The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
Temple Bar.
FIRST EXTRACT.

looked out of the window, as the evening closed
In, before barred tho shutters aud drew the
curtains for the night The clouds hid tho
hllltops on either sdo Of our valley. SwirlinR
mists parted and met again on the lower
Bolpes, as tho varying breeze blew them.
The blactening waters Of the lake before our
window seemed to anticipate the coming
darkness On the more distant hills the tor
rents were just visible In the breaks Of the
mist telling their way over the brown
ground like threads of silver. II was dreary
scene. The stiffness Of all things was only
interrupted by the splashing of our little
waterfall at the back Of the house I was not
sorry TO close the shutters, and conne the
view 10 the four walls Of our sitting room.
The day happened TO be my birthday. ]
sat by The peat fire waiting for the lamp and
the tea tray. and contemplating my past life
from the vantage ground SO to speak, Of nay
fifty-tlfth year.
There was wonderfully little to look back
on. Nearly thirty years since it pleased an.
all-wise Providence 10 cast my lot In this re-
Amote Scottish hamlet, and to make mo minis
Yer Of CauldSirk on u stipend Of seventy-four
pounds sterling per annum. | and my sur
roundngs have grown quietly older and older
together. l have outlved my wife; / have
buried one generation among my parshon-
ers, and married another; have borne the
wear and tear Of years better than the kirk
In which minister and the manse and par
sonage house In which | live-both sadly
out of repair, and both still trusting for the
means of reparation to the pious benefactions
of persons richer than myself. Not that /
Hcompain, be 1t understood, of tho humble
position which / occupy. | possess many
blessings, and thank the Lord for them. /
have my little bit Of land and my cow. !
have also my good daughter, Felicia. named
after her deceased mother, but inheriting her
comely looks, Il Is thought rather from my
j self Neither let me forget my elder sister,
!. judith, n friendless single person, sheltered
/ under my roof whose temperament could
wish som, what less prone to look at persons
and things on the gloomy side, but whose
compensatlng virtues Heaven forbid that
should deny No; am grateful for what has
given me from on high and resigned
ID THAT hds been taken away.
w September l4.Thus fer had posted up my
Diary on the evening OF the thirteenth, when
an event occurred so completely unexpected
by my household and myself, that the pen |
may say, dropped incontincntly from my
hand.
It was the time when we had finished our
tea, or supper hardly know which to call it.
In the silence we could hear the rain pouring
against the window, and the wind that had
risen with the darkness bowling round the
house. My sister Judith taking the gloomy
view according to custom--copious draughts
of good Bohea and two helpings Of such
no effect In raising her spirits-my sister,
say, remarked that there would be ships lost
at sea and men drowned this night. My
daughter Felicia, the brfghtest-tempered
creature OF the female sex tnat | have ever
met with, tried TO give a cheerful turn to her
aunts depressing representation. IF the |
ships must be lost" she said, 1--WE may surely |
hope that the men will be saved" God |
willing, i put in-thereby giving to my |
daughters humane expression of feeling the |
iit religious tone that was all 1t wanted-and |
then went on with my written record of the |
events and reflections Of the day. No more
was SAID. Felicia took up book Judith
took up her knitting.
On sudden, the silence was broken by |
blow on the house door. Nj Y two companions
as Is the way OF women, set up a scream. / |
was staTtled myself, wondering who could be
out In the rain and in the darkness, and stTik-
ing at the door Of the house. stranger it
must be. Light or dark, any person In or
near Cauldkirk wanting admission would
side |
OF the door. l waited awhile to hear what
might happen next. The stroke was repeated.
but more softly. 1t became me as n man and
o minister to set an example | went out into
the passage and called through the door
"Who'S thereY
A mans voice answered-so family that I
could barely hear nina lost traveller"
Immediately upon this nay cheerful sister
expressed her view of the matter tbrough the
open parlor door. Brother Noah, it's d rob-
Der. Don't let him in ~
What would the Good Samaritan have done
In my place? Assuredly he would have run
the risk and opened the door. initiated The
Good Samaritan.
man, dripping wet with a knapsack on
his back and a thick stick In his hand, stag
gered In, and would, | think have fallen Ia
The passage If had not caught him by the
arm. Judith peeped out at the parIor door.
and said: Hes drunk" Felicia was behind
her, holding up u lighted candle the better to
see what was going on. Look at his face,
aunt" said she. Worn out with fatigue,
poor man. Bring him in, father-bring him
Mood Felcial l was proud of my girl
Hell spoil the carpet, says sister Judith.
said, ''Sience; for shame!" and brought
him in, and dropped him, dripping, into my
own armchair. Would the Good Samaritan
have thought OF his carpet or his chair? did
think OF Them but overcame 1t. All, we are
a decadent generation in these latter days
be quick, father said Felicia; he II faint
IL you don't give him somethiug!"
| took out one of our little drinking cups
lcalled among us "Quaigh'@, while Felicia,
instructed by me, ran 10 the kitchen for the
cream Jug. Filling the cup with whisky and
cream in equal proportions, offered it To him.
de drank il off as ii it had been SO much water.
''Stmulant and nourishment, you'll observe,
sir, in equal proportions, / remarked to him.
How do you feel now?"
Ready for another r. says he.
Felicia burst out laughing. | gave him
another. AS truned to hand it to him. sis
ter judith came behind me and snatched
away the cream jug. Never generous per- {
Hn. sister judith. at the best of times more
Soeelally Ii the matter of cream.
lie handed me back the empty cup. 81 be- |
I've, sir You have saved my life, he said. {
Under Providence" put in-adding, "But
would remark, looking at the state OF your
:lothes, that yet I have another service to
,fier you, before you tell US how you came
INTO this pitiable state" With that reply, | /