Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1896-01-10
IN THE GARDEN.


have ever seen, and, holding them in your
memory, extract the very heart and core
of each and put these together into a small
space, not more than 200 yards, perhaps,
bounded by high stone wall, and then
you may have some faint conception of the
loveliness of this old garden that L am
thinking of.
What roses grew therel And then there
wero all sorts of plants and herbs and
flowers that only our grandmothers knew
the secret Of growing.
What paradise for insects and birds
was there They hummed and droned and
ohirped and twittered and nestled and sang
and lived their happy lives out unmo-
Tested.
All this busy life was at it's busiest
when Cousin Marian came to us, and as
she stepped for the first time into the gar
den the roses threw out sweeter breaths,
the birds sang their loveliest, and the ap-
pie blossoms over her head flushed deeper
pink for very joy, or SO, at least, it seemed
to the boy watching from the garden wall.
The old garden was as much his as mine,
for the tall, handsome lad was Neighbor
Cray's Phil, and Phil Cray had always
claimed a share of my childhood.
Grandmother is as much mine as II
she had been born So, he reasoned in his
CO.. vincing way, "for love her as much
as any boy could love 40 own grandmoth-
ers and, as for you, Nell, the stork only
is to blame for not doposting you in the
nest intended for my little sister," And SO
he had his will But Phil was going
away to be gone five years, and he was
taking a farewell look of the garden, when
his eyes fell upon Cousin Marian, stand
ing in her white dress where the sunlight,
Pickering through the apple boughs,
caught the CLINT Of gold in her bright hair.
"A picture to delight the heart of mani"
the boy thought.
Phil remained away the whole Of the al
lotted five years, graduating in his profess
sion in New York, then spending two
years abroad, making special studies in
Paris and Berlin. In his frequent letters
to grandmother and me l do not think he
ever mentioned Cousin Marian's name,
though we wrote of her always as people
naturally writo Of one who Is very near
and dear, and so he came to know all the
happenings Of her whole sweet girlish life.
Through all the years, with their varying
changes and chances, vision c. a girl
with sun bright hair and violet eyes that
had the wide open, innocent look of a
ohilds walked beside the young fellow,
making him strong to resist the tempta-
tions which ever beset the path of ardent
young manhood.
And the girl had passed from childhood
into womanhood, leaving her vitality be-
hind, it would seem, for the past two years
had been spent by Cousin Marian at the
conservatory, where she pursued her mu-
steal studies with such ardor as to como
home at length crowned with honors, it
is true, but a physical wreck, her nervous
system completely shattered. With sensi-
tive dread she shrank from seeing any one
except kind, good old DR.. Elliott, who
dosed her with the loving care and tender
ness he would have bestowed upon
daughter of his own, but she grew worse
instead Of better, and gradually our
friends came to us only by stealth, as it
were, when she was safe in her own room,
and hope was dying out of our hearts
when Phil came home.
Old DIR. Elliott was oloseted with him
for hours the day after his arrival, and
when he left him he came straight to
grandmother, advising her to put Cousin
MRrian's case into the hands of DIR. Phil,
and somehow hope revived within us.
That afternoon we three were in the gar
grandmother, Cousin Marian and
grandmother sitting by the invalid's
chair, holding some fleecy white knitting
in her hands, when we saw Phil, tall and
distinguished looking and oh, how hand
some walking straight toward us. Grand
mother talked on in soft, low tones,
though l saw her dear old hands tremble,
and she dropped more stitches than tho
shining Daadlps pnnUbt phil
reached us she said calmly:
"Ths is our old friend Phil Cray,
Marian, dear, " and Phil taking off his hat,
leaning over and taking Cousin Marian's
SLIM passive hand in his, holding it
moment, not speaking but looking in
tently into the eyes which were wide open,
gazing up into his. Releasing the hand
gently, he sat down by me and began to
talk Of old days.
Presently l saw that Cousin Marian had
fallen asleep, with such look of peace
upon her face as it had not worn for many
weary day, and with her hands clasped
and big tears raining down her witherud
old checks grandmother was silently Civ
ing thanks.
From that day Phil dropped into our
family life as though he had never boen
imperceptibly, except to loving eyes,
| Cousin Marian began to mend. The faint
rosy tinge which flickored for n moment
in her white cheek and then died out took
on deeper hue and fingered the old elias
ticity returned to her limbs, and the
graceful contours Of health to her form,
and to those looking closely it aeemed that
a new luster shone in the sweet eyes. BY
and by we awoke to the consciousness
that sho had been restored to us-a new
creature with the vigorous blood Of youth
and health bounding in her veins.
Next May, just six years from the day
on which they had first looked in each
others eyes, Cousin Marian and Phil
stood together, hand in hand, in the dear
old garden under the drifting apple
blooms, while our old minister pronounced
the solemn words which gave her life into
his keeping. Mary c. Egan in Philadel-
phia Times.