Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-22
aNistellanu.
Old Elspa.


was, which amounted TO pretty much the
same in its mental and moral effects. My
mother died when was so young that 1
Lad only shadowy remembrance of pale
face and a long, last clasp to the loving
heart l had been my fathers pet and
darling, and now he was dead too, and his
will had consigned me, just like bale of
goods, to the care and guardianship of his
brother, doctor, whose home lay among
the picturesque mountains of Cumber-
land.
was too impulsive," said the will, ,and
would " throw myself and my money
away before knew the value of either, if
| had no one to take care of me-" and so,
when my poor father died in the south of
France, where he had gone to winter,
uncle Ritson, who came barely il time to
lay him in the foreign grave, carried me
off ut once to his house on the bleak hill
side, gave me kiss as he lifted me out of
the stutfy vehicle which had conveyed US
from the station, presented me to my aunt
and consins with Il "Well, here's Adela!"
and told me to consider myself" at home"
1t was the beginning of January. in
tensely cold The sudden change from
warm climate had sensbly effected me.
was chilled under all my furs, and per-
hapS more chilled by the restraining influ-
ence of my fathers will. having ponderod
the" too impulsive " all through the jour-
ney.
Certainly, was not too impulsive :"
on my entrance to my new " home"
Aunt and cousins had met me on the
threshold with warm welcome, pressed to
remove my wraps and to make mo COM
Portable. There was huge fire blazing on
the hearth, a tea-table piled with north
country luXuries, and all that should have
made me feel at home; but something was
wanting and instead of responding to their
greetings in my own natural fashion, l
dropped into seat, after my first glance
around, and covering my face with my
hands, burst into tears.
have small, thin, quick ears | over
heard aunt Rison whisper TO Bella and
Winnie rs she drew them back:
" Hush! It's but natural, poor bairn !!
Leave our cousin alone, lasses; she will
come to herself all the sooner"
And did come to myself; but whether
my tears had fallen frostily on their hot
hearth, OF we travellers had brought chill
in with us, or my own manner did not in
Vite etfusion, q certain air of restraint
seemed to grow upon us; and when was
shown to the room set apart for me, and
left to myself, l flung myself upon my bed
and sobbed in passionate grief for my
dead father, declaring that was alone in
the world, utterly alone.
And this telling grew upon me. Look
ing back, am conscious that it was much
my own fault that | had not responded
with sufficient warmth and gratitude to the
relatives who had made room in their
household for one they had not seen since
she was a baby, and had met with open
arms and hearts.
They had heard that was gushing and
eXuberant, Il creature of impulse, and find
ing me reserved and languid, concluded
that l, accustomed to elegance and luxury,
could not brook the loneliness and retire
ment of my new life l was rich and they
were not. They mistook my morbid mel
ancholy for pride, and ceased TO press their
society or attentions on me, lest | should
attribute 20 them mercenary motives.
see it all now, but then l was blind
| had another grief at my heart besides
sorrgw for my dead parent and | fear
whenever my thoughts flew to that lonely
grave among the Pyrenees, l questioned
The policy which had insulated me from the
world-the world in which my hero livec
and moved-and prisoned my free soul
among those unresponsve walls of stone
In this rhapsody did not apostrophze
alone the four walls of the solid stone
house that, set against the mountain side
with background of pine, larch anc
mountain ash, looking SO cold and gray
staring with its many lidless eyes from il!
rocky perch above the struggling lake vii
lage, on the steep, unguarded roadway il
front, and the narrow strips of gardel
ground stretching like green arms on eli
ther side.
No, held converse with the mountains
They were to me the barrier between low,
and life and happiness, but it was only ol
their solitary heights felt free to give tn
feeling utterance, The thrifty household
ways of my aunt and cousins, which KEEP
them ever busy, were strange to me. NJ
dainty fingers had no acquaintance witt
rolling pin or paste board. 1t was not
who kept SO bright the mirror in which
saw my own beauty-aye,and my own un
appiness-retiected was supposed t
be mourning, and with mistaken delicacy
was left to do-nothing.
Had Uncle Ritson known it, or how
spent my time, he would have shaken m
up like II bottle of pbysic, and | shoul
have been the better for it. But whethe
on foot OF horseback or in his ancient gig
he was off in the morning. and frequent
was absent all day. His patients wer
scattered, and his rounds extended.
|, having no occupation for hands q
energies feeling myself something apal
from the rest, was off and way up tn
breezy hillsides to the lonely margin {
the lake, or into the most secluded glen!
my only companion my faithful dog; an
there, where there was only the wind t
answer me. poured forth all the pent-u
feelings of my heart and oft my gusts c
passion found utterance in song. At time
| took pencil and sketch-book with m
in these solitary wanderings, but ther
was ever one figure in the foreground c
the most picturesque scene, and ofte
enough the picture was there alone, tn
adjuncts all forgotten.
Al first, Bella or Winnie had borne N
company. but think they saw me longin
TO be alone and had my way, not will
out many cautions from my aunt.
What we're perils to me, chatting again:
the restraint of my fathers will, cryin
from the depths of my inmost heart fc
tlic JtlllouCN IOfCb WIZ NOuii hOfOt III
me in those solitudes, and longing fc
wings to traverse land and sea until foun
my home on his faithful bosomP
Lost in distractions. all danger was fol
gotten, and had paid the penalty but fc
guardian angel little dreamed of.
My first peril was from the mounhi
mist, which came down and around N
with bewildering suddenness, blotting OF
the landscape far and near.
Still thought ! knew my way, and W;
stepping onward, though with caution
when my dress was cutched from behln'
as fancied by some bush; turning to di
entangle it, was confronted with VIII
seemed in awful apparition loomin
through the misty veil. and with su
pressed cry, stood still in alright.
saw a woman's form, bent with age,
face intersected with lines and wrnkl
Ike II mapfrom which nose and chin stot
oEt Ike mountain peaks, and the sunkt
eyes CLEANED like fiery depths OF volcan