The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-03-30

| llOul u dlIGCblOu. ohibh my
sympathy with her sadness, the mystery of
her life, my respect for what saw to be
pure life and beautiful nature, may have
approached in warmth and tenderness very
near in appearance and the manner OF eXhl-
bition to ardent love.
No actual declarations of passion were
ever made. She seemed to need me, to lean
against me, and to prefer me to all others of
my sex. If there was no actual announce
ment of love in words, it was suggested IN
looks, attitudes, tones and thinly-vailed de-
lusions.
| When the time came that her school term
ended, we parted one night on the piazza of
of the seminary. All the other pupils had
gone and we were alone l tried a score OF
times to say goodbye, but each time failed.
"You will write me as soon as you get
homel" asked
YES; and you will answer, won't you!"
"Well, l must go. God bless you" Her
head dropped little forward, her lips came
close to mine; kissed them and went away.
| III.
We exchanged letters with regularity and
at short intervals. Her letters were re-
strained in tone, and often strangely at
variance with the situation. She wrote of
| books, her occupation, the gossip of her
friends. She seemed to be nervously ap-
prehensive that she migat touch the theme
of the passions; she carefully avoided any
| illusions to our parting.
1t was in the spring when she went home
and in September following l received a
letter from the school trustees of the town
in which Miriam lived asking me to teach
their winter school. They gave the number
of pupils, the amount of the compensation,
and closed with the hope that l would be
able to accept the proposition. AS had
been school teaching for several winters, in
order to secure funds for a collegiate educa-
ton. and the offer of the trustees was an ex-
ceptionally good one, at once wrote my &C
ceptance.
The last day OF November saw me in the
town where the school was located. The
region was in the high uplands that border
the Mohawk valley. / had reached it by a
long and tiresoIfe stage road which passed
from little railway station down by the
river, up through narrow riffs in the hills
and across rocky and rugged heights. 1t
was a poor region, in which limestone
rocks often appeared at the surface The
fields were small, and almost covered with
powders: the infrequent houses were tumb-
ling, unpainted; the fences were of rotting
wooden rails, or of piled-up stones.
II was a wretched, STERILE forbidding
scene. Some dwarfed sumachs, with their
scant verdure yellowed by frosts, ratified
their thin branches in the autumn wind
Stunted hemlocks, with dead tops, stood
like half-clad skeletons among the crevices
of dark bald rocks. Nowhere was there
any thing cheerful, inspiriting or suggestive
of promise. Had it not been for the thought
that this inhospital place was the home Of
Miriam | should have turned about and re-
turned to civilization.
| ".
found the residence of one of the trus-
tees, and was informed that was to board
around" that is, to remain q week at each
Of the homes of the patrons of the school,
The prospects of this method of living, in
view Of the nature of the country, as had
seen it, were not in the least promising
The trustee whom met informed me that
might commence my term by spending the
first week with him.
"How are the Douglases" / asked.
"They are all well, believe We do not
see much of them. You know, l suppose
that it was through Mr.. Douglas that we
heard Of youf'
II suspcctcd as much. ! had a slight &C
quaintance with his daughter when she was
away TO the seminary. How far does he
live from heref"
Its about six miles. It's about the last
house you will visit in your boarding
round"
The school was opened the next day. 1t
forms no part of the purpose of this nara
ton to relate any details of my school ex-
perience. | sent u note TO Miriam an
nouncing my arrival in the neghborhood
| nd, int IN coil hn,. l,o
Saturday The note was carried by q bow
who found lived in the neighborhood OF
the Douglas farm. A couple of days later
received an answer from Miriam in which
she expressed pleasure at my arrival and
the hope that would visit them on the day
named.
The following Saturday was the odd one
on which there was no session of the school,
and on tho morning Of that day secured
information as TO the location OF the Doug
las farm, and started for it on foot 1t was
q wretched country over which passed
The roads were buried in snow, the fences
were effaced. great drifts barred my way,
and a savage north wind steadily beat
against me. The sky was leaden and sui
len, the roar of the gale through the leaf
less branches was filed with suggestions
ominous of evil.
Struggling through some woods, reached
the further side, and saw before me a vast
stretch of rolling land, near the center OF
which was farm house with It's barns and
outbuildings. IL was a wooden house
painted white, Of two stories, and was by
far the most pretentious residence of the
hill region. In the white level of the snowy
plain with nothing to interrupt the monot-
ony, it was cold and ghostlilxe.
In response to my knock the door opened,
and Miriam herself appeared. Her dark
face flushed and then paled as she saw me.
She extended both her hands, seized mine
and shook them with heartiness
20, it is you'll Come inl I'm very glad
to see you"
AS l entered placed my arm about her
shoulder and drew her near me. She re
sisted little, and then swayed toward me
with a sweet, yielding grace. touched her
|. forehead with istless kiss, and then VIC
went in.
The interior of the house afforded evi
dences of prosperity. There were a piano
/ some pictures Of the better class and vari
r Gus other evidences Of cultivation ant
: wealth. AS had learned Farmer Douglas
. was the possessor Of great wealth, much Of