The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-12-25

go on"
And she did go until coming to the
insults heaped upon the gentle "Enid'
through the jealousy of her husband.
She closed the book, saying, angrily,
"That poem always proves too much
for my patience"
"Ah, but if you want those brave
knights of olden times you will have to
wink at such exhibitions of their lordly
requirements, aud drop your modern
ideas. It seems they oxacted some
thing in return for their wondrous deeds
of chivalry."
There was an air of sarcasm, q quiz
zi,al tone that nettled her, but she on
cealed the feeling and said, lsugbingly,
:sYou and I cannot discuss this question
without auarreling :; suppose we drop
"And so you are not going to finish
Enid 2" He reached for the closed
book. "Do You eve read 'Maud7'"
eyes but why do you like such senti-
mental nonsense"
He turned to it, and read the part
commencing
"Come into the garden, Maud.
For the black bat, night, has flown"
She had never heard him read be-
fore, and glad pleasure filled her heart
to hear h>r favorite poem 50 correctly
and finely rendered, as he went on
ether, has fallen q splendid tear
From the passion fl ,wer at the gate,
She is couting, my dove my dear
She il coming, my life, my fate
Frederetta comprehended that this
nan understood more fully than she
this exquisitely wrought description of
the grand passion that sways the world,
4s the rich mellow voice glided over the
stanzas, and a Decentralization quivered
in the words as he ended
"She is coming, my own nv sweet,
We're it ever go airy a tread,
My heart would hear her. and beat,
We're it earth in an earthly bed.
My heart would hear her, and beat,
al it lain for q century dead
Woul / start and tremble under her feet,
AMI blossom in purple and red"
"There," he said, "ind me a finer
piece OF sentiment than that. You know
the sudden transition the poem makes
from this highly wrought ecstacy of pas
sion to the depth Of wild despair. One
catches q are glimpse of the extremes
Of happiness and misery in a human
soul. But I can never fully describe
the feelings which some parts of this
poem stir within me-"
His face was flushed now !; she had
never seer him moved to this enthusi.
asm. She did not know that, apart from
the inspiration of the poem, the nectar
of love had made summer in his veins.
Day had mellowed into twilight, which
in turn had darkened into cool, dewy
night. Calm and pure the moon shed
her silvery light upon hushed nature.
The home of Frederetta was hushed to
repose. The flowers SLEPT with droop-
ing heads under the soothing influence
Of the goddess of night, from which the
odorous kiss of the sun should awaken
them on the morrow. No sound broke
the stiffness, save the chirp of the crick-
ct and the occasional note of q night
bird.
Just as the clock in the hall strikes
the midnight hour, a bright, lurid
square of light suddenly flames out in
the darkened space where the houses
throw their shadow. The windows of a
large on the second floor are one
broad sheet of fame.
Next to the room on fire was the one
occupief by Everett Reynolds.
A premonition of danger, such as
often comes to us in peril, awakened
him suddenly from hie slumbers, and
springine rom the bed, he glanced out
Of the window.
Hastily dressing, he rushed into the
hall, crying:
"Fire ! tre!"
At once all were aroused, and the Gus
tomary wild confusion ensued, the SER
wants and family rushing about to
ascertain the locality and extent of the
fire.
It WAC o found that no earthly
power could stay it's course. All that
could be done was to hurry and saw the
most valuable articles.
Frederetta. in a loose white wrapper
and unbound hair, was with the rest,
acting under the calm direction of Ever
ett-for even the master of the house
seemed paralyzed and the servants had
commenced to carry out the things of
least value, with the strange inconsistent
cy 80 often displayed in such csses.
The fire gained rapidly, but 70 active
had all been under the direction'o CT the
indolent, careless man, how for the first
time showing his superiority, that near
ly everything Of value had been re.
moved.
They stood gazing sadly upon the
burning mass which shot up red fame to
the calm, pure sky, rendering pale the
moonlight, and defacing the fair land
scape with g hideous blot.
Suddenly, a 81 arp, wild cry-a wall of
terror-sonnded above the cracking of
the flames.
"Heavens |" exclaimed Frederetta,
"Sarah sleeps in the attic. 1t is she
she will be>burned to death II And she
covered her face with her hands rs a
white-robed figure appeared at the win
dow, shrieking for help, and then sank
from sight.
Everett Reynolds began TO make pre-
paratlons to ascend q tall tree that rose
very near the window where the girl
had fallen. 1t was blackened by the
scorching flames.
eft will be sure death to attempt to
enter" said several voices. "The roof
is just falling in. You will both lose
your lives"
He paid no attention., but quickly as.
cended the tree until on q level with the
window, which Sarah had raised when
she had found out her peril. He vaulted
into the room. He almost stumbled
ever her insensihle form, for the blind
ing smoke nearly s~uffocated him.
Tongues of fame were already darling
through the roof, and the anxious
watchers below held their breaths until
he reappeared at the window with his
burden. He seemed to have the
strength of three men and the agility of
catas with one hand he aided his de.
scent and placed his burden on the
ground.
The cheers changed toanxious inquir.