Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-25
LOVE CROWNS ALL.
IA CHRISTMAS sToRY.l
CHAPTER l.

All are but ministers of love
And feed its sacred fame"
Even the children at school know
that the western part of the State OF
New York is dotted here and there with
small lakes. But, only one who has
seen that country, and then only such
as have poetic instincts given them, can
imagine the indescribable teauty OF
these gems, brilliant as diamonds set In
their banks of living emerald.
On the banks of one of these rise the
towers of typical American college.
Here have gathered year after year for
three generations, the youth of the EN-
pire State, and from many of the neigh
boring Commonwealths; and from its
halls have gone forth scores of the lead
ing statesmen, lawyers and merchants
of their day.
In a beautiful oak grove by the side
of the lake, on Fourth of July in 1859,
were gathered gay party to celebrate
the natal day of American Independ.
ence. As had been customary since the
days of "auld lang syne," the young
men of the institution furnished forth
the intellectual feast of the day, in a
poem of decided merit, in an oration,
and readings of patriotic thoughts of the
fathers, in prose and verse, as they have
been handed down to us in the books.
Then had followed the more material
part of the days festivities in the
picnic under the spreading shades of the
oaks. The sun shot up from the sur
face of the pure waters over which
light breeze played, the song Of birds
mingled with gay laughter that rose
from young hearts inexperienced in the
cares of life, and altogether the scene
was as pretty picture as may be seen
in . whole lifetime.
Of all those gathered there that
bright young day, our interest centers
in three of the party.
Nearest the bank of the lake, under
the branches of the widest spreading
oak, apart from all the rest, sit two
Young people. The man is not hand
some, but he is all of six feet, well made,
muscular as an athlete, which indeed he
is, and active as an acrobat He has
great mass Of sunny brown hair curling
round broad, shapely brows under
which shine pair of the brightest,
keenest, but most kindly eyes you
would find among thousand men. His
features were not regular, but they were
of that refiued. thoughtful mould which
indicates q great mind. As he rose
from the green sward, and aided his
companion to her feet, he was in all re-
spects the most distinguished person in
the party. A smile of most genuine
pleasure played round the rather large
and very expressive mouth, under the
folds OF a moustache long and heavy for
a man of less than five-and-twenty, as
he gazed upon the face of the girl he
helped from the grass.
His companion was two or three years
his junior, aud such woman as Ten
nyson seems to have had in his mind as
his abiding beau ideal of the sex. She
might certainly be said to be
"a perfect oman, nobly planned"
Quite as Apostle IN her case would be
the poets lines:
"a daughter of the gods,
Divinely tall, and most divinely fair"
While hers was not by any means la
beaute du diabie, nor had her youthful
form the slightest suggestion OF any
grossness in it's outlines; still she GER
tainly had all the voluptuousness of a
most healthy maiden, just entered on the
period of mature womanhood. Withal
there was fully as much of an intellect
ual development of the rarest proper
tions manifested iu her appearance as
there was of the physical characteristics
of the race. Any one who looked upon
her low, arched, but wide forehead into
her great hazel eyes, or heard her speak
but half dozen words had said:
"There is a clever woman" just
as the two rose from beneath the
shadow of the tree there approached the
third person whom it is desirable the
readers of this story should meet. He
was young man of about the same age
as the two persons who met him. His
hair was of that indefinite color that is
neither brown, red nor blonde-a sort
of dirty white. He wore moustache
and side.whiskers of the same hue, and
struggling in the same aimless. weakly,
uncontrolled fashion as the hair.
The eyes were large and wide.
but with no expression, or life,
watery, uncertain, wandering in
their habits. He was short, slight,
loosely put together, and walked as he
looked in an uncertain, shambling FASH
ion, as if he did not know where he was
gong, nor what he should do if he got
there.
He was well acquainted with the hero
of our sketch, and as he came up that
one introduced him to the lady.
How simply these things are done.
''Miss Livingston, allow me to present
my friend, John Bangs"
"Mr. Bangs, Miss Livingston is visit. ]