Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-03-21


Thorne lCds fond Of these Informal visits.
The Smith family speedily settled
down into their new home, and after the
first feeling of strangeness had worn off
were forced to acknowledge that the re-
atty of country living was not so disa-
greeable as they had anticipated. The
neighborhood was pleasantly and thickly
settled, the people kind hearted and hos
pitable. True, Mrs Smith still secretly
yearned for modern conveniences and
the comforts of a daily market, and felt
that time alone could reconcile her to the
unreliability and inefficiency of colored
servants, but even she had compensation.
Her husband-whose time since his re-
tirement had hung like lead upon his
hands-was busy, active and interested,
full of plans and reveling in the pure de-
light of buying expensive machinery for
the negroes to break and tons of fertil-
izers for them to waste. The girls were
pleased, and Norma happier and less diff
cult than she had been for years. And,
best and most welcome of all, Warner
appeared to strengthen. AS for Percival,
his satisfaction knew no bounds. His
father had given him II gun and Nesbit
Thorne was teaching him how to use it.
At the eleventh hour Nesbit Thorne
had decided to accompany his relatives
in their fitting, instead of waiting to
visit them later i'll the season. He was
melted thereto by idleness and ennui,
leavened by curiosity as to the manner
in which their future life would be or
dered, and also by a genuine desire to
be of service to them in the troublesome
move. Perhaps there was, besides, an
unacknowledged feeling in his breast
that with the departure Of his kindred
New York would become lonelier, more
wearisome than ever. They had given
him a semblance of a home, and there
was in the mans nature an undercurrent
of yearning after love and the rounding
out of true domestic life that fretted
and chafed in it's INSTRUCTED channel and
tried here and there blindly for another
outlet.
Thorne's coming with them seemed to
the Smiths a very natural proceeding.
His aunt proposed it one day when he
had been more than usually helpful,
vowing that she scarcely knew how to
get along without him, and Thorne fell
in with the proposal at once; it made
little difference, since he was coming for
the shooting anyway. If Norma had
another theory in regard to his unwill-
ingness to be separated from them, she
was careful to keep it hidden.
| The country gentry, led and infiu-
enced by the Masons, exteuded the right
hand of fellowship to the newcomers
and wrapped the folds of the social
blanket cordially around them. The
worldly affairs of the Virginians, like
their surroundings, were in a more or
less perceptible state of dilapidation, and
their means frequently failed to match
their hospitality. But their intentions
were the best, and the Smiths (well
bred people, neither arrogant nor purse
proud) speedily became reconciled to
informality and lack of system, and
learned to overlook deficiencies or to
piece them out with kindness.
From the first they were thrown much
into the society of the Lanarth family,
for the Masons at once assumed right of
property in them, being bent with simple
loyalty on defraying some portion of their
debt of gratitude When their loved one
was "sick and in prison" these strangers
had extended to him kindness, and, now
that opportunity offered, that kindness
should be returned, full measure, pressed
down and running over. For the general,
Pocahontas conceived positive enthusi-
asm, feeling which the jolly old soldier
was not slow in discovering nor back
ward in reciprocating; the pair were the
best of friends.
Ever since the finding of the letter the
girls mind had been filed with the story
Of the brother whom she scarcely re-
membered. With tender imagination
she exaggerated his youth, his courage
his hardships and glorified him into g
hero. Everything connected with him
appeared pitiful and sacred; his sabel
hung above the mantel, crossed with hii
fathers, and she took it down one morn
ing and half drew the dulled blade from
the scabbard. The brass of the hilt an6
the trimmings of the belt and scabbar6
were furnished, and even corroded IL
places She got a cloth and FURNISHED
them until they shone like gold. WheH
she replaced it the contrast with the othel
sword hurt her, and rush of remorsefu
tenderness made her take that down alsC
and burnish it carefully. Poor fatherl al
most as unknown as the young brother
she was grieved that he should have beer
the second thought.
She was restoring her fathers swort
to its place and rearranging the Grim
son sash, faded and streaked in its fold
from wear and time, when Norma ani
Blanche arrived, escorted by Nesbi
Thorne. Little Sawney had been sitting
on the hearth rug watching her polisl
the arms and offering suggestions, ant
Pocahontas dispatched him to invite he
guests into the parlor, while she ran nj
stairs to remove the traces Of her work
The young people from Shirley oftel
walked over IN che afternoon; the VIA,