Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-05-09

lota and Hendrika oaIy. whtle she attend
ad TO the thousand Al one matters " hfc5
her fathers ever growing weakness had
laid upon her: or rather, as time drew on,
/ attended to the business and she accom-
panied 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.. Car
son would celebrate short form of pray
er. and we would separate till the morn
ing once more brought our happy hour Of
meeting.
So the weeks went by, and with every
week grew TO know nv darling better.
OFTEN, wonder now, II my fond fancy de-
ceiyes 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 commun
ing with Nature that had endowed her
with such peculiar grace. the grace we
find in 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 be-
meath which she loved to walk, that lay
like shadow on her face, and the light
of the evening stars that shoue in her quiet
eyes.
At the least to me she was the realiza-
ton of the dream which haunts the sleep
of Sustained 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 q day-the most
blessed of my life, when we told our love.
We had been together all the morning,
but after dinner Mr.. Carson was so I'M
well that Stella stopped in with him. At
supper we met again. and after supper,
when she had put little Tota, 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 a rock. There was 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 waterfalls that
now died to faint murmur, and now, as
the wavering breeze turned, doomed loud
to in our ears.
The moon was not yet visible, but al
ready the dark clouds that floated 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
Of 70 int Z a Jaf.-
ness, 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 proper
ton in it; it was more like dream than
reality-a mirage than the actual face of
! things.
The idea of great cities-and especially
| of London-had kind of fascination for
| her, she could scarcely realize the rush,
the roar aud hurry. the hard crowds of
| men and women, strangers each to each,
| feyerishly seeking for wealth and pleas
ure beneath a murky sky, and trcading
| one another down in the fury of their
! competition.
What is it all forS" she asked. earn
! estly "What do they seekS Having so
| few years to live, why do they waste them
| thus?'
told her that in the majority of in
| stances it was actual hard necessity that
| drove Il EN- 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 who from
! day to day know not how to stay their
! hunger.
81 never want to 90 there" she went on;
| 81 should be bewildered and frightened
| to death. 1t is not natural to live like
! that God put Adam and Eve in a gar
| den, and that is how He meant their chill
| dren to liye-in peace, and looking always
on beautiful things. This is my idea of
! perfect life. | want no other"
~ thought that you once told me that
you found it lonely" said
so l did," she answered innOcently;
| "but that was before you came. Now am
| not lonely any more, and tits perlect-per-
| feet as the night"
just then the full moon rose above the
elbow Of the peak, and her rays stole far
| and wide down this misty valley, gleam-
| ing on the water, broOding on the plain,
! searching out the hidden places of the
! rocks, wrapping the fair form of nature
as in a silver bridal veil through which
| nef beauty ShOue mYSterlOuSly.
Stella looked down the terraced valley:
| she turned and looked up at the SCARED
| face of the golden moon, and then she
| looked at me. The beauty of the night
was about her face, the scent of the night
was on her hair, the mystery of the night
shone in her Swallowed eyes. She looked
! ut me, looked at her, and all our hearts,
! love bioSsOmed within US. We spoke no
| Word-we had no words to speak, but
| slowly we drew near, till lips were pressed
! to lips as we kissed our eternal trOth.
1t was she who broke that holy silence,
| speaking in changed voice, in soft deep
| notes that thrilled me like the lowest
chords of a smitten harp.
'Ah, now | understand - she said, snow
know why we are lonely, and how we
can lose our loneliness Now know what
it Is that stirs us in the beauty of the sky.
in the sound of water and in the scent of
flowers. 1t is love that speaks in every
thing, but till we hear his voice we I'M
derstand nothing. But when we hear,
then the riddle is answered. and the gates
of our heart are opened, and. y ian we
see the way that wends through death to
heaven, and is lost in the glory of which
our love is but shadow
Let Us go in, Allan. Let us go before
the spell breaks, 50 that whatever comes
to us, sorrow, death, or separation. we
may always have this perfect memory to
save us"
rose like a man in a dream. still hold
ing her by the hand. But as rose my eve
fell upon something that cleaned white
among the foliage of the orange bush at
my side. l said nothing, but looked. The
breeze stirred the orange leaves, tn moon
light struck for moment full upon the
white object
TO be continued.)
Two Scenes in Court
Oliver Smith. Congressman from In
diana in the early part of this century.
comments upon the pompous ceremonial