The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-07-07
THE WATER LILY.


The little village of Chelston. in the
county of Hertford, might have been
termed with Goldsmith's "Sweet An
burn the "loveliest of the plain"
:. Where smiling spring it's earliest visit maid
AND parting summers lingering blooms DELAYED"
And on this bright summers morning
on which our story opens it appeared
moro lovely than ever, with the rich
foliage swaying beneath the clear blue
sky, the broad green meadows. and the
grazing cattle, while the eurele of n
brooklet mingled its music with the
caroling of birds
Half-hidden amid q shady clump of
trees young artist sat painting at q
small, light easel and the faint outlines
OF distant hills and scattered hamlets
were already standing out from the can
vas in front of him.
He was apparently but little over
thirty years Of age, and his face looked
grave and stern for one 80 young and
bore unaccountable traces of some long
hidden sorrow.
He had for some time been sitting alb
sorbed in his work, almost unconscious
OF anything around him save the fair
sketch of landscape he was so faithfully
delineating.
The brooklet ran by him-not twenty
yards from where he was seated-and
the dappled COWS lay chewing their
cuds upon its banks, or quenching their
thirst in its crystal waters, reminding
one OF Sidney Coopers most perfect
pictures of cattle.
Ernest Darrell's attention was, how
ever, suddenly arrested by new object,
and one which to his gaze was fairer
than any he had seen that morning. A
little girl, scarcely seven years of age,
was standing near the brook-she had
been gathering water-hlies, and in her
hand she held basket containing q
number of the pure white flowers. His
eyes fell upon her face, lifted wistfuiIy
to his own, and then something like q
smile broke over the little ones mouth
as she said, half shyly:
''Do come and reach me this beauty.
if you please"
Ernest Darrell was hardly sure at first
whether 1t was really himself she was
addressing; but no sooner was he aware
of the fact than he laid down his palette
and brushes and came forward to her
assistance.
ga water-lily. is it9" he asked, glanc
ing at her basket
eyes, such beauty, but 80 far out of
my reach, " she repeated, and then stood
eagerly watching Ernest, who stretching
himself full length upon the bank sue
ceeded with his long arm in grasping
the coveted flower.
The child's delight was unbounded,
the sight of which amply rewarded him
for his trouble; but the unusual beauty
of her face and the air of childlike grace
which accompanied her every movement
completely won Ernest's heart, and he
was determined not to let her run away
just yet.
"You must give me kiss as payment
for it," he said, with % smile, lightly
passing his hand over her golden head
from Which her hat had fallen. She
started back, with vivid blush.
"Oh, no, indeed; I am great deal
too old to kiss you," she exclaimed.
why, am seven, and quite young
lady"
care you, really? Then I am sure I
beg your pardon" said Ernest, hardly
able to repress laugh. "But at any
rate you will tell me your name?" he
added.
ooh, yes; my name is Lillian, but ]
am nearly always called Lily" replied
the little girl, with an air of consequence.
Lilian--nothing else?" asked Ernest.
''No; only that" she answered.
!Surnames are generally superAuoua
with children.
'"Thep, I presume, the fact of your
being O. lily yourself makes you fond OF
the flowers that bear your name," he
rejoined, smiling.
She laughed soft, silvery, happy
laugh, that fell like music upon the
young artists ear.
"Oh, I don't know; I think love al
flowers, but especially these" she said
glancing down at her basket. "They are
80 large and pure and white. like the
white-robed angels in the stained glass
windows at church. Mamma loves them
too, because she sayswhen am not with
her they remind her OF me-" ..
''You are mamma's pet, then and pa
pas, too, I suspect, for the matter o
that, replied Ernest, his interrupted
Occupation totelly forgotten in the new