The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-14

Ned Chester 10 his lifelong chum, Hal El-
mendorf (the two young men were leisurely
strolHng through Maple avenue); "for
when I went abroad you were most en-
phaticaily denouucing the heartlessness, aud
selnshness, and extravaganza. and lew
ether amiable notwithstanding To
your way OF thinking at the time
Of society girls, and apparently sincere
in your determination TO remain osche
lor rather than marry one OF mem; anu
your letters have given no bint OF
change in your sentiments. quite the con-
trary. Your last, by-fhc-by, was most per-
n,ex,nv. No woman's letter could have
been more so. In 1t YOU suddenly jumped
from the Clauson Mine TO "a sweet wild
rose, of whom YOU bad previously told me
nothing. IL / remember Alright the sem
fence introducing her read thus: 'And the
dividends tins year are much larger than
This sweet wild rose that have found in
this lonely place, aud am almost persuaded
10 court and marry, after the manner OF
Tennyson's landscape painter.
Elmendorf threw away his cigarette,
looked thougbtfuly into space moment,
dropped into o still slower walk, and asked,
"Should you Ike TO hear all about 1t, oio
feliow!"
.sOf course I should" replied Chester.
"l.iyes there a man with soul so dead who
ever TO himself hath SAID, Il take no interest
in sweet wild roses! And besides that.
haven't been the con6dant OF all your love
affairs since you were twelve. and awfully
smitten with the pretty gIrl in Wild's con-
fectionery Drive ahead. I'm all alien
ton"
"As you remarked few moments ago"
began Eimendorf, "iust before you crossed
n "A OH ms IL
iouable Young ladies in general, and, as
YOU did not remsrk, for fear OF hurting my
feelings, with Eudora Rrook1eld in par
ficuIar. IL was rather hard on a romantic
sort OF a fellow. who was awful spoOny on
a girl, to be told by that girl that his Tor
tune considerably enhanced bis attractions
in her eyes, aud that for her part she
thought love In q cottage on less than i've
thousand year must be the dreariest OF
existences. We quarre!led, as you know,
and parted. she went, shortly after, to
Newport, and /, filled with scorn of
managing mammas and fortune-hunting
daughters. donned blue flannel suit and
coarse broad. brimmed hat, and carrying
with me only a small ysIse, started for
anywhere-aDywbere out Of the world.
"At noon OF my second days travel the
train stopped at Il quiet, tree-eDbOwerod
station. and following the impulse OF the
moment | Jumped off and struck into
lonely shady road, resolving to keep on on
foot until Fate should say, Thus far and
no farther Ned, that road was certainly
the loneiest road ever saw. Not a person
did | meet, not q house did i see in an
hours brisk tramp. But trudged on, and
the Z ore EudOra's beauty am grace fitted
before me, the more her sweet voice rang
out in the song OF the birds, the more
nv heart yearned for her smile, the
more / was determined TO pat miles
between us. | would not be married for my
fortune. would be loved for myself. or
not at all. And growing stronger in resO-
luton at every step, suddenly found my
self in front of small gray cottage-I re-
nembered instantly that Eudora had a silk
dress OF the same shade OF gray-half.cCy-
cred with woodbines and rose.vines, they
stood Just at the entrance OF dense wood,
where grew oaks, NAPLES, willows. elder
bushes, blackberry-busbes, and Heaven only |
knows how many other things, planted
there by the winds and the birds. A COW
with young calf beside her was lowing in |
a field opposite, and brook was sparkling |
in the sunshine short distance away.
son the porch OF this cottage sat mid |
dle.aged woman sewing. To her, hat in |
band, advanced and humbly preferred |
request for drink Of water; and she, rising |
with hos Ditable quickness. babe Inc take |
the seat she left while she went to the well. |
/ sank into the chair, for was aweary, and |
soon she returned with glass of water and |
a glass OF milk. l drank them both-not at
once. of course, but during the converse
ton about the weather that ensued-aDd |
had risen TO depart, when the prettiest girl |
in blue and gold that l ever behed came
tripping up the garden-path, a pail Of water |
in each band. a sweet wild rose,' i said |
TO myself, and sat down again, convinced |
by single glance at that lovely face and |
form that this cottage was Fate's No far
ther.'
Accordingly, told mine hostess that |
was poor stOry-wrlter won will admit that
that was no lie, for all the editors TO whom |
have submitted my manuscripts have said
the same thing, with book to finish, and |
that Of all places in the world to finish it in
Der beautiful quiet home seemed the best.
Ind begged her to let me stay there a few
weeks, promising to make her as little trou-
BILE as possible. well. don't see nOthin'
agin il il father and daughter dou't,' said
she, and away she went again, and from
he murmur OF voices in the hall
knew the matter was being discussed
BY the family. And in few mo.
nents a shrewd-looking old man APP
peared, looked at me sharply, and asked
brusquely, kin you ford TO pay 81
week." told him thought could, and
be seized my valise and lied 1T into the
following. Ned, old chap. it was
4 lovely spot, and no mistake. Every morn
ing the birds awakened me with their songs,
md they were so fearless, never having
learned how cruel men can be, that they
few in at my window and perched upon
The frame Of the old looking glass-such
rum old glass CROOKED my nose and crossed
my eyesJ-and watched me dress; and fra
GRANGE enough from the rose vines floated
into that attic room in one day to have per-
TUNED Eudors's handkerchiefs for a whole
year.
GAS for Aice-the sweet wild rose-no
poet ever dreamed Of maid more beautiful.
Large, innocent dark.bue ewes, with lashes
so long that they cast faint shadow on her
rounded cheeks; mouth, nose, chin, ears,
bands, feet, simply perfection; and voice,
not as musical as Eudora's, it is tue, but
with childish ring and sweetness aud
when she spoke, which was seldom, il was a
10 catch her in your arms and kiss the words
from her full red lips. | had only seen her I
three times when was madly In love with ,
her, aud thought the plain calico gowns she
wore the prettiest gowns in the world.
Her father and mother watched us closely, !
but that blessed las / thought them drought !
had set In a week or so before my arri-
val, and in two or three weeks more our
rain-water cask-we hadn't attained 10 the
dignity Of a cistern-was empty, and our {
we'll ran low, and much water bad TO be