Whitney_Leslie_Goldthwaite.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
. had letters from
her husband, proposing to meet her by the first, in ----, and so the
would be off; the had stayed as long as they cared to
in any one place where there seemed no special inducement;
was going through the mountains to .
,--bright and charming as her name; just a fit flower to put
beside our ' , finding out at once, as all girls and women
did, her sweetness, and leaning more and more to the rare and delicate
sphere of her quiet attraction,-- and ,--these were
his family party; but there came to be question about and
. not they make six? since . and her
sisters must go, it seemed so exactly the thing for them to fall into;
otherwise 's journey hither would hardly seem to have
been worth while. was so lovely among the hills;
opportunities for a party to would not come every day; in
short, had set his heart upon it, begged, the was as
pressing as true politeness would allow, and it was settled.
"," said suddenly, on being told, " should like if you
would tell me, , the precise military expression
synonymous with 'taking the wind out of one's sails.' that's
just what you've done for me."
" dear ! what way?"
" my party,--some of them,--and taken my road. 's all.
spoke first, though didn't speak out loud. here!" she produced
a letter from her mother, received that morning. " the date, if
you please,-- 24. ' letter reached me yesterday.' it had
traveled round, as usual, two days in papa's pocket, beside. always
allow for that. ' quite approve your plan; provided, as you say, the
party be properly matronized. '--'m--h'm! that refers to little
explanations of my own. , all is, was going to do this very
thing,--with enlargements. now and may collapse."
", when with you and your enlargements we might make the most
admirable combination? least, the road is open to all."
" kind of you to say so,--the first part, mean,--if you could
possibly have helped it. there are insurmountable obstacles on that
road--to us. 's a lion in the way. 't you see we should
be like the little ragged boys running after the soldier-company?
couldn't think of putting ourselves in that 'bony light,' especially
before the eyes of .--." last, as . swept
impressively along the piazza in full dinner costume.
" you go first, and we run after you," suggested the .
" the same. talked to her the very first evening, you
know. , nobody can have an original idea any more. 've
been asking them,--the , and . and all, and was just
coming to the ; and now 've got them on my hands, and
don't know where in the world to take them. comes of keeping an
inspiration to ripen. , it's a lesson of wisdom! , as says
about her housekeeping, the two dearest things in living are butter and
experience!"
laughter and banter and repartee, they came to it, of course; the
most delightful combination and joint arrangement. wagons, the
's and . 's two saddle-horses, 's little
mountain mare, that climbed like a cat, and was sure-footed as a
chamois,--these, with a side-saddle for the use of a lady sometimes upon
the last, made up the general equipment of the expedition. .
knew was that they were wonderfully merry and excited together,
until this plan came out as the upshot.
had not quite consented at once, though their faces were
bright with a most thankful appreciation of the kindness that offered
them such a pleasure; nay, that entreated their companionship as a thing
so genuinely coveted to make its own pleasure complete. , when
the whole plan developed, there was a little sudden shrinking on 's
part, perhaps on similar grounds to 's perception of
insurmountable obstacles; but she was shyer than of putting forth
her objections, and the general zeal and delight, and 's longing
look, unconscious of cause why not, carried the day.
had never been a blither setting off from the 's .
the remaining guests were gathered to see them go. was not a mote
in the blue air between and the crest of . the
subtile strength of the hills--ores and sweet waters and resinous
perfumes and breath of healing leaf and root distilled to absolute
purity in the clear ether that sweeps only from such bare,
thunder-scoured summits--made up the exhilarant draught in which they
drank the mountain joy and received afar off its baptism of delight.
was beautiful to see the so girlish and gay; it was lovely
to look at old , with her little tremors of pleasure, and
the sudden glistenings in her eyes; 's pretty face was clear
and noble, with its pure impulse of kindliness, and her fun was like a
sparkle upon deep waters. rushed about in a sort of general
satisfaction which would not let him be quiet anywhere. looked
with a kind of new, half-jealous respect on these privileged few who had
so suddenly become the "'s party." whispered to
: "'s neither his nor mine, honeysuckle; it's
yours,---penny and all the rest of it, as . said."
was glad with the crowning gladness of her bright summer.
" girl has played her cards well," . said of her, a
little below her voice, as she saw the himself making her
especially comfortable with in a back seat.
", my dear madam," said , coming close and
speaking with clear emphasis, "as she could not possibly have known that
she had a trump in her hand!"
* * * * *
tell of all that week's journeying, and of ; the
adventure, the brightness, the beauty, and the glory; the sympathy of
abounding enjoyment, the waking of new life that it was to some of them;
the interchange of thought, the cementing of friendships,--would be to
begin another story, possibly a yet longer one. 's summer,
according to the calendar, is already ended. in this world must
pause unfinished, or come to abrupt conclusion. "die suddenly at
last," after the most tedious illnesses. " and lived happy ever
after," is the inclusive summary that winds up many an old tale whose
time of action only runs through hours. in this summer-time with
your thoughts have broadened somewhat with hers, some
questions for you have been partly answered; if it has appeared to you
how a life enriches itself by drawing toward and going forth into the
life of others through seeing how this began with her, it is no
unfinished tale that leave with you.
little picture will give you, farther on, a hint of something
farther yet, and say good-by.
of them came back to , and stayed far into the still, rich
. and sat before the one morning,
in the heart of a golden haze and a gorgeous bloom.
around the feet of the great hills lay the garlands of early-ripened
autumn. see nothing like it in the lowlands,--nothing like the fire
of the maples, the carbuncle-splendor of the oaks, the flash of scarlet
sumachs and creepers, the illumination of every kind of little leaf in
its own way, upon which the frost touch comes down from those tremendous
heights that stand rimy in each morning's sun, trying on white caps that
by and by they shall pull down heavily over their brows, till they cloak
all their shoulders also in the like sculptured folds, to stand and
wait, blind, awful chrysalides, through the long winter of their death
and silence.
and had got letters from the and .
was news in them such as thrills always the half-comprehending
sympathies of girlhood. 's vague suggestion of romance had become
fulfillment. was wild with rejoicing that dear old was
to marry . " had always made him think of , and his ways and
likings, ever since that day of the game of chess that by his means
came to grief. was awful slang, but he could not help it: it was just
the very jolliest go!"
's quiet letter said,--" kindness which kept us on and
made it beautiful for us, strangers, at , has brought to me, by
's providence, this great happiness of my life."
a long pause of trying to take it in, looked up. " a
summer this has been! full; so much has happened! feel as if had
been living such a great deal!"
" have been living in others' lives. have had a great deal to do
with what has happened."
", ! have only been _among_ it! could not
_do_--except such a very little."
" is a working from us beyond our own. if our working runs with
that?-- have done more than you will ever know, little one."
spoke very tenderly. own life, somehow, had been closely
touched, through that which had grown and gathered about . "
depends on that abiding. ' me, and in you; so shall ye bear much
fruit.'"
stopped. would not say more. thought her talking rather
wide of the first suggestion; but this child would never know, as
had said, what a centre, in her simple, loving way, she had
been for the working of a purpose beyond her thought.
came across the lawn, crowned with gold and scarlet, trailing
creepers twined about her shoulders, and flames of beauty in her full
hands. " says she praised with every leaf she took.
'm afraid forgot to, for the little ones. was so greedy and so
busy, getting them all for her. , ; we've got no end
of pressing to do, to save half of them!"
" can't do enough for her. , , the leaves _are_
glorified, after all! never was so charming; and she is more
beautiful than ever!"
's glance took in also another face than 's, grown into
something in these months that no training or taking thought could have
done for it. "," she said, in the same still way in which she had
spoken before, "that comes too,--as wills. things shall be
added."
* * * * *
hint is of a home, just outside the leaping growth and
ceaseless stir of a great city; a large, low, cosy mansion, with
a certain mellowness and rest in its aspect,--looking forth,
even, as it does on one side, upon the illimitable sunset-ward sweep of
the magnificent promise of the ; on the other, it catches a glimpse,
beyond and beside the town, of the calm blue of a fresh-water ocean.
place is ";" the will call it by no other than the
family name,--the sweet synonym for -corner. here,
while have been writing and you reading these pages, he has had them
all with him; and , on their bridal journey, which waited
for summer-time to come again, though they have been six months married;
, of course, and , home in vacation from a great school
where he is studying hard, hoping for by and by;
, who is 's inspiration still; and our , our
, our ,--golden-eyed of innumerable sweet names.
sweetest and truest of all, says the brave soldier and high-souled
gentleman, is that which he has persuaded her to wear for life,--
.