HIH l WMiHPHHHHHI
...,' I
AfcBANY REOIHTER.
(ll'UH,
BY FRANCIS KKKT HAKTK.
Sandy was very drunk. He was
lying under an at)e.t-bnsh, in pretty
X .1 ..itt...l.. !- .Ui..l.
much the same attitude in which lie
had lallensome hours before. How
long he had been lying there he could
not tell and didn't care ; how long he
should lie tliere was a matter equally
iudetinite and unconsidered. A tran
quil philosophy, bom of his physical
condition, snll'used and saturated his
moral being.
The spectacle of a drunken man.
and of this drunken man in jutrtkular.
was not. I grieve to say, ot sutticieut
novelty in Red Gulch to attract atten
tion. Earlier in the day some local
satirist had erected a temporary tonib
toiie at Sandy's head, bearing tlie in
scription, "KtlVetsof Mct'orkbYs whis
ky. kills at forty roils" with a hand
pointing to MeCorkle's nlnou. Hut
this, l imagine, was. like most local
satire, personal ; and was a reflection
upon the unfairness of tlie process rather
than a commentary upon impropriety
of the result. With this facet inns ex
ception. Sandy had letti undisturbed.
A wandering mine, released from his
pack, imu cn.piiwi ine uun. nei ixige ,
and sniffed curiously at the prof rate
man. A vagabond-dog, with that deep
sympathy which the species have for
drunken men. had licked his dusty
boots, ami curled himself up at his
feet, and lay there, blinking one eye
in the sunlight, with a simulation of
dissipation that was ingenious ami
dog-like in its implied flattery of the
unconscious man beside him.
Meanwhile the shadows of the pine
trees had slowly swung around until
they crossed the road, and their trunks
barred the open meadow with gigantic
parallels of black and yellow. T.ittlc
puff! of red dust, lifted by tlie plung
ing hoofs of passing teams, dispersed
iu a grimy slwwer upon the recum
bent man. The sun sank lower and
lower; and still Sandy stirred not.
Ami then the repose of the philosopher
was disturbed, as Other philosophers
have been, by the intrusion of an un
philosophieai sex.
"Miss Mary," as slie was known to
tlie little flock that sliL- had just dir
missed from the log school-house be-
yond the pines was faking tier after-
THE IDYL F
noon wane, unserving an unusual iy wilat confusing to observe, also, that I scions of this himself. 1 know he
tine cluster of blossoms on the azalea- t,east, desiiite some tiilnt signs of ; longed to be doing something. -ski v
busli opposite, she crossed the road to dissipation, was amiable looking in ling a grizzly, scalping a savage, or
pluck it,-mekiug her way through tlie fiK.t a kind of blond Sttinpson, wliose sacrificing himself in some way for
red dost, not without .certain fierce , corn-colored, silken Ueufd appftrWrti?1 ' the sake of this sallow-faced, grav
little shivers ofdisgust. and some feline had never vet known the touch of a i eved schoolmistress. As I should like
ctrcumtocution. .nn men sue came :
suddenly upon Sandy !
Of course slie uttered the little fvte
oito cry of her sex. But wlwn she hud
jjsiid that triliute to her physical weak
ness she became overbold, and halted
for a moment, at least six feet from
rhi prostrate monter, with her white
skirts gathered inkier hand, ready for
flight. But neither sound nor motion
came from the bush. With one little
foot she then overturned the satirical
head board, and muttered "P.easts !"
an epithet which probably, at that
moment conveniently e!:is iiiedin her
mind the entire male population of
Bed Gulch. Fftr Miss Mary. Ii iiig
possessed of certain rigid nothms ot
lier own. had not, perhaps projx rly
appreciated the demonstrative gallan
try for which the Californian has been
so' justly celebrated by his brother
Gallfonilans, and had, as a new-comer,
perhaps tairly e-arned the reputation of
being "stuck tip."
As she stood there she noticed, also,
tliat the slant sunbeams were heating
msHiys neau to wnat sne judged ro tp
sn miheaitliv tetnperafun'. and
'hat
his hat wa- lving uselessly at M side. ., ,,,! ,w speca, and thanked him
To pick it np ami place it over hi . sw.;.v at the INI- thM ha stum
face was a work requiring some cour- ,,1,5,1. u'hich caused the. chiidreii to
age. particularly ashweyes were open, laugh affiiu. -a laugh in wlfich Miss
Tet she dkl it and made good her re- Mi,7v ;., aNtt tlx, color enme
treat. But she wa somewhat con- tahitlv Into lie pfttecheeka. Theixt
e-enied, on looking lck. to see that ; ,iav Urn) was mvsteriously pluotsi
the bat was removed, ami that Sandy ; beviik; the door, and' as mysteriously
was sitting up aud saying .something. ; ,i!ll ( wiai Wjj spring-yvater every
The tmtli wa. that in the cahn ; morning.
depth-- otfxtmiy s mind he was sari died
that the rays of tlie sun were belief-
ciai aim iieaiuiiiii ; ima inim viura- fam driver Of the .Siiinigullion
!od lie had objected to lying down iu Ht!g-4., w(felv known in the newspa-
hat ; that no people But condemned 1 for "galtortry" jn hmriahlv
fools. jst redemption, ever wore hats offering the box-seat to the fair sex.
ami that his right to dtactm wnn ! excepted Mis Marv from this at
them whenhepleaseil wRsftiaheible. ( to,u0o. 011 the ground' that he bad a
This was the statement of hh Inner j itit tf "twin' . up grwlex." amj
eonTiousnejtf . IJtifortnnately, its out- ff,Vi. j,er half tlie coacii. to herself,
wanl expresdon was vague. Isdng X,ck Uamlia, gaml.er, having once
Hiniteil to a reputation of the lo low - j silM)y tilklm wjtll iwt (il mm
ingrori)raia,--p rsnineaiini'. "as-
sermaar. eh? Was np so 'shine ?"
Miss Mary stopped, and, taking
flesh courage from her advantage of
distance, asked him If tliere was any
thing that he wanted.
"Wassun? asser rar!" con
tinned Sandy, in very high kee.
"Get up, you horrid man!" said
Miss Mary, now thoroughly incensed ;
Get up nod go home.
Sandy staggered to his feet. He
was tx feet high, and Miss Mary
trembled. He started forward a few
panes and then stopped.
Was I go home tor?" he suddenly
asked with great gravity.
"Go take a bath, f replied Miss
Mary, eyeing hit grimy person with
To Iter Inttuite dismay, Sandy sud-
his coat nu vest.
the ground, kicked ott'
his boob, and plunging wildly for
ward, oweu headlong ove r tne hill,
in tlie direction of tlie river.
"Goodness Heavens! tins man will
be drowned!'' said, Miss Mary; and
then with fetiunine inconsistency, slie
ran kick to tlie school-house, and
locked lierself in.
.... .... .
That night, while seded at sitnoer
with her hostess, tlie blacksmith's wife,
it came to Miss Mary to ask. demure
ly, if her husband ever got drunk.
"Abner," responded Mrs. Stklger, re
flectively, "let's see; A mier hasn't
been tight since last 'lection." Miss
Mary would have liked to Ml if he
preferred lying In the sun mi these oc
casions, and if a cold bath would have
hurt him; but this would have in
volved au explanation, which she did
uot cart! to give. So she contented
herself with opening Iter gray eyes
w idely at the red-cheeked Mrs. Stidger
a Hue qiecitnen ot Niulliwestcru
efflorescence, and then dismissed the i
subject altogether. The next da v she
wrote to her dearest friend, in Boston:
"l think 1 find the intoxicated portion
of this community the least objection
able. I refer, my dear, to the men, of
course. I do not know anything that
could make the womeu tolerable."
In lesstliaua week Mis Marv had
fcfcu this episode, except that her
atieriioou walks took thereatler, al
most unco;)cioiMlv, another direction.
Site noticed, however, tliat every
morning a livsh cluster of azalea
blossoms appeared among the flowers
on her desk. This was not strange, as
her little Hock were aware of her fond
ness for flowers, ami invariably kept
her desk bright with anemones syrin
gas, and lupines ; but. on questioning
them. they, one and all, professed ig
norance of the azaleas. A few days
later. Master Johnny Stidger, whose
desk was nearest to the window, was
suddenly taken witn spasms of ap
parently gratuitous laughter, which
threatened the discipline of the School.
All that Miss Marv wiuld get from hint
was that some-one had been "looking
in the winder." Irate and Indignant,
she -allied from her hive to do iatt!e
with the intruder. As slw turned tlie
corner of the sdioul house she came
plump upon the quondam drunkard
now perfectly sober, and inexpressi
bly sheepish and gntity-iookiug.
Tliese facts Miss Mary was not slow
to take a feminine advantage ot, in
,er present humor. But it was some-
barber's razor of iJelilnh's shears. So :
that the cutting speech which quivered
on ner ready tongue r.ie'l upon her
lips, and she contented liereif witli
receiving his stammering apology
with supercilious eyelids and the gath
ered skirts of uucoiitiunuiattou. V, hen
she re-entered the school-room. Iter j
eyes fell upon tlie azaleas with a new
sense of revelation. And then she
laughed, and they were all unconscious
ly very happy.
(t was on a hot day not long after
this tnat two short legged hoys enme
to grief on the threshold of the school
with a pail of water, which they had
laUoroiioly brought from the spring,
and tliat Miss Mary compassionately
seized file pail and started for tlie
spring herself. At the foot of the bill
a Jiatlow crossed lier jiath, and a blue
shirted arm dexterously but gently
relieved her of her burden. Miss Mary
was both embarrassed and angry, "if
voti carried more ot that for vnurself."
lie said spitefully, to the blue arm.
without deigning to raise her lashes to j and other details, which, from a wood
its owner. "vouM do lietter." in the j pecker's view-point, undoubtedly must
nhmUiive alienee fhst followed ; i
Nor was tills superior voting person
niSiirH,t other unlet fltten'tion-. -Pro-
afterward threw a decanter al
tlie bead of a toufedcrute tor metition
Ing lier name in a bar-room. The
overdressed mother of a pupil vjp
paternity was doubtful had often lin
gered near tne astute em temple,
never daring to einerlts fflcred pre
cincts, but conleni to wordiip the
priestes from afar.
With such iinco!isc!oii inffrvals tlie
monotonous frw-esifofi of hlije -kies.
glittering sunshine, brief twilights
and starlit nights passt-d over Bed
Gulch. Miss Mary grew fond of wan
dering in tlie sedate and proper wood.
I'eriiaps shehellevad, with Mrs. Stid
ger, that t)balsaiicodora of the firs
"did her ebett good, " for certainly her
slight ixtugb was less frequent and her
tfep was firmer; perhapa the bad
learned the tine tiding lesson .which the
patient, pines are never weary of re
peating to lieedfnl or listless ears.
Auso, one, day, she planned a picnic
on Buckeye Hill, and took the chil
dren withber. Away from the dusty
road, the el niggling shanties, the yei
low ditches, the clamor of restless 'en
gines, the chean flnerv of shoo win
dows, the deeir glitter of paint and
colored glass, and ti e thin veneering j
which barbarism takes upon itself in j
such localities hat infinite relief wa
theirs! The last bean ot rmwred rock
and day passed, the last unsightly i
chasm crossed, - how the watting
wtutlu!
woods opened their long files to re
ceive them! How the children pcr
hap because they had not yet grown
quite away from the breast of the
iwuntemw Mother threw themselves
lace downward on her brown bosom
with uncouth caresses, tilling the air
with their laughter; and how Miss
Mary herself felinely fastidious awl
intrenched as -he was in the purity of
spotless skirts, codar and cuffs lorgot
all, and ran like n crested quail at the
head of her brood, until, romping.
laughing and panting, with a loosened
braid of brown hair, a hat hanging by
a knotted ribbon from her throat, she
came suddenly and violently. In the
heart of the forest, upon the luckless
Sandy !
Tlie explanations, apologies, and
not overwise conversation that ensued,
need not be indicated here. It would
seem, however, that Mi-s Marv had
already established some acquaintance j
wttli tins ex-drunkard. Knougli that !
'he was soon accepted as one of the
I party : that the children, with that i
I quids intelligence which I'rov'a ler.ee
I gives the helpless, recognized a friend.
: and played with his blond beard, and !
! long silken inrstaehe, anil took other
I liberties as tlie helpless are apt to do. J
! And when he bad built a tire against a
' tree, and had shown them other mvs-
teriesof wood-craft, their admiration '
! knew no bounds. At the dose of two
! such foolish, idle, happy hours he j
' found himself lying at the feet of tlie
sclioohni-tress gazing dreamily in her
I face, a she sat upon' the sloping hill- j
; side, weaving wreath:: of laurel and j
syringa. In v ry much the same Ktti
j tude he had lain when first they j
i met. Xor was the similitude greatiy
forced. The weakness of an easy.
' sensuous nature, tliat had found a
dreamy exhalation in liquor, it is to
be feared was now finding au equal
I think tliat tvmdv was dimlv eon-
nioxinir on u ove
to present him in a heroic attitude. I
stay my hand with great dilheiiltv at
tins moment being only- wttheld from
introducing such au episode, by a
strong conviction tliat it does not usu-
ally occur at such times. And I trust
! that my fairest reader, who remembers
tliat, in a real crisis it is always some
uninteresting stranger or uuromantic
policeman, and not Adwphus. who
rescues will forgive the omission.
So they tat tliere undisturbed, the
woodpeckers chattering overhead. and
the voices of the children coining
pleasantly from the hollow below.
What they said matters little. What
they thought
which might have been
interesting did not transpire. The
woodpeckers ouly learned how Miss
Mary was an orphan; how she left
lier nude's house, to come to Califor
nia, for the sake of health and Inde
pendence; how Sandy tutsan orphan,
too: how he came to California for
excitement ; how he had lived a wild
life, and Iww he was trying to reform:
have seemed stupid, and a waste ot
time. But even in such trifles was
the afternoon spent: and when the
children were again gathered, and
Sandy, with a 'delicacy which the
-clKiolmistre-ss well m derstuod. took
leave of them quietly at the outskirts
of the settlement, it hail seemed the
diortt st day of her weary life,
As tlu long, dry summer withered
to Its roots, the -ehoo! term of lied
i Gttleh-to
-dried up'
list; a local euphuism
alo. In aiinflierday Miss
Mary would be free; aud for a sea.-nn.
at least. Bed Gulch Would know her
I no mote. She was seated alone in lier
I school-house, her cheek resting on her
baud, her ejus half closed in one of
! thoe(iiytlreams in which Miss Mary
j 1 fear to Hie danger of ehool disei
' pline was lately iu the habit of in
: dulgiiig. Her Jap was roll ot (Bosses,
j ferns and other woodland memories.
I She was so preocBplcd with (ham
: and r own thought tliat, a gentle
1 tapping at the door pasa-d unheard,
or translated itscil into tlie remem
brance of f.nviff woodpeckers. When
at last it asserted it'Cif more distinctly,
she started up with a flushed eheek
and opened the door. On the threshold
1 stood a woman, tlie self-assertion and
i audacity of whose dress were in sin
; gular contrast to her timid, Irresolute
bearing.
: Miss Mary recognized at a glance
! the dubious mother of her anonymous
pnpil. Perliapsshe Wnsdlsappointed,
perhaps she was only fastidious ; hut
as she coldly Invited lier to enter, she
half unconsciously settled her white
cuffs and collar, and gathered closer
tier own chaste skirt K was perhaps,
for this reason that the etnbarrassed
sti anger, after a moment's hesitation,
left her gorgeous parasol open and
sticking m the dust beside tlie. door,
and then sat down at tlie tardier end
of a long bench. Her voice was husky
as she begin : -
1 "I beerd tell that you were goin'
'' down to Ufa Bav tomorrow and I
couldn't let yon go until I came to
tlia'hk you for your kindness to my :
Tommy."
rom'my. Miss Marv said, was a good
hoy, and deserved more than the poor
attention she could give him
" I hank you. miss ; ma
thank ye !"
cried the stranger, brightening even
through tlie color which Ked uutui
knew facetlouslv as her "warpaint."
and striving, iu embarrassment, to
! drag the long bench nearer the schooi-
mi-tress. "7 thank you. miss, for
that ! and if I am his mother, there
ain't a sweeter, dearer, better boy ;
lives than him. And if I ain't much
: as says it, thar ain't a sweeter, dearer, j
j ungeler teacher lives than he's got."
! Miss Mary, sitting primly behind
! her desk, with a ruler over her shoul
i der, opened her gray eyes widely at I
i this but said nothing.
"It ain't for you to be complimented
: by the like of me. I know." she went
on. hurriedly, "ft ain't for me to be
comln' here, in broad day, to do it,
j either; but I come to ask a favor. -
not for me miss. uot for me, but for
! the darling boy."
I KnciHiraged by a look In the young
schoolmi-tress's eye. and putting her
lilac gloved hantls together, the lin
gers downward, uetween tier Knees.
she went on, in A low voice
"You see miss, there's no one has
any claim on the boy hut me, and 1
ain't the proper person to bring him
up. I thought some, last year, of
sending him away to 'Frisco to school,
but wuetl they talked of bringing a
schoolma'am liere, I waited till I saw
you, and then I knew it was ail right,
and I could keep my Irh a little .on
ger. And 0, miss, he loves you so
much; aud if you could only hear him
talk about you, iu bis pretty way, and
if he could a-k yon what" I ask you
now, you couldn't refuse him.
!t is natural." she we,,t on, rapid-
!....-! ... . I ........... 1,.
lv, in a voice that trembled strangely
between pride and humility. "it's
natural that he should take to you, j
miss for his father, when 1 first knew i
i him, was a gentleman, and the
bov '
anil
, must forget me. sooner or later,
so I ain't a goin' to crv about that. '
For I come to ask you to take my j
S Tommy, God bless him for the be ;
' test, sweetest boy that lives, to to !
: take him with you !
I She had risen aud caught the young
; girl's hand in her own. and lutd fallen j
I on her knees beside her.
"I've money plenty, and it's all
i vours and his. Put him hi some good i
school, where you can go and see him.
i and help him to to to forget his
i mother. Do w ith him what you like,
1 Tlie worst you can do will lie kindness
to what he will learn with me. Onlv
j take him out of this wicked life, this
cruel place, this home of
hame and
sorrow, lonwni; 1 know yoirwin,
won't you? You will, you must
not, you cannot say no! Voti will
male him as pun', as gentle a your
self; aud when lie is grown up. you
will tell him his father's name, the
inline that hasn't passed my Hps for
j years, the name of Alexander Morton,
wiioni iney can uere nanuy: miss
Mary 1 do not fake your hand away 1
.Miss Mary, speak tome! You will
take my boy ? Lo not put your tnce
frotn use, i know it ought not to look
on such as me. Jliss M iry ! .My God,
be merciful 1 she is leaving me !"
Mis- Mary had ricn, and, in the
gathering twilight, bad felt her way
to tlie open window. She stood there,
leaning against the casement, hereye
fixed on tlie last rosy tints that were
I was still some of its Ikdtt on her wire
tailing from the western sky. mere
voting forehead, on In r white collar.
ion her clasped white "hands. But all
1 fading slowlv away. The suppliant
i had tlragged herself, still onherkuees
- beside lier.
i know it takes time tocon-lder.
will wait here all night ; lint I can-
not iro until you sneak. Do not deny ;
j tne now. Von will ! ! see it in your
f.weet face, such a face a, 1 have sen in :
my dreams. I see it. in your eyes,
Miss Mary 1 yrtfl will take my loy 1" '
The last red beam crept hlglier, suf-!
t'u-ed Miss Mary's eyes with sometliiiig i
of its glory, tlii'le-red. and failed, and j
went out. The sun had set on Bed
Qulch. In the twilight, and silence i
Miss Mary's voice sounded pleasantly.
"I will take the boy. Send him to
me to night."
The happy mother raised tlie hem
of Miss MaVv's skirts to her lips., She
would have burled her hot face in Its
virgin folds, but sho dared not
rose to lier feet.
Khc
"Does-this man-know of your in -
tentiot said Mis Mary suddenly.
T ; .
"No. nor care. He uas never seen
the child to know it."
"Go to Win at once, to-night, now!
Tell him what you have done. 1 ell
him 1 have taken his child, and tell
htm he inii't never see sec the child
again. Wherever It may be, he must
not come ; wherever I may take it, he
must not follow! There, go now,
please, Pm weary, and have much
yettodol"
They walked together to the door.
On the threslsold the woman turned.
"Goodnight,"
She would have fallen at Miss Mary's
feet. But- at the same moment the
young girl reached out her arms,
ea nght the sinful woman to her own
pure breast lor one brief moment, ami
then closed and locked tlie floor.
It was with a sudden sen c of great
responsibility that Profit Rill took
the reins of the Slumgtjljiinh srsge the
next moruli g, tor the sctioludstress
was one of bis pfisscngers. As he en
tered the high-road, in ttbeilieiice to a
pleasant voice troll) tin.; 'htsitle" lie
suddenly rei; ed up his horses mid res
pecttUlty waited, as tommy bopped
out at the command of Mii Marv.
"Not Hint l ush. Tommv,
the next."
Torh'mv whlnped ut his new nocki t
knife, and, cutting a branch from a
tall azalea-hush, returned with it to
Miss Marv.
"All right now 1"'
"All right."
And the stage-door clo-ed oft tlie
idyl of Bed fjulch.
lnrjeonoir..
'Transnetio'is in Hair " is tin-heading
given by a 1 troif editor to an ac
count of a street fight,
A Kansas man who went to a circus
thought that the Kgyptlan imuumy
was nothing but jerked (tijilii.
A western jkner aflvertlse tor girls
for cooking. He prwer tliera raw ; no
matter what variety.
To the anxious Inquiry " Uow.slmll
we keep our boys iu nights:'" we
would respectftiliy suggest a total
abstinence frotn uuripe iruits.
Au Iowa editor recently announced
that I) certain irdron of his was "thiev
ing as u-ual." He declares Jta wrote
it - thriving."
A gushing poet asks jjj the first line
of a' recent e'l'usion. "How many
weary pilgrims lie 'i " We give it up,
but experience has taught ns that there
are a g od many.
A South street bov can make o-k
hundred and sixty-five "faces " with-
out sitting down. The feelings of hi
i. i L . I ...... ...I. V i!
broken-hearted father, when reaching
fur him with a strap, can better bo im
agined than described.
We didn't think there was anybody
so insane as to practice on a holiday
with a pistol loaded with lead, but as
there is such a person in Danbnry. we
hope he may he caught, and respect
ably buried!
Mrs. Emery, of Indiana, warns all
women against her fukle, faithless,
husband, who has deserted her. She
says he may be recognized by a broken
Hose, which she demolished with a
skillet.
A German, while crossing the moun
tains (luting (he winter, states : "llat
ven going up de mountain his foot
slipped him olf on de ice. and hecoom
down on de broad of his back nail hi
face stickln1 iu de mud, and dere he
stliood."
A Greenwich man has invented
something that goo; into a cow or
horse and brings out anything like au
apple or potato that may be misplaced.
A good deal of enjoyment us an ani
mal's eating is marred by the appre
hension of accidents in swallowing.
The Greenwich man's invention will
b" apt to give the animal more confi
dence. 1 wish you would give nie that
gold ring on your finger," said a
( la idy to a country girl, -for it re
semhiel the duration of my love tor
3 on it has no end." " F.xcue me.
sir," -he said. "1 choose to keep it:
for it is likewise emblematical of my
love for yon it ha- no beginning."
A Frackville, Pennsylvania, cow ate
an entire hurrol ot saur-krant tor lunch.
d tlieu refreshed ltereelf wUh a tub
, cider vinegar that was standing
near. She gave sow milk tor a week
I alterwanl. hnd her owner says he is
t0 Wf He says he can't,
' 8fiWfl u m il Gernian coiiinmnity.
"Girls for cooking," is the laics
j advertising dodge.
A Charleston lady wants a place as
"asstetillit in the duties of a family."
Why is a newspaper like an army ?
Because it tias leaders, columns and
reviews.
A Chicago poet begi its an a post rophe
to the ocean with "Prodiglo;; : dam
liess I"
One Mis lourl editor says of another,
that "his ears would do for awning
to a ten-story wholesale hog packing
establishment."
A Leavenworth editor sat down in a
reserved seat already occupied by a
hornet. He stands tin w hen scissor-
'"8 0,,ftrl;,'-s nW-
Many persons write articles and
! ' M,"B',WHT 10 W cwre,
I !ia " a" (!(IItor 3 w mt
i of correction.
1
j pm j, a very handsome old
j raun, with a manner at once shrewd
i and bland. Ho appears to be In ei-
cellent health for a person of his ad
vanced years, and though be has a
shuttling gait, inseparable, perhaps,
from Ids rather inconvenient costmne,
there Is nothing In his actions to de
note physical weakness or anything
like decrepitude.