Jupiter Lights

those people, that they stare

know. So I told them that you were the celebrated Jessamine family-you and Miss Leontine;

ebrated Jessamine famil

ht it looked like a panorama. They seemed

ke into

ked round the wagon with indignant step. "It

over"-here she paused. "I don't know what you will think, but I believe it really was left over after

with a square box behind, which opened at the back like the

t to us; it was a damned impertine

night, grandpa," remarked Cicely. "And you will have

Miss Leontine. He cou

ts of her attire, pale blues and lavenders, and faint green. Her face bore a strong resemblance to the face of a camel; give a camel a pink-and-white complexion, blue eyes, and light-brown hair coming down in flat bands on each side of its long face, and you have Miss Leontine. She was extraordinarily tall-she

ess, Cousin Sarah Cray, had an old horse, and this wagon had been borrowed from Dickson, the village grainer (who had so mistakenly saved t

th a harassing cough, a baby's little cough, which is so distressing to the ears of those who love him. Eve had walked about, day and night, carrying him in her

," Cicely suggested. She was always present when Eve walked restless

t was very cold now at Romney; the Sound was dark and rough all the time, the sea boomed, the winds were bitter. They had

she came back to daily life again. One of the first things she said was: "I ought not to

s Jac

sn't decent; here we have all descended upon her at a moment's notice, and

with each other just the same. As for Cousin Sarah Cra

It is all very well for you," she we

hink so; she thinks you very

must have! But why shouldn't we all go to the

no hotel to go to," res

igations, for the present. She accepted, too, the makeshifts of the rambling housekeeping. But if the housekeeping was of a wandering order, the welc

ted from Holland a hundred and twenty years before. In the corner of one of the fields bordering the river were the earthworks of a Revolutionary fort; in a jungle a quarter of a mile distant there was a deserted church, with high pews, mouldering funeral hatchments, and even the insignia of George the Third in faded gilt over the organ-loft. Bellington House had bee

, but he again led the way (with appropriate discourse) from the fish-ponds to the fort,

wagon. The judge walked round it afresh. Then he turned away,

e saying?"

all them," answered Cicely, composedly. "He

ttle distance; as she walked away, her skirt caught itself behind at each step upon the tops of

said Cicely; "she thinks him perfect. Grandp

ad suffered almost as much as the rice fields of Romney: they had been flooded so often that much of the land was now worthless, disintegrated and overgrown with lespedeza. They crossed the river (which had done the damage) on-or rather in-a long shaking w

you're

n wagon, our

ro, bulle

cely on th

id the judge,

ing condition of the world at present? Everything is known. Where can a gentleman travel now, with the element of

frica," Ev

ink I said fo

pot, curb yourself," s

ia, we had Thibet, we had Cham-Tartary; we could arrive on cam

out yo

te direction, drawn by two mules; the driver, an athletic young negro with an insolent face, was walking beside his team. His broad cart filled every inch of the track; it was impossible to pass it witho

ht. "Turn out, boy!" he repeated, with the imperious man

se of the horse; then, putting his hands in his pockets, he pla

ched him. "You are not going to fight with him, grandpa?" she said, i

rage he was white, with his eyes blazing. Eve

er he has struck you down we shall be here alone with him-think of that. We will all get out, and then you can lead t

a leaf with his repressed rage, the judge put up his hand to help her in her descent. She accepted his aid hurriedly, giving Jack to Cicely; Miss Leontine had climbed down alone, the tears dropping on her cheeks behind her veil. The judge then led the horse up the bank and p

Leontine joined them whenever she was able, but the tears constantly succeeded each other on her long face, and she was as constantly putting her handkerchief to her eyes in order to repress them, the gesture muc

pentine man who is in love with Matilda Debbs," sai

her handkerchief. "The

hing against the

ards his character, n-nothing. But he is a manufacturer of tubs. It appears that it

each of the Misses Debbs, it wouldn't be a bad idea;

n lady, with almost a convulsion of gri

e not. Now se

ave no more of thi

ely put her hand behind her and furtivel

oadway was deeply covered with yellow sand; the spacious sidewalks which bordered it were equally in a state of nature. The houses, at some distance

wn door, and went on towards the

back from Mellons," said Cicely. "Grandpa, would

ld negro who was wheeling the covered hand-cart along

Eve bent down and took one of the circulars which were lying, neatly piled, in a corner. It announced, not in print, but in delicate hand-writing, that at the private bakery, number ten

commented. "Miss Leontine's is Clotilda Leo

to descend; and then Eve, who had little Jack, fast asleep, in her arms. Cicely motioned to Eve to go into the house; she herself followed her grandfather as he led the horse round to the stables. Eve went in, carrying Jack and the cakes.

ve took a seat at the window; s

kes a mistake, there's never the tinetiest streak of heaviness in her little pounds! And her breads

e do it

after the war, they found themselves left with nothing in the world but their house. They could have kept school in it, of course, for they are accomplished beyond

to leave their hom

could not open a school anywhere else-in Charl

only that I did not reco

wo; but I reckon they will always be 'the girls' to us, even if they're eighty," she added, laughing. "Well, Polly had this idea. And she has been

p, isn't it?-

p is near there, and it has some Yankee name or other, I beli

d, at least, that they buy Miss Pol

Miss Polly; she has a soft poetical nature, and she ma

e her?" said Eve, wit

wered Cousin Sarah Cray,

l him that she is coming here to tea

But sh

se make haste, Mrs. Cray; we are so afraid, Ci

s she was, she ran swiftly through the hall and across the veranda

street to the home of the Misses Wingfield. The door stood open, Miss Polly was in the hall. She was a handsome woman, vigorous, erect, with clear b

I noticed that she had been crying; but she is so sweet tha

udge from being whi

doesn't look it. I will go with you, of course

is door, and beckoned to her mysteriously. He was a small elderly negro, with a dignified manner; he wore blue goggles; Eve knew him slightly,

in fer one brief momen'

d, though smartly whitewashed, and adorned with bright green blinds-and the postm

window to see that no one was looking in. "Carn't be too pertikler w'en it's guv'ment bu

?" said Eve. "

ve you s'pose we 'ain't guv it our bes' cornsideration. We knows de looks ob mos' ob

ng anxiously at them from the small window in the parti

tamp. And the name is plainly written,

I tol' Mister Cotesworth," said

nnot read?" said Eve, surveying "Mi

moment, an abashed look. "We 'lowed,"

got so bad lately-dat's w'at. Take de letter, Mister Cotesworth, and doan' trouble de lady no mo'. Fi

the stables, where the judge was superintending the rubbing down and the feeding of the horse.

told him that the poor horse must be fed first, in common

aid Miss Polly; "he wouldn't be so uncivil." She went up

ook the fair hand, and, bending hi

her luscious, indolent, Southern pronunciation. "Oh, surely not-surely not. Let us go to Cousin Sarah Cray's parlor; I have something

mired Miss P

kept a firm hol

dge yi