Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-22
Yes, indeedr' exclaimed one Of the

her aunt. as the talk became general.
The table was almost oVeri3den with
7 every species Of warm bread. conserve
/ and cake. Little crochetted white mats
I interviewed between the plates and the
otherwise uncovered board. Two nero
boys went deliberately about answering
! the commands Of the girls and Mrs.
: Echols, which were oftenest to offer some
I thing 10 Constance; at other times they
stood yacantiy still.
I Constance looked interestedlv about
/ sne table; the girls amiably returned her
vague smile, and she felt sudden and
wholly unusual liking for the quiet. sweet.
serious face Of the eldest, who sat next
her father at the further end Of the table.
I The two other girls were not tall and had
/ the generous Southern form. Jscinth had
I the delicate. cleaT-cut Northern features
/ OF her father. Her hair was worn drawn
/ straight back from her forehead in the
/ trying classical manner, and her effect
T was altogether simple, direct and charm
( Iug.
Helen and Ethel had sweet. round
! faces from which their bright, restless
( eyes looked gOOd-humOredlV out upon 3
world which they seemed 10 find agreea-
/ be. Their fathers slim person confront
ed them from the foot Of the table. From
time 70 time as he talked his keen. gentle
face relaxed, and his dry, snaVen lips
Wrin6led in fine smile. In the custom
OF the day he wore no beard, and the crisp
lines Of his visage were uncOncealed. He
talked TO Constance in a rapid. facile
way, and they ali joined in an obvious
effort to give her generous welcome and
TO make the desOlate girl forget that she
had not always known them. 1t seemed
I 10 Constance that she was cOmpa sed
about with friendliness, with sympathy.
with secure TepOse. She looked forward
to many happy days made vital by the
! cleemOsynarY labOTs which she hoped to
emerge from this peaceful citadel 10 ac-
c0mplish.
she felt like crying for happiness.
and instead she laughed with these kind
people As she had not laughed since her
fathers death.
When her aunt came to her room to bid
/ her goodnight she fell upon her neck
and tried TO whisper her gratitude, and
I then she said she feared she must have
/ seemed wickedly happy. Mrs. EchOls
I smiled with a thoughtful sympathy in her
/ eyes, telling her that was impossible, and
/ adding kindly "that whatever we might
wish we could not let the dead always
/ shadow our lives. The living had rights
I as WE'LL"
"Ah! you did not know my father" ex-
I claimed Constance.
/ NO, no. dear. and 1 cannot presume to
=
world was not made for that. We were
meant To be happy here, whatever the
/ cynics say. II we are not the blame is
/ ours. Goodnight, she added. and kissed
her again.
Mrs Echols was Of a comfortable.
/ mOtheTiy figure; her gray hair was
I dressed upon little combs and hung in
. pulls above her ears, while its unfailiug
I abundance was caught up behind in a
I large, mat-like coil. Constance looked
I after Ter With spontaneous love IN her
| ewes which she remembered awarding 10
I very few on such an acquaintance. We
/ were meant TO be happy here Her own
narrow experience she reflected with
melancholy did not sanction the theory.
Bus it was certainly an agreeable and
/ flattering one. Apparently her aunt's
! family accepted il i'm good fdth. They
were. hi east, a delightful publication
Of its efficacy, and Constance fell asleep
with "a " auderiug memory OF similar eN-
press l0us 90 1ir. March.
OuiunmpuJ lay with the early sun
bright ON its white dwellings and spires
/ as she came out alone upon the deep
: uiaZ a with its robust COrluthian pillars
next morning. IRE house stood on a
p Ieafy emiueuce without the town, and
. Ouinnimuut was lie a Wide-cu!tured val
. I lev just below her she perceived a
small lake. a cool breeze sprung
from the mountains that fringed the hOri.
3 / zor. swept the broad plain and the lake
r amt played with tine Grant strands Of heI
q hair.
How much YOU look like your moth
/ eri" exclaimed her aunt in the breakfast
room. as she put back the wandering haiI
= with both hands and kissed her good
morning.
DO IT, asked Constance. joyfuIy
Father used to say So"
The girls came down one by one arTaveC
in the iLVariable Southern morning dress
OF white, winning the eye with its Iaund-
cred freshness, and greeted her with the
same gentle good Will.
They wandered through the house
whose vaStneSs presently astOnished Con.
stance. The great hall was in itself an
immense apartment. 4 company of horse
{ might almost have mauUHyered in It
/ The iuuUmeTable rooms gave one a sense
OF freedom and spaciOusness commonly
7 reserved for buildln OF more public
use. Yet IL was all sufficiently home
like, and the rooms were richly decorated
Z in the taste Of the daY. The heavy claw
foot secretaries and bookcases were mas.
sively embroidered IN brass; the hair
cloth furniture was as handsome as j
was uncomfortable. On the walls Their
were some good engraviags of intOlcrabl
, subjects. or these the srimmest was
series of representations of a variety o
Z future States, and the most light5Ome al
: allegOry in four pieces OF the seasons in thr
life of man. In a corner of the dra WingrOOn
hung a brave cOlOred likeness OF tn,
) Prince Of Wales IN the unapprOachabl,
jauntiness of Highland costume. an(
above portrait OF his rare father in tn
p kiuglv robes. The in0ttensivc little cir
with a kitten in heI arms was there, anC
she smiled meekly at her brother oppO
site. arrayed in sailor costume and roll
Ing a swollen hoop. Above the harpsi
I chord was disposed pair Of curious bU
TetiefS in copper pOrtraTlng certain ter
rOr- preadIug Indian chiefs in the French
Indian wars. Two lugu5TiOuS ladies il
WOrsteG were represented visiting th
wilIOw-shadOwed tomb OF Washington
There was, OF course. pT0fusi0u o
family portraits, for the most part excel
lent, which at this time were dimly seer
through their summer defense of g8uze
Among these was the notable figure o
I Mrs. EchOls' father IN the COnUuenta
Z uniform. The bare polished floors wer
{ strcWl with p3rbarlC-GucQ Indian ru1
which one of Nj. EchOls' seafarin.
friends had brought home TO him. an,
Z from the same source were various
I straugely-wrought daggers and ivory puz
zles. The tables were covered with Eng
lish periodicals and newspapers, as wei
as the Baltimore and Philadelphia jour
mails.
s'Do You ever fish, COnstauce:" askeC
her uncle, with humorous twinkle IN hi
( eve, as they went out on the piazza to
gether one morning.
mo, uncle. Whyw
He had a large folding map mounted OF
/ muslin IN his hand.
''Why, | do, and want your company
you. Uncleg 1 didn't know YOU were
strong enough for long tramps."
Pm not. The thought does credit u
your discerpment. That is the reason
iish at nome. Take a seat, my DEAR
Constance took one of the chairs on the
piazza with a vague smile.
He UnfOlded the map, en- which Mary
land, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Del
aware were represented at large, and
/ spread il on a table before them. Con-
stance began TO understand.
Il can't, physically, go fishing, as Tho
phrase is, so / make excursions in fancy
1lU'ye no idea what long tramps ] take
or the maD-with the precious advan
tage that / return home as fresh rs when
1 started"
DO YOU catch anything" asked Con.
stance, amused.
Everything. DON'T you see what O
fieldit opensf suppose we try = throw after
breakiastI"
But I'm not an enthusiast. I'm afraid
1 should be tired before the day Is out"
a As Il i.