Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-06

Surely there must be summer
Coming to this far cline;
And has Meenie, Love Meenic forgotten,
Or have we mistaken the time 2"
Then n fox-gove spake to the roses;
30, hush you. and cease your din;
For I'm going back to my sleeping,
Till Meene brings summer in"
Well, it was but n trifle; but trihes are
sometimes important things when seen
through lovers eyes
Gardens, paid his sixpence with equanim-
ity (for he had dispensed with the cere.
mony of dining the previous day., and
entered. 1t was rather pleasant morn
ing, and at first sight he was rather
shocked by the number OF people-nurse-
maids and children, most of them-who
were idly strollng along the trinity kept
walks or seated in front of the wide open
parterres. How was he to find Meenie In
such great place and II he did find her
were they to walk up and down before 50
many eyes For he had guessed that
Meene would be in no hurry to tell her
sister of what had happened, until the
future seemed Il little more clear and Sc
cure; it would be time enough to publish
the news when that had assumed u more
definite character.
But on and on he went, with glances
that were keen and sharp enough, until
suddenly, just as he had passed the green
houses, he came almost face to face with
! ~
herself, with book before her. But she
was n OF reading. "Oh, and proudly rose
she up" and yet shyly, too; and as he
took her hand in his, the JOY with which
she regarded him needed no confession in
words it was written there in the clear
tender eyes.
" Indeed, l am so glad to see you, Ron
aid ~ she said. Il have boen so misera-
/ bic these two days"
But why? ~ he asked.
] l. nrf1r hnN n
! wondering whether had done right; and
| then to 90 about with my sister, keeping
this secret from her; and then | was
thinking of the going away back to lnver-
Mudal, and never seeing yon, and not
| knowing how you were getting on. But
now-now that you are here, 1T seems all
quite right and safe. You look as if you
brought good news. What does he think,
| Ronald ~
| "He ~ he repeated. "Who ?"
"The old man out there at Pollokshaws,
is ii ?"
Ronald laughed.
ION, the old gentleman seems pretty
confident; but for very shame's sake, |
I had to let him have n holiday to-day. |
am not going over till tomorrow.
"And he thinks you will pass :"
lie seems to think So"
:" | wish the time were here now, and
that it was all well over" she said. "Oh.
, ! should be so proud, Ronald; and it will
and then-then lat VIII be but the be-
ginning and day by day shall be expect
ing to hear the news. But what long,
long time it seems to look forward to !"
"Ay, lass; and it will be worse for you
than for me- for there will be the contin-
uai trying and hoping for me, and for
You nothing but the weary waiting
Well"
she said, hravely. NO. / have faith in
you, Ronald. know you will do your
best"
81 should deserve to be hanged and
buried in IL ditch if did not said he.
but we will leave all that for awhile,
Meenie: ! want yOu come for stroll
along the banks over the Kelvin. Would
ye wonder to lind some sea-@ulls dying
about? They're there, though, or they
were week or Two ago. And do you
know that | got glimpse of you at the
railway station on Wednesday morning :"
II did not see you, Ronald" she said
with some surprise.
mo, no; kept out O. the way It's
not for me, lass, it's for you, to say when
any of your folk are to be told what we
are looking forward to and for my part
would as lief wait till could put a clear
er plan before them-something definite"
And that is my opinion too, Ronald
she answered, in rather low voice.
I" let it he merely an understanding be-
tween you and me. l am content to
wait"
"Wcll, then" said he, as they reached
the top Of the high bank overhanging the
river, and began to make their way down
the narrow little pathways cut through
the trees and shrubs, here is a con-
fe,sion: was so glad to see you on that
morning, and so glad to see you looking
so well, that | half lost my senses, |
think. | went away through the streets
in a kind o dream. and, sure as Pm here
walked into public-house and ordered
a glass Of whiSEcy-"
She looked up in Sudden alarm.
NO, no, no said lie contentedly, "you
need not fear that, my good lassie it was
Just that was bew!idered with having
seen We, and thinking OF where We were
going. | walked out O the place without
touching it, Ay, aud what think ye o
Dunoon And what Kind of II day was it
when ye got out on the Firth p
50 she began to tell him of all her adj
ventures and experiences: and by this
time they had got down near to the waters
edge: and hereof what value would
his knowledge of forestry have been other
wise he managed to find II seat for her.
They were quite alone here; the brown
river before them; several sea-gulls plac-
idly padding on its surface, Others flying
, and dipping overhead and if this bank
of the stream was in shadow, the other
with some small green meadows backed
by clumps of elms and maples-w bright
and fair enough in the yellow autumn
sunshine They were in absolute silence
too, save for the continual soft murmul
, of the water and the occasional whrrine
by of a blackbird seeking safety under
, meath laurel bush.
"Meenie," said he, putting one hand OF
her shoulder, here are some verses
,, copied out for ye last night; they're mo-
much worth but they were written {
long time ago, when little did | think
, should ever dare to put them into you
, hand
She read them: and there was Il rose
color in her face as she did SO: not tina
, she was proud of their merit, but because
: of the revelation they contained.
, "A long time ago :" she said, will
4, averted eyes-but her heart was beating
, warmly.
: con-" he said, "there are dozens anC
dozens of similar things, if ever We car
to look at them. 1t was many happ,
morning on the hill, and many a quie
! night at home, they gave me but some
how, lass, now that look at them, the.
! hardly seem to grip Sc fast enough.
/ hi,,fr hnt will Va oil