New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
CHAPTER III.
| GO TO CLIFTON.

This conversation with my uncle took place be-
fore my story properly opens and if were an ART
ist perhaps should leave it out for that reason; (;
but apart from its being good joke, and show
ing besides, how it happened that went on visit
to Clifton, it enables me to tell you IN pleasing
manner good deal about myself, and likewise 1t
explains who my uncle was, and why he was
stranger to me.
You may talk as you please about the beauty of
foreign parts; Eve seen sOmc grand shows in That
way in my time as what sailor has not But had
never viewed anything finer than ClftOn-that part
of it. mean, which they call the Gorgc-I should
still be able to boast of having beheld as lovely
bit Of nature as any part of the world has to offer.
What fixes it in my memory was the sunset L had
tumbed into an open hy-quto gcnteol turnout
along with my pOrtmanteau; and when we had
climbed steep hill and had got on top of it and
rolled along some distance stood up and saw
sky full of the magnihcencc of score of glorious
colors, against which the heavy foliage and green
heights which tower above the valley, III whose
heart the silver Avon lat hoOd-tidc, mind yOu)
winds like stream Of mercury, stood out dark,
massive. Dense the gold of the sky trembling among
the Ebrne fringe of the wooded activities, and lay
ers or folds of emerald, sapphire and scarlet,
like incandescont iron, sun-bright etfulgence like
that of molten steel in retort swept by the hurri
cane Of a steam-created blast stretching their most
beautiful lengths along until thoir extrcmities
faded in the black yapOrs of huge cloud, from
whose sOOty COnyCXity green sparks OF lightning
were cracking and glitterng, while the thunder
moaned like tho voice of a lion heard roaring in
pain in some distant resonant forest.
The house abreast of which the driver hOve-to his
ground in front of it, full of flowers, high trees,
fountain and so forth. man servant, in black
suit and white necktie opened the door and
marched in but scarcely entered when my
uncle, rushing along, received me with shout OF
welcome, and dragged me, traYel-stalncd .as was,
into large and exceedingly elegant dTawingTOom.
There were four ladios thcrc-onc midde-aged,
the others young; one of thcse caller, rs sup
posed with small, fat, very old dog sleek as rat,
at her feet. This tOterng creature barred It's teeth
at me as entered, and delivered few strange,
whcczy notes, on which tho young lady cried
Down, you silly dog! hush, you iooIi9H old
Flora r and in the midst of this my uncle intro
duCcd me-
The middc-aged lady was my aunt n tall woman
still handsome, with plenty OF black halr, dark
ewes a fine figure, and wearing what women call
train" so long that the end of II remained ut her
chair after she had risen and advanced some. PAGES
To meet and welcome me. Two OF the others were
my cousins, both of them plump, fair girls, not
pretty, bat with very kind faces and pleasant
smiles. liked their manners amazingly-l mean,
heartily reshed the way in which they received me
no aifeCtatiOn, no hanging hack, no Smlrkng; aud
yet there was pretty modesty in their ar too.
But the third yopng lady! My uncle; on intro;
ducing me TO her, had called her Miss Hawke; aud
learned what her Christian name was by one OF
my cousins saying: "DOn't mind her, Florence,
dear T9eh WI ner uog DarRoa' anu S'I c s 6ar
name; and when you get deeper into this book
which you are bound to do for stranger yarn you
never read in your life, you'll understand why |
have il so pat and am able to write 1t down without
scratching the back of my head and looking alott
for the words.
of gentleman who would not tell lie to crafty
the cOnceit of the finest woman living, swear That,
in my opinion, Florence Hawke was the sweetest
little creature at that any other time 10 be found
in this country. And why do call her little
Faith, she was not SO little either. When we stood
sdo by sCe the top of her sunny aromatic head was
on level with my ear. But little, somehow, is the
adjective that will como showing into my thoughts
when speak OF her, because. perhaps OF the WIN
ming simplicity of her manner the chlldllke earnest
ness of her pretty delightful ways, which had
certain charming babyishness about them.
say, how am to describe herf If all the colors
the very rOyalest academlclan now living
knows how to mix would fail-as don't know
they wonld to give You the exquisite, delicate
of her ears, throat, forehead the rich brown and
gold of her plentiful beautiful hair; tho sweet,
clear carving of her nOstrils and brow the dark
vet luminous gray Of her large eye5-Oh, not to
mention the soul in them; the flashing spirit OF in
telligence, the magic play OF enOtion-what am l
10 do with ink what am ~ make of such perlec-
tOns when have no better brush in my hand than
pen tO paint them withS And yet, though 1t s
more than twenty years ago see her as she turned
plainly as did then the very pretty hat, the
long black feather tenderly coiling over tho back
of her hair toward her neck, as If 70 kiss 1t the
black and white bars crossing; the materlal-silk,
would it be lifting her like the glove upon her
hand aud expressing without emphasizing las
every good dressnaker knows howl just the type of
figure a mans eye loves to dwell on really beauti
full shape with perfectly propOrtioned whist, not
one of those hatuses in the middle of the female
body which bequeaths all the size that ought to
lie amidships 10 the hips. Yes, see her now as
saw her then and yet L cannot describe her' A
great pity, for on my word of honor she was the
sweetest woman living, aud ought TO be handled by
artist instead of shell-back still smelling of the
D tch-kettle
Well, the talk Of course, would be more common
place at the start. Ny aunt expressed her joy at
her husband having found me out she de-
lighted 10 did know Clifton she, was sure
should be charmed with the scenery aud so on.
Aud then my uncle burst forth: Come, Jack, let
me show you your room. We dine at 3, which is
an hour later than usual y; and we went upstairs
fmy visit were going to make any longthened
portion of this story, should bo tempted 70 write
page or two about this house in which found my
uncle and his family living. for nothing oompleter
and better in its way have ever seen. admired