The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-01

I
The sound Of the huntsmen's horn
was heard in the forest. Nearer and
nearer it came, more and more anxious
and nervous grew.
Lord Bothwick was the first to emerge
from the wood, but he was followed i'm
mediately by my comely stranger, bear
ing upon his palfry a brace Of pheasants
and hare.
He rode close to where I stood, un-
able, or unwilling TO move. II seemed
that ] was enchanted.
Refining in his steed with another
flourish as gallant as when be had first
bowed in my presence, he threw the
hare at my feet, and wheeling, galloped
away, waving his hand in adieu with a
grace that 1 had never seen excelled,
aud leaving me dumb with supersti-
tious admiration.
I had been a peculiar child. From
my earliest recollection had been the
victim OF strange visions, emaDatiDg ]
knew not whence. But they were suffi-
cient 10 give a strange coloring TO my
ideal existence, and were destined tC
lead me into many silly actions in my
search for their solution.
I had wished for a hare for my in.
valid mother, and here it lay, at my
feet The fact was to me a revelation
l felt that a prayer for the well-nigh
/ impossible had been answered.
We had a stout old servant, an heir.
loom from the maternal side, who ruled
the house as with a rod of iron. Ny
mother had been her protege from in
fancy, and through all her vicissitudes
the good, gruf old dame had clung to
her, though the pay was small and the
service anything but light.
laws, childl ye must be the very
DEVILS own TO thus bewitch the hand
some stranger gentleman" the honest
soul exclaimed, holding the rabbit alofl
by its ear, aud eying it with a longing
not unmixed with awe. "Your mother
shall have some broth now, the poor
creature, though she'll not be willing to
eat it, seeing We can't all have a mess. "
"Never mind, Hannah. God sent the
hare, and the stranger, too. Never you
be afraid of the devil" answered,
hotly.
The explanation satisfied the dame,
and she departed to the rear end of the
humble home to prepare tue nourishing
repast, while I sought the side of my
mothers couch for companionship aud
solace.
You're a good girl, Ethel"
knew my mother was well pleased
with the gift I had brought, else she
would not have called me Ethel. lily
first name, Mary, was not her favorite
appellstion. Ethel was her name, and
had been her mothers, and knew il
was the honored cognomen Of a long
line Of once illustrious ancestors.
'Tm only burden on your fathers
hands, but I shall soon be with the an.
gels. Open the window and let me looE
upon the low mountain range that sep
arates me from my childhood's home
I did as hidden.
The scene was tame, compared {,
many I have since beheld, but to my
latest hour I shall never behold anoths
half so dear.
A long line Of undulating purple haze
picked to a sharp point here and ther
in patches, bounded the west, and
tidal river ebbed or flowed hard by tn
lawn. a boat, with a white sail, wa
standing at the rivers mouth, as thougl
preparing to take advantage of the flow
ing tide. Groves of heather dotted
nearby hillside on which sheep ant
cows were pasturing. Lord Bothwick'
castle peeped from the heights beyon'
the forest, its ancient moat reveale,
here and there through openings in th,
! trees, made by feudal lords in the van
dalism Of almost forgotten centuries
Far away the blue ocean played will
the ragged hem of the earth's garment
the evening breezes waiting to US {
| faint, mountainous roaring, like tn
distant groans Of spirits in torment
"Aly child, 4 shall not live long
said my mother, "and / want to TAX
advantage Of this, maybe my last oppor
tunity to warn you against running
away to be married. I did it, and be
hold me Poverty, illness, and a nu
merous family are my portion. wish
when you marry, that you would go 4
America. Caste is not known there a
with US. DO not expect you to becom
the wife Of your equal. Gentle bloc,
runs in my veins, and 1 am sure, il
your fathers also, only we eanno
prove it. See if my broth is ready
dear. God bless you for praying for th
hare for me-"
In her simple faith my mother fnll
e believed in the efficacy Of my suppose
l petition to Jehovah. Had she reasone
e closely she might have questioned IN
= ma ilioility Of a system that failed Il
;, all essential points, in preventing owe
g increase IN her family aud over decrsas
IN her husbands means of subsistence,
Z as well as in restoring her to healt,
but the superstitiously religious pev,
s reason, or If they do their conception
d the case invariably goes by logical d
d fault. But all great disappointments
:. this line were heDceforth to be cancel,
= in my fathers house by this one lit
apparent fulfillment Of q mental petite