Wichita eagle., 1888-04-13
A MESSENGER.

homestead where old Aaron Wilkinson lived
hearty twenty years ago.
Far as the eye can travel, not another
human habit alton can be seen, only a broad
sweep of half reclaimed moorland, broken
by huge gray powders, clumps of golden
bracken, and withered furze.
To eastward, however, there is the gleam-
ing water and the blue line of distant hills.
One autumn evening the old man sat alone
by the kitchen fire, gazing sorrowfully into It,
His pipe lay neglected on the hob, and the
beautiful collie that was stretched at his feet
looked up in vain for the kindly notice to
which he was accustomed, and by and by
Moss rose and laid his head on his masters
knee in deep dumb sympathy.
The little farm, poor though it was, and
the small dark house we're dear to the old
man; and from time to time be glanced visit
fully round the kitchen.
The fitful freight fell on the dark beams
of the unceiled roof, danced upon the shining
tinware hanging on the wall, and the old
fashioned plates and dishes ranged along the
polished oaken dresser and LIT up the brass
face Of the ancient clock ticking away the
hours.
All, deari How long would it all be his?
Things had been going against the farmer
His sheep had died, and his hay had been
badly won, and, for the first time in bis
honest, hard working life, the rent day was
close at hand and he could not meet it.
So within that tiny homestead old age sat
alone with care and grief, while outside were
youth and love and hope and happiness.
The gold of sunset yet fingered in few
faint streaks amid the dark clouds to west
ward; but the shadow Of approaching night
lay on all the land.
Scarcely sound was to be heard save the
fresh, clear voice of a young girl calling
home the cows
"Hofy, Holy, Hofy!" as is the sweet, half
plaintive cry of the north country, and the
answering low of the gentle creatures came
nearer and nearer through the twilight
Long ere the beasts have reached their
home another ear had heard the maiders
call, and a tall handsome lad was by Maggys
side, and her warm young lips felt her lovers
kiss
Poor, motherless MaggyI her life had been
lonely one, though the stern old father
loved her almost to idolatry-loved her with
an exacting intensity that made him long to
keep her ever in his sight, and jealous Of all
who looked upon his darling, and by its very
passion raised a barrier between his child's
heart and his own.
OF hGSgy, VIII youth
within her, and all her beauty (which,
womariIiilSe, size had found out she possessed,
fretted against the love which sought to cage
her, and grew impatien: against age which
had lost It's sympathy with youth.
The father had been well on in middle life
when be married his young wife; and may
be she too had missed something, if Maggy
got her poetic temperament and joy loving
nature from the mother that died so early.
Small blame to the girl that when love
stole into her heart she guarded the secret
carefully from the old mans knowledge.
a mother would have guessed it directly
had she seen how the blue eyes deepened, how
the red pouting lips lost their childish curves
and gained a pensive tenderness; but the
change was too subtle one to be marked by
the old farmer.
Full of care too, as he was through that
anxious summer, how could he guess that its
gloamings found Maggy lingering by the
well where the wild roses grew, or watching
the water fowls build their nests in the Sc iges
with one who knew the haunts and habits of
every bird and beast and butterfly in the
country round.
Such knowledge was at discount in the
district, and Ralph Irwin was thought little
better than fool by the neighbors when
they came across him lying motionless as
log to watch q wild duck in its flight or
hawk sweeping down upon its prey.
Il is odd that of all classes farmers as rule
have the least interest in nature and in the
habits Of untamed creatures. and the moss
supreme contempt for those who care to OBJ
serve the ways OF beasts that have not got
market value, or the growth of plants that
serve neither for food nor for winter warmth.
So poor Ralph, with all his instructive crav-
ing TO know about everything that lives, his
treasures Of dead and living birds, eggs Of all
sizes and colors. his carefully collected, If Ill
set, moths and butterflies, and his dried
flowers, leaves and ferns, was considered quite
in the light of a ne'er-do-weel.
His father, too, had possessed the same
tastes and more vagrant habits, and had once
got into a serious scrape anent a poaching
frolic; and the shadow OF that disgrace was
still remembered against him the son, though
many a year had passed since the older
Irwin had LEFT the boy alone in the world
with no herita re save his tarnished name.
To Maggy, however, such knowledge as
the lad had managed 70 acquire seemed per
fectIy marvellous, and growing intimate with
him opened quite new world TO the girl
VINO had been brought up 70 think that this
tening bullocks and growing turnipS.
From the dsv when she met him first by
the lake, the young creatures lonely heart
had opened TO him like flower taken from
darkened prison 10 the Light OF the summer
sunshine.
There was in Maggy, as in many border
mai3ens, a strange germ of romance and
poetry; and hitherto her hard proSaic life
had gwen it no chance OF development
Now st the touch OF love it burst at once
into maturity.
Her ardent, impulsive pature had been held
down by restraint, and stunted BY bar
fathers outward GOODNESS; but happiness and
loves rapture transformed the girl into
a creature throbbiRg with passion and de-
noustrative with gracious abandon sweet
and subtle in its charm as that which ever
claddeued the heart Of lover in olden story
She stood with one soft, warm hand rest
ing on Ralphs tall shoulder, the other stroE.
ing his cheek with tender coQuetry, snd she
nestled to him as his strong arm claSped her
closely.
~Oh. nv love, my love, how did l ever live
without YOUR she said Life was dreary,
dreary as the cherries winter time afore the
spring wakens the flowers and brings the
soug O. birds Oh, Ralph, Ralph, feel ss
though hai never been alive til now.7
not frightened; anger was the predominant
feeling. / was conscious OF being the victim
of shrewd deception l felt that this nFs-
FERROUS presence this nalneleSs and inmate
rial something. WIS inimical 70 me. / was
.sper TO mate-ialize it, corner it, understand
il. It would have delighted Tne to learn that