The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1878-12-27

the lovely flowers that lay, in placid
white and golden beauty, on the bosom
Of the lovely forest pool.
II lay, the quiet pool, 10 the heart
Of the dense woods, where the sun
came shyly quivering down through
interlacing boughs. and even the noon
DAY air was cool, and odorous with
breath ~ lille on the breeze; the
swiftly flowing river made il, by =
sudden sweep and pause, coming, all
at once, upon deep, wide hollow in
the hank; it ran in there and hid Il.
srlf away. lying still and calm under
the lcsfy shadows, As IL resting from
it, race awhile, befbre hurryihg on.
ward to the sea.
A wild and solitary spot; so sill
that even the timid rabbit dared ven
ture To rest aad drink at the waters
edge, and the summer silence reigned
unbroken, save BY the songs Of birds,
and chirp and hum Of insects in the
waving grass.
Hther came On sunny afternoons
the village sesmstrcss, carrying her
baby girl, and piled Der needle patient
" through the golden hours, while
the child, securely Graded in some
mcssy nook beside her, played with
the sweet pond lilies and laughed to
the merry birds. She never wearied
here.
The shifting shadows Of the trees
(she would try to catch aud hold them
with her Tiny hands, } the dancing sun
beams, q bright. winged butterfly CO.
quoting with the breeres. or grey old
spider, weaving ay.trsps in the grass,
squirrel. a rabbit, above all, the Ill
les, held little spells Of wonder and
delight that charmed her I'll day long.
A delicate child, fragile and very
fair, she would nall asleep in the midst
Of her fairy treasures. aud then, in
deed, with blossoms all around her,
she seemed SO much akin to birds aud
beams. it was no wonder if tbs moth
er's heart ached with a sudden fear,
aud she cried, as she lifted her, still
sleeping, to her breast.
"God spare my baby to me! My
wee, white Lily. purer and sweeter
than the flowers !"
A strange woman. this seAmstress,
proud. silent, sad, living alone with
her lovely child, and never making a
friend; and as the years rolled on, and
the busy village gossips failed in their
efforts to find out all about her," it
came to bechari,ably whispered among
them that Mrs. Craven. "with her
high, fine lady ways" was probably
mo better than she should BE-" and
no doubt had excellent reasons for
keeping her tongue so STILL" And
thus she lived. among them but not
Of them, like q stranger, and piled her
needle busily, and bore their insults
silently, and knew that sheir children
were forbidden to play with hers.
Not that Lily lost any thing by this
rather the contrary. Thrown en-
tirely upon the resources of her own
graceful fancy for amusement, and
having her gentle mother for sole com.
panion and friend, she escaped the
contagion Of rustic vulgarity and con-
ccit, and grew up in the solitude Of
the grand old m,cds b. happy and in.
nocent a the birds.
Sweet Lily! wildly romantic and
utterly ignorant Of harm, she would
sit in her favorile forest dell like new
Virginia, weaving soti ancies Of the
bright ideal who would some day he
her Paul.
This was the dangerous lesson her
few books had taught her--to dream
of love. Halfunconsciously to herself
she sighed for such devotion as that OF
the fairy prince, who suffered enchant.
ment and hideous transformation to
rescue from danger the lady of his
soul.
"Will any one ever love me so ?"
her heart would say, And dreaming
thus one day. her neglected work ly.
ing UNDECIDED on the grass, while she
wreathed pond lilies 10 her golden
hair, she looked so lovely in her limo
cent grace to the wOrld-worn eyes of
one who had penetrated to the lovely
spot unseen. that he exclaimed, aloud,
in admiration
"How beautiful !"
Startled, she turned, as if about to
iy, but he stopped her, saying;
"Do not 90; il is ! who am in:rud-
ing. Only say that you forgive me
for alarming you, and ! will go this
n
She glanced up at him with shy Gu
riosity, too simply innocent 10 think
If fear. /,
There is nothing to forgive" she
simply; "Only no one ever
ONES here but me, snd-and you
tartled me.
81 am so sorry! Upon my soul"