Louisiana capitolian., 1879-07-26
Among the Buttercups.

larly wish that you may be at Green
lawn in june"
Pretty Mrs. Gershom, who was look
ing unusually charming and elegant in
a fashionable travelling dress of some
soft, amber-brown fabric, stopped at
the carriage steps to utter this injunc-
ton to her husbands sister.
"Why, Laura ?" queried the fair,
stately girl at the gate.
Laura Greshom turned, and smiling
swcetly, walked back toward her inter-
locutOr.
"Guy Bardolph will be our guest in
June, announced the lady, the inllec-
tions of her wcll-modulated voice just
the least bit suggestive of an interest
and anxiety she would not have cared
to wholly disclose. "And, my dear, you
arc always so sensible that think | can
venture to tell you what your brother
and l wish may happen. Sisley, my
love, you are quite old enough to con-
template marriage, and with your beau
ty and education, your luxurious tastes,
and, pardon me, your poverty, it is very
necessary you should choose a wealthy
gentleman for your husband, Mr.. Bar
dolph is rich, and desires wife. My
dear Sisley, we have invited him to
Greenlawn pnrposely, that he may meet
you there, and find you just the sort of
sweet woman he will think worthy of
the honor he can offer her."
"Indeed," commented the young lady,
dryly, "you are very kind, Laura, but
possibly this Mr.. Guy Bardolph may not
think me pleasing; possibly shall think
him not at all agreeable"
"No, Sisley. Oh, now returned Mrs.
Ge!shom, much too eager to detect any
thing quizzing OF sarcastic in tho serene
voice of the other. "Hc will certainly
be pleased with you, because we have
told him that you are tho most amiable
and lovely; and you will surely find
him congenial, for he is very nice"
Sisley Gershom did not reply; but she
had silently determined that she would
not be guest at Greenlawn if she must
meet Guy Bardolph there.
"He wants wife, and my officious
relatives have recommended me as Just
the lovely and amiable sort of person he
DESIRES" she sollliquized, her fair face
growing hot with resentment. "Of
course this gentleman whom dear,
thoughtless Laura calls very nice, is so
old and ugly that no one would marry
him except for his money. Well, / do
not intend to subject myself to his in
spection as candidate for his possible
favor. Not even to be made the consOrt
Of q monarch would l be chosen as was
Queen Esther. l shall not 60 to Green
lawn at all; l shall 90 down to Aunt
Atwood's little place, and spend the
Summer beside the stream where tho
brook willows grow, and on the sunny
slopes where tho buttercups and daisies
are blooming"
And two weeks later Sisley Gershom
was the guest of the sweetest and kind
est woman who ever made a rustic cot
tage beautiful by her ncatness, and COM
Portable by her thrift,
81 am just as happy here as I should
have been at Greenlawn," thought Sis
ley ono morning, as she went down
through the garden beneath the great
horse chestnut trees that waved over her
us she passed their plumes of gold and
snow.
At the end of path lay meadow,
on one side of which ran murmuring
stream, marginned with cow-slips and
brook willows; and on the other wild
sweet pasture lot, where dandelions and
buttercups were growing.
'Buttercups, ah! the wild, golden
buttercups," cried Sisley as gleefully as
a child.
She crossed the meadow, her pretty
pale-blue dress brushing the white clo-
yer, her ruddy chestnut hair glittering
in the sun, her cheeks rosy and her vio-
lot eyes shining.
She gathered the dewy, yellow flow
ers until she was tired. She fastened
knot at her soft, white throat, and wove
them like garland about the crown of
her big broadbrimmed hat, and in long
lengths like fringe, with which she fcs-
tooncd her graceful shoulder and her
dainty blue skirts.
The slim, dimpled hands were full of
the wild buttercups as she arose at last,
laughing softly at herself for this dcci-
dcdly childish and nonsensical pastime.
"What must l resemble, l wonder ?"
she murmurcd- "but what magnificent
model this would be for q fancy ball
costume. Blue and gold from head to
foot-azure silk, topaz jewelry, and yell
low buttercups. Like Eve l must make
the brook my mirror, if l would see my
self"
She was standing by a low stone wall,
The stream before her and the pasture
behind.
As she stood there idle, happy, she
heard a sound as if a troop of cavalry
were dashing over the fields.
Startled and scared, she turned rOnnd