The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-11

cheeks calms her as she sets out for the walk
that Barbara had encouraged her TO take.
1t Is an evening Of great beauty. Earth. sea.
and sky seem blended in one great soft mist.
that rising from tho ocean down below floats
M to heaven its heart q pale, vague pink.
The day 10 almost done. and already shadows
are growing round trees and corners. There is
something mystical and strange in the deep
murmurs that come from the nesting woods.
the sweet wild coo of the pigeons. the chirping
OF innumerable songsters. and now and then
the dull hootinG OF some blinking owl Through
ell. the sad tolling OF u chanel bell away. away
In the distance. where the tiny village hangs
over the brow of the rocks that grid the sea.
"while yet the woods were hardly more than brown.
Filled with the stiffness of the dynE day.
The folds and farms. and faint green pastures lay,
And bells chmed softly from the gray walled town;
Tho dark neils with the and poppies sown.
The dull delicious dreamy forest way.
The hope of April for the soul of May
On all OF these nights wide, sof wings swept down
Well it isn't night yet. however. She can sec
to tread her way along the short Young grasses
down to a favorite nook OF hers where musical
sounds OF running streams may be heard and
the rustling Of growing leaves make songs
above ones head. Here and there she goes
through brambly ways. whore amorous arms
from blackberry bushes strive to catch and
hold her. and where star-eyed daisies and but
teroupS and delicate fant-hearted ?rimrose5
peep out TO laugh at her discontinue.
But she escapes from all their snares and
goes on her way. her heart 30 full OF troublous
fancies that their many wiles gain from her
not 80 much as one passing thought.
The pretty. lovely May is Just bursting int o
bloom its pink blossoms here and its white
blossoms there minGe goriously, and the per-
fume OF it fills the silent air.
Joyce picks a branch or two as she goes on
her way. and thrusts them into the bosom Of
her gown.
And now she has reached the outskirts Of the
wood. whore the river runs. crossed by rustic
bridge. on which she has ever loved to rest and
dream. leaning rounded arms upon the woode II
ratings and seeing strange but sweet things In
the bright hurrying water beneath her eyes.
She has gained the bridge now. and leaning
languidly upon its trail ramparts lets her gaze
wander a-heid. The little stream. full OF con-
versation as ever. flows on unnoticed by her.
Its charm seems dead. That belonged to the
old life-the life she will never know again. 1t
seems to her quite long time since she felt
young. And yet only few short months have
flown since she was young as the best OF them
when even Tommy did not seem altogether
despieabe as a companion. and she had often
been guilty of finding pleasure in running O
race with him. and with covering him not only
with confusion but with armfuls OF scented hay,
when ct last abe had gained the victory over
him. and had turned from the appointed goal
to oYerwhelm the enemy with merry sarcasms.
Oh. yes, that was all over. All done An
end must come to everything. and to her light
heartedness an end had come very soon. Too
socn she was inclined to believe. in an excess
OF self pity. until she remembered that life
was always TO be taken seriously, and that she
had deliberately trihed with it. seeking only
the very heart Of 1.-THE gayety. the careless
ness. the ease.
Well. her punishment has come She has
learned that life Is failure after all. 1t takes
some peope lifetime to discover that great
fact; it has taken her quite short time.
Nothing il OF much consequence. And vet.
She signs and looks round her. Her eyes
fall upon a distant bank Of cloud overhanGing
a pretty farmstead, AMI throwing into bold re-
lief the rcGs OF hay that stand at the western
sido OF It, A huge. black crow standing on tho
top Of this is happing his wings and calling
loudly to his mate Presently he spreads his
wings. and with n creaklng OF them like the
noise OF a sail in light wind. disappears over
her head. Sne has followed his movements
with sort Of lazy curiosity, and now she
knows that he will return in an hour or SO with
thousands Of his brethren. darkehing the
heavens rs they pass to their night lodgings in
the tall elm trees
1t Is good to be bird. No care. no trouble.
No pain ! short life and u merry one. Better
than long life and a sorry one. Yes. the
world is all sorrow
She turns her eyes mpatisnty away from
the fast vanishing crow and now they fall
upon perfect wilderness OF daffodils that arc
growing on the edge of tho bank a little way
down. How beautiful they are. Their soft.
delicate heads nod iazily this way and that way.
They seem tho very embodiment OF grace
ful drowsiness. Some lines lately read recur
to her. and awake within her memory:
81 wandered lonely as n cloud.
That foA!s On high DER wales and hills
When all at once | saw Il crowd,
crowd OF golden dAfodis
BESIDE tho lake, beneath the trssa
FIuttering and dancing in the breeze"
They seem so full Of lazy JOY. OF unutterable
rapture. that they belle her belief in the false
ness Of all things. There must surely be some
good In a world that grows such charming
almost sentient And the
trees swaying about her head. and drop
ping their branches into the stream is there
no delight to be got out of them: The tender
ness OF this soft. sweet mood. in which perpetu-
ri twilight reigns. enters into her. and soothes
the sad demon that is torturing her breast
Tears rise to her eyes: she leans still further
over the parapet. and drawing tho pink and
white hawthorn blossoms from her bosom,
drops them one by one inIo tho hasty little
river and lets It bear them away upon it's
bosom to tiny bays unknown. Tears follow
them. falling from her dropping lids. Can
neither dafIodils. nor birds, nor trees, give her
some little OF their Joy to chase tho sorrow
from her heart?
Her soul seems to fling itself outward in an
appeal to Nature; and Nature that mother
OF US all. responds to the unspoken cry.
step upon the bridge behind her! She
starts into moro upright position and looks
round her without much Interest.
dark figure is advancing toward her.
Through the growing twilight 1t seems abnor-
maly largo and black, and joyce stares at 1t
anxiously. Not Freddy-not ono OF the labor
ers-they would DO all clad In flannel jackets
oil a light color
Oh, Is It your saws DYsart coming closer to
heE lie had however known 1t was she from
lhe hrst moment his eyes rested on her. No
mist no twilight could have deceived him for
Lovers eyes are sharp to ssel
Aud lovers cars in hearing"