The Virginia enterprise., 1901-09-20

warned Alf in distinct whisper, lit
gentleman SOME tea, Molly; I'm sure he's
quite eXhausted,' after five minutes OF
throwing bean bags!
l couldn't keep away from her, and
she lost no opening for holding me up to
the general derision. l soon knew how
the vericst outcast feels when he gets
a peep at a happy tireside. TO everyone
else she was all frankness and generosi-
ty, and full Of the lightest, most charm
ing gaiety. Never was there more
amusing companion or one quicker to
sympathize with every mood, every indi-
viduality. In her manners and her
bright conversation an unfailing tact and
playful grace did not disguise touch
of lofty enthusiasm. She had that
power of seeing everything and every
body at their hest, which comes of fixed
faith-i in the best things as likewise the
most, real. Everyone who approached
her delighted in her-from the rheumatic
old judge to the serving maid.
was the poor scapegoat upon whom
rested the full weight of her passionate
was scaritied by hundred needlepoints
of light, stinging sarcasm and misappre-
henslon, at once so piercing and so cum
ningly yelled that others wondered at
my being forever in a bad humor. Still,
though the poison ranked, had no wish
to to, escape: Was | not learning by heart
all her looks! Everyone of her many
moods? Was there not every day a new
virtue, new charm discovered? There
was nothing for it but to submit and
take my punishment
Little by little l learned a good deal
about her. She was an orphan, alone
IN IN the world but for that booby-that
nero l mean-aboard the Yankee This
knoWledse made me unaccountably light
hearted for a day. She had a snuk it,
tie fortune, in her own right and friends
who watched over it jealously. NV
spirits sank again.
L am naturally a rather talkatiyc fell
low; had passed my bar examinations
with credit and fancied that l had al
ready taE1i; step or two on the ladder
OF success; perhaps l had even more
than enough confidence in myself. was
quietly sn'!hbed or gayIy paradcd for
rldicule until l. / became unwilling to open
my mouth. Then my unscated little en-
emy ]eered at my silence Ask Mr..
Toward Toward. she would say: "hc hasn't sex
pressed an opinion on any subject today"
tnat she would announce, NO one need
speak TO me this morning; Mr.. How
ara and l have taken a VOW of total
Sne found causes of offense in the most
lnoHehslve acts. Whatever l proposrd
was sure to beat the precise momentN.
]ueeestaole' ] ierhaps ialc:, when another
winch she had set her heart. At the erd
ol tnree weeks we We're at once the near
est and the most distant of acGua;ni-
ances. l fancied that I knew her
1hreVsh and through, from the sound Of
me-; nef 81 l'sht ste? to the meaning of every
S"ni S cnahse IN her ever.changing, spark
ing face. Was l nothing more to her
than convenient dummy upon which 10
try, her strength? So it seemed-and yct
-tnere were moments, rare, bewilderiny
moments, when it seemed possible 4hat
something better might begin. We found
ourselves on the same side in a heated
argument-or it might be that she needed
mans. strength for some brief use. and
for an lnflnitesimal space comprehension
instead OF contempt would dart from her
dark eyes. Many rebuffs had devclope Il
IN one so much of wisdom of the serpent
that never ventured to betray the least
consequences of her mOmentary weak
ness: l was ready to be ffouted the NEXT
mlnute-and what l expected usually
happened.
=, outings for the day are a feature Of
the place. drives or long tramps to some
notably fine point of view. and in these
particular outlooks there is great va
riety:, For the mountains rise into
rounded domes, with commanding pros
pect over the surrounding country, or
they are broken by sharp gorges, with
romantic glens, and cut by swift, narrow
streams that scud down the long hilsides
or plunge over sheer cliffs with joyous
roar and wild, leaping grace that take
the heart with them. On these trips a
pair of stout horses. sobered by much
dragging Of heavy loads up and down the
mountain roads, and phiegmatic farm
er-hOst in the carry-all. 60 along to &C:
as convoy. Ample supplies for hearty
cold dinner are packed away, and at
some high crossing of an incredibly
stony wagon track he meets the walking
party, to take instructions for spreading
the lunch and to pick up the disabled.
whose zeal outran their muscle. One of
the longest and: hardest Of these tramps
within the limit of a days excursion
brings you to Bask-a-pish Falls, the
most impressive of the various cascades
that make the boast Of the experienced
guides. This was our objective when we
set forth ION a morning Of golden perfec-
tom, July 28, 1893. .~:
We-meaning Miss Gale and myself
were the best walkers in the party-that
was rock-bottom fact. No others could
begin to do the same distance, over any
sort of roughness and obstruction, with
the same ease. What is it in q w0man's
frame. however fne and fair it may be,
that something superbly elastic and tena-