Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-21
DeliCia.

She was so exquisitely beautiiul,it was
actually provoking that there shouldn't
he the least romance about her. Waves
Of pale golden har rippled away IRON
her pearly forehead, and were gathered
inioa superb knot at the back OF her
head. Such blue cleaned in her
sweet eyes. such a lovely pink man
fled her soft cheek, such smile parted
her Iipe mouth, that, well~bred as you
m;oht be. you could not have retrained
from staring at her; and then, think
inc cr strawberries and cream, have
lonsed for g. silver spoon with which to
cat her.
Bat for all this there wasn't the
least romance connected with her,
Though there and-twenty; Delicia had
never had lover. She lived in quiet
farm house among the White noun
Sins with her father and mother all the
year round. She loved them dearly
waa happy with them and her horse
Joan Of Arc
Joan was beautiful, gh-spirited ;
and Dchcia, who could neither sing nor
Play, was passionately fond Of horse
bacl-riding. There was a spirit OF
ay.de and daring in her which made her
q surperb rider, and caused the young
men Of the very bare nelghborhood to
ell her naughty. The delights OF her
lie were the pine-scented woods, the
winter landscapes Of ermine snow and
.tcr.. ice, the dreamy sweetness OF
lie Dehcia had been content with an
existence lived in comparative solitude
Then came terrible calamity. Her
father was killed by runaway horse,
and her mother, frail and unable to en-
1uro the shock, sank slowly but surely
until. one mockingly bright, beautiful
1av. Delicia found herself alone.
Outsiders then called her cold, for no
one saw her weep. She only trembled
50 excessively beside the open graves
that old Aunt Thankful, who had nursed
her dear mother, was obliged to sup
port her to keep her from falling
| Otherwise she was composed, only hel
sweet ewes had look in them pitful
to see.
\ change had come over Delicia's
rene life; the dear home love was
zone. and the glrl's content had gone
With a native courage and reserve
peculiar to her she made no complaint
She asked Aunt Thankful rather wist-
fully to stay and keep house for her,
and then turned to her books and horse
and maiden meditations. But Delicia +
dreams were troubled now. Llfe'5 griel
had touched her; she feared the future
The strange. sad summer passed.
/ One fine November day, Bob. the hlret
man. led Joan of Arc prancing to the
door, the side-saddle on her back.
i have to 90 to the village, miss, tC
buy the new mich COW. I'll not b'
back till noon. You'll not mind letting
Joan stand with the saddle on little
| TIL come?'
No said Dellcia, absently.
Her beautiful oval cheek was white
under her velvet cap. There was
sadness quite unmistakable i'll her eye
rs size turned Joan's head toward the
hLl.road.
Yet who. to have seen her beautiful
spirited figure Looping along the uplands
would have OWNED the rare heart Q
the beiress of Wheatlands ? She dl
not know she had asked her own soul
Ami to be all my life alone Will n
one ever ask me TO be his dearly below
ed vile? If not, shall perish of tn
face Of the Garth
You must have guessed rarely I
have guessed how deeply ran the stl
waters OF that idyllic life. You woul
(. not have guessed it from anything /
her perfect proud face as she turned
toward a passing carriage. The occu
pants were Jlase-looking man
>. thirty, perhaps, and very young an
pretty girl.
\ single glance told the story-th'
The Young girl was loving and unhapp
e. that the man, for some reason. foun
- her desirable ofposses:ion.
He had hard black eyes that repellC
~ Delicla, yet the sight of the two seatc
50 closely gave her a vague, paini
y feeling of solitude and desolation whiC
d. mot long ago was utterly unknown
" her.
ne The carnage glttered by, and Joi
a loped softly along the woody roa
soundless with thick carpet OF pi
needles.
or She made a circuit, and came hack
~ the main road.
Suddenly unusual sounds attract
- her attention. A crash and viole
screams reached her ear, and as
road forward, strange sight burst
on her view.
,. The carriage had gone over
embaukment and was a perfect wrec
ts the horses lay prostrate-one OF th
killed, the other struggling desperat
N, but unable to rise; and prone bene'
ree .ho hroLon vehicla was stretched