Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-02-01


wv IN and dim as with
nv 7 the happy dusk
Of summer ewes, while through the sweet
aess comes the sound 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 l went about the place with her, ac-
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, Iattended to
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, or, il 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.
week grew to know my darling better.
Often / wonder now IL my fond fancy
deceives me, or if indeed there are womer
as sweet and dear as she. Was it solitude
that had given such depth and gentlenes.
to her? Was it the long years of com
muning with nature that had endowed
her with such peculiar grace, the grace
we find in opening flowers and budding
trees? Had she caught that murmurinp
voice from the sound of the streams that
fall continually about her rocky homei
was 1t 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 il
her quiet eyes? AT the least, to me she
was the realization of the dream which
haunts the sleep of sin stained men; sc
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 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 unwell 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 dowr
there upon rock. There was little
breeze which shook the petals Of the
orange bloom over us in showers, and
bore their delicate fragrance far anc
wide. Silence reigned around, broker
only by the sound of the falling water
falls that now died to faint murmuf
and now, as the wavering breeze turned
doomed loudly in our ears. The moor
was not yet visible, but already the darl
clouds that foated through the SIX,
above us--for there had been rain
showed glow of silver, telling us tina
she shone brightly behind the peak.
Stella began to talk In her low, gentl
voice, telling me of her life in the will
derness, how she had grown to love it
how her mind had gone on from idea +,
idea. and how she pictured the grea
rushing world that she had never seer
as 1t was reflected to her from the book
which she had read. II was q curiou
vision of life that she had; things wer
out Of proportion in 1t; it was more lik
a dream than reality-a mirage thar
the actual face of things. The idea o
great cities, and especially of London
had kind Of fascination for her; sh
could scarcely realize the rush, the roa
and hurry, the hard crowds OF men anC
women, strangers each to each, fever
ishly seeking for wealth and pleasur
beneath murky sky, and treading en-
another down in the fury of competi:ioH
"What is it all for?" she asked. earn
estly. "What do they seek? Having s.
few years to live, why do they vast
them thusy"
/ told her that in the maiorii OF IN
stances it was actual hard necess " tia
drove them on, but she could s..arccl.
realize it. Living as she had done. il
the midst of the teeming plenty Of ia,
fruitful earth, she did not seem to cLGei
stand that there are millions WHO lruu
day to day know not how to ST. thei
hunger.
II never want to go there" she wen
on. ~ should be bewildered anG fright
ened to death. 1t is not natural to liy,
like that. God put Adam and I've III
garden. and that is how he meant then
children to live-in peace, and looking
always on beautiful things. This is my
idea Of perfect life. want no other"
II thought that you once told me thai
you found it lonely" said.
80 did" she answered innocently
''hat that was before you came. Now
am not lonely any more, and it is per
fect-perfect as the night"
Just then the full moon rose above the
elbow of the peak, and her rays stole far
and wide down the misty valley, CLEAN.
ing on the water, brooding on the plain,
searching out the hidden places Of the
rocks, wrapping the fair form Of nature