Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-04

here in the garden and take of our
hats; the starshine lights upon our heads, and
where mine is little bald, dare say you
can see it glisten in the darkness. The noun
tain and the mouse That is like to be all we
shall ever have to do with Arcturus or Aide
baran. Can you apply PARALLEL" he added,
laying his hand upon Wills shoulder. ut is
not the same thing as reason, but usually
vastly more convincing"
VIII hung his head little, and then raised
it once more to heaven. The stars seemed to
expand and emit sharper brilliancy; and as
he kept turning his eyes higher and higher
they seemed to increase in multitude under
his gaze.
81 see," he said, turning to the young man,
1--WE are in rat trap"
Something of that size. Did you ever see
a squirrel turning in a cage, and another
squirrel sitting philosophically over his nuts2
needn't ask you which Of them looked more
of fooln
THE PARSONS MARJORY.
After some years the old people died, both
in one winter, very carefully tended by their
adopted son, and very quietly mourned when
they were gone. People who had heard of
his. rowing fancies supposed he would hasten
to sell the property, and 60 down the river to
push his fortunes. But there was never any
sign of such an intention on the part of Will.
On the contrary, he had the inn set on a bet
ter footing, and hired u couple Of servants to
assist him in carrying it on; and there he set
tied down, a kind, talkative, inscrutable
young man, six feet three in his stockings,
with an iron constitution and a friendly
voice. He soon began to take rank in the
district as bit of an oddity. 1t was not
much to be wondered at from the first, for he
was always full Of notions, and kept calling
the plainest common sense in question: but
what most raised the report upon him was
the odd circumstance Of his courtship with
the parsons Mariory.
The parsons Mariory was q lass OF about
10 when Will would be about 30, well enough
looking and much better educated than any
other girl in that part of the country, as be-
came her parentage. She held her head very
high and had already refused several offers
of marriage with grand air, which had got
her hard names among the neighbors. For
all that she was good girl and one that
Will had never seen much of her, for. al
though the church and parsonage were only
two miles from his own door he was never
known to 60 there but on Sundays. 1t
chance.l, however, that the parsonage fell
into disrepair and had to be dismantled, and
the parson and his daughter took lodgings
for month or so, on very much reduced
terms, at Wills inn. Now, what with the
inn and the mill and the old miller's savings,
our friend was q nlsn Of substance, and be-
sides that, he had name for good temper
and shrewdness, which make a capital por-
tion in marriage, and SO it was currently gos-
siped among their i'll wishers that the parson
and his daughter had not chosen their tenn
porary lodgings with their eyes shut. Will
was about the last man in the world to be
cajoled or frightened into marriage. You
had only to look into his eyes, impid and
still like pools Of water, and yot with sort
of clear light that seemed to come from with
in, and you would understand at once that
here was one who knew his own mind and
would stand to it immovably. Marjory her
self was no weakling by her looks, with
strong, steady eyes and resolute and quiet
bearing. 1t might be question whether she
was not Wills match in steadfastness, after
all, or which of them would rule the roast in
marriage But Marjory had never given it
thought, and accompanied her father with
the most unshaken innocence and unconcern.
The season was still so early that Wills
customers were few and far between; but the
lilacs were already Towering, and the weather
was so mild that the party took dinner under
the trellis, with the noise Of the river in
their ears and the woods ringing about them
with the sonrS Of h;-tle VIII COW, ,snp ="
take q particular pleasure in these dinners.
The parson was rather a dull companion,
with habit Of doing at table; but nothing
rude or cruel ever fell from his lips. And as
for the parsons daughter, she suited her sur
roundings with the best grace imaginable;
and whatever she said seemed so pat and
pretty that Will conceived a great idea OF her
talents He could see her face, as she leaned
forward, against background of rising pine
woods; her eyes shone peaceably; the light
lay around her hair like kerchief; some
thing that was hardly a smile rippled her
pale cheeks, and Will could not contain him
self from gazing on her in an agreeable dis
may. She looked, even in her quietest mo-
ments, so complete in herself, and so quick
with life down to her finger tips and the very
skirts of her dress, that the remainder OF
created things became no more than blot
by comparison; and if Will glanced away
from her to her surroundings, the trees
looked inanimate and senseless, the clouds
hung in heaven like dead things, and even
the mountain tops were disenchanted. The
whole valley could not compare in looks with
this one girl
Will was always observant in the society OF
his fellow creatures, but his observation be-
came almost painfully eager III the case OF
Mariory. He listened to all she uttered and
read her eyes at tho same time for the un-
spoken commentary Many kind, simple and
sincere speeches found an echo in his heart.
He became conscious of a soul beautifully
poised upon itself, nothing doubling, nothing
desiring, clothed in peace. 1t was not posi-
BILE to separate her thoughts from her appear
ance. The turn of her wrist, the still sound
of her voice, the light in her eyes, the lines
of her body fell in tune with her grave and
gentle words like the accompaniment that
sustains and harmonizes the voice of the
singer Her influence was one thing, not to
be divided or discussed, only to be felt with
gratitude and joy. To Will her presence re-
called something Of his childhood, and the
thought of her took its place in his mind be-
side that of dawn, Of running water and OF
the earliest violets and ilacs. 1t is the
property of things seen for the first time, or
for the first time after long, like the flowers
in spring, to reawallen i'll lis the sharp edge
of sense and that impression OF mystic
strangeness which otherwise passes out of life
with the coming of years; but the sight of q
loved face is what rcncwS a mans character
e"om the fountain upwards.
One day after dinner Will took stroll
among the frs; grave beatitude possessed
him from top to toe, and he kept smiling to
himself and the lanscape as he went. The
river ran between the stepping stones with q
pretty wimple; bird sang loudly in the
wood the hilltops looked UNNECESSARILY
high, and as he glanced at them from time to
time, seemed to contemplate his movements
with bcneticcnt but awful curiosity. His
way took him to the eminence which over
looked the plain; and there he sat down upon
a stone, and fell into deep and pleasant
thought. The plain lay abroad with its
cities and silver river; everything was
asleep, except a great eddy OF birds which
kept rising and falling and going round and
round in the blue air. He repeated Marjory's
name aloud, and the sound of it sratificd Lis
ear. He shut his eyes, and her image sprane
up before him, quietly luminous and attend
ed with good thoughts. The river might run
forever: the birds fly higher and higher TIL
they touched the stars. He saw it was empty
hustle after all; for here, without stirring d
foot, waiting patiently in his own narrow
valley, he also had attained the better sun
light