The Princeton union., 1893-11-30

Heu fDy the 1an0 OF q woman who was
the perfection Of loveliness. How she
cared for me and talked to me! and in
the night time she would sing to me
until the melody seemed the link be-
tween bliss on earth and rapture be-
yond. She was my bride. .s..#= z.
II was her shelter and comfort and
his until I saw gathered about them
images Of themselves, and their young
lives We're repetiions Of the first had
seen. I heard the first lullaby, and an
other, and another, and another. How
they grew stronger and stronger until
they flooded me with laughter! And
then a stranger would come in. Later
on he took away one Of the children I
had seen grow up-the first one. They
tried to make me look joyous and hap
py that night, but it was mockery to
me. saw, when the bells quit ringing,
her who had been my bride, and saw
the silken tresses whitening, and heard
the prayer when we were alone.
'.That first one who went away never
came back. They all went away as
she had done. r ,l r"r
"And then one day a woman strug-
gled to the window. think it Is this
one which they have made So hideous
with rough timbers across it, and
clutching the curtain she gazed out
upon the veranda where there had
been so many evenings of music, and
where first heard her sing, and where
I had seen her children gather about
her, and revel in her glorious beauty,
for none Of them ever approached Eer
IT, that. -.
II remember when she planted a
vine by the window. helped her
nourish it, and it climbed upon me
and bore it's blossoms of perfume which
she gathered and wore in her Won
drous profusion of hair. No WCnder
the birds made their toilets among the
tendrils of that vine.
'"The light went out Of that window
when she went to it for the last time,
and they carried her away soon after.
And she never came back.
"The strong and heroic support
which was shiyered by this affiction
went away. coul1 not expect him to
stay after that. He never came back.
So they all went, like
Short sWall0w-fligEts Of song that dip
Their wings in tears and skip away.
Strange faces, strange voices and
strange songs entered. There were
some reunions, and on one Thanksgiv-
Ing day l saw the skeleton hand Of
Death pass the goblet. That night
there was naught remaining Of any
thing tor which to render thanks.
ACROSS the way, end over and be-
yond, great walls arose and encroached
upon me. I saw and heard the coming
Of q splendid cavalcade. know there
had been new generation, and + had
learned, long before, that I was grow
ing decrepit, and that the rustic Of the
garments which had not long before
been the herald Of season had grown
dull, and it trailed like something
which is expiring. !
'They put up placard on MY face.
was deserted for q while and the bats
were my companions. One day they
came, some hardy, honest men, no
doubt, but oh, so rough, and they put
me in chains. They dragged me
through the streets, down the avenues
had heard mentioned in better days.
At nights they left me alone some
times, and sometimes they kept me
dragging my chains. I was always
thankful for that though, for it saved
me the chagrin Of being pointed out
by people who had known me in bet
ter days. How often I heard them
point me out and say, Just after the
fire that was the finest residence on
Prairie avenue, and was the home of
-, one Of our rich men,
"And then the chains would clank
and would move on. There is piece
of the vine over the doorway. the vine
which my young mistress planted and
which grew for her, and bore blossoms
Of perfume which size gathered and
wore in her Wondrous profusion of
hair. 1t is like a faded ribbon which
one sometimes comes upon tied about
something which was loved and lost.
80 I am here. It was so kind Of
them to bring me here after dark, and
to take off the chains before to-mor-
row. I might say with Hamlet, if one
in my condition may presume upon
having had such acquaintances, For
this relief, much thanks -.
ut is all have. Tomorrow I shall
see what these poor wretches have to
be thankful for" -' --.--..
On the morrow the little house next
door sent over a dinner to the old
house. And in the evening it called
and heard the story that has been
written. ..'+
"Well," said the little house that
hadn't a pretension, Il have had no
sickness or sorrow, or any Of the trials
you have seen. There are worse things
than poverty. I have learned a lesson
from you, this day which will no longer
cause me to think that thanks are only
the exchequer Of the poor - ,... -
The old house, trying to smile
through it's tears at the thought that
it's mission was not entirely gone, re-
Piled: "Swallows make their nests
everywhere and bring with them the
springtime Of hope" Chicago Tribune.
Sitting Duck Walled in by Bees.
A couple of days ago at the farm Of
G. w. Hutchins, seven miles from
Marysville, a bee tree was found near
the east bank Of Feather river, which
was c11t tn obtain tho 1Opou A ftar 4ho