Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-15
A Happy Mistake.

: her cottage door looking afer the carriag,
of an old schoolmatc that had just dashet
/ by. ''Sbe has so much and so little / Ant
I yet, | once had tho opportunity of acdept
ing that rich husband of hers, and she
would have given her eyes, in those days
, | if Tom Merriam would have cared fef her q
he cared for us | wonder how it wbulG
{ have been if had taken Jacob Maraliout
| instead of telling him that l was engaged
} to Tom, and seeing real tears fu his ey y&baf
he listened | wonder if Pom AaLla lBat
what am thinking of? am rquitef tdEee
that Tom could never have cared for hetA
, never"
Mrs. Merrian's set face softened a little as
| her memory went back to the days when
'sTOm" wooed and won her, and when she
was so glad to .secrTe him after her long
fear that HermioAe' Macy would be his
, lGhosen bride. > -
! But the next moment the bright sunlight
flashed upon the highly vanished panels OF
fIermione's pony cargiage far up the Gorge
road. She turned away from the open door
with a heavy sigh and entered the plainly
, furnished sitting room where her two little
girls were getting ready for school.
: "Put it away! Hide it under your apron,
Rosy, or mamma will see it'll" she heard her
twelve-yearold Inez say in frightened
: whisper as she laid her hand on the latch of
the door.
Rosy was shuffiing something out of sight
under her white apron with very guilty
face. Both the children were anxious to
set off to school before their usual time, and
when she allowed them to do so she saw
them turn out of their road to go to their
father, who was at work in the field on the
hillside.
The two trimslittle figures stood on the
hilltop, in strong relief against the pale blue
horizon, and Rosy's apron was unfolded,
and father was evidently made the par
ticipator in the secret which 'fmother" was
not to know!
1t was little thing, but it added to the
discomfort with which the neat and capable
housekeeper went about her usual tasks
that morning.
Tom Merriam was unusually silent that
noon when he came to dinner. He partook
of the tempting meal in an absent-minded
kind of way and went back to the hillside
the moment he had finished, instead of
lingering to talk to his wife as he generally
did.
And yet this was her thirty-fourth birth
day! Tom might have remembered it suf-
ficiently to say kind word or two in praise
of the extra good dinner which she had
given him. But no; there he was on the
( hillside again, and actually leaning over to
talk to Hermione Marabout as she drove by
on her way back to the beautiful little villa
which her husband had taken for her dur
ing his absence in Europe ON important
business.
The hillside conference lasted nearly two
2 minutes; then the pony carriage rolled by
the small brown farmhouse once more; but
Hermione's face was persistently turned the
other way.
.'She has forgotten, toop' thought Mrs.
Merriam, bitterly. Sand yet her own birth
day comes only one week after NINE"
She finished washing and putting away
her dinner dishes and swept the kitchen
floor, Her house was none the less spot
lessly tidy because the heart was aching.
| She nut on oiean dress OF pink print
synfcn She had made ready for this very day.
in the pantry were four tiny loaves of
t tffudteake--eaefor each member Of the fssrlrf-'
(which she had made in secret, and the
wheat bread, the graham rolls, the chipped
beef and homemade preserves were ready
for the supper-table on the shelves.
No work was pressing for this afternoon.
For week past she had planned to secure
1four leisure hours at this time, and now they
rhung heavily and sadly upon her hands.
for few moments, biting her lips hard ev-
cry now and then to keep back the unwel-
come tears. At last she snatched up her
sunbonnet, and leaving the house by the
back door she hurried across the garden and
a small neck pasture land, and reached the
cool, green shadow of the pasture woods.
In the silence and beauty of the naples
she flung herself down and burst into tears.
Long, long she wept, till the sadness and
discomfort which had been making her heart
sore all through the day were entirely gone.
Raising herself on her elbow at last, a
quick whir of wings close beside her cheek
startled her. She searched among the moss
and found under the roof of three tiny ma
Piles, scarcely two inches high, lovely lit
tie hair-lined nest with four little, warm
white eggs in it, the latest brood of the sea-
, son.
81 will not disturb you, pretty one,' she
said to the small, brown mother which sat
on barberry bush close by chirping pitt
fully.
: She rose and walked On.
} The great trees rustled and waved their
green and golden leaves about over her head
{ in the sunlight and fresh air.
A brilliant red bird, with .jet-black head
l and wings, flashed past; golden robin chat
red squirrel barked away, just above the
robins head, when he saw her coming:
! sweet-scented thistles, honest-faced null
leins, and cheerful golden-r rod were in bloom
S on every side; black-berries, late raspberries
4 and crimson ''Seotch-caps'' overran the
1 woods; and barberry bushes hung full Of
yellowish fruit. A bird, unseen in the
: depth Of the forest, sang every moment
v three fute-like notes, half sweet, half sad
9 Toward the west the deep bell tinkled
p melodiously, and the strawberry roam COW
!, came in sight, leading the rest of the herd
to higher pastures. A wood-chuck, stand
g ing on his hind feet at the door of his home,
n bolted down the narrow path as she passed
4 by.
e All was life, movement happiness, sun
S shine, blue skies and perfumed breezes
wherever she turned. She stopped to won
s der at the curious tunnel that the wood
spider wove for a hiding place in the midst
y of her net, the rounded shafts sunk through
n the dried grass by the meadow-mold, anG
the busy ants carrying their eggs abou
when a stone CHANGED to be upturned, alikt
i attracted and enchained her attention.
Two hours passed before she was aware
: oftheir flight; and in all that time she ha(
forgotten to be unhappy.
k "The woods have taught me lesson tha
d 1 needed" f" she thought, as she turned bacl
n toward the lonely cottage home that had
it never before seemed half so dear; 'tand
have had pleasant birthday after all"
n by the back door she entered her home
b again. Glancing into the pantry as sh'
d passed she saw with surprise that the ma
It terials for the birthday feast had vanished
b A confused murmur of voices sounded
from the parlor. The dining-room doc
n stood wide open. There on a table beauti
o fully decorated with hot-house flowers wer
g the lost dainties in company with cakes, ices
n fruits and creams such as she had neve
it seen before; while on an improvised side
p board stood the heavier viands-cold roas
t, fowl, ham, in paper frills, and dressed witt
- with parsley, and a tongue.
IS Speechless with astonishment the farm
y er's wife crossed the hall and peeped int
st the parlor.
A beautiful rosewood armchair covered
n with crimson velvet-a chair such as sh
% had always secretly longed for, but neve
a hoped to possess-stood near the open fire
e, place. Over the carved and arched to
ID Hermione Marabout was arranging wreat
1T of gOlden-rOd and field daisies while Tor