Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-27


from one of the chimneys told that some
one was awake probably the vel
low-haired Nelly, whose duties began at an
early hour
And what was Meenie-o Rose Meenie,
or Love Meenie, us she might be called
now, after having all those things written
about her-what was she doing awake
and up at such II time? At all events her
morning greeting was there confronting
her. She mad brought it and put it on the
little dressing table; and as she brushed
out her beautiful abundant brown tresses,
her eyes went back again and again to the
pencllled lines, and she seemed not i'll
pleased. For this was what she read
The kinds are feeding upon the HILL
And the harcs on the salOw lea;
Awake. awake, Love Mcenie!
Birns are singing in every tree;
And roses you'll find on your window-sill
TO scent the morning air;
Awake. awake. Love Mecnic.
For the world is shining fair.
o who is the mistress of bird and flower?
Ben tIebrig knows. | wecn
Awake, awake, Love Mccnic,
To snow them their mistress and queen.
And it could hardly be expected that
she should bring any very keen critical
scrutiny to bear on these idle verses of
ROnald's (of which she had now obtained
q goodly number, by dint of wheedling
and entreaty, and even downright insist
ence). seeing that nearly all of them were
written in her praise and honor; but even
apart from that she had convinced herself
that they were very fine indeed: and that
one or two of them were really palmetto;
and she was not without the hope that,
when the serious affairs of life had been
attended to. and little leisure and con
temptation became possible, Ronald might
turn to his portical labOrs again and win
some little bit of name tor himself
CON, AFT l,ttt n "a
and there. That he could DO So IL he
chose. she was sure enough, 1t was all
very well of him to make light OF these
scraps and fragments, and to threaten to
destroy them if she revealed the TACT OF
their existence to anybody: hut she knew
their worth, if he did not: and when, in
this or that magazine or review, she saw
piece of poetry mentioned with praise her
first impulse was to read it quickly in
order to ask herself whether Ronald
given time and opportunity not
have done as we'll Moreover the answer
to that question was invariably the same;
and it did not leave her unhappy. 1t is
true tfor she would be entirely dispassion,
ate) he had not written anything SO fine
/ as "ChrStabel'-aS yet but the years
were before him; she had confidence; the
world should see, and give him lifting
welcome all in good time.
When, on this clear morning, she was
]
silently down the stair, and made her
way out into the now awakening day.
| The little hamlet was showing signs OF
| life. A stable-lad was trying to get hold
1 of horse that had strayed into the mead
ow: a collie was barking its excitement
over this performance; the pretty Nelly
appeared carrying an armful of clothes to
be hung out to dry. And then, rs Meenie
passed the inn, 81 c was joined by Harry
the terrier who, after the first grovelling
demonstrations of joy, seemed to take il
| for granted that he was to be allowed to
accompany her. And she was nothing
loath. The fact was, she was setting out
in quest of that distant eyre of ROnald's
of which he had often told her; and she
doubted very much whether she would be
able to find it; and she considered that
perhaps the little terrier might help her
Would he not naturally make for his
masters accustomed resting place, wher
they were sufficiently high up on the fal
Clebrig slopes?
so they went along the road together
and she was talking to her companion
and telling him 4 good deal more about
ably he could understand. Considering
indeed, that this young lady had just
been sent home i'll deep disgrace, she
seemed in excellent spirits. She hat
borne the parting admonitions and up
braidings of her sister Agatha with ;
most astonishing indifference: she had re
ceivcd her mothers reproaches with /
placid euuanlmity that the little woman
could not understand at all tonly tina
Meenie's face once or twice grew liked ant
proud when there was some stornful ref
crence to Ronald: and she had forthwith
set about nursing her fathcr-who haC
caught a severe chill and was in bed
with an amiable asslduity. Just as if moth
ing had happened. As regards her father
he either did not know. or had refused t.
know, about Mcepie's lamrntable con
Il uct. On this one point he was hupelessl
perversc: he never would listen 10 any
thing said against this daughter of his
Meen'e was always in the r!Ght-no mat
ter what it was. And so, notWithstand
ing that she had been sent home rs one il
disgrace, she installed herself as he
fathers nurse with an anIInE self-cOn
tent: and she brought him his beef tea an,
his port wine ut the stated intervals 10
the good doctor did not seem to have II
much faith III drugs rs might have beef
anticipatcd); and she kept the peat fire vi
and blazing: and she methodically read t
him the Inverness Courier. the Glasgow
Weekly Citizen, and the Edinburgh Scots
man: ard when these were done sh
would get out a volume of old ballads o
perhaps The Eve OF st. Agnes or "Es
inond," or AS You Like It," or tn
Winters Tale" 1t did not matter mucl
to him what she read; he liked to hea
the sound OF Meenle's voice - in thl
hushed. half slumherUus, warm littl
ROOM while the chill north winds howle,
without. chasing each other across tn
,, driven loch, and signing and sohbing ava.
alongth lonely Strath Terry.
But on this fair morning there was no
, breath stirring; and the curving bays
, and promontOries, and birch woods, ant
the far hills beyond, were all reflected il
the magic mirror of the lake, as she spec
along the highway, making for the Gle
, brig slopes. And soon she was mounting
! these-with the light step of one trained
to the heather; and ever as she got highe
: and higher the vast panorama around he
!, grew wider and more wide. until sh
. could see hills and lochs and wooded
: islands that never were visible from In
, YER Mudul, In the perfect silence tn
; sudden whir of a startled grouse mad
! her heart jump. A hare-that looked re
: markably like a cat, for there was n
, much white as blush brown about it
. got up almost at her feet and sped swift
away over heath and rock until it disap
! peared in one Of the numerous peat bogs
: There was Il solitary eagle slowly circlin
in the blue but Mt so great height that
: was hut n speck. AT one moment sh
Il thought she had caught sight of the AM
cha