Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-07
ANNIE.

Far out at sea the white sails glimmered in
the white mist, looking like spirit forms
moving in the dim distance, which, from
the glory that interviewed, one might imagine
to be heaven. Close to the shore rose
range of high and rolling hills, that sent
dark, rocky cliffs out into the water, their
looming shadows falling along stretches Of
shining sand. As the hills swept inland, they
gave places for broad fields and sunny gar
dens to nestle or stretch out in and amid
these there arose the brown and white walls,
and the low, messy roofs Of farm.buildings
They were not stately mansions not en-
powered in trees and shrubs; but there was
sense Of comfort and protection about
them that it was pleasant to see and feel
Somehow it seems that the love Of God Is
nearer to the people who inhabit such homes
than he is to those who pass their lives amid
the long lines of brick and stone, aud the
noisy hustle and strife that constitute city.
The subterfuge and mask that city life
hegets falls from us in the country; for we
have no need to use mask where no one
seeks to pry into our secrets, and there is no
subterfuge that can avail with God. This
is, think, the secret why the seashore and
the country possess so many and so power
full charms for city people. They rest them,
hooon,os m tbe,n inv lilo that we feel in
cbildbood. when each breath il fnll of ex.
liberation.
n1osa bomos and 7 donh, me II a iifa has
49, ao,uad ~, g., ;,s daun;n,, 20 10 o,osa
and known them not.
naI that I 6rst saw The SCENE 7 have MIC.
tured ard felt tba thoughts IN which INV
non have o;von ntterance. for we feel
ibouahts &c much as we fee, objects A
tbonsbt ia na;nfuI and It's sting aoute. a
tbouSbt 10 iovons and ;ts influence sootb.
inc, life Il made nm Of thoughts. and not
| of acts. for onr acts are oniy what our
| tbougbts n,oLa tbem
| bad coma n tbis haunt of nature 10 he
free from, tho turmo;, Of the citv. free from
The vear;ress nj l;fe-to rest. II was nv
fortune 70 find a home in one of the ouietest
families Of Rovalston Reach. There was
Farmer Rovd, and his wife. and Annie.
For a long time was PUZZLED to account
for Ann;e's nature. The farmer and his
wife were strong and stout people. whose
every look was redolept of health and lon.
cavity but Annie was one of those tender
flowers that bent before the blast, and only
bloom in sunny nlaces.
IA the DAYS went on. tired man of the
world that I was. 7 caught the inspiratiop
of The nlace and grew vounq again. The
farmers laugh. his wife's hearty "good
morning" and Annie's smile were SO differ.
emf from what I had been accustomed To
meet that the mast took the semblance of a
dream. and the present became full of ioy
and light. Insensibly the quiet loveliness
of Annie grew 10 be a treasure that | did
NOT cara ~ niss
Ono dav-sbail 7 ever forget it---sbe and
7 walked down to the beach. It was ius,
such a dav as I have written of in the frs,
mart of This story. a dav full of sunshine
and rich color a dav that made ali things
Glad becanse II was so beautiful. We chose
q sh.dv stra,ch of sand sbut in nv HIGH
cl;ffs and thera ANNA sat down. ent6roned
on a fragment of dark rock. looking like
Titania Or Nah. 80 fairy-like. and vet sc
fnl of womanbood and humanity. And
there I read to her that strange. weird
legend If Coleridpe. the story of "Tht
Ancient Marinere.
As 7 6n;sbad she looked down at me az
Law stra, cbed ont on the sand her dear eve,
an of wondor and sa;d " And did iht
crew all die ?"
| uNo Annie II ia only a story"
And vet II seems So real" She answered
.Ob If anv nerson was 60 cruel and Goo
nun;sbed them like that would IL not b,
petter for the one SHINING 10 suffer. and moi
hose who were with him ?"
~God's acts are strange and we ca,
hardly tell what il right.o answered.
81 know but the wrong doer should b,
punished. and not the Innocent"
ayes. and 40 he is.'
"But the innocent suffered with the erue
bow man."
"The man who stopped the wedding
guest was only a mythical person. and The
lesson he taught was that kind acts apt
loving words are the hest PRAYERS that w,
can Offer to God. The story was only Al
| Illustration"
When | had finished speakinp. her eve,
left INV face and wandered ont scross In,
sea There a single sail snowv.wb ;te
gl;mmared in tho dim vanor that markal
where the skv and water met.
ais il NOT like an angel ?" she said.
"Tbere are angels aver WALKING the eartb
tbouob II ia NOT onr fortune m meet tbsu
when most we wish. And vet I have me
one"
Her eves sought mine once more and IN,
innocenf and wonder in them broupbt a smil,
to NV Inns
" You bava mo, ons ." she Questioned
"Yes I bava mat ono and Annie wba
IL were 10 saw that II was Won ="
1T should tbinL that Won uere la,oh;n,
at me" ~
And vet am not-and mean you."
"Ob Nr, CIvde i"
"I;sten Ann;e. bavs a story IN ia,
Won, Years ano tbare was a Moor how isf
an orphan. There was no one 10 love hin
,r care for him and 90 life was hard an,
cold hnt ha lived m bon;noN.nd thongl
he had to ,o;, be s,roya br al ,naons 81 e;
command 10 ;mnrova hi: mind A. var
,dvancaJ h;s fortnnes hett.rad in The tha
he was fonn5 w. ha connstsnt for ,many oc
cnnat;ons I'D ,gas r;rsn staadv ar;r,oy
aa,'. :. 80. So &C.. ,,.ar Z
,a;,;, I,',,aJoa I'D ir;ands. brt snd;n,
ss ,hav' o oon,nan;on ~ .hom n
oonId >; ' in,a ,ThaI ha haoa,ns bonored
aud 49,. W. w. a. 10 oonnand and an
vasr ba sourht tho seaside and mat shall
'au an aoasi or trna woman9 Now
vn, 1 aar a's ssI. u vhat ba should do wba
y yonl a.. uou asne o. """' wv "N'
al hardlu Inow and vst-n daen bIus
,a.,anI A NV, "uT -, io'lped H. ha,
th;nI ha ae ah om11t al, bar ns y,
49, Iii 49, ,ha ,ar
,a -, =" va" W., ah Al, r,n as.er ha .
'' Sho 800 1 =. startiad haif ham,
half onss,;ou;~s arnrass,on in her eves p an
said
'"e or lou. ma-r,or rtt,e ma
al, {ou 'OvI 20 ~ NJ TI,da"
""y Auow mn"y ~ 'ay' A. Ar';an
| Day th"o you io'e iae, NA0'