The Battle Ground

he crackling of fresh logs from the library, and saw her mother sitting alone in the

ood chair, her shadow flitted to and fro upon the floor. One loose bell sleeve hung over the carved arm of the rocker,

ly. "You haven't been wandering off by

plied Betty, impatiently. "I didn

hich she might have said, "it is forbidden in the Scriptures," and she added af

ir, "and if she sees a cricket in the road she shrieks, 'Gawd er live, M

t her mother's feet, and reste

walking in your life,

ng. There was a path to a little arbour in the glen at my old home, I remember,-I think it was at least a quarter of a mile away,-an

ty's. It might soothe, caress, even reprimand, but it could never jest; for life to Mrs

ow you stood it," said

sed to ride very often with your father or-or on

to be alone, never f

I'm sure there's no better way of beginning the day than with a chapter in the Bible and a little meditation. I wish you would try it, Betty." Her eyes were upon her daughter, and she added

is day in town, she turned eagerly t

gave a little cry of alarm. "Why, you're frozen through!" she exclaimed. "Betty, stir th

r, laughing, "a touch of the wind

d as he rested his foot upon the brass knob of the fender, the ic

it's sound, Julia, as sound as steel. Why, when I said in my speech-you'll remember the place, my dear-that if it came to a choice between slavery and t

otherwise I was sure your speech would convince them. Dr. Crump was talking to me only yester

tor commit the same error of judgment. But, remember, it is easy to convince a man who already thinks

times thought it was why I fell in love with you, you made such a beautiful speech the first day I met you at the tournament in Le

youth are rising to confound me," and he added quickly to

she said, nodding to the old gentleman through the glass, "and he does look so co

lared the Governor, and he wore the warning as

loth, entered, with his blandest smi

"and I couldn't go on without a glimpse of you, though I knew

about Betty and

see it," and then, as Virginia came shyly in, he held out his other hand, and accused her of stealing his boy's heart away f

ive place to any one else, Major,

st," added Mrs. Ambler,

belongs to me,' he roared to the surgeon, 'and if it comes off, I'll take it off myself, sir.' It took six men to hold him, and when it was over all he said was, 'Well, gentlemen, you mustn't blame a man for fighting for his own.' Ah, h

e been sitting by him at the post-office on a spring day, and seen him get up and slap a passer-by on the face as coolly as he'd take his toddy. Of course the man would slap back again, and when it was over Dick would make his pol

ed. "I saw Dick's brother Tom in town this morning," he added. "A sneaking fellow, who hasn't the spirit in his whole body that was in his father's little finger. Why, what do you suppose he had the impudence to tell me, sir? Some one had aske

or, persuasively. "His wit takes with the town folks, you know

re the ruin of this country-and that proves my words. Why, if there were no post-offices, there

ance wandered to

ng; and a moment afterward, disregarding Mrs. Ambler's warning gest

s upon his forehead standing out like cords. "Vote for Douglas, sir!" he cried at last. "Vote for the biggest tra

y. "You know me for a loyal Whig, sir, but I tell you frankly, that I believe Douglas

President of Perdition, sir. Don't talk to me about your loyalty, Peyton Ambler, yo

walking nervously about the room. His eyes w

ing?" he cried, stretching out an appealing han

the Major, "at least I am not drif

d stormy, but retaining the presence of mind to assure Mrs. Ambler t

ving which always carried him back to them in the end. He would quarrel with the Gover

Betty would implore, when she saw the nose of his dapp

ll worn roads of county changes and by the green graves of many a long dead jovial neighbour. While the red logs spluttered on the hearth,

ves; and Dick Wythe, who loved his fight, or Plaintain Dudley, in his ruffled shirt, would fal

an honest fellow who loved no man's quarrel but his own; it's too bad, I declare it's too bad." And the next day he would send Betty over to Chericoke to stroke down the Major's temper. "Slippery are the paths of

nothing of the patience of Job, do you think I'd be able to listen calmly to his tirades? Why, he wants to pull the Government to pieces f

the girl stayed a week in the queer old house, where the elm boughs tapped upon her window as she slept, and the shadows on the crooked staircase frightened her when she went up and down at night. It seemed to her that the presence of Jane Lightfoot still

se motto was written on the ivied glass, grew faint beside the outcast daughter of whom but one pale minia

g the flowers, kneeling in a row with the small darkies who came to their assistance. Peter, the gardener, would watch them lazily, as he le

e of pansies. She was working feverishly to overcome her long

ummer," he added proudly. "It's time they were seeing something of the world, you know. I've always said that a man should see the world before thirty, if he wants to stay at home after forty," the

e, you mean, sir," rep

Major. "Let him learn the value of

ild sunshine, and her long black shadow passed over the girl as she knelt in the narrow grass-grown path. A slender spray of syringa drooped down upon her head, and the warm wind was sweet with the heavy perfume of the li

and while the tears lay upon her lashes, she started quickly to her feet and looked about her. But a great peace was in the air, and around h