St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-08-30

as the beautiful place | have men
toned.
"Babs" and Mr.. Stowe spoke Of
them that evening.
They were bred amid wealth and
perfect family happiness. Two sum
mcrs ago the parents, going to Eng
land, were lost at sea. Then the
panic involved their prosperity. At
that time Of universal depression
they were in difficulty to dispose of
such an expensive place, until Mr..
Farrell, some marriage connection,
had bought it, and persuaded them
to keep the home open there.
Farrell, they said, was a man of
brilliant talents, but too dissipated
greatly to profit thereby. Had the
kindest heart and freest hand in
Australia; or, as "Babs" put it,
"was as quick to assist Others out
of as himself into trouble"
The following evening, with a Gu
rlous pleasure, found myself on the
other side of the old fence, following
drive. darkened with trees, to the
house high on the terrace beyond.
The air was very sweet with magno-
liza blossoms and damp from a large
pond. The pond was partly sur
rounded with tree ferns, and was
beautiful picture by moonlight when
we again passed it some hours later.
We could hear voices and guitars
on the vera ndah; and a white haired
lady, leaning on the arm of a Young
man, was coming to meet us. Young
Carew presented his aunt, and we
entered the house together, where
Mauriel and Clare, in white evening
dress, joined their aunt and brother
IN welcoming us.
Several young men were presented,
and after cordial handclasps, and
little chat, went back to the veran-
dab, where we could see them passing
back and forth, before the long open
windows, with pretty girls in light
dresses and scarfs about their heads
and white shoulders. Sometimes
they danced when the guitars were
sprightly or leaned against the vine
draped columns and tapped their
pretty feet and hummed some popu-
lar air.
As the old place had no servants
now, some of the big rooms were
closed and we ate supper in what
had been the children S dining room.
1t was gay with flowers and the
young men served. Afterward we
went to the drawing room for
music.
How sad it is, I thought-these
attempts to keep the traditions ofthe
old home when such worry is in their
hearts Father and mother gone
the handsome sons, seemingly gentle
men of pleasure tonight, tomorrow
morning will be at office work-and
the home that all have grown to be-
lieve theirs always, dependent upon
any caprice of this Mr.. Farrell.
Little Of this would be suggested
by glance at the stately rooms
where well dressed people are talk
ing, flirting and laughing at the
action OF a droll-faced man, singing
coster songs as happily as l ever
heard Chevalier himself sing them.
He had a devil may"care look that
claimed attention, but except this
and a mass of flaxen hair-hair odd,
beautiful and boyish, and not
looked for on man of his years
there was nothing definite about
him. Yet, a woman would notice
him first in a crowd where far hand
somer men were present. He evil
IDENTIFY was a favorite here with both
women and men, and l was sur
priSed little later, as we were leav-
ing Miss Muriel brought him to us,
saying, you must know my cousin,
Mr.. Farrell"
To be continued