Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-01-24
THE LANDSMERE HOUSE.

tn. I.sndsmere Hou~ is ahlaze with
/ light and a.iir with life. The great
,Qu-e hall alone seems shrnuded in semi-
I darkness. Three huge logs burned in
re immense old fashioned FIRE plscr.
flashing flickering radiant me,eors across
the oak wood floor; high-backed chair.
end remarkably stiff .ettees recall the
dave Of great. great-grandpsr~nts. while
r.ia grim fami lar walls on the old ia
rilar scene with a bland urseeing stare
'h.t se-m. 20 ssv. Life is but a short
/ lived dream a. h'st."
Clifford Land, mere. the owner Of this
.plendor that ha' descended in direct line
from ancestor 20 ancestor. stands lean
iry se.inst III, nan,el watching the
dancers fit pat the dOorways with =
smile Of exceeding bitterness, for his he. ut
;. hesvv. as mems hearts are apt 10 be
when their swse,hesr,s firt with 9th n
rnssculines
lie has loved Nav Goodwin since the
DAYS of bahyhoCd. this curious man who
has never loved bu, once and his isolst-
sd LOT makes hi, love the one all absorb
ing passion of is life; Yet the very in
,ersi,y Of his devotion makes him miser-
able.
Nav Goodwin loves others as well.
He loves hu, he.
Lsndsmere ia Young, rich. and his own
master, with no living relative to cross
/ his will.
Miss Goodwin is one Of large family.
The daughter Of clergyman. who finds
/ i, hard 10 make ends meet-a man sn1-
i~us 10 ccnfde his daughters keeping to
more moneyed hands.
The two became engaged when Nav
Goodwin was seventeen the two are still
unmarried. though Nav "a twenty three.
why DO they wait :" ask the villag
ers.
/ "Av. why echoes 'he rectorv.
And whv." saws Clifford Landsmere.
"must I wait 81 long :"
The girl nesrles her head upon his
shoulder and whispers. Next wear.
| Cl;Ford" Auc It is "ne,t wear" still.
The long dtlsv undeunines Lands
mere's h-alth. Ever before him il the
fear Of losing Nav Goodwin forever. the
dread of seeing her slip from his arms
| into those Of another man. Hp grows
uorhidlv Jealous. 'nrtures himself into an
insane madness that magnifes straws
into hav stacks, and then hemoans his
own weakness. /, is daring for such a
man 70 stake his happiness on the wbims
Of wavwsrd woman He seldom finds
on.en,mAn, he as rarely misses misery
Miss Goodwin is horn ccque'te. Men
set uron Der like red cloth on bull.
They shsrren her vii. and brighten her
faculties: vet the pirl is not so wrong "a
reorle think her. She can no more help
A;r,inV than she can help bresthing. and
/ half the time sins nnconscionslv.
Miss Goodwin tries The LOYALTY OF the
lover 10 the utmost: hu. where another
man would h, We flung her off in scorn.
/ he only droops and saddens.
How lon will he bear with her the
gossirs ask.
! The ones ton reaches Miss Goodwin
ears. She holds her head more proudly,
and answers. Always"
"Ab. child" says the old father. 'ad-
". this world is not eternity. There
is no sl,ssvs here" And the girl smiles
her smile of conscious power, and rests
secure in her o~n strength.
Once. and only once, Clifford Lands
mere retelled.
The girl looked at him with wide-open'
startled eyes as he told her that even ms
patience had limit. Ten minutes later
her wish accomplished. Landsmere plead
ed pardon. and 'he girl laughed at he'
own fears. She hal long ago forgotten
the whole affair. No. so Landsmere
his superstitious nature shrank from ths
fnlf;llment of his own predictions.