The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-11-10

| phtny Il pleaBant lntefluuo OF creamy
wonderment and girlish gossip hoatcd i'll
whenever Jessie found German verb
hard to coniugatc, or / paused i'll some
nnavailing search after new authority
bearing on the subject at hand.
Happy, helpful days We're they, varied
by an occasional walk up to the house
when the coast was clear, or sometimes,
standing on the crest of the little rise
just behind our cottage, we would sur
vcy the grnveled sweep of BccchwoOds'
carriage drive through an old iield-glass
Jessie ahstracted from "Brother Fred's
room, and laughingly comment on the
frownng faces some of the fair inmates
of the cushioned barouchcs carried
away with them upon learning "rhe
for seclusion and study for Beech
woods was II most delightful place for
weeks sojourn, as they well knew; but
Aunt Kate, once won over to our side,
protected us manfully, so that none in
vadcd our solitude.
But everything must have an end, and
so did the pleasant days that had graced
our weeks stay al Walden, and we awoke
one morning to hear II quick shower
pattering against the windows.
Dear, dear; our fire will be all out |!
What shall we do, Nm?"
"Do? / don't know. Go mp to the
house for breakfast, L suppose. Every
thing will be too wet to kindlc it again.
"Go up to the house !" echoed Jessie,
Indignantly. Indeed, | shall do no
such thing. Haven't they been telling
us all this time that the first storm
would bring us back? I've no doubt
they're expecting us, and that plates are
laid for us this very minute (Which We
afterward found to have been the case).
Go back I'll go hungry first! !" and
Jessie looked very determined and pref
ty, indeed, as she finished her toilet and
announced that the rain was over.
"rhere's blue sky over yonder, Nan
get your rubbers and come on" and
suiting the action to the word she sailed
forth, and followed suit.
just as we expected, every spark of
the provoking fire, that we had covered
SO jealously the night before, was out
Making the best, however, of a bad mat
ter, We set to work brayely, and that
devoted fence suffered as never before.
| But it was slow work. Everything was
drenched and dripping, and we We're
| inexperienced hands--so inexperienced
that after an hour of toll breakfast was
still fair but distant prospect and the
faint and struggling flame We had con
| jurcd up tlickered dolefully, and threat
encd every instant to expire in smoke.
This was the state OF affairs when,
Jessie having taken her turn in the
choppilig department, | was bending
| with an anxious face over the fire, striving
to place at the greatest advantage II new
relay of kindlings was startled by the
ringing sound Of an Enthusiastically manly
voice, eX.lniming;
"Wcll, | never if there isn't Jess T.
followed simultaneously by an ccstatic
little scream from Jessie. of:
"Brothcr Fred, where did = ,,lns
from ?" MS she dropped htr upliitcd
hatchet and rusha1 tG meol him. Iroso
to my feet ho,iiiy, only to find myself
| confronted by tall, dark, aristocratic
Gentleman, whose smile Of recognition
brings deeper roses to my checks for
was not this same gentleman Mr.. Archer
from the city, and one Of the greatest
lions of the last season, and my 9uOl,Iunn
partner for more than one German dur
ing the previous winter? | place my
hand in his outstrctchcd one, only, how
ever, to withdraw quicldya as | discover
how many ami deep are the marks 1t
displays of it, recent conflict with that
refractory fire, and an added color springs
to my face, lest that also bear the same
traces.
"This is Nan, / know" said tall,
blonde Fred Cameron, releasing himself
from his little sister and turning toward
mc--"as much Of gypsy as ever, |
see e"-and-well, his greeting was very
brotherly, indeed.
"But what does it mean, Jessie? you
girls out here at this hour on rainy
morning? anything wrong ut the house,
and look OF anxiety dukened his iaec.
Nothing wrong, but where have
you gentlemen been, pray tell me, and
how did you arrive in this out of the way
place, at this time of day?"
"Been camping out took fancy to
come up home and bring Archer along
walked up from the station to surprise
the folks" replied Fred, briefly.
Camping out that is just what we
are doing, Fred, Nan and I.
"Did you ever, Archer!' said Fred,
appealingly, but that gentleman, with
the relics of Boston conservatism still
clinging to him, answered Lever u word,
only smiled OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES |,
aroused, answered coolly-using the
very words of our oraclc-"We came out
in the woods because we wished to live
deliberately, to front only the essential
facts of life, and find out what it had to
teach u.s." A look of astonishment grew
in their faces.
"Yes," chimed in Jessie, quoting from
the same source, "We were tired of
cabin passage, and wished to go before
the mast, and on the deck of the world. "
"Thoreau, as | live" cried Fred, and
the look of establishment deepened.
Eyes, Thoreau," said Jessie, calmly,
but mischieyously.
"No man (or woman, either can ever
unfold the possibilities of his own intel
lect who does not at least checker his
life with solitude"
Mischievously--I say-for the scene
was, to say the least, slightly amusing.
Time-early morning, and rainy one at
that. Place-the river bank oyerarched
by dripping trees. Properties-a gypsy
fireplace, n smoky tire-two young
ladies engaged in attendance upon it,
IL. b.,
from the classics was somewhat aston
ishing!
A look of amazement, mingled with in
terest from Mr.. Archer at this last quota
tion-wondering, doubtless, that young
lady should read other than the latest
novel, or the newest society poem.
$50 you read De Quincy. Miss
Cameron? He is one of my friends, tool"
"Yes, L admire DE Quincy very much,
but Thoreau is our oracle Just now; let