The Red Cloud chief., 1889-09-06

Of the sea and West Gill and . bird's-eye
view Of High Wickham, but It il the pict,
uresque beauty and blessed content Of the
bright fields and green hedgerows that
please mo most
Above the distant downs Q few f1eecy
clouds hover, then drift lazily out over the
sea and fade into the infinitesimal. sit
down on the porch, over which the ivy runa
in profusion, with q sigh Of satisfaction,
and presently cousin Gladys joins me for
Q chat
We talk OF many things, over which falls
the glamour of Aud Lang Syne, and by the
time she excuses herself to see after the
late dinner, I have had q goodly number OF
pleasant, and not afcw unpleasant, reminis.
csnces Of suburban Hastings.
Ny friends Of the voyage are staying with
relatives ear Ecclesbourne, and are
pleased to notify me by post that they are
going farther into the country, and desire
my company.
This I can not do, ~ I Inn ''bound for the
hall, I" In the language, but not the spirit, OF
Tennyson. While thinking Of my friends,
however, laugh q little. but end with . sigh,
Is bright Miss Stanley comes to view. ]
presume she has entirely forgotten her
~tribulation ON board the Lady Clare, and
her habit of being addicted to the bowl"
Luckily, I am not . victim Of sea-sickness.
and while Miss Stanley lay prone in her
state-room, I was on deck enjoying the fine
weather which We were fortunate enough
to have nearly all the way over.
Ny cousin keeps her open carriage and
drives . great deal, and as driving happens
to be my penchant also, . goodly share Of
our visiting Is done on wheels. We drove
down to the beach several times and whlled
away the hours Of the long, dreamy after
moons amid the sea breezes and sunbeams.
The ships, "white- winged and free;" tho
cliffs, scanned and SCARED, and above them
the Downs. Y grow old or common
place.
But Heatherleighi Tho very name makes
forget the rosc-hue for the rue and the
shadows, and my superabundance Of c0ur-
age, coming q il by inspiration on board
the Lady Clare, I lind has diminished con-
siderably.
Nevertheless, lvow to the trellised vines
1T my elbow that I am not afraid Of any
thing in all England, which wild afarma-
ton, I AN persuaded, sounds more like
b~ragadocio than bravery.
There are several fine old places between
Hastings proper and the country side flank
ing Heatherleigh Chace. 8ome Of these
stately residences have quite imposing
facades, and others, high ivy-wreathed ga
bles, while number, in their elegance, put
you in mind Of the days Of King Arthur.
But there are bits Of sorrowful tradition
and legendary lore connected with an occa-
sional grand old structure calculated to
make one stand in awe of their envirous.
Strange fatality marks many an old hall,
and Heatherleigh, as I hear, boasts Of one
Of the most traRical.
In the gladstone days when she and I
were young, I knew tho fair bride of the
Percival house. She wa . high-born En-
glish girl, whose sweet eyes first saw the
light in q beautiful villa near Birmingham.
I can imagine her fine face radiant with
happy existence a the welcome Of Heather
leigh's grand old doors floated around her.
Ali yes: I can e her, vivacious, regal
and GLAD.
After she became Lady Percival our
paths diverged, Of course. but I often won.
der to myself why her refined soul went
out to me 80 u~nreservedly in those days,
when I was but . cottager's daughter.
AFFINITY Of soul" Gladys says. Psrhaps