American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-06-19
THE SECRET.

could l hate to have a secret; 1t burns
like money in my pocket. It's an I'M
natural thing, anyway. One wants
sympathy; if it's gloomy secret, some
body to be gloomy with; and if it's a
glad one. somebody to be glad with;
somebody to talk it all over with, to
make much or little of it with, to con-
lecture concerning it, its beginning and
its end, to dwell upon it and gloat over
enjoy anything all by ones self! If I'm
have part of it, to know how luscious it
is; and wouldn't give a sixpence for a
coach and four unless there were some
body by to see me riding. So say to
myself, what's the use of knowing it
if you're not to speak, or look, or wink,
if you're to be no wiser than other
people, and let nobody see that YOU
are? And as for me, l am always
blushing, and my tongue is tripping,
and I'm sure to be on the point of be-
traying the whole thing by something 1
say, and clapping my hand on my
mouth like silly child.
Still, although it nervous and anx-
ious work, can keep secret if l try,
or else when he-I mean she-at least
1 meant shouldn't have been trusted
with it if l couldn't. Some people are
SO important with a secret, and go
about as if they knew enough to hang
the rest of the world. But never am /;
i only long to tel it; and do SO want
to tell you this one. But there-I prom
ised wouldn't breathe it, and prom
Use is a promise, you know.
l suppose l wouldn't care half SO
much to tell if it were only common
ffalr =
about it at all. But there is. Some
people are SO fond of romance our
Romaine is and don't believe that
anything could have pleased her half so
much that happened in the regular, ex-
pected way. Our Romaine always was
SO full of fancies and ideals, and when
there's anything romantic going, it al
ways falls to her lot. Don't you think
she's a beauty? l do; SO tall, so beau
tifully made, SO gracious, such hair
such soft, fragrant hair-such eyes like
jewels, and her skin so like a teaorose I!
l don't; believe any of those famous
beauties that you read about can hold a
candle to her-that 1 don't Z / always
wondered why she didn't take some one
of her lovers, although knew, too, or
thought l did for she was just as love-
ly ten years ago, when she came home
from school at seventeen-the very day
those dreadful soldiers came, you lecol-
lect--as she is to-day. She had been
gone SO long-fOur years--that every
thing about the place was just as sweet
and strange to her as if it were a king
dom she had Just come into /; and she
was going round, looking at this and
exclaiming at that, caressing the crea-
lures, which knew her, every one of
tn hn ,fc
ing in everything; and I, little six
year-old worshiper, was following her
in alteration, with the peacock follow
ing me. whan all at once the lawn was
crowded with soldiers, and the yard was
full of foragers, and the horses, Ro-
maine 5 own Gulnare, and mammals,
were being led away, and all the COWS
were lowing, and the pigs were squeal-
ing, and the fowl were cackling, as
those wretches took possession and
some were building fires in the yard and
the rest were swarming into the house.
And they were in the china closet, raw.
aging the store-room, were in the bed
rooms, in the wardrobes. and parcel
of them had poor mamma in corner,
and had torn away her shawl,
and one was fourishing her cap
on the point of his bayonet, and
honudinc hstu sprung INTO tne iuiuSt u
them, threatening them with wild
fury, when suddenly voice rang over
the uproar, a terrible commanding
voice, somebody strobe through the
throng, and Selling by the shoulder first
one and then another of the men who
had corneIed mamma and Romaine,
flung them on this side and on that,
and in one moment silence fell, and
man by man they skunk away, and pres
emily they were tumbling down the
stairs, and marching out Of the hall by
files; and the officer who had wrought
the change-a tall, slender young fell
low, of whom one could see little but
the eyes blazing like wildfire, for the
torn and dropping visor of his cap, and
for the brown beard covering his brown
face. and the smears of smoke and pow
der-put mammals shawl about her
shoulders, bowed low to Romaine, and
took me in his arms a moment and
looked at me. and set me down again,
and was passing out, when Romano
ran forward, and caught his hand, and
began TO pour out a torrent of thanks.
He turned and smiled. II deserve no
tbanks,nn-he said. And then, half hest
tuiDgS 6ingle instant he raised Ro-
mainl1 hand, that still forgetfullv held
his, and pressed it to his lips, and was
gone. And a curious old silver-set dia-
mond on his hand. whose stones made
n tiny crest, took my baby eye. so that
1 always remembered it. But as /
turned to Romaine-oh, how she looked
then! I've never seen anything so
beautiful since, she blushed such rosy