Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-01-30
OLD ELSPA.

was alone in the world, or I thought
was, which amounted to pretty much
the same III its mental and moral effects
My mother died when I was so young
that / had only shadowy remembrance
of pale face and long, last clasp tc
her loving heart. Ihad 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 bis brother. a doctor,
whose home lay among the picture sque
mountains of Cumberland.
was "too impulsive," said the will,
and would "throw myself and my money
away before knewlthe value of either,
it had no one to take care Of ME-" and
so, when my poor father died in the
south of France. where we had gone to
winter, Uncle Ritson, who came barely
in time to lay him in his foreign grave,
carried me off at once to his house on the
bleak hillside, gave me kiss as he lift
ed NE out of the stuffy vehicle which had
conveyed US from the station, presented
me to my aunt and cousins with a..
swell, here's Adela!' and told me to
consider myself sat home"
1t was the beginning of January, in
tensely cold. The sudden change from
warmer climate had sensibly effected
me; I was chilled under all nv furs, and
perhaps more chilled by the restraining
influence of my fathers will, having pom.
dercd the 'Stco impulsi7e" all through
the journey.
Certainly I was not 'too impulsive"
on my entrance to my new "home."
Aunt and cousins had met me on tie
threshold with warm welcome, pressed to
remove my wraps and to make me COM
Portable. There was huge fire blazing
on the hearth, teatable piled with north
country ]uxuries, and ali that should
have made me feel at home; but some
thing was wanting, and instead of re
spending to their greetings in my own
natural fashion, I dropped into seat,
after the first glance around, and cover
ing my face with my hands, burst into
tears.
have small, thin, quick ears. I over
heard Aunt Isitson whisper to Bella and
Winnie, as she drew them back
"Hush! It's but natural, poor barne !
Leave your cousin alone, ]asses; she will
come to herself all the sooner"
And did come to myself; but whether
my tears had fallen frostily on their hot
hearth, or we travellers had brought
Chill in with us. or my own manner did
not invite etfusion, certain air of re-
straint seemed to grow upon US; and
when was shown the room set apart for
me, and left to myself, flung myself
upon my bed and sobbed in passionate
grief tor my dead father, declaring that
l was alone in the world, utterly alone.
And this telling grew upon NE. Look
ing back, l am conscious that it was
much my own fault that I had not re-
sponded with sufficient warmth and graf
itude to the relatives who had made room
in their household for one they had not
seen since she was baby, and had met
with open arms and hearts.
They had heard that I was gushing
and exuberant, creature of impulse, and
finding me reserved and languid, con-
cluded that I, accustomed to elegance
and luxury, could not brook the homeli-
ness and retirement of my new life. was
rich, and they we're not They mistook
my morbid melancholy for pride, and
ceased to press their society or attentions
on me, lest l should attribute to them
mercenary motives.
see it all now, but then was blind.
I had another grief at my heart besides
sorrow for my dead parent, and 1 fear
whenever my thoughts flew to that lone
ly grave among the Pyrenees, I ques-
toned the policy which had isolated me
from the world-the world in which nv
hero lived and moved,-and prisoned nv
free soul among those unresponsive walls
of stone.
In this rhapsody did not apostrophize
alone their four walls of the solid stone
house that set against the mountain side,
with back groud of pine, larch and
mountain ash, looked so cold and gray,
staring with its many lidless eyes from
its rocky perch above the struggling lake
village, on the steep, unguarded roadway
in front. and the narrow strips of garden
ground stretching like green arms on
either side.
No, I held converse with the noun
tains. They were to me the barriers be-
tween love and life and happiness, but it
was only on their. solitary heights l fel
free to give the feeling utterance. The
thrifty household ways of my aunt and
cousins, which kept them ever busy,
were strange to me. My dainty fingers
had no acquaintance with rolling-pin or
paste board. 1t was not / who kept so
bright the mirror in which saw nv
own beauty, aye, and my own unhappi-
ness rejected: l was supposed to be
nj
was left to do-nothing.
Had Uncle Ritson known it, or how
TN! time, he would have shaken
up like a bottle Of physic, aud l
ould have been the better for it. But
whether on foot, or horseback, or in his
ancient gig, he was off in morning, aud
frequently was absent all the day. His
patients were scattered, and his rounds
extended.
l, having no occupation for hands or
energies, feeling myself something apart
from the rest, was of and away up the
breezy hillsides to the lonely margin of
the lake, or INTO the most secluded glens,
my only companion my faithful dog;
and there, when there was as
only the wind to answer
AA0s pOut1u IOttu all Tue penC up IeGl-
ings of my heart; and oft my gusts OF
passion found utterance in song. A,
times took: q pencil and sketch book
with me in these wander1nss; but there
was ever one figure in the foreground of
the m)st picturesque scene, and often
enough the figure was there alone, the ad-
juncts all forgotten.
At first Bella or Winnie had borne me
company, but I think they saw m; long.
ing to be alone; and had my way, no.
without many cautions from my aunt.
What we're perils to- me, chafine
against the restraint of my father will
crying from the depths of my inmos1
heart for the banished love, who would
never find me in. those solitudes, and
longing for wings to traverse land and
sea until [ found my home on his faith
full bosom2
Lost IN distractions, all danger was
forgotten, and had paid the penalty
but for 2 guardian angel little dreamed