Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-21
THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS SUNDAY DECEMBER 81 1884.

s~Su ii Ardit--AlLu YOU near me, Nafitng,
SOM"
We had driven up by a route Unknown
70 me, aud all at once the snow white
walls of Strassmere cleaned upon our
sight, What new charms enrolled It for
mel Ny future home Could there be a
loyel!er "nes Not even ia dreams has my
fancy pictured a place more beautiful.
Would that my pen were inspired that 10
might picture it as it flashed upon me
then when NY mind glJWed with thoughts
born of our love.
''st0p.' l cried, placing my hand in
bis, 'let Us lOul&at il together With thank
ful heaTts-the exquisite picture yOnder.
Art has lent its heppiest aid to make ma
ture smile al about the home. AS the
moonlight wells il ali 1 can imagine spirits
Of loneliness playing hide-and-seek among
those airy tutrets and shining windows
and along each graceful curve Of the many
balconies"
He smiled. but looked at me rather than
at the picture, as be said:
''ctrassmcre mag well put on her love-
lest face. for the bQmniest bride i'm all this
Southern land Will grace her halls to-
night.0
Miss MalinO met us on tine threshold
withsau her accustomed stateliness Of
dress and manner. but she bent her head
and kissed my brow, giving her welcome
III sin way. L caught glimpse OF re-
Ginning figure in the parlor, and with fleet
step broke away from the arm that up
held me. 1 had not seen that dear face
since IL wore the pallidness Of death, and
my heart beat high and fast as knelt near
her couch.
'YOur blessing, dearest mother" was
all my quiyering lips could speak.
She gave it with her hands softly and
caressinglv laid upon my head crowned
with It's orange blossoms.
1t was a tender. supplicating voice that
called down upon me heavens richest
blessings. Would that ! could give her
quaint language here, but only she could
have called up anything as rare. When
l hooked up l saw that her son knelt be-
side me, and then came the double bless
irg.
There was q little season of sacred ST.
lence between us tbere-a silence tnatl
was not sad, Tut the words we did not ut
ter were OF a sad past that was never
brought up. We buried il at once so tnat
no shadow should rest upon our coming
together. 1t was hard struggle for me
to control my anguish in remembering
what was the cause OF her lying so help
less, and that father had forced me to give
I her loving soul such stab did not ar that
moment console me, but to be sure that
her love tor me knew no bitter remem-
( brance | had only to look into her loving,
approving eyes.
''Ah!" she exclaimed, over and over
INES eniants, Eugene ana Marie"
she always called me Marie, which in
her language stood for Miriam or Mary.
She said ~ IN ant Star Of the Sea, and as
otteu as otherwise called me their star.
she used to lay great stress upon the
meaning ot names, 50 that she taught us
their VOTth.
TNr.r,, e.rr, m, ,.1a r-a Law I rrr.e
Eugene. Marie to his mother Miriam to
Miss AalirO and Minnie to my former
fl, nds. To lovers of pleasure there
would nave been little that was attrac-
tive in our quiet evening pa ty, for we
We're only "a trio of loving souls so Joined
together that. we made our own happy
world. Tne presence of others would
have married our pleasure. Strange tbat
did not miss Miss MalinO even from our
feast which. though it was spread only
tIrthree, was exquisite, until Eugene said:
Nv e allow our good friend ANNA to
I consult her own Whims about every thing,
and never feel surprised at any Of them,
n0 matter how odd they are. You Will
learn, like us, l hope, to value her fer her
true worth. For my sake, express no
wonder or aniByanca al any Of her ways.
[ She is, as YOU know, while a treasured
member Of our family, not kiDsf5lk, and
/ tonight she bcgs us to excuse her if she
/ prefers 10 occupy herself alOne.'
Eugene had wheeled the reclining chair
D of our mother close to the table and next
! to me. She said with a pleasant nod
after hearing what was said Of Miss
Maliuo:
/ "Taut mieux." If she thought it was
$50 much the better" for US To enjoy our
1 freedom from restraint il was all right.
was glad there was no one to dispute my
right 10 play attendant upon the dear lit
tie mother who seemed TO enjoy my SER
/ vices most thoroughly.
We fingered long about the table, en-
/ ioying luscious tropical fruits and max
! ing merry over game OF hull-gull in
! which we all three joined. Then Eugene
/ and l ate phiiopeua together, and. when
I he caught me Immediately, mothers mu-
/ steal laugh rang through the halls.
Quaint anecdotes fell from her lips, to
which Eugene listened with the liveliest
I interest and with happy smiles wreathing
/ his lips.
Then the two returned to the parlOr,
/ where all was beautiful about us ana
/ sweetest music began.
| Eugene sang the song his mother loved
/ best, while l listened with a JOY that was
| ineXpressible. 1t was one that ne learned
| from my lips-the one l used to sing at
/ home:
"O watch ye well by daylight,
In daylight You may fear;
But keep no watch in darkness,
! The angels then are near.
For heaven the sense bestoweth
Our waking life to keep,
But tender mercy shOweth
To guard us in our sleep.
so! watch We well IN pleasure,
For pleasure oft betrays;
But keep no watch in sorrow
When JOY Withdraw Its rays.
sgFOr in the hOur Of sorroxv
| AS in the darkness drear,
To heaven entrust the morrow,
The angels then are near"
The sound of his voice was to me
sweeter than any earthly instrument-sO
| sweet that tears of strange enjoyment
| filled my eyes, and great throb seemed
| to make my heart ache. How often since
| in hours of sorrow have l recalled that
scene, and tried to feel as did then that
| angels were nearl
1t was a shock when Miss Malino sud-
| denly came close to me and laid her hand
upon my shoulder.
"Pardonnez, mois," she cried out, ''but
| please to see the little shining clock that
| points to the wee sma' hours"
took her arm and was led in stately
majesty to the left wing of the building.
| We passed through long corridor to
reach the suite of rooms that Eugene had
| fitted up for me. For awhile my compan-
| ion allowed me to revel in girlish admira-
| ton of my surroundings, but she had lit
| tie patience with that pOetical side of hu-
man nature, and spoke again, never I'M
| bending from her stateliness:
81 am no talker, for this new speech
| does taDgle in my tongue, and you will
not care much, maybe, to hear me very
often, but, when we do speak to gedder,
| call me Amina now"
L could not help reddening at the
! thought of calling one so elevated by age
and manner above me by given name.
alt will sound disrespectful, fear. but
| if you wish il l VIII surely"
Il do not see what your word meens,"
she replied, quickly; shut il ess not that
1 am too old, ma foir'
Ali offended her at the start. What
pity for mel
ssNo, no,'' L exclaimed. "You do not
look old, only the silver threads in your
hair perhaps misled me-"
Her face became overcast with clouds,
and she shocked me by the French wO-
mans polite swearing, though it was only
an cutlery to her.
"MOn dieu, poor enfant. lie ciel."
Here she raised her hand towards the
ceiling because the heavens could not he
seen and made startling gesture. "He
knows what makes dees snow hairs"
Her other hand touched her bands of
hair once coal black, but now sprinkled
with white. Her whole manner was so
tragic that / hardly knew whether 10
laugh or to cry while standing transtixed