Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-09-04
CHAPTER I.


There are conflicts in most llves-real
aond-ro-band combats, that have to be
e,,gbt not with any heshly weapons, but
,,;+b the inner forces of the being-bat-
+Ios wherein the victory is not always to
+bo strong. where the young and the
u,oak and the little ones may be found
abiding nearest to the standards.
Sucb conflict had come to Alison
Merle breaking up the surface of her
smooth outer life, and revealing possible
aboaIs and quicksands, in which many of
bor brightest hopes might be wrecked.
1T is hard [ do not know that even
if Aunt Di think it right [ shall ever
have the heart to do it" murmured Ali
son. talking to herself in her agitation
after the manner of older folk. Il have
] inst rooted myself in this dear place, and
tba soil suits me- | could not flourish
anywhere else and" finished Alison,
with quaint little smile, 'sickly plants
are worth nothing"
10 any ordinary spectator the interior
of that little room would have presented
. picture of perfect serenity and abso-
late comfort Even the young creature
dow. with an open letter and cluster
of deep red roses lying among the folds
of her white gown, presented no disturb
ing image. though the cheek had lost it's
wonted fresh color, and the dark, dreamy
eyes had a look of doubt that was al
most pain in them.
Two years ago-she had been sixteen
then. and. OH how disconnected and i'll
and unhappy she had been. 1t was not
only the loss of her mother, it was her
own incapacity for responsibility, her
morbid dislike to her surroundings that
had fretted all her fine color away.
Change of air would do her good, and
then Aunt Diana had come down upon
them with the freshness of a moorland
breeze
You must give your eldest girl to me,
AinSlie," she had said to Alisons father;
she wants care and cherishing more than
Miss Leigh has time to give her" And,
Of course, Aunt Diana had her way.
Instead of the whir of machinery-for
her fathers sawmills were just behind
their house-Alison had now only to
listen TO the soft flow of the river that
gIided below the green lawns and shrub
berries of Moss-sde; instead of waking
up in the morning to look across the dusty
shrubs and trees to the vast wood piles
and masses of unsawn timber, that seem
ed endlessly between her and the blue
sky, Alis0ns eyes had now the finest
prospect; one shaded garden seemed to
run into another, and when the willows
were thinned or bare in winter time, what
view of the river and green meadows on
the opposite side!
The moral surroundings were almost as
much changed. Instead of Miss Leigh's
dry method of instruction, Aunt Diana
had placed within her reach many a
pleasant short cut to knowledge, had sug
geSted all sorts of enviable accomplish
mentS money was not stinted where Ali
sons talents could be turned to account
In this pleasant but bracing atmos-
phere Alison had thrfven and grown. She
was still tall, slim girl, somewhat youth
IuI IN look, but with plenty of warm life
and energy about her; and though the
dark eyes had still their old trick of
dreaming, they seemed to dream more
happily, and the shadow did not lie so
deep in them-not, at least, until the
June afternoon, when Alison sat signing
and yiSby disturbed with her lap full of
roses 1t was evident at last that she
found her thoughts too painful, for after
another half hours intense brooding she
suddenly jumped up from her seat, scat
teFing the flowers where they lay unheed
ed on the Indian mating, and walked
abruptly to the door. She had dropped
her letters, too; but she went back and
picked them up, not replacing them in
Inelr envelopes, and then she went out
mo the passage.
dark oak staircase led into a little
square hall, fitted up with bookcases like
library, with a harmonium on one side;
glass door opened into a conservatory,
through which one passed into the gar
den
Alison turned the handle of a door just
opposite the staircase, and stood for
moment heSitating on the threshold
what pleasant room that was, half
S'uuio and half drawing room, full of
NoSS lights, and artistically Uttered with
q" oad tumble of medieval and modern
'0Ehlture-oak chairs and cabinets, bas-
,H'"putan princesses, and hanging cup
'oaFds Of quaint old china that gave warm
Nlorins to the whole. Alison's eyes were
sun hXed on lady who stood with her
'"gA toward her, painting at an easel.
Well child, what now?" The voice
was nicely modulated, clear and musical
'u, the manner slightly abrupt.
AllSon came forward at once and in
SpecNed the picture. 1T is very pretty,
Aunt Dr. she said, forgetting her own
"'rfies in a moment. 1T is one of your
'eS'. | think 1 see what you mean, but
" NE 1t is all beautiful: that old man
penSloner, is he not2 and that poor.
s''e" sheep, that seems to have dropped
soTn by the way, left behind by the
~ 4GIN' Is so suggestive of the title. Noon
tide Rest"