The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-11-01

k1Es@ND ~.
Under the guns,
Under the guns,
underthe gansof Try fort on the hill
: Bret Harte, ia London Society.
ADEL1KA.
1t was the dsy after New Year's--a cold
clear Tuesday morning that disconsclateIy
wends1 my way To school, wishing that hOl
idays came oitener and stayed longer, and re-
gnt.ing hat out Of ffty-,wo there was ONLY
one week Of uninterrupted pleasure
The old red school house 500 at the june
tson OF three roads. and as | raised The little
hill Just before reaching IL | saw. coming
from the opposite direc' ion, little black
Clad figure that looked like moving blot on
the unbroken whiteness of the snow covered
landscape.
| never could tell What actusted me to lin
ger on her movements as | did, or why she
so ttrongly attracted me, but from the first
think must have loved the child, even be-
fore was old enough 10 slightly understand
the meaning of the word.
We reached the worn old door stone to-
fether, and. being boy, not at all afraid to
SPEAK TO any one, much less to a tinid little
girl, very cooiiy asked her If this was her
first day at school.
Yes; and / dread il so much y
It was the sweetest voice tad ever heard
or have ever heard since. The peculiar lis
ing ieEIection on the last word was like the
short, clear low notes OF bird, aud as purely
natural
aDo you come every day -
Haven't missed day this winter"
"oh, l am so glsd.n
Why are you 50 G ad? .
Because you are good boy, Won't you
llease tell rue your name
" Edward Durznd."
~ like The name she said, sweetly, and,
boy as / was, | wondered how any mortal
tyer came by such an angel smile. All this
time she had betn tying 10 unite the round
1orsted strings of her hood. but had only
succeeded in drawing them in o harder
knot
'sWont you please unite Il forme, Eddie ?''
She held.up her little c0ld chin, and witnnat
hestating Ebent down and did as shs re.
auested. 1t was such tender to7fidng
little face-who could help loving IT,? pat
led encouraging the iole red cheek turned
toward me in gentle iruthfulness, and bade
her not be afraid. for she had as good right
10 come to school as zny ore.
Halo where did that little black bird
come from ?" cried hard hearted Ben Phii-
lips as we entered .sCome along. little girl,
and get warm, for you look II frozen.r
A general tittering and nudging followed
Bens energetic seating Of the new scholar.
and one ssucy little mink, not understand.
ing its sgnihcance, asked pertly:
What are you looking so like crow for ?
hate black dress"
Hush y reproyed an older girl. who over
heard the remark. Hush, Sue don't you
see she IS in mourningp'
The voice that had SO charmed me in the
entry answered the question in strangely
quiet way.
"My father is deld r
A hush of death fell upon the noisy group
gathered around the old cracked stove. The
pnwonted silence was broken by the entrance
oi the teacher who Immediately raped us
ia order, after which he hriskly called up the
new scholar.
What is your rame?'
"Adelina.p
"Adelina Lagrange. suppose; and on are
the daughter OF the lady who has lately takea
the Baldwin cottage
Eyes, sir.n
"Well, you may take this seat" pointing
10 bench not far ffom where | was sitting
and with no further questioning Adelina had
passed through the trying ordeal of = first
day and was duly cosuted onv Of us.
Ter mother, II waa rumpred, was 4 lady oil
pent and culture, but very piold ana
n...a iD ber demeanor for person who
Ie1eis 81 81 ged TO teach music tor living, Mrs.
oote at any rate, was young, handsome
s i.as 'aa.ss..,tly widowed--at iessG the len tn
AnI Ass of her veil indicated to observ-
irs u fea'inine :, that the bereavement was
recent, and that is all t.gGss gossiP' knew aSoot
her -s,, -
The summer term brought Adernssl again
10 the old red school house. bat 50 changer
otitwArdly that we hardly knew her for the
sombre "bIackbirdp Of the previous winter
She fiuttered in one morning dressed in
white with sash and shoulder knots OF cher
ny ribbon--the loveliest C eature ever saw.
At noon she came to me and said very
sravely;
"Afisr to-day ] am not coming any more. /"
~ am going to the city to live; but you
were kind TO me the tirst day, and tell you
for that reason and because you didn't mind
untying my hood for me-"
l felt her going SO keenly that could not
stuGy, try IS l would, and III consequence
my grammar lesson was u decioed failure. i
went home from school her way that day,
taking care that the otLer s5holars should not
suspect my motive.
When came in sight Of her she was stand
ing motionless by the ROADSIDE. attentiyely
watching yellow jacket buzsing for SWEETS
In the doWny heart OF d white Canada thistle.
Years after, when miles and miles away
from that spot, could shut my eyes OF a
bazy October afternoon, with a O'Clock sun
dipping towards the tree tops, and see q little
girl, lovely as the blush OF the sunset, gazing
pensively At bee upon common roadside
flower.
"Didit sting your / asked, assuming a
very sympathetic arr.
No Dtee never clItlk d1u 1 We WdtCutN
them dance on the thistle heads all summer"
Il did not know that 3ou loved them
Most girls are afraid OF bees"
fes. but | am not"
She turned fiom the rank patch of tbistles
and slowly resumed her WALK homeward.
WLea we came 10 the lane wLeFe oar
paths separated she put up her little arms %
be taken and kissed before leaving me, as she
sale, TO come back no more.
BE good to yourself, Z Idle, and next
winter. If any little lonely Adeliaas come
= cold and frightened TO the old red school,
house yonder, te kind to them, AS you were
10 me-
Something choked in my throat. and l
could not say word; but kissed her more
than once; and after she bad slipped from
my arms and was twenty rods away, sat
down and cried like a baby, because / was
never to see Adelina again.
Il was not long before the rumor was rife
in the neighberhood that Mrs. Lagrange had
married middle aged city milIionaire, and
that the young widow and her child had
found a new protector in the place OF the one
death had taken from them
Years fitted by--I was "a; | had fought
Through the great rebellion entered lhe army
private and came cut of it q general, shAi-
ieied in health, aid utterly depleted Ia
pocket, to find myself at home sgaiD. ill and
altogether distfusIful Ct fortunes sIntie.
In my frequent walks ID the vilisge posi
ctiice, often passed by the old red school
oase, and never wi,hous Sigh OF regret for
the many happy, tare-free days spent Within
Is battered walls.
Among the letters handed 10 ME ore morn
ing gssone post marked New York, whith
INFORMED me OF the agreeable fact that
trough the fundamentally OF friend q
nine whom be was anxious TO serve. the un
ders;gueti Mr.. Maxwell, had been inducs tc
sxtzirss 20 me q numerical opening at hs
liberal "a AIRY OF 81. .000 year, to be increased
II n.erised rhere was fortune for rue in tue
oift.r. Rpd acceptedit with alactity
MIR. Maxwell. rich New York merchant
froln the first took a lively iDterest in my ad.
sancslntnt. The unknown friend could no
acenupt for in any other way lhaa by sup
posirg him to be some soldier comEade whom
hsd lefriended In the past.
Within s month was fairly established al
my new post OF duty, and succeeded in plest
NJ Mr. Max well so well thst al the begit.-
int Of my second year be sent ne 10 Europe
IN The inlefest Of tue house. When re
turned-t was given weeks vacation, which
spsnt among the breezy hills of my old
sumner home, passing the pleasant Septem-
ber days In tramping through the woods an
tsl,5o a,,d hr.spavs that were the cllOseI.