Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-09-25

Barton,s mother bad called hsx fayorite.
1t brought back = hi his by hoods
past particularly one Sunday evening
in his uncle's honse, whittier themoth-
ker in her widowhood, and in fatal de-
cline Of health, had brought her son
and committed him to her brothers
care. The whole scene passed before
his shaded eyes-the open window, the
lovely lawn, the summer sunset, the
gentle figure in the armchair. He
held, he remembered his mothers hand
while she sang the hymn, and she
leaned forward and kissed his fore
head at it's close. All this and more
revisited in the wilderness Harry Bar
tons thought, and wrought him
strangely tender mood.
ASK her to sing more" the men
clamored; and as through the window,
clear and distinct, the sweet voice sang
TIE old, old hymns, voice after voice
joined in. Such Sabbath evening had
not been for manya day. ii ever, upon
the wild western plain.
This was Miss Bessie's introd- ctlon.
and when, few days afterward, She
appeared, with her arm still in its sling.
but herself quite strong enough to wan.
der about the house and in the garden
beside the river, she was welcomed and
served with kind attentions by all,
Harry Barton seemed to have forgot
ten his antipathy to pretty women, for
no one was oftener by the side of Miss
Bessie than this young man; and al
though he still accom- panied the hunt
ing parties, he spent more time in look
ing for rare wild flowers for her than IN
chasing the wild deer and following
the roe" He brought her every day,
on his return from the chase, lavish
lunches Of crimson Indian pea. and
sky-blue star-grass, and evening prim-
roses. and golden sorrel; or clusters of
prairie-roses, saffron and red and white:
and even that lily, hard to find, the
miniature water-lily, fragrant and per-
feet, the fairy lotus Of the new world.
Many a talk they had, and Miss AL
ger, watching with great interest the
progress of their amity, observed that
the more they talked, the more they
seemed to want to talk, and the more
they were with each other, the m ore
they wanted to be. Especially one
moonlight evening, when Miss Alger
saw the two figures strolling slowly IN
advance of lounging group along the
greensward by the river, she felt that
they were talking heart to heart. And
so they were.
"If | had your brave, bright spirit
Miss Bessie, | might yet do something
in the world"
" Often" she said, "wnen l seem
most gay, my heart is breaking. 1t is
indeed; and I may say to you, whose
life is SO sunny, that you will hardly
comprehend, perhaps, that som etimes
sometimes in the darkness | have
been tempted to fly from life. If it
were not for my boy-and l must be
all to him-I have wished that l were
dead. | am surrounded by hatterers,
know. But there is no one entirely to
confide in, and to trust; at least no one
that /" And here Mrs. Rinaldo
paused.
The pause gave space for consolation,
and Harry Barton used the most
gentle, cheering words he could, but
they failed to remove the shadow from
the pleading, saddened face. As they
stood together silently a moment before
saying goodnight" an expression
crossed this clouded face that gave
Harry Barton pain; swift, vague, and
underlined, it awakened All emotion of
repulsion, of dislike. But it is difficult
for the generous heart to imagine guile,
and the depreciative suggestion of dis
trust was banished as soon as it was
formed. He said to her, with genuine
tenderness, as they parted OF the tardily
opened door:
Promise me that you will not brood
over your sorrow tonight; go to the side
of your little child, and try to sleep in
trusting peace. shall be wishing you
happy Dreams Promise me that YOU
will try to Danish gloomy thoughts, and
have happy dreams tonight"
Once more the look he liked not
crossed his companions face, once
more be banished vague dstrust. And
then they parted.
He decided to himself going home:
" l have sung songs enough with this
lmpvlsiue little woman. / fear she is
unconsciously giving me her heart. l
can not love her as man should love
a wife. and will not trihe with her. l
bid her good-by tonight"
He took up a dropped plan of months
ago, said to his ever indulgent uncle,
Il have decided, Sir, to accept your
proposition of a year abroad" and one
week after the Friday evening walk
sailed for Europe. People thought he
had offered himself to Mrs. Rinaldo and
had been refused, and the circle of ad-
mlration for her was intensified by this
interesting belief.
Henry Barton studied while abroad