Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-11

LAYING THE GHAIsT.
Adjoining the ancient paneled hall of
Rosedale manor-house were two large
apartments with huge bay windows.
They were each half chamber, half
sitting-room, and looked out past masses
Of flowers, melodious fountains, shaded
paths and driveways, over all the sweet
Grasmere vale, with its sleeping hamlet,
lake and the blue, circling mountains
beyond.
The master of Rosedale, Matthew Sea-
croft, an invalid since the death of his
wife Margaret, remained almost con-
stantly in one of these rooms, looking
across his many acres with patient pain
and longing; pain at the fear of ever
leaving the living image of the dead be-
hind him; longing through that living
image to call again his own the death
less image beyond tho grave.
The other bayed room, which had
been his wfe's, was now his daughter
Margery's, as she was called in loving
familiarity at Rosedale and in the valley
homes below. The toast of the country
gentry for years, "to the bravest woman
in Westmoreland, and the tenderest,"
had been to this fine, fair gentlewoman,
with auburn hair and hazel eyes. Such
the power of pure, calm soul shining
through steadfast, kindly eyes upon
humankind, that Grasmere peasant
folk had the common saying, "When
Miss Margery claps cen on yam, yell ma
LANCER hide yer thowts."
But a few hours had passed since the
ravens were croaking beside the Gras-
mere inn. Margery was in her own
room at Rosedale, her fingers listlessly
but fondly wandering over the keys Of
her piano; her eyes fixed upon her
mothers portrait opposite the huge
carved oaken bed; and her whole atti-
tude that of one gently but anxiously
awaiting the outcome of some fondly
cherished project.
And well she might; for that very
morning she had won from her father
the only reluctant gift of his life-a
letter to her lovers father, Ralph Old
garth, asking in no measured words
that the past might be forgotten; that
their children might be spared the
shadow Of hate between them; and that
the Oldgarths and Seacrofts might
henceforth be known in dear old West.
moreiand only as friends.
| Clu bGOlulIg MllJH 10 uCllYpI
this letter at Deepdale Hall, had for the
first time come close to rebellion. He
bothered about long before going, and
muttered omiuously to himself when
finally setting out. In fair weather,
like this, his GRAND to Deepdale, which
lay just over the brow Of Fairfield,
should require but an hour; and Mar.
gerry was now awaiting the old mans
return. She unused thoughtfully oyel
her piano; passed now and then into
her fathers room for a moment; but
always came back to the window, look.
ing wistfully over the hedges along the
mountain path over which Geordie mus
come.
She came again to the piano and softly
played the airs of the inorrow's sacred
hymns and songs. Soon her sweet, trut
voice rose strong and clear with til,
melody and words of that grand old
hymn to st. o wald, which had beer
borne aloft through the black .timbercC
vault Of the ancient Grasmere churcl
by a thousand voices, led by her own
for many past Rushbearlng Day:
They won us peace, Thy Saints, o Lord
Even though, like Royal David, they,
Shifting and smitten with the sword,
Toiled through their mortal day.
"Thou makst the wrath Of man tn,
praise"
At this moment old Geordie burst int
the room, faint from exertlon and over
come by terror and rage. Margery
; without an exclamation, but almost a
quick as thought, with warning ges
ture of silence TO Geordie, had softl,
, closed her fathers door, got the old ser
, want into her own easy-chairan and hersel
/, close and quieting beside him.
; "Time enough, Geordie; time enough;
she said in her grave, gentle way as sh
. picked the brambles one by one from hi
: torn clothing to divert him, awe le
! none of these grow on our side of FaiI
= field, do we Geordie ?"
INA, ma, Miss Maygery; bit tn ours
Auldgarth pleace-"
There, there, Geordie. / know al
r. that has happened. You Just went I
Ralph Oldgarth with the letter, and
: and-it did not quite please him; and
AN, for tn Lord | I'd murder c
on'y fur loave o. yersel an auld maiste
theer" broke in Geordie viciously an
passionately.
murder is dreadful, dreadful wore
I Geordie. And then, you felt so badl
about disappointing us, that you hurrie
= away, Geordie."
Hurried ava hurried ava Lor,
Miss Margery, tn aud curse loos'd Ii
" nouns on mea, afore I'd med tn geat.
y clear'd tn geat at boun, fur my lea
an as l toorned Z hceze bow'der at
y pack-Lans wha met my cen oo
Il theer i tn auld Hall window, aboon h
poarch, bit tn Boyle o. tn Wushi
: Geat, glowerin an clutchin like &c
u lowp tn houn's an geat an a. an h
! my VERA leaf Oh, Miss Marger,
4 whined the old man piteously, eyer
deed CONAN, if ye gae = Geat t'morr
y meet. Yen be snashersd t bits VII au
y John Auldgarth's ghsistW
u Margery raised Geordie to his fee
!, and, with parting injunction to secrec
= dismissed him as graciously as thou.
J, her own heart were free from pang
u, storm. When the door had closed b
hind him, she pressed her face again
IS the window panes towards the peaccf
~ vale below, and again upon the pan
~ towards the wild mountain path aboy
: She listened moment at her fatheI
II, door. From this she turned her wifi
CT hurt face, now filled with unutterat
az childish longing, to the mute moth,
n face against the wall. Then she thre
'it herself on her couch, giving way to so
and tears; while the deepening shado'
r. OF the evening gathered close and CHI
e- over hamlet, vale and hall.
as The next day, the famous Rushbe,
of ing Day in Grasmere, had come a
almost gone. The peasant folk for mi
lss around had trooped into the old haml
~ | ~ .tzs- Al. -