Year: 1873

dreams, and she had at frat mischievous
delight in making him feel her power.


She was aware, certainly, that there was a
charming quality in his gentle and deferen-
tial manner which assumed that she knew
every thing of which she was ignorant-was
aware, too, that beside her ignorance he
was learning self; but he seemed to her so
dreamy and far away, seemed to live in such
a remote region from every day, that she
said to herself she would as soon think of
falling in love, in return, with one of the
town paupers as with Rodney Monteith, and,
indeed, there would be no great difference
between the two if she did, she said, for he
was no more fiji to take care of himself than
a child and under that conviction she i'm
mediately took his wel-worn wardrobe un-
der her protection, piece by piece, and in
his absence, till she had it in complete order,
and he never any the wiser. But as Rosy
darned and patched in that superior manner
OF which her father was so proud, and which
had taken 80 many prizes at so many fairs,
she could not but feel that she was at work
on the garments OF gentleman, and there
dawned upon her sense Of her supreme
Stiffness in laughing at the absent minded
ways of man who stood as much above
her as the hills that lift their heads among
the stars of God are above the plains.


But for all that she was a woman, and
could not help coquetting with him little
She had to put on her new print, and make
herself ravishing with apple blossoms and
then when she had completed the work of
enchantment, 60 to walk with George Rives
along the banks of the brook, where he lay
studying out the faults of his design, and
appear to forget his existence in her inter
est concerning George Rives'. Sometimes,
though, she would walk over the fields to
church with Mr.. Monteith himself of Sun
day, and she could remember for years, as
il it were yesterday, how softly the distant
bells sounded, and how sweet the wind
came across the grass, as they walked side
by side; +; and when she heard his voice in
the hymn, a deep and powerful bass, she
forgot dress and lovers, and every thing else,
and her soul seemed lost in that rich sound
like leaf floating on a stream.


You are a complex little being, Rosy"
he said, one day: Sometimes you seem
to me spirit just ready to take fight, and
presently see that you are part of the
earth ITSELF


What did you think l was?" answered
Rosy. did you suppose wasn't common
clay as the rest :? You thought l was of
the earth earthly when l gave the rose to
George Rives. But you knew before that
was child of the soill" And then she
tossed rose to him.


She found the rose years afterward shut
away in an old analytical geometry, and he
found her crying over it.


One day, at length, when Rosy, to the
top of her bent, was playing her part as
queen of hearts, and enjoying the tortures
of her knaves, there came the great parish
excursion to the Beach, some half dozen
miles distant an annual gathering of all
the country side; and mighty were the prep
arations for the lunch baskets, and of course
it was not to be thought of that Mrs.
Maynes hampers should not exceed all the
rest. And when the appointed morning
dawned in warmest sunshine, the hay carts
loaded with laughter and beauty, and the
old wagons with age and sobriety and viands,
all trundled down to the sands together, and
the great sea was greeted with free trans
lation of the old Greek shout. "There
she is !" said the senior Mr.. Rives "The
tarnal crtter! Laying out doors all night
singing to herself, and ready to crush the
bones of the first man she lays hands on !"
Then the parties dispersed themselves: the
children tended the fires with drift-wood and
dry weed the matrons made the chowder !;
the lovers sat among the sand-hils. There
we're races and games and strollings on the
shore, and when the halftide came at SUM-
set there was bathing.


| Mr.. Monteith sat some way out on low
ledge Of rocks by himself, watching the tide
play in and out among the purple assures
and turn tiny wheel he had whitfield from
chip and set up there; and he did not ap-
pear to take much interest in the human
part ofthe scene till Rosy Mayne came dane
ing along among the lads and lasses who
were going in, and with her bare white feet,
her streaming hair, her laughing face, and her
pretty bathing dress, looking lovelier than
any sea nymph that ever swan, he thought,
joining hands and running boldly down to
the edge of the creaming wave. Rosyl :"
cried Mr.. Monteith, this under-tow is too
strong for any ofy your daring pranks; there's
nothing but a shark can swim IN it." But
Rosy did not choose to hear, and Mr.. Mon
teith deliberately took off his shoes and coat,
and watched her. And not a moment too
soon, for all at once her head had disappear
ed; she had gone down, had risen again
with great cry. and then, as if a giant
hand had reached and snatched her out to
sea while the others scrambled up the shore,
there was nothing of her to be seen but her
floating hair away on the farther crest Of
the surf.


But at the first cry there had been a
bound through the air Of the figure on the
ledge of rocks. and Mr.. Momteith was af-
ter her. So strong was the under tow that
it seemed but moment to those who wait
ed breathless on the beach before he had
reached and grasped her. But then came
the dreadful struggle for the shore. He had
the girl on his shoulders, and he fought his
best. but twice he was beaten off The
third time he caught the rope the others
had waded far out to throw him, succeeded
in getting it about them both, and was
dragged ashore with her at last more dead
| than alive.


Ofcourse they did not wait for any night
| fires or dancing on the beach after this but
as soon as the half-drowned people could
be dried and warmed the horses were put
in. George Rives cursing his luck as he
buckled straps and girth, Mr.. Mayne push
ing him about as if he were worthless lit
tie boy, and crying and swearing between
whiles, crying for Rosy's sake and swearing
for Georges, and the whole party hurried
on their homeward way. And it would be
hard to say how badly Rosy behaved that
night as they went along. Perhaps she felt
chain tightening round her, and rebelled.


1t you want me to prevent your finging
yourself out of the hay-cart, Rosy" Mr..
Monteiih said at last, you must come on