The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-09-18
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'BY'MAuHSEs fHohRsoNN "V|
by. MHuNcE' fHoMRS0NN
COPYRIGHTED BY; nhzR,can:: s:AssoclAroN: 1891.

yonder by the brook. From some in
definite distance comes the mellow tin
king OF COW bell.
Suddenly few strong notes from tn
banjo came out of the mill. The maj
and woman looked up, half smil
lighting their gloomy faces. They al
ways smiled when they heard the SOUND
Of that banjo. for the player was the lif
Of the old mills household.
Colonel Chenier ceased reading and
Adelaide. his sad faced daughter. le
fall her sewing as they both gazed upol
lovely apparition now passing ou
through the wide doorway Of the mill
It was Rosalie Chenier, the colonel''
youngest child She held In her hand {
banjo Of fine Workmanship. dark, old
with jeweled Keys and polished silver
screws. She sat down on the stone steI
and began to play lively medley. made
up OF concordant bits snatched from this
and that familiar old tune. sort Of
mocking bird performance, which threw
together the cheeriest parts Of many
pieces she knew
| DIV was hCd0bA ul, IA bA0fOCoL 6CuSO "a
the word. from head to foot: Without
] lacking anything Of strong, almost
voluptuous development, her form was
slender, 1.-the and graceful. as so many
mountain girls forms are. and her fea-
lures were of almost Grecian fineness
and regularity The color of her hair
was that pale. sheeny gold, so seldom
seen in the south. the true harvest yell
low. very thick and long, plated into
two heavy braids and bound with scraps
Of blue ribbon Her eyes were gray
green. specked with amber. full Of ex-
preston, clear, deep and innocent as
babes There was that in her complex
ion, beyond its extreme fairness, which
is best called bloom. the warm flush Of
Incompatible purity and health. She
turned her head slightly to one side,
keeping time with slender, high arched
foot as she played The contrast OF
color and expression between her and
the other two whom we have described
were much stronger than mere words
can make it appear. 1t was, in fact,
the contrast between the new and the
old, in all the phases Of the two.
The big outside. far away world of
wealth and fashion and business turmoil
had no immediate relationship to her
life. Its doings had reached her only in
the vaguest and most indefinite way, as
rumors from another sphere, or as the
murmur of battle heard from great
distance. Unlike her father and her sis
ter Adelaide, she had no war memories,
nor recollections of former wealth and
splendor. to keep her looking back to
better day Three years old when the
war ended. scarcely six when brought
here to the mill. she had no distinct no
ton Of life beyond the limits Of this lit. 4
tie valley She had entered her eight
zenith year knowing as little Of social life
as if she were still child in the nursery
OF nature, however, she had learned
much, and her father and mother had
carefully taught her the usual routine
lessons of the schools For the rest she
took to the banjo as naturally as does a
knocking bird to singing. mastering its
difficulties with scarcely an effort. She
had found this fine old instrument hid
den away in pile of rubbish in the at
tic OF the mill where its owner had left |
it at some distant time. No doubt it had
been hidden there, that it might escape
the fate OF everything valuable which
came in the way of Sherman's army AS
for its real owner, he may have fallen in
defense of the lost cause. At all events. |
he had never returned to claim it.
In the south the banjo during the days |
Of slavery was looked upon as rude |
and savage instrument, fit only for the
hands and taste of negroes. 1t bore the
brand Of everything connected with the
Is that long ago this fascinating Tyre of
the cabin was not lifted to its proper
place. which was beside the violin. No
loubt the secret Of its neglect lay In the
'act that it was treated as a negro in.
'trument. and regarded as one OF the
'ylnbols OF slave life
Rosalie Chenier had beautiful hands,
white. slender. perfectly formed. and
he act OF playing upon the banjo dis
closed all their suppleness and grace.
She was not conscious OF her beauty
however, and was as sincere and out
light in her actions as were the birds
There was something in her attitudes
nd movements that would have been
'izarre had the element OF utter sim.
'licity been wanting. She was dressed
n inexpensive white muslin, upon
which the -four dust of the mill would
lot show, and around her waist was
and of pale blue ribbon.
The pure notes Of the banjo made
themselves distinctly heard above the
Of the buhrstones, the creak.
ng Of gudgeons and the bubbling of the
ume stream
Colonel Chenier had closed his book
nd was gazing at Rosalie with an air OF
reamy interest, as one indulgins in pa
letic fancies
Suddenly the musician ceased her play
% and said:
"Oh. yonder comes Frank Ellis down
he trail
How do you know 1t is, Rose?" in
nired her father. looking over the val
y to where the red trail zigzagged its
ay along the steep slope.
because il is white horse; and then
, one else would ride so fast down that
all 1t is Frank. am sure"
"Oh. quite likely" said Color.l Che
er. refilling his pipe Where is he n
,ing so often up the valley OF later Il
"He has cattle in the range up there, r
something hasn't hey" suggested Miss |