The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-04-03

path when you and Edith live here in
my stead, rs hope you'll do, after the
gathering of the next tea-crop, and set
to to feather your nest, as her mother
and have done. I thought better
things, too, of the overseer-that Han
Gorain, who, before some heather bogie
scared him, was a shrewd and reliable
servant. But never mind Come in,
Musgrave, come in The parson from
Nyree Tai is here already and you must
help the bride expectant to entertain
him until dinner time"
Pretty Edith, who was on the morrow
to become my wife, smiled away any
uncomfortable feelings which the con-
duct of Han Gorain and his companions
had left behind and neither she nor
her parents, nor Mr.. Edwards, the
clergyman, who had come over expressly
to perform the marriage ceremony,
seemed to attach any importance to the
panic among the coolies.
cit was something" explained Mr..
Warren, "about Alph Dagh, the Big
Mountain, at the foot of which we live,
but l have been a planter here too long
to care for the tattle of coolies. They
are like children who talk of the nursery
ghosts until they see it in every dark
corner. A delightful life 1 should have
led here, had been credulous."
And with that he dismissed the sub
iect, and the evening passed genially
enough. Later on, however, after the
whispered farewell to my sweet Edith
in the porch, draped with the glistening
leaves and big white blossoms of the
Indian creeper, after the ride home to
my own dwelling among the hills, and
when my head rested on its pillow, a
vague sense of insecurity beset me
afresh ; and even when fell asleep my
dreams were troubled and sad, not such
as should visit the slumbers of one on
whom the world smiled as it did on me,
George Musgrave, The dawning of the
new day my wedding-day-however,
chased away the clouds from my mind,
and when I mounted my horse to ride
to Yirmi Sou, attired as q bridegroom
should be, my heart was light and full
of hope. Edith loved me better than ]
deserved, I knew that and it was her
fathers intention to establish the young
couple on his own fine plantation, while
he and Mrs. Warren returned to Eng
land to enjoy their well-earned COM
potency.
The day was ine--,no rarity in the
East-but sort of silvery haze hung
over the peaks northwards, and there
were frequent gusts of ice-cold wind
rushing down from gap and pass in the
rocky range that forms the boundary of
India. l rode on, and presently from
an angle in the mountain road caught
glimpse of the "Twenty Springs" as
Mr.. Warren's thriving station was called,
with its gardens and meadows, and the
now deserted plantation and til empty
huts of the coolies. Then l turned the
corner and saw it no more, but even as
it vanished from my eyes I heard a
strange, deep sound like that of distant
thunder, the nature of which I could
not divine. My horse suddenly snorted
and reared and then stood trembling,
and could scarcely be urged forward.
While 1 was in the act of STOPPING for
ward to pat the Arabs glossy neck,
speaking soothingly to him the while,
there broke upon my ear sullen roar,
louder, nearer at each instant, and cul-
minating in a crash so dreadful that the
simultaneous discharge OF Thousand
cannon would have seemed puny when
compared with it.
Deafened, dizzy and confused, 1 dis
mounted from my frightened horse, now
wholly unmanageable, and hurried on
foot to a spot whence, as remembered,
Edith's home was in sight. The air was
thick with dust and withered leaves, but
as the prospect grew clearer could see
no trace of the bungalow, of its home
stead and gardens, or of the thriving tea
plantations and verdant meadows around
it. Vainly did strain my eyes to catch
one well-known feature of the familiar
scene. Nothing was visible save dreary
waste of stones, mud and rocks, filing
up half the valley, and above which
hung cloud of tawny dust that was
slowly subsiding.
As I stood stupidity gszing on the
scene of ruin, I caught sight of man,
bareheaded and with with scared white
face. I knew him. 1t was the young
clergyman who had come over from
Nynee Tai to perform the marriage
ceremony between Edith and me.
"Mr. Edwards ?" said, inquiringly,
as neared him.
He caught my hand, covered his face
and burst into tears. Then for the first
time I realized what fear was.
"For PHYS sake, tell me all !" cried
I hoarsely. els Miss Warren - Is
Edith safe2 What has"
"Of all beneath that roof-the rooi
of Mr.. Warren's hospitable house,
alone am spared" answered the clergy
man in broken accents "Death, the
grim mower, has garnered in his harvest
there"
The cause of the disaster was but toe
evident. A stone avalanche, or moroint
as it is called in Switzerland, had rushed
down from the unscaled heights of the
huge mountain towering above Yirm
Sou, and had overwhelmed all beneath
it.
"I caught a glimpse of Miss Warrei
- 4ln r,ardan aa the STONY food hurs