The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-28
HEARTS AND HANDS.

a spacious house, bullt one hundred and fifty
years ago by one of our ancestors. l have heard
that he a naval officer in the British service
and had lived under the English flag wherever
the breeze could bear or ocean foam,n until.
weary with roaming, he sought this world-forget-
ting spot manifesting his enduring love for the
ocean by settling within the sound of the SIRENS
voice, yet safe from her embrace. The mansion
which he built must bean emblem of himself-haIf-
feudal, alf-modern-clinging to graceful tradi-
ton, yet mindful of living facts. Everything i'm
and around the dwelling and place suggests to me
the symptoms of family traits; the wild shore
unvisted save by the heaving ocean; the dark
forest in one direction, looking as though its re-
cesses might be the abiding-paces of bOgies or of
beautiful fairies while on the other hand lay the
desOate yellow hills, crowned by gray clouds that
seemed ever unwilling to yield TO sunshine.
The house itself suggested refined comfort. 1t
was spacious and substantial Every part of it
was nodded with a symmetry that lent grace to
its strength and clearly bespoke a nature culti-
waited and proud, secure of its own claims and
confident of its taste; but the lofty vestibule
the wide stairway, and the spaciOGs halls were
imbued with gloom that no fancy decoration,
nor music, nor laughter, nor the mtoXicatiOn of
wine could unbend, for there was an invisible pre-
siding influence that seemed to penetrate the hol-
lownesS of mlrth and to predict the briefness of
JOY. From long seclusiOn in such a haunt nv
own mind has become aSsimilated to the atmoS-
phere and when l attempt gayety it is in that
for the stately gloom of surrounding associations.
1t was gloomy night, the rain poured heavily,
but the winds lay still as il spectators of the per
formance of the pitiless fiOod-a slow heaving of
the tide that coming in full from the sea
The fire roared and cracked as if trying To be hi
larious in spite of the sullen gloom without
Cousin William my children and myself sat
around the broad hearth, and a sVmpathetic 81
lence seemed TO fall upon US all / tried i'm vain
10 think of something pleasant or cheerful to saw
but as each idea presented itself | found some
fault with II, as being too light, too sombre too
commonplace TO be worth the utterance. At
length, Cousin William-mOTe in tone, however,
Of sOlioquy than of cOnversation-said
'Yes, just thirty years tonight since he died"
Anything a relief to the long silence, and
we all eagerly caught at the opportunity.
''Since who died?' 'WhOm do YOU mean,
Cousin William" "How strange that you
should remember so well anything that transpired
so long ago." "WhO was ii that died ?n
anyone in whom we are interested p" ] asked.
"Only as a kinsman," he said, 'and one OF
whom you have sometimes heard-our cousin,
Sir Hugh, who was once possessed of these do
mains; one who enjoyed the position and advan-
tages which wealth and title gave; one who had
a brilliant career who should have had happv
life, but whose death strange and sad.n
"DO tell US" l said something about him.
have always felt a curiosity about him, for all
the intimations have ever heard of him have
been faint, lndlstinct Misunderstanding plain and
explicit like the details of our other dead kins-
men-and am just in the mood tonight to enjoy
rummage into the secret drawers and hidden
N.
will lay aside your cigar and drink this glass of
wine, know you can make yOUrFelf so entertain
ing that the beating rain and moaning sea will be
forgotten. | will even volunteer to place Won ON
the train of the forsaken past, by asking if our
cousin Sir Hugh was not "a very eccentric person?u
"Rather strange, / might say,n replied Cousin
William, because his unlikeness to others did
mol snow Itself IN overt actions do the whims
Of eccentric men. Society recognized him as one
conforming to her rules, and welcomed him as a
leader who could dictate its opinions or grace its
pleasures. His strangeness was known to those
who mingled in his daily life and who like my
self looked up to him and by chance looked into
him. He had the faculty of obtaining the entire
confidence of his associates without yielding any
thing in return, and while seeming to open his
mind to you he only penetrating your
thoughtsi so that, on comparing your revelations
with what you had heard, you were made to know
that you had given all and received nothing"
"Was he handsome ?u asked my daughter
THAT was always mooted point" said Cousin
william 'those who had only passing view pro-
nounced him almost hOmey while those who
knew him well considered him incomparably
handsome, the influence of his voice and man
ner being Irresistible
II can understand exactly how il wasv said I
''even at this distance know that cousin of ours
and feel his power. l believe that / can even
tell you what portion of this house he built for
can see it has some touches greatly differing from
Others / believe that he built those two towers
on the west side that look like far-seeing eyes
trying to catch visions of something lon@ed for
whlch never came and never was to come to him
] feel as though his heart longed always for the
taste of some JOY it could never reach or was i'm
FILTERED by the thought Of something foolishly
flung away"
you are rOmantic,n said Cousin William
mot romantic, if you please" said /, "only
very lmpressible; for although as you already
know l am widow, possessed Of a stout boy and
budding daughter, l am not one of those dutifuI
DANES who confer all their bloom upon their
daughters and all their heart upon their sons. /
still can boast roses on my own cheek and ac-
knowledge some hushings of the heart when
either dead or living heroes the subject Of CON
versatiOn No." reiterated, 81 am not romantic
but ] can enterintO some peoples natures, though