The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-08-17
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT SPOFFORD.

BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFORD.
From Harpers Bazaar.
We had been engaged, Mark and I
since we were babies, so to say; that
is, when he was still in knickerbock
ers, and l was just out OF bibs, we
had decided that when we grew upand
had a house Of our own, it was to be
our own, his and mine, ana there we
were to live together and live alone
and if the chef Of our diet there was
to be applicants and butter-scotches
that was on" own affair.
1t is a thousand pities that it was
about that house that all the rout
happened. For the fact is, I had the
strongest sort of a will, and so had
Mark; and when it came to the point
it wasn't that house at all that
wanted.
For, you see, the spot where l lived,
down on the great meadow farms,
was my sole idea of the beauty and
pleasantness ofthe world. Across the
river, with its high bank crowned with
feathery and always trembling and
shining birches, the hills rose, far and
faint and purple and vague; but here
there were only the long green levels OF
grass fields lying low and even with the
river that filled and sparkled in reeds
along the edge and flowed by us broad
and grand on its way to thesea. And
when the sun shone, and the sky was
blue, and the south wind was softly
blowing, one seemed as near heaven
living there, as it is given one to be on
earth.
There were quite a number of dwell
ing-houses here, where the corners OF
several OF the great river farms con-
verged, so that, although their land
stretched out in different directions,
the buildings clustered together like a
village, and we always came and went
freely in each others houses, and
knew each Others concerns, ard were
more like one large family than stran-
gers; and | loved my neighbors, every
one, and didn't want to go away from
them. And whenit ca me to the ques-
tion Of marrying and going away, I
was simplydetermined that Iwouldn't
So away, but that Mark should come
down TO this little Garden Of Eden,
where | knew every tint Of the ripe
grass on the meadow, every sparkle
Of the water, every fleece Of cloud up
on the blue Of heaven.
sAnd why not, Mark" I urged.
Here IS this immense farm, q really
great property, and would you leave
II 10 take care OF itself, and we 20 to
liva+wo miles away on your fathers
place, that bleak, loaesoms rock up
"a the air, shut in bya pine forest.
like &great fortress-a prison, a real
.duneeon7D
ut isn't q prison tome, said Mark.
1T is the brightest spot IN the world
Al would Be If you were In it, Nam"
NY real name is Pamela; but that is
She way people always used me.
"And no neighbors thefei" lexclaim-
ednobody to run ia OF an evening,
nobody to talk to over the garden
wall, nobodyto borrow Of, nobody to
show your new tfssags to, nobody il
you're sick. One might as well be
alive. I always thought 60"
~ should want nobody but you,
Nan, Il we were mgrried and that was
our home. It would be simply para
diae.
SIT wouldn't be paradise to me
Without any water to see. / never
liked tbs verse ia the bible about there
beArR no more sea. Pretty heaven
thar without any sea TO look
az I couldn't live without ny
egaf. I've always had it run
Sing py, rnnning up or running down,
coming from sDmewh e,pOingto som g.
Nhere. liie and motion. IalWayslook
put fn0 nfstthing ii the morning to
e H it's still there, and listen for Il
az night. And il makes TWO skies by
f-one above andoneb elow-with
ats dowa ID theSunde world; aud
ttn ~ day the color, the changing
color, ana tfspushing Of the
fide taking you7riehtinto the myster-
m OBI. IT'S etaRnatiop without the
NSf Ia as llAf ba dead
NAnuX think M4fstt &s match of the