The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-05-02

when your soul mounts beyond the Of
fee stool, where are you then ~
He waved his hand descriptively, as
it were, of an aerial flight; his nails
were inky, and very long.
swell, l don't know" said /, "ljht
hadn't you better---i" '
But he had risen, and hurriedly
commenced undoing the brown paper,
withdrawing from it about fifty sheets
of foolsoap, well written over.
'Iisten" |" he cried oracularly, and
slowly recited as follows:
Hail cold, unfeeling orb, tho thy
bright ray ...
Mocks the absorbing madness of my
soul | ... .......'
Soon, soon thy last quarter will draw
nigh; ... .. ....
But sooner still for me the funeral
bell shall toll
"That's the opening lines" said he
"tbe next ... ......
"My friend / said, 81 am afraid
you will fiud the public hard to satisfy;
you must look for disappointment"
"That's all | look for, sir" he inter-
rupted, "that and m early grave" he
added, with certain air of satisfac-
ton. "And as mother and father
aren't as well off as they were, l dare
say there won't even be recordin'
marble to tell the world Cincinnatus
Maudle lies below--but that's of no
consequence.
He sighed.
"Arent you a little out of health ?"
| asked at this point.
"Oh, yes, sir he smiled. "Im
journeying to the tomb I've no sort
of doubt about it myself, but the cold
world will pass needless by and think
nothing of it. The worlds so very
sublunary! Don't you find it so, sir p
"Well, yes; suppose it is that l
said, never having had cause to doubt
it as fact Eyes, suppose it is.
But now let me advise you as a friend" "
| He looked up softly. ...
81 knew you would" he cried
"that's just it, you will assist me, and
I'll step up of evenings and well go
through it together gradual like. Yes,
felt sure you'd be the friend to do it
when mother said, Gin, that's our first
floor going out" felt as if could
open my heart to you like brother
| did indeed, SIR
Look here,' said, when he paused
and shook back the excited wisp OF
whitish-brown hair, with joyful vehe
mence; "look here, Ill let you know
when to briug it up. The fact is, rm
awfully busy just now; l haven't q
minute to spare for study or the de.
lights of the muse
| smiled grimly as almost pushed
him out of the door, bearing his pre-.
cious brown paper parcel and over
whelming me with nndeserved thanks
Inwardly resolved never to have five
minutes leisure to listen to those ''re
velations to the moon" which would
henceforth haunt my waking and sleep
ing hours, even should the meek Gin
: cinnatus sink into his early grave
the sooner for lack of brotherly sym
! pathy. -.f N'.
The next morning when l entered
, my sitting room S)phonsba Ann wa,
there, a little belated, | concluded, a
} she was finishing the operation of dust
ing, which | never observed to produc,
e much result Something in the stree
a had caught the damsel's notice, Tor sh
did not observe my entrance, as sh
: stood with her hands on her hips, tn
duster hanging idly by her 81 lie, he
= mouth open, and vacantly fixed eyes
l the refractory hairpins in open rebeI
y lion. and stray wisps aud tails of hal
obtrudng where they were off duty
e while hooks and eyes at variance CON
n pleted the eff CT of the bulgy lines O
e Sophonisba AIMS figure before hinte
II at
d Now it happened thlt was engage
a in making series of sketches for
$ comic Journal, and Sophonisba Ann. a
:. she now stood, was the very model
r wanted for one of them. Thc opportl
y nifty was too good to be lost. seize
Il paper and pencil. . Y...
d "One moment, my good girl !" l crie(
= "Stay as you are oblige me by no
u moving" .....t MI.
Is OF course she did not stay ''as sh
Is was, but nearly enough so to enabl
II me to throw on paper the outline whic
had caught my fancy. . .
l. "Thanks-that will do l said q
h blandly as could.
y She simpered and actually forgot t
d sniffie. ...
J. la, sir whatever could you tax
me like this for p she cried at last. ''
IS I'd only been in my afternoon frock
+. least, and done my hair up bit It'd
is if you had told me but la! now.
"Dop't name it," / said ''Id rath,
:! not. in fact. | wanted you just as yc
/ are"
The next evening Mrs. Maude can
4 up smiling-yes, actually smiling J.
le with cheerful serenity, if not lit
9, excitement in her demeanor, as 81
3 placed before me Photographic lik
7, ness of Sophonisba Ann.
(which Maudle and me, sor, couldr
I, bear of your putin up with such
"a sketch like, all of hurry and bel
is as our gurl wasn't tidied up, as she
10 wished, in course, Sophonisba Anr
" been and had this took at Mr.. Dau
st ley's, round the corner, if you'll acce
e. it; and I'm sure good-hearted, we
disposed gurl is my gurl, though I s.
e. it, and not took up with follies Ii
o, some, and that steady, almost t
OF steady for her station in life, as b
n father tells her and I'm sure both h
~ father and me--but there, sir, VIII
OF you're a parent you'll know what
parents fellin's are
Vi All this was said in one breath, vii
out any pause whatever. | sat bev
a dered, wondering if it would be |
~ pardonablv rude to reject the offer
aS as a lady's portrait, and what l could s
~ in excuse.
" w'm afraid" l began, "you're v,
- kind-the fact isl think I did
Gaf G make myself quite understood.
ht "Oh, yes, sir, you did, Pray do
name. You was all gentleman sho