New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-02
CECILY.
Its the fault of there being such large family,
Aear that's ALL

look from you; ,>,
Yes for three minutes at the garden-gate, be-
cause il | come inside you will be surrounded by
the whole lot of them next moment: and Tor any
.hing we may want to say to one another we might
well be at opposite poles You maynt mih9 IT,
Cecily-you Con seem 10 90 So 'o any b Uus,
II is an evening in April The land is all afush
with the pink blossoms of the almond and the
white blossoms of the pear. Behind the low brown
hills the sun is sinking slowly In primrose SKY.
The west wind srs the tender brstles OF the green
plumcd larch, aud bears sweet violet whispers on
its breath; and proppng our TOUR elbows Oh tllo
messy gate which bounds the vicarage gaiueIi, we
two lean looking INTO each others eyes. my lover
He is very handsome always rather angry inst now.
my lover; but ] know that the anger comes from
love and SO | think more of the hrst tact than the
second. as look up srnllngly into the brave blue
eyes bright with passionate CLEAN, and mark how
well the broad, squaTe-cut shoulders and shapelY
head stand out against the golden glory OF that
evening sky. am so proud of him IN my heart, my
Dick with the warm heart and hot tongue and
clever brain, prOud of his caring for me that at
the mere touch of his hand my heart goes leapin
like singing brook. and 1t Is only silly shyDess
which makes me answer ms earncstnesS with a
laugh , .
your beck and call I'm sure you get your iair
share OF attention
DO ? he says pravely. when wait whole
week for the chance of one walk With you; and
when the promised day comes you cOOllS send mo
word that you've got something else to 90, and are
too busy even to ser me-
sAnd don't you think it WAS any dsappoint ment TO
me to have ia do so p | exclam with touch of
indignation sWhv ii nearly cried when the
Whebles's invitation came for that day. knew
Kitty had set her heart on gong; ana as shc Iovfs
tennis sO and 1t was She first time they bad asked
her
But what had that to do with your You didn't
go, 49,. aou,. uo,, ,,ro,v Thursday &c mothers,
meeting and cOal-cub day: and then here are the
children; Someone had to see to them ALL
And that someone must be you
WHO else is there but Kitty and l. now dear
mother is gone Dear Dick do DO reasonable. Oh
course it is very pleasant to he with you put these
duties must be done and surely surely, while girl
is at home, her first duty is to her home people.
Afterward,' with shy, upward look, IT VIII be
different. ! shall belong TO you then and can do ~
you like; but now-uow belong to them, and they
have the right 10 come first. 81.
Then wish to Heaven the right was mine, as III
should have been long while ago; and that brings
me to the point | want. Ceclly, Will you marry me
i'm Junef No don't start away as if | were saying
something dreadful. Haven't we been engaged Tor
years already with the full consent Of your people,
and the promise that as soon as | could MAKE
comfortable home for YOU we should be married L
might nave claimed that promise two summers ago,
and again last autumn when was offered ire
making that new Canadian line. refused II, only
because I knew you wouldn't leave home so soon
after your mothers death. and could not DeaI l"
Job OF the same SORT in Perthsnlre ana they say
can have il for the asking. The WORKS are 10 Degih
in July. and if we are married ID June -de zeal
Cecily, my own darling love, 90 say that we ShtlI
he G,, give Inc what | ask. Think how long have
waited for you already. and how badly want YOU
and come to me. Ceclly dearest, IL Sou loNc hno
say YOU will Say it now , >.
'I1 Juneg repeat, my eyes wide with diSmay,
and drawing myself still further back; for he has
caught both lny bands in bis, would have caught
me INTO his arms altogether but for the gate whlch
is between us; and l am afraid lest one OF the
Others should come suddenly upon u.s. June
Only two months OIL Dick, Dick. what nonsense,
and Frank at home in disgrace, and papa and he
getting on so badly, and the children slil without
q goyerness! Why, we couldn't even think of such
thing till after Christmas at the soonest and then
well KITTY viii be tle older ten I I ne r daes
pass that it will cheer papa up lttle ana ne may
feel better able TO spare me but June!-Dick' you
~ neyer promised ANYTHING of the sort but if
had done so | should have kept my promise over
and again. Cecy, VIII you ever mh ~ .oEo
and vel Won talk of my waiting on for another year
6tilll If yon loved me in the least you would DE
as tired of these delays as am; but you don ana
I see it only too plainly. You don't even know
what love is You ~. -.
are YOU shouts "A boys voice from the laburnum
bnshes behind There's the tea-bell ringing Ike
mad and Teddy's split the milk all over his PIMA
fore, and-my eye, Dick' Is that you Spooh'ns WIN
Don't be silly Dick Let me go. Please let me
no I stammer ont hurriedly; but have no need TO
repeat the request. At the first sound of my rough
tongued little brothers voice Dick has dropped my
hands and stepped back. iii
Let YOU gOi Oh, certainly he says WIN a
arrange bitter accent In his voice. For goOd II you
like expect it will come to that some d d;y GUoa
by, and of he goes, strIding over the dewy grass
trees without another word or look ,
| cannot run after or plead with nm because because
schoOlboy Tom, with his quick ears ana UIrloie
sense of fun. is already at my side. can only can
out Dick, won't you come in to tea and, wheh he
doesn't look back or answer make pretencc Oh De-
Gevino he had some other engagement, and
hurry back to the house TO see alter leudy anu 5o
tea-tabie. 1t does not take me very long 10 on1ue
the former with clean plnatore ana reduce his
chubby face and hands TO cleanliness; out nasteh
as may the babel of tongues which reaches me
through the dinng-room door SHOWS me that inc
family are gathered there already; and on entering
the room lind the whole of them, father excepted,
assembled about the table: the twins playing an
Irish Jig with the handles OF their knives aRa'nsu
the urn Maude is pouring out milk into teaspoon
for the kitten which is perched on her shoulder ;
Frank leaning back in fathers armchair by the
g. and dividing his attention between the last
number of The COrRhtU On his knee ana tne
anathemas he IS freely bestowlng on the turmoil
around: and Kitty who might be OF some heIp IN
anneasing IT, laughing and listening TO Tom. who
is giving her an absurd and highly cojorea deScrp
lion of the 'spoony scene at the gate DiGA lupu
scented as stridng away III a Jury, WINE Oh nis
innes and dissolved In tears mplore him to remain
In is too bad Of course they don't really mean to
hurt me: but it is too bad and the worst o. IL Is
M dare not show nv vexatlon The twins, who
are Indian children under fathers guardianship,
are saucy aud riOous enough at al times anu noH
they are in hts of laughter, ana LOOKING eagerly az
me with their little sharp eyes in hope OF discover
Ing sufficient signs of confusion or distress III my
sions: while even Frank condescends TO join Ian
puidly in the joke and ask Had Clssy then Deen
1amenting for her Dick and did he bully her anu 10
Iefore # got cold. and send him about his business
WsI do nv best to meet the attack. should
lille 70 deny ali grounds foI it but that mscbie
yons Tom has got poor Dicks final words too patty
by heart for me to be believed so race them on
their own grounds, laugh instead OF crying pt Is
rather difficult, for / have decideq lump III my
fbrvat) and declare Dick may go ~ IVne nons 50
long as may have my tea IN peace az NV Sn little
moment Maude creates happy diversion Vy y III t
shrek and the announcement that q thei 10 !" 'N'
garden .,,n .,olIoo NJ ouestions