Louisiana capitolian., 1880-06-08
the SECRET.


natural thing, anyway. One wants SYM
patby; if fit'sa gloomy secret, somebody
to be gloomy with; and fits aglad one
somebody to be glad with; somebody to
talk it over with, to make much or little
of it with, to conjecture concerning 1t,
its beginning and its end, to dwell upon
it and gloat over it. How in the world
is one going to enjoy anything al py
ones self. If I'm eating peach, l want
somebody to have part of it, to know
how luscious it is; and | wouldn't give
a sixpenco for a coach aud four unless
there were somebody by to SEQ me riding.
So say to myself, what's the use OF
knowing tiff you're not to speak, or look,
or wink, if you're to be no wiser than
other people, and lot nobody see that
Won are7 And as for me, | am always
blushns, and my tongue is tr'pP'ns'
and I'm sure to be on the point OF be-
trayipg the whole thing by something
say, and clapping my hand on my mouth
like q silly child.
Still although it's nervous and auN'-
Gus work. can keep q secret II l try,
or else when he--I mean she--at least
mean | shouldn't have been trusted with
it if I couldn't. Some people ares I'M
portant with a secret, and go about as
if they knew enough to hang the
rest Of world. But never am;
l only long to tell it; and | do so want
to tell you one. But there-l promised
| wouldn't breathe it, and u prom'se IS
promise, you know.
suppose l wouldn'tcare half so much
to tell if it were only commonplace
affair, if there were no romance about
il at all. But there is Some people are
50 fond of romance-our Romano is;
and don't believe that anything could
haye pleased her half SO much that hap
pened in the regular, expected way
Our Romaine always was 50 full of fan
cjes and ideals, and when there's any
thing romantic goingen, it olways falls to
her lot. Don't you think she's a beauty
| I do; 30 tall, SO beautifully made, SO
gracious, such hair-such soft fragrant
| hair-such eyes like jewels, and herskin
| 80 like tea-rose! l don't believe any
Of those famous beauties that you read
about can hold candle to her-thst [
DON'T l always wondered why she
didn't take some one of her lovers, al
though know too, or thought did; for
she was just az lo"ely ten years ago,
when she came home from school at
sevcnteen-the very day those dreadful
soldiers came, you recollect-as she Is
to-day. She had been gone 80 lons-'four
years,-that every one about the place
was lust as sweet and strange to her as II
it were kingdom she had just comt
into; and she was going round, looking
az this and exclaiming at that, caress'ne
the creatures, which knew her, every
one of them, even to the parrots-}us'
rejoicing in everything; aud l., LITTLE
six-year-old worshipper, was following
her in alteration, with the peacock fol
lowing Inc; when all ut once the law
was crowded with soldiers, and the yart
was full of foragcrs, and the horses
Romaine's own Gulnare, and mammas
were being led away, and all tho COW
were lowing, and the pigs were squeal
| inc, and the fowl were cacklins, as thos
wretches took possession; and SOM
were building fires i'll the yard, and til
rest were swarming into the house. An
they were in .he china closet, ravagln
the storc-room, were in the led rooms
| in the wardrobcs, and parcel of thcl
had poor mamma in a corner, and hat
torn away her shawl, and one was flour
ishins her cap on the point of his bayone
and Romaine had sprans into the mids
of them, threatening them with a viii
fury, when suddenly voice rang ovt
the uproar, a terrible commanding voice
: somebody strode through the thron9
and seizing by the shoulder first one an
, then another of the men who had col
nered mamma and Romaine, flung then
on this side and on that, and in one nj
ment silence fell, and man by man the
skunk away, and presently they wei
tumbiing down the stairs, and marcf
ing out Of the hall hy files; and the of
Ger who had wrought the change
. tall, slender young fellow, of whom or
I could see little but the eyes blazing lik
wildHre, for the torn and dropping vist
, ofhis ap,and for the brown beard cove
ing his brown face, and the smears
, smoke and powder-pnt mammals shay
! about her shoulders, bowed low to Ri
maine, and took me in his arms m