The Sentinel., 1880-07-24

| brisk tramp. But | trudged on; and
the more Eudora's beauty and grace
fitted before me, the more her sweet
voice rang out in the song of the birds,
the more my heart yearned for her smile,
| the more was determined to put miles
between us. [ would not be married
| for my fortune. I would be loved for
| myself or not at all. And growing
| stronger in resolution at every step, /
suddenly found myself in front of a
small gray cottage-I remembered in
stantly that Eudora had silk dress of
the same shade of gray-half covered
with woodbines and rose vines, that
stood just at the entrance of dense
wood, where grew oaks, NAPLES, will
| lows, elder bushes, blackberry bushes,
and heaven only knows how many other
things planted there by the winds and
the birds. A COW with young calf be-
side her was lowing in field opposite
and brook was sparkling in the sun
shine short distance away.
con the porch of this cottage sat d
middle-aged woman, sewing. To her,
| hat in hand, l advanced and humbly
preferred request for drink of water.
And she, rising with hospitable quick
ness, bade me take the seat she left while
she went to the well. l sank into the
chair for I was weary, and soon she
returned with glass of water and a
] glass of milk. drank them both-not
| at once, of course, but during the
| conversation about the weather. that
ensued-and had risen to de part, when
| the prettiest girl in blue ant old that I
ever beheld came trippin. up the
garden path, a pail of wate in each
hand. "A sweet wild rose, said to
myself, and sat down again convinced
by a single glance at that love-, face
and form, that this cottage was Fate's
No farther
Accordingly. l told mine hostess
that l was poor story-Writer (you will
admit that was no lie, for all the editors
to whom / have submitted my manu-
scripts have said the,same thing), with a
book to finish, and that of all places in
the world to finish it in, her beautiful
quiet home seemed the best, and
begged her to let me stay there a few
weeks, promising to max her as little
| trouble as possible. Well, don't see
nothin' agin it if father and daughter
DON'T said she, and away she went
again, and from the murmur of voices
in the hall knew the matter was being
discussed by the family. And in few
moments a shrewd-looking old man
appeared, looked at me sharply, and
asked brusquely: Kin you ford to pay
four dollars week p / told him
thought I could, and he seized my
valise and carried it into the cottage,
following. Ned, old chap, it was a
lovely spot, and no mistake. Every
morning the birds awakened me with
their songs, and 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 nosed and crossed my
eyes)-and watched me dress; and
fragrance enough from the rose vines
foated into that attic room in one day
to have perfume Eudora's handker-
| chiefs for whole wear.
''As for Alice--the sweet wild rose
no poet ever dreamed of maid more
beautiful. Large innocent dark blue
eyes, with lashes so long that they cast
faint shadow on her rounded cheeks;
mouth, nose, chin, ears, hands, feet,
simply perfection; and a voice, not as
musical as Eudora's, it is true, but with
a childish ring and sweetness; and
when she spoke, which was seldom, it
was with a pretty modest hesitancy
that made you long to catch her in your
arms and kiss the words from her full
red lips. 1 had only seen her three
times when l was madly in love with
her, and thought the plain calico gowns
she wore the prettiest gowns in the
world. Her father and mother watched
us closely, but that blessed Gas I thou ght
then) drought had set in week or so
before my arrival, and in two or three
weeks more our rainwater cask-we
hadn't attained to the dignity of cis-
tern-was empty, and our well ran low,
and much water had to be brought from
the brook, and of course I helped the
sweet wild rose carry the pals, and
(again, as / thought them the brook was
a blessed quarter of mile from the
house; and one day, after traversing
this quarter of mile with the pals and
bonnie Alice, wrote you very long
letter, in which, among many other
things, I reviewed my Eudora expert
ence. and told you of the treasure 1 had
found in the cottage by the wood. And
a few days after posting this letter l
asked the sweet wild rose to be my wife.
she raised those glorious, innocent blue
eyes to my face for an instant, and then
hid them upon my breast, while she