there at the window" oh, father dear,
Dish you could stay home this evening and
go with us to see the fireworks. They will
be something very remarkable Mr. E
has planned them himself and he has lore
to inspire him, you know they say his
wedding day is fixed for August. Do stay,
father. You never take any enjoyment Seel
was there ever a sunset like that 2"
Better fireworks than you'll find to-
night, Baby" said the doctor with dreamy
look in his kind eyes" fireworks good
enough for me. Those clouds there look
| like doves of fire."
Doves of fire The expression haunted
Eva. Unable to prevail upon her father to
remain to see the wonderful fireworks of
the evening, which were to be in part cele-
bration of town festival, aud in part
tribute of one of the most noted Of pyrotech-
mic artists to his promised bride, native of
| the sequestered mountain town where Eva
| lived-unable TO coax the good doctor TO
contradict the habit of a lifetime and yield
| duty to pleasure, she watched him drive off
| in his familiar sulky.
Doves of fire She kept thinking of these
words as she was dressing the children,
| Josy and Joe, with many pet phrase and
| bit of advice for their conduct at the enter
| tainment; and then, having settled them
with picture-book, hastily dressed herself.
| How lovely she looked, when she came for
them, in her white gown and white rigo-
lette and light blue shawl
OFF they went, hand in hand, these three,
| through the village which was almost de-
| serted, to the bank of Cedar Creek, the scene
of display, where the course was crowded.
| Hundreds of incongruous vehicles blocked
the by-ways beyond, and the avenue under
the willows and great elms--the "Creek
| Road " bordering the ripping stream, was
| thronged with knots of people eagerly cling
| ing to some propitious stand point, or ca
gerly pressing to the edge of the stream, for
a clear view of the spectacle they had come
miles to see.
Eva Morrison is this you?" The ques-
ton was aked by a rapidly moving and very
intent young man, who came suddenly TO a
halt With his arms full of mysterious
looking rocket frames, he was crossing the
high road in the direction of foot-bridge
that had been cast for the grand occasion
across the creek to an island or sandbar,
chosen for its valuable resources of isolation
and water reflections for the scene of the
| fireworks.
ais this you?" The pronoun had pro-
nuncation aud emphasis intense in the ex-
treme. Eva started, hesitated, and then
cordially extended her hand.
"George Warner How you've changed ~
This was the involuntary exclamation of her
lips. How you have not changed p was
her unspoken thought, to which he replied
aloud
Not changed to dear old Cedar Creek,
nor to my friends here. Five years Yes,
it is some time in a mans life-and in a
| girls life too, Eva
"These are my little pets" said Eva, pre-
senting Josy and Joe. "They +" were babies
when you were here"
George Warner kissed the children, and
gave one long kissing look-if so a look may
be descrbed-at Eva, and then said hastily,
for the throng swayed and was pushing
them, =" Let me find good place for you all
as / must leave you. | am Mr.. E-'s
right-hand man tonight, unfortunately. Let
me see where can place you. want you
TO have good view of all the pieces, es-
pecially of THE Doves They are a new
design, expressly made for this evening by
E himself The green fire--the olive
branches dropped from the doves beaks-iS
the most costly color we use. There,
think, under that willow tree, discover a
place" And there he conducted them
Then, hurriedly, with but one parting word
May see you tomorrow, Eva?" answered
by smile, and by slight but definite re
turn of the fervent glance and the ardent
pressure of the hand, he left them.
Doves of fire This was Eya's haunting
thought. The words rang in her ear anC
in her memory through all the talk of sur
rounding friends and all the care of the littl,
ones, and through all the subtly sweet sens'
of George Warmers return-George Warner
so changed, aud yet not changed
What a noble-looking man he had be
come that youth her school-day friend tn
sworn lover of her childhood, whom she ha'
; not seen in five years, and from whom il
four years she had only heard indirectly fo
their correspondence, kept up diligently 70
! a year, ceased when he went abroad.
Doves of fire The words haunted he
through all the magical display. Their
were no great pieces, such as we see in cit
I, parks but there were innumerable grouping
and combinations of minor fireworks tina
, were far more beautiful, and the doves lii
ing their white and purple wings and beal
: ing their emerald olive branches were tn
beauties of the evening, the finale d'dctio
! of the display.
u Eva, with her little brother and sister, wen
home She fancied that she heard rapi
> step behind her, and within a few steps {
!, the gate George Warner came TO her sid
e just before the gate-noticeable as the
u turned into the dewy garden walk, stoo
u old Dobbin and the empty sulky. "Fatht
has come home" said Eva and so she sci