Year: 1877

CHAPTER I.


This world OF ours is strange one.
These lives Of ours are stranger than
the world we live in. We think, some
times, that we understand the world
pretty we'll, and that we have studied
our own life, and the lives Of the men
and women about us until we under
stand them as we'll as we do the world.
Perhaps we do. think we are safe in
admitting that. But, granting it, hold
that we know but very little yet about
the mystery Of life and living. Perhaps
we never shall. Orer there we may know
all about IL. i hope we may.


As long ago as can remember any
thing, "going up to grandpa's" used to
be one Of the great events Of our child
lives. We were born and bred to city
life, and to go on a visit to grandfather
Brooke6eld's meant a general letting
loose Of ourselves. IL meant freedom
and long, bright days of intense delight.
Everything we saw at the farm was like
q revelation TO us in those days. Life
showed itself to us in its brightest aspect
and kindest mood. We hunted hens
nest in the barn, and among the fence
corners in the orchard, and birds nests
In the woods and along the PASTURE
Every nest was a treasure, and source
Of keenest delight. We drove the COWS
home, and waded knee-deep in clover,
and climbed the gnarled old apple trees
and tried TO make veritable mer -men Of
ourselves by living half the time in the
water. We got all the enjoyment out of
life that we knew how to, and those Wis
its to grandfather's seemed worth more
than anything else the world could pos
sibly have for us.


There was one thing that puzzled all
Of us children at grandfather's. And
that was Cousin Leonore. She was not
orr cousin. but a cousin Of my mother q;
but we had got into the habit Of calling,
her by the same name, or rather of
speaking Of her in the same way, for we
rarely talked With her, as our elders did,
and we did not puzzle our heads very
much, in those days, over hearness or
remoteness Of relationship, and cared
not at all five did make mistakes regard
ing il. ] remember that the idea came
to me the very first time saw her, tha I
she was very "queer." So much 80 that
ever after that che was study and a
mystery to me. And, as..I grew older, /
remember that used to steal into the
room where she sat alone, and watch
her. There was always strange fascin
alton about her for me.


She had been beautiful once. Indeed
she was so yet. But il was strang,
kind of beauty. 1t seemed to lack some
thing. AT times her face would bright
On for an instant. family, and she seem
ed to be somethiHy like other people. A
such times we used to venture near her
with a great deal of awe, and feeling
that was akin to fear. but she never an
swered us: and always we felt that ther'
was mysterious gulf between us. Som
influence that we could not explain no
understand surrounded her. She seemed
to live in another world, and understood
but imperfectly the things of our life
! remember that the idea used to imp-es
itself upon me that Cousin Leonore ha,
been like the rest OF us, but had los
something. I don't think that / eve
clearly decided uhat she had lost, onl
that II was that something which woul
have made her like US.


She used TO sit alone, in her littl
room up stairs, a silent figure, endowe
with breath and motion, but seemingl
with no other attributes Of human b,
ing. We used to talk it over among ou
selves, and wonder il she wasn't deat
So far as all appearance Of Intelligent
was concerned, she was like the persoI
we had seen who were dead. Once in
while her hands would move, but 4
word ever crossed her lips. Her ey
kept staring into vacancy with th
dumb, awful look which frightened u
A corpse, endowed with breath, and m
tion, in q limited degree, could ha,
been no more terrifying to us, than W
Cousin Leonore, if it had not been 4
the fact that she had never been dead


dead folks are supposed TO be.


think she was about thirty years O
then. We really kner but little abo
her, as none of the household liked


talk Of her. Grandmother cared for b
in tender, silent way, and used to


with her when her face lost its de


look, and seemed lit up feebly by


transient flicker Of something akin


intelligence. But 10 US, IL never i


that look which made us feel that 81


in some strange way, was apart from


and all the world. remember that /


first time my brother Willie saw her


he was but wee fellow then, and 9


was in one Of her queer spells,"-


came to me and asked me why they d


Mt bury her?


They always spoke Of her, when II


talked Of her at all, and they never


that IL they could help it,-in diff


ent tone from that used in ordinary C