The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-20
book. ''Do you ever read Maud 2 =
yes but why do you like such senti-
mental nonsense ?"
it, and read the part

il, and read the part
commencing
s'Come into the gardeo. Maud.
Fro the black bat, night, has hoWn.
She had never heard him read before,
and glad pleasure filed her heart to hear
her favorite poet so correctly and hneiy
rendered as he went on:
There has fallen splendid tear
Fl ON the passion flower al the gaze
she is coming, my dove my tear
che is coming, my life my late
Frederetta comprehended that this
man understood more fully than she this
eouisitely wrought description Of the
grand passion that sways the world as
the rich, mellow voice glided over the
stanzas, and hear vibration quivered in
the words as he ended.
'sshe Is coming my own. my sweet
Were it ever airy tread,
Bsy heart would hear her and heat,
We're il earth in an earthly bel.
Ny heart would hear her and beat,
Had Il lain for cao1dry dead.
Would start ard tremble under her lest.
And blossom in purple and rel"
''There," he said, "fnd me finer
piece of sentiment than that. You know
the sudden transition the poem makes
from this highly-wrougl,t ecstasy OF pas
sion to the depth OF wild despair. One
catches rare glympse of the extremes
ofhappiness and misery in a human soul.
But / can never fully describe the feel
ings which some parts of this poem stir
within me-"
His face was flushed now; she had
never seen him moved to this enthusiasm.
She did not know that, apart from the
inspiration of the poem, the wine of love
had made summer in his veins. =
Day had mellowed into twilight. which
in turn mad daIkened into a cool dewy
night. Calm and pure the moon shed
her silvery light upon hushed nature.
The house of Frederetta was hushed to
repose The flowers slept with dreop-
ing heads under the soothing influence
of the goddess of night, from which the
the odorous kiss of the sun should
awaken them on the morrow. No Osound
broke the stiffness, save the chirp OF the
cricket and the occasional notes of Il
night bird.
Just as the clock in the hall strikes
the midnight hour, bright lurid square
of light suddenly flames out in the
darkened space where the houses throw
their shadow. The windows of a large
room on the second floor are one broad
sheet of flame.
Next to the room on fire was the one
occupied by Everett Reynolds.
a premonition of danger, such as often
comes to us in peril, awakened him sud
denly from his slumbers, and, springing
from the bed, he glanced out of the win
dow.
Hastily dressing, he rushed into the
hall crying:
"Firei fire %
AT once all were aroused, and the Gus
ants and family rushing about to ascer-
tain the locality and extent Of the fire.
1t was soon found that no earthly
power could stay its course. All that
could be done WAS TO hurry and saye the
most valuable articles.
Frederetta, in a loose white wrapper
and unbound hair, was with the rest,
acting under the calm direction of
Everett=for even the master of the house
seemed paraIyzad, and the servants had
commenced to carry out the things of
least value, with the strange incon-
sistency so often displayed in such
cases.
The fire gained rapidly, but so active
had all been under the direction OF the
indolent, careless man, now for the first
time showing his superiority, that nearly
every thing had been removed.
They stood gazing sadly upon the
burning mass which shot up red flames
to the calm, pure sky, rendering pale the
moonlight, and defacing the fair lsnG-
scape with hideous blot.
Suddenly sharp, wild cry, wall OF
terror, sounded above the cracking of the
flames.
"Heavens P' exclaimed Frederetta
''Sarah sleeps in the attic. II is she; she
will be burned to death p And she
covered her face with her hands as q
white-robed figure appeared at the win
dow, shrieking ior help, and then sank
from sight.
Everett Reynolds began to make
preparations to ascend tall tree that
rose very near the window where the
girl had fallen. 1t was blackened by the
scorching flames.
cit win be sure death to attempt tc
enter" said several voices. "The root is
just falling in. You viii both lose your
lives"
He paid no attention, but ascended the
tree until on a level with the window
which Sarah had raised when she found
out her peril. He vaulted into the
room. He almost stumbled over her in
sensible form, for the binding smoke
nearly suffocated him. Tongues of flames
were already darting through the roof
and the anxious watchers below held
their breaths until he reappeared at the
window with his burden. He seemed L
have the strength of three men and tbs
agility of q cat, as with one hand hS
aided his descent and place1 his burdeI
on the ground.
The cheers changed to anxious inquiry
as he reeled over insensible. He had the
bravery of lion, had never known fear
but his physical strength was not equa
to great deeds of daring. The unusua
exertion brought on slow fever, through
which Frederetts nursed him. He
manner toward him had changed; sh,
| regarded him with difference which Ia,
was not slow TO perceive.
''Do you despise me as you used t.
do ?' ne asked, suddenly, one evening
as he sat in an easy-chair, supported b,
cushions.
''Despise you? I don't understand,
she said, consciously.
'I love you, Frederetta VIII yol
allow me to tell you so, or are you still
looking for one of the Knights of tn
Round Table p"
Their eyes met moment, and in her
he read his answer He drew her to
ward him, and pressed his first kiss upo
her lips. And so she found her hero.