Wichita eagle., 1890-01-19

"'N f'oPPy NooA
of summer ewes, while through the sweet
ners comes the scrn9 Of Stella's voice,
and through the gloom shines the-star-
light of her eyes. / think that we loved
each other from the first, though for a
while we said no word of love. Day By
day I went about the place with her, &C.
companied by little Tota and Hendrika
only, while she attended to the thousand
and one matters which her fathers ever
growing weakness had laid upon her
or, rather, as time drew on, attended tc
the business and she accompanied me-
All day through we were together. Then
after supper, when the night had fallen,
We would walk together in the garden
and come in at length to hear her father
read aloud, sometimes from the works OF
poet, sometimes from history, OF, if he
did not feel well, Stella would read, and
when this was done Mr.. Carson would
celebrate short form of prayer, and we
would separate till the morning once
more brought our happy hour of meeting.
So the weeks went by, and with every
week grew to know my darling better
Often 1 wonder now if my fond fancy
deceives me, or if indeed there are women
as sweet and dear as she. Was it solitude
that had given such depth and gentleness
to herr Was it the long, years of COM
mEnife with Mature that had endowed
her with such peculiar grace, the grace
we find III opening flowers and budding
trees? Had she caught that murmuring
voice from the sound of the streams that
fall continually about her rocky home?
was it the tenderness of the evening sky
beneath which she loved to walk. that
lay Like shadow on her face, and the
light Of the evening stars that shone in
her quiet eyes? At the least, to me she
was the realization Of the dream which
haunts the sleep of sin stained men; SO
my memory paints her, SO hope to find
her when at last the sleep has rolled
away and the fevered dreams are done.
AT last there came a day-the most
blessed Of my Gfe-when we told our
love. We had been together all the
morning, but after dinner Mr.. Carson
was SO unwell that Stella stopped in
with him. AT supper we met again,
and after supper, when she had put
y tie Tots, TO whom she had grown
much attached, to bed, we went out,
leaving Mr.. Carson doing On the couch.
The night was warm and lovely, and
without speaking we walked up the gar
den to the orange grove and sat down
there upon rock. There was a little
breeze which shook the petals of the
orange bloom over us in showers, and
bore their delicate fragrance far and
wide. Silence reigned around, broken
only by the sound of the falling water
falls that now died to faint murmur,
and now. as the wavering breeze turned,
doomed loudly in our ears. The moon
was not yet visible, but already the dark
clouds that foated through the sky
above us-for there had been rain
showed glow of silver, telling us that
She shone brightly behind the peak.
Stella began to talk in her low, gentle
voice, telling ne of her life in the will
derness, how she had grown to love it,
how her mind had gone on from idea to
idea, and how she pictured the great
rushing world that she had never seen
as it was reflected to her from the books
which she had read. 1t was a curious
vision Of life that she had; things were
out Of proportion in it; it was more like
cream than reahty-a mirage than
the actual face of things. The idea of
great cities, and especially of London,
had a kind of fascination for her; she
could scarcely realize the rush, the roar
and hurry, the hard crowds of men and
women, strangers each to each, fever
ishly seeking for wealth and pleasure
beneath a murky sky. and treading one
another down in the fury of competition
What is it all for?" she asked, earn
esly. "What do they seek? Having so
few years to live, why do they waste
them thus?"
l told her that in the majority of in
stances it was actual hard necessity that
drove them on, but she could scarcely
realize it. Living as she had done. In
the midst of the teeming plenty of the
fruitful earth, she did not seem to under
stand that there are millions vino from
day to day know not how to stay their
hunger.
Il never want TO go there" she went
on. - should be bewiidered and fright
ened to death 1t is not natural to live
like that. God put Adam and Eve in a
garden, and that is how he meant their |
children TO hve-in peace, and looking |
always on beautiful things. This is my |
idea of perfect life. want no other"
Il thought that you once told me that
you found it lonely l said.
$50 l aid. she answered innocently, |
but that was before you came. Now | |
IN not lonely any more, and it is per-
as the night"
Just then the full moon rose above the
sl5ow of the peak, and her rays stole far
ma wide down the misty valley. gleam-
ng on the water, brooding on the plain.
out the l. ideu places of the
-ocks, wrapping the fair form of nature
IS in silver bridal veil through which
Ter beauty shone mysteriously.
Stella looked down the terraced valley;
10 surned and looked up at the SCARED
ace of the golden moon. and then she
ooked at me. The beauty Of the night
vas about her face, the scent of the night
vas on her hair, the mystery of the night
hone in her Swallowed eyes. She looked
t me, looked at her. and all our hearts
ove blossomed within U.S. We spoke no
5ord-we had ne words 10 speak, but
lowly we drew near, till lips were