Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-27
A WICKLOW STORY.

Many years ago two beings dwelt in the
valley Of Glendalough-i e., the valley of
the two lakes. One was i'm his sixteenth
summer. The other had scarcely seen her
thirteenth spring. They were the children
of two well to do peasants, neighbors in
that peaceful valley aud their young lives
had hitherto passed a way rs dreamily as
the sound OF the wat irfall beside their
doors. They were ever together Their
parents looked on their intimacy and
smiled. And day by day as they wan
dered out into the fields to gather flowers,
threading the may pathways Of the woods
or scaling, like young mountain channels,
the giddy cliffs around, they became more
woven into each others being until, even
in their early youth, they were like two
tendrils-intertwiued with each other
And so Joseph and Agnes grew up One
morning in the latter part Of autumn they
met at the old spring under the hillside,
and set out to gather wild flowers for the
coming festival-for the valley in those
days was not SO sparse Of vegetation as it
is today The day was bright with autumn
glory. All down the valley and high up
over the blue face Of heaven was glow
ike that which prophets tell us hangs
over the golden landscape OF paradise.
Leaf, tree and lake were stepped in eiful-
gence, while the wind murmured low and
TREMENDOUSLY
let us go to Luguaquilla, " said Joseph.
'for there are the choicest flowers, and the
day is 50 beautiful we can go and return
before nightfall."
Lugnaquilla is the highest mountain in
Wicklow. Agnes hesitated a moment,
and then said, I'VE shall lose sight Of the
mountain as soon as we enter the woods,
but l know the way let us gor' and hand
in hand they wended their way. So full of
thoughtless happiness were they that they
had wandered from flower to flower until
the sun was at the noon, without remem-
bering that they ought long since 20 have
been at the mountain Of Lugnaquilla All
at once, however, in the midst Of their mirth,
this reflection came across them like
dark shadow on the bosom Of some sunny
lake.
They paused nvoluntarily, and Agnes,
gazing up into Joseph's face with a look Of
mingled inquiry and alarm, said, Joseph,
where are we, and where is the mountain
of Lugnaquilla"
swered the boy, "and this seems like and
yet unlike it. Ali here is the road-no, it
cannot be"-and he paused, bewildered.
1--WE are not lost, are we, Joseph"' said
the maiden in trembling tones, drawing
closer to her companion's side
surely, we are not lost on the noun
tain? Oh, mol" answered the boy, cheer
ing his companion, though his heart echoed
l.. l. hove gr41r rUfgggd
the way little and will soon find it again.
Rest awhile Agnes, while 1 climb this
tree to look out for the bluff brow Of the
Lugnaquilla"
But. alasl it was nowhere to be seen.
With alarm he bcheld nothing, on every
hand around. but rugged hills-and here
and there valley opened out before him,
but it was strange TO the boys eyes and
there was no familiar feature in all that
wild landscape.
1t were long story to relate how these
two young beings wandered on from high
noon until almost twilight, threading
tangled forests, crossing mountain streams
and scaling the rugged precipices crossing
their path, in the vain hope Of reaching the
valley from which they had set out. Joseph
never responded and IL Agnes burst into
tears at new disappontments he would
cheer her with new hopes, until she grew
ashamed to weep and smiled again as
sweetly as ever. Mile after mile was thus
left behind, yet they saw no signs around
them Of human life. All was wild, soil
tary, sublime. As night drew on the heart
Of Joseph began to despond, though he still
strove to smile on Agnes
"Oh, Joseph, it is not fear" she said
tearfully, chat feel; for are you not near
me2 But IL is that my mother and yours,
too, Joseph, will think all night that We
are dead"
Meantime the twilight had darkened
around them, and the wind, which had
been shifting all around the horizon dur
ing the afternoon. came out at length
from the bleak north Often in those up
per regions the day that opens with a sum.
mers warmth will set in NJ sunset with
the frost OF December. Poor Agnes had
been brought up with tender nurture, and
now. when the storm came ON in its fury,
peltinp fiercely on her unsheltered form,
though Joseph covered her tenderly as be
would dove in his own mantle, yet even
that could not keep out the keen breath OF
the tempest. Alas for the unfriended
situation Of those two innocent young be
ings, alone in the forest, with night setting
in and no covering for their heads but the
tempestuous heavens.
Well might Agnes cling closer 10 Joseph
as the storm howled fercer overhead-and
well might the tears gush unbidden even
into his eyes a. he thought Of the fraii be
ing whose life he bad imperiled, and yet,
10 save her. he would have laid down his