Newspaper Page Text
laitfe! to jrhck Kg£
BY M. B. WHARTON.
“The only enemy that can successfully
grapple with Yellow Jnek is Jack Frost.—
A Newspaper Paragraph.
I thought thee cruel onec, Jack Frost,
When I was ybungfand Small,
You pinched Iny ears, and bit my toes,
You painted red my cheeks and nose,
And kept me dose within the doors,
And thus I deemed thee chief of foes
Thut could my youth befaH.
I thought thee cruel, once again,
When up to manhood grown,
I saw thee clothe the earth in white,
When all that’s fair, and pure, and bright,
Was withored by thy deadly blight,
Withered in onip short luckless night,
Where’er thy breath had Uown.
You nipped my buds and spoiled my vines
And filled me with dismay,
Am enemy I called you then.
A foe to garden, field and*glcn,
A curse sent to the sons of men,
And never Ip return again,
I hade thee haste away.
But now Jack Frost, I find at last,
Thou wast my dearest friend;
One has come iii to take thy place,
Without thy beauty or thy grace,
With poisonous breath and saffron face,
Bent on destruction to our race,
And sorrows without end.
Our land lies mourning at its feet,
And ’neath his ghastly tread;
Our fairest flowers have met decay,
Our brightest gems have lost their ray,
The youngjihcibihiutifid, the gay
Are vanished from our sight away,
And numbered with the dead!
Comeback, Jack Frost, again come back,
Thrice welcome to each heart,
Stretch forth thy white and frozen wand,
Bid suffering tide at thy command,
Give health and quiet to the land,
Come wrest his sceptre from Ills hand,
And bid the Ghoul depart
Whole cities wall his deadly stroke,
Trade bonds beneath his rod,
Palsied our every interest lies,
Tears, bBteifteni'A diffuse our eyes,
Our fbsOm* wit>k groans sighs,
Come, then, Harm angel of the skies—
Thou messenger of God!
Thou Great Physician from above,
Who cam’s! to save the lost;
Thou wlio did’st once for sinners bleed,
Come in this hour of direst need;
Come, and in mqfcy intercede;
Come, stay the Plague’s insatiate greed—
God send the white hoar-frost!
‘First appcarcuce in that part,”
exclailnecl three men at onco, in their
eagerness to get off tho worn-out
joke.
“I knew they would say that,”
said Clifford, languidly, apostropliiz- i
ing the company in general.
“I should as soon have expected
you to turn missionaiy,” laughed
Mrs. Ilarrington. “But sit down
here, and let ule give yon a cup of
coffee to support you while you ro-
vcal tho mystery and make good
your claims.”
I como to announce an excite
ment,” roturned ho. “Could I nuiko
a hotter claim?”
“Certainly not.”
“What is it ?” questioned several
voices.
“There’s a wreck up tho beach.”
“Delightful!” exclaimed Mrs.
Ilarrington; and all tho men began
to ask questions, and nobody waited
for answers, after the usual habit of
impatient human nature.
“Wo must go and seo it,” Mrs.
Harrington said. “Virginia do you
hear? Please to lock up from that
tiresome letter ! Somebody take it
away from her, do! Virginia South-
well, there’s - a wreck on the sands,
and you are to make a sketch of it.”
Miss Southwell foldod her letter,
put it by her plate, and answered
quietly,
“To hear is to obey, I supposo
Is it really a wreck, Mr. Vance?”
“It is very heartless of yon to spoil
my attempt at a sensation by being so
matter-of-fact,” he answered; “and
I don’t protend to bo its truthful as
Gen. Washington. But, at least, a
brig came ashore last night in the
fog, and will, very probably, go to
pieces before they get Iter off.”
“And there was nobody drowned
—no ganger;’’’ asked Mrs. Hurling-.
ton.* ' T'V 1
“I am sorry for your disappoint
ment; but I believe nobody was hurt.
I have been down already, and found
the men as jolly as crows. Oh, yes!
one fellow got hisdhutnb mashed; so
you can play the good Samaritan on
a small scale.”
“No matter; a wreck is a wreck,”
Mrs. Harrington said; then added
pensively, “At least, it might have
been a West Indian thing.”
“Sorry; but it is only louded with
coal.”
“Anyway, we must go- to soejti”) ‘
“It will look quite picturesque at
night,” Vance said, “so wo will wait
till then.”
“And how are wo to exist iii the
meantime?” demanded Mrs. Har
rington. “Everybody has grown so
stupid! I declare solemnly, I novor
saw such a sot of people; and you are
getting just as bad us tho rest, Clif
ford Vance—isn’t he, Virginia?”
“As far as the stupidity goes, I
am not prepared to judge; in the
matter-of badness, I thought Mr.
Vance was always pre-eminent,”
returned she, carelessly.
“Good, good!” pronounced the
masculines, and laughed like the id
iots they were. • *
“She has not forgiven you for
your slighting remarks about the
patriarchs last night,” said Mrs.
Harrington.
Vance was looking full ah Miss
Southwell, smiling and -.perfectly at
• ik i least, I ease; but as she glanced toward him'/
that lodff^s she wShld have : something in his eyes—and thoy were
nn< J H nl* A ik th 2 k. lw - 4 If t* '.X X . _ Li "I- - i. J 1 *" * 1
vAnce.
[By Frank Loo Benedict.]
In tho dense
fog of' tho
previous
night a brig jO^mf ashore, mid
there she lay in the morning light,
with her how thrust upon, the sands,
and the surf, that had not yet quiet
ed itself after the-stormy weather of
the past days, beating against her
stern with:-* .hoarse murmur, as if
angry that ..its- violence seemed to
have no more effect upon the stout
timbers. .
Somobody brought iblio news into
tho party at the Nest, while they
were seated at the breakfast-table. I
said soyieVqijljv, but it. was jio less
personage than -Clifford Vance; and
lie was, 5s you may remember, little
acoustopdedf tn g spoken of in
that darmero ana general way.
There was* fcjuito* a laVgo
gathered|RjKffibJb«j£able; for. pretty
Mrs. We ifit&tress of the
mansion, never ' could ^support the
dullness,^nglplanc^sands with
out the Companionship of plenty of
men. to admire ’ her, and a , few wo
men to envy and abuse lier
J)
said, for she liked tb s think that th6se
of her less favored, hrjthat way
of personal at! factions mid masculine
attentions,'>did forfeit! their right to
two of the supplications in the Lite
siy where she was concerned.
Everybody was ^p/newhat dull that
morning; sp it.was a relief to all con
cerned, whether >thcy liked him or
not, when Clifford Vance made his
entrance rather unceremoniously in
to the breakfast-room.
“Have you bpetf up all ' njght, Or
are you wiltSu^ in your sleep?” de
manded Mnp ilarrington, after the
firstsalutaons.j, ..
“Neither./ 5 said CUffcrd; “I ap
pear in the chaVadtor of a public ben
efactor.” ,jj3we & ■■
JLQ ■ - ■ ■ >• /uisr
great, lionest, mournful eyes, |n
of his reputation—made her
for her words.
.
“One would suppose I had perpe
trated a bon mot, instead of a simple
stupidity’,” said site, with a con
temptuous little wavo of her hand
toward tho giggling men, which si
lenced them.
“Now don’t retract,” cried Mrs.
Harrington. ^ “Shall she, Clifford?”
“Naturally, l am flattered at Miss
Southwell’s taking the trouble to
think enough about mo to have an
opinion at all,” he replied, in a
voice; and looking at her, he perceiv
ed ;tlmt ho hafl, at least, sucp^ed^ljp
vexing her by his words and manner.
At least that was an improvement On
tho indiffcrouco with which sho had
treated him during tho week their
acquaintance had lasted.
Thou there Avas a general rising
from tho table; the peoplo sauntered
out on the piazza; the men lighted
their sugars; and the young girls bo-
camo clamorous for croquet. Mrs.
Harrington lingered in tho bronkfjst :
room to give cortain orders; and Clif
ford Vance took tho opportunity to
go up to Miss Soutlnyell, as sho
stood leaping against a pillar, idly
twisting lier letter in her slender,
nervous hands.
“So you think mo bad,” ho asked,
abruptly.
“Yes,” she answered; “and I fear
tho most hopeless part of tho matter
is, that you pride yourself on it.”
“I think not,” ho said, musingly;
“I am suro not! Just now, Miss
Southwell, I would give a great
deal to be good.”
His voice was so different from its
ordinary tono, tho wholo expression
of his face so changed, that sho look
ed at him in surprise.
“The only way is to try, then
help comes,” she said, quickly.
“Docs it?” ho askod, wondoringly.
Up floated Mrs. Ilarrington in the
full flow of her bright spirits; and
Miss Southwell turned to answer a
question one of the children was ask
ing, and did not notice how Clifford
Vance’s oyes followed her all the while
he kept up that interchange of
laughing badinage with their host
ess.
Sometimes so slight a thing makes
the beginning of areal acquaintance;
those brief words had placed Clifford
Vance on a very different, footing
with Miss Southwell from that which
lie had occupied before.
She hud. come down to that quiot
place greatly, prejudiced against flic
mail, though'she hud' hover'known 1
him. I always used to say Clifford
Vance was the best abused porsoii of
my acquaintance; and Miss South-'
well was not a woman to forgive
what she believed his vices, as tho
world forgavo, because ho was rich,.
handsome, and brilliant.
She had come down there very
unwillingly, for she neither approved
of Grace Harrington, or tho set of
peoplo that made tip her intimates;
but Graco was tho nioco of Miss
Southwell's step-mother, and the
sort of connection made occasional
intercourse an absolute necessity.
Once within the spell of Mrs. Har
rington’s society, it was impossible
to resist her fascinations; and Vir
ginia could not help being charmed,
like less rigid folk, howovor much
there might bo in words and’conduct
of which sho disapproved, when she
thought them over beyond tho reach
of the pretty creature’s influence.
So he had como down to tho Nest,
as Mrs* Harrington called her cot
tage, and found Clifford Vance stay
ing with hiB invalid uncle at the
very next house, and as much at
home with Graco and her set ns if lie
had boon domesticated in tho dwell
ing*
Miss Southwell had not avoided
him, sho hath done what was much
more aggravating; as ncurly as possi
ble ignoring him in tho magnificent
way she could do such things, treat
ing him with a supreme indifference,
which must have boon a joyful spec
tacle for all the other masculines to
.witness.
•li Ojf course, that very treatment
caused Clifford Vance to, observe her
Closely. He had made up his mind
before that sho would he an unplcas
ant young female to Imvo about,
because be had heard so much of
her genius; tho wonderful little
poems she could write and set to
music after; tho pictures sho paint
ed; and then her conversation, her
charities, her dignity, and high-bred
manners—ahead roll of virtues so
long that it was no wonder ho took
the trouble of hating her before sho
came.
And lie found her ontirely differ
ent from the iueal that lie had form
ed. No airs, no graces, cold enough
to him, but natural as a child with poo
pie whom f ho liked; and her greatest
peculiarity scorned to bo an odd habit
of telling tho truth upon all occasions,
in a straightforward way, that often
amused Clifford immensely.
Ho discovered that sho hud won
derful eyes, and a heavenly mouth
when she smiled, which was not so
often as ono could have wished, ahtl
a great quantity of beautiful brown
hair; hands and foot perfect—tho
sort o^yvomftivpn wliomnature sooins
to have bestowed more tinVo and
pains than sho does on a dozon ordi
nary beauties. v
So tho week had gono by, perhaps
a day or two beyond; and until the
morning on which I brought those
peoplo boforo you, Clifford Vance
could not flatter himself that ho had
made the slightest progress toward
an acquaintance with Miss South-
well’.
Thut evening tlioy all drovo down
to tho beach through the glory of
tho moonlight, nntl saw a vory pret
ty picture indeed; tho dark brig;
with tho surf boatiug against the
stem; tlio tent, which tho men had
pitched on shore, with a bright tire
burning in front; ovorhoud, the
cloudloss sky, bending away off, till
it Boornod to meet tho waters in a
long lino of dazzling light.
Mrs Ilarrington did not ordinailry
givo Vanco much leisure to talk to
anybody besides herself; but this
evening sho was a good deal occupied
with a new man that somebody hud
presented to her; so Vanco lmd a lit
tle opportunity to follow his own do-
viqos.
lie wont in search of Miss South-
well, and found her standing alone
on one of the sand hills, looking out
over tho sea, with her great eves
aglqWg lighted up
as it coukl kindle amtjp’owbcaufifu!
in moments of excitement and en
thusiasm.
So wiso Clifford, reading her
mood, was able to begin a conversa
tion that did not jar upon her
thoughts, and finally load tho talk
back to tho subject -of the morning;
and they stood there a long time con
versing in a way which Miss South-
well would not have believed possible
oven the previous evening,
She had no timo to wondor until
sho was back in the room, and alone
for tho night; then sho did take her
self to task, and tried to recall her
strong prejudices ugainst this man,
and found that tho keenness of their
edge was somewhat worn off.
That was the beginning, and I
lntvo no timo to givo you details con
cerning the ton days which followed;
but before they wore over, Mrs. Har
rington was furious to discover that
tho man slic hud elected to flirt with
desperately that summer, had grown
singularly insensible to hor witch
eries; and Clifford Vanco learned
that a now era in his lifo had dawn
ed—lie loved Virginia Southwell.
Ho had no mind to tell her so. Ho
know how hopeless it Avould bo then,
probably* equally va at any fntitro
time—but lio loved hor, and ao
knowlcdged it to himsolf; and then
there'begun, in his mind, the regret
and remorse which must overtake a
man who bus led a wild, reckless
lifo, when ho finds that his whole
soul lias at last gone out in a pure
love, which makes him long to he
worthy of his object.
Ho had no mind to tell her, hut he
did so only the night before lie was
obliged to go away.
They hod driven down to see tho
wreck for tho last time—a misty,
damp evening, with tho moon giving
a flickering, uncertain light, and the
surf moaning dismally against the
sand, liko tho wail of human suffer
ing.
After tho party returned, Vanco
and Miss Southwell walked up and
down tho long veranda, talking free
ly, as they had fallen into tho liuhit
of doing, and—how it came about ho
hover could havo told—tho secret
which had lain during that brief
1 dream-season in his soul, swelled up
to his lips and would he uttered.
“I am not offering you my love,”
ho said, “do not bo afraid of that! I
will not oven offend you by saying
that I love you—but (his much you
cannot bo angry to hoar.”
“Iam not angry,” sho answered;
“I am surprised—griovod. I did
not think of this.”
“I know you did not,” ho said;
“perhaps I; am presuming on your
kindness in speaking at all; but tho
fooling was strongor than my will! I
could not go away without telling
you ail you tiro to mo.”
“It is so short a timo—I hope you
avo solf-docoivod,” sho said, brok
enly.
“Do not hopo that,” ho answered,
in tho low, pathetic tono of real fool- 1
ing. “Thank God for it as I do—it
will mako mo a better man. I have
not attempted to docoivo you; I have
not triod to gloss over my past fol-
lio£ and sins; but weak and wiokod
as I havo boon, I think you cannot
bo angry at my saying that knowing
yon hasmado mo bitterly ropont,
mndo mo long to atone.”
“I Imvo not judged you harshly,’’
she said. “I will not deny that I
was prejudiced against you; but may
say tliis much, my friendship is
yours, if you will have it.”
“0 bully. God bloss you!”
Sho lot him take her hand for an
instant, then sho turned to enter tho
liouso. !
“Not; yet,” ho pleaded, “give mo
a moment moro. Perhaps in this
world you and I will never walk thus’
again.”
She took his arm onco more, and
they walkod slowly up and down in
liio dim light) while tho merry tones
of a waltz, thut Mrs. Harrington was
playing, rang out from tho parlois;
and up from Ll^dishmco eunioili^
low, hoarse moaii of tho'scii, ming
ling strangely enough with tho gay
melody.
Ho kept nothing back from hor;
lie did not seek to palliate his errors,
and ho was very manly through it
all; not ono touch of theatre, or
false Hontiniont, which would Imvo
jarred so quickly on hor keen porcop-
tious.
“I shall not see you for a long
timo, perhaps,” ho said at last; “it is
hotter that I am obliged, to go
away.”
“But you must remember'always I
think of you kindly and pleasantly,”
she answered.
He tried to restrain himself, hut
ho could not keep back the words,
“Nothing more?”
Her lipp quivered, and ho saw hor
grow palo in her trouble at giving
liim pain.
“You must recollect how short
the time lnm been,” she said.
“It luis seomccl vory long to mo,
I Imvo lived so much in it! But if
there lmd boon any more time-
don’t.bo afraid of distressing mo; if
you lmd lmd and opportunity to— 1
“Always your friend,” she inter
rupted in a low Voice. “I could
never promise any thing mere.
He lot her go, thon; ho was much
moro composed than she; for when
sho began to say, in a trembling
voice, that sho trusto d, at least, she
lmd done him no harm, that ho would
acquit her of intentional wrong, lie
checked her with a weary, pain
ful smile, which hurt her moro keen
ly than tho hitter reproaches could
Imvo done.
“You havo been a Mossing to mo,”
ho said, “always romomber that. I
thank you.”
She went softly away, too much
troubled and confused to know what
to say moro; and Clifford Vance
wilndorcd out Into tho night, with
tho dull moan of tho sea booming in
Ins ears, like tho echo of the mad
pain that tore so fiercely at the in
most chords of his passionate undis
ciplined heart.
In the hall Miss Sonthwoll met
Mrs. Harrington; but sho passod
with a brief answor to some question
from her hostess, and went on up to
hor chamber.
When the next day camel un d she
know he was actually gone—by this
timo even started on his southern
journey, to bo absent for long months
—a strange revulsion of feeling came
over her.
Sho began to think that slip lmd
boon cruel to let him go so coldly
and carelessly; tho time tlmt she lmd
known him looked so much longer
in recalling it, and she seemed to
know and understand him so much
more thoroughly, and to see clearly
tliiil his errors and sins had been
tlioso of reckless youth, that there;
wus’sfciil hopo of amendment, aiid
groat capabilities in his oarnost, im-
pulsivo nature. ) j
Virginia Sontlnvell was a very
proud woiiian; she had always boon
callod, and had boliovod herself a
cold one, because no strong fooling
had over touohod hor heart. Site
found a groat clmngo in herself and
when another day and night had
gone, and sho forced herself to stand
and look her soul in tho face, bIio
discovered that this man lmd grown
to bo moro to hor than any other’lmd
over been. It was not that sho told
horsolf she lovod him—but she miss
ed him, and was sorry that sho lmd
let him go so utterly without hopei
She sat down at last and wrote
him a briof letter—a frank, henert' •
letter, such as few women would
Imvo lmdenfiioiont nobility of soul
to write; yot, as far as words wont,
it was only an assuranco of hor
friendship, and a dcairo to seo him
again, if possible, much soonor than
ho lmd intended to roturh.
That was all, as fur as words wont,
but when sho read it over, sho saw
tlmt through tho wholo breatboil
something beyond what was written
—the nmn would Imvo a right to
think tlmt sho lmd held out a hope.
Alone in her room, she felt the
color conic and go in her cheeks, and
hor hands trembled, nervously, hut
sho would not retract—sho was not
ashamed. Her shaking fingers fold
ed up tho shoot hustily, and thrust it
into an onvolopo, and the letter was
sont off without her giving horsolf
moro leisure to reflect.
(CONCLUDED NEXT WKKK.) '
Hit
m
„ s prophecy is worth re
calling about these times:- “As long
its you Imvo a boundless extent of fer
tile, unoccupied land, your laboring
lopulation will bo far moro at ease
ban the laboring population of tho
Old World; but the time will Como
when New England will bo thickly
settled, wages will bo low and fluct
uate, and sometimes many will bo
out of work. Then your institut ions
will bo brought to a test. Hurd
times mako the hiboror discontented
and turbulent, and incline him to
listen with cngorncas to agitators,
who tell him that it is a monstrous
iniquity for ono to Imvo it million
while another cannot get a full meal.
When a legislature is to bo chosen,
ini ono side will be a statesman,
preaching paticnco, respect for veste
pi I rights, strict observance of public
r.'iifb. On Hie oilier a demagogue,
muting about the tyranny of capital
ists and usurers, asking why anybody
should be permitted to Jivoiu luxury
while thousands of honest people are
in want of nocoHsaries. Who will
be likely to ho proforred by this dis
contented element, and what soft of
legislature will you bo likely to ex
pect? I fear in some such season of
adversity spoliation will increase dis-
tress,”
The meanest man yet discovered
lives in New York, lie stole and
sold his wife’s wooden leg. The
Justice sent him to the penitentiary
for ono year—deciding tlmt ho hud
no light to steal sections of his wife,
saying that ho might attempt to
pawn tho baby next.
At; tlio Paris Oh3orvutory a largo
hall i.; to lie tilted up as a picture^
gallery. On tho Avails, together Avitli
portraits of the most eminent ustron •
omors, will ho hung views of tho
moon, the planets and various celes
tial areas as they appear in telescopes
of tlio greatest power.
In Aviatcr, rugs;
In summer, flags; <
In -ii■ k111-~, drags;
Iu adversity, shrugs;
In thirst, mugF;
Iu courtship, hugs.
I
M
:'t; )