THE BUD AND BLOSSOM.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4174, 6 December 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BUD AND BLOSSOM.

BY MARY GRACE HALPINE. , ;,..,. This was what they called them at Luzerne, alittle hamlet among the mountains, quiet and dull enough all the restof the year, but in the summer Beason all alive with visitors from the city, drawn thither by the. beauty of its scenery and the clear, limpid waters of the la_e whericeat derives its.name. .

The two, given .by .common consent this charmingly suggestive title, were a yo.ung widow and child, the latter a little girl about, five, the lovely image, : in miniature, of her beautiful mother. ..''.■

Kate Carrol was married, at the early age of sixteen, to Judge Linden, who was more

than three times her years.. The marriage, was a happy one*. Kate had not met any' one that.' she liked, or respected more, and Judge. Linden loving his beautiful childwife, lavished upon her a fondness and devo:

tiori that were paternal in tlieiiv teiiderhesa and indulgence. If there were deeper capacities for loving in the young ; „wife , B heart, she' was unconscious Vof them ; and .wlie.n little Edith, was,laid, in her.arms,? she; felt, that her. cup of love and joy.was: 'filled to overflowing. '. ..' . .■■.','•'..'*". Judge Linden was devotedly attached, to this child of his old age, whoso exceeding loveliness of form' and disposition won all

hearts', scarcely bearing to have her out.of sight d moment. , ■.'..,; ; , ,

When little Edith was two years old, her mother knelt, weeping, b.esido .the dying bed of her kind friend and protector.. , '

The' old man laid his hand tenderly on that bowed head. \ ''.-'.".,,„ , ■-.

' The Lord bless you, dear child, for all the love and tenderness'that havo made my last daj*s so happy ! You are young, and .will marry again ; nor am I so selfish as to wish it otherwise. If I did, it would be for the sake of Edith, our precious baby-girl.. ; Be' very careful, for her sake, as well as your, own. Marry some one that,.will be kind.to her.';/ ,-..,

i Mrs Linden mourned sincerely for her husband, and was equally sincere in her. resolution to remain faithful to his memory. For two years she remained.in her"seclusion of. her beautiful home, receiving and paying no visits excepting to relatives and a few. of her late husband's old and dear friends. But the elasticity of youth arid perfect* health was her?, and' so richly dowered in all that makes life so full of joy and beauty j her heart began to rebound against the pressure of the sorrows of widowhood which came to her so'early, arid to cherish a secret'yearning for scenes and society more, congenial to her age and temperament. This feeling grew so strong Upon her the summer of the third year, that she resolved to take Edith and go to some quiet wateaing-place" Slip was confirmed in this resolution by the advice of Dr, Livingstone, her family physician, who. had come into see Edith, who had some, childish'ailment. .'.'..

' 'You had better take her. out into the country, Mrs Linden ; : . you both, need a change of air and scene. Go to some quiet place, where you can dress and see as little or as much society as yon choose.'

This-was Low it happened! that Mrs Linden was at Luzerne the summer on which our story opens. And it followed, as a natural sequence, that here was where Dr. Livingstone chose to spend a few weeks' respite from his busy, laborious; life. The hotel where his magnet was located was filled to overflowing ; but as hehad taken the precaution to secure it at the commencement of the season, ho found his room waiting for him. I Edith was the firstto.spy him as he stepped out upon the broad piazza, where the board.;ers were in the habit of congregating in tho cool of the day. 'Oh, mamma, thcre'o Doctor Livingstone!' she.cried, running to meet him, hersweet faco ■all aglow with delight. ; With the child clinging, to his ; neck, Dr. Livingstone stood before Mrs Linden, laughingly extending his disengaged hand, which happened to bo his'left. '....'.'._" ! Mrs Linden received the doctor .with evident pleasure, blushing' and .smiling yery prettily as she greeted him. /Behind her chair : stood a young man, whose'slender, elegant figure contrasted as' strongly -with the new-corner's broad shoulders and, b! u.rdy frame, as did the former's carefully got-up attire with th'o, pliiin suit of grey which., though neat and well-fittirigj.wasevidently intended for the wear and tear of tho Burro ( urid-. ing rocks and mountains. ''.' ' .' . , ._-.*',,_ ; They'looked at each other very muclias two athletes rhightwho were contending/for some prize, each measuring, in that brief, compre.henaive glance, the other's' strength and chances; '' By a curious instinct knew/that ; they'were rivals s.'confest'antsfor what waV.a [dearer, thing to them than life, the love of tlie lovely woman whose/sweetly tranquil face, showed little,, if uny,/;c6nscioiisness,qf"how/ terribly in earnest they were who 'were sil-/ lently arming themselves f or,' tli'o struggle. All. of' which.wa's";,flphb .Wliiie.'itic;two, wore smilingly;' acknowledging: ; the introduction, given them'by'Mrß'/X{.n'denj,ljiere,.bcji'ng ,riot the slightest indication in the countenances of either of what was passing 'within."' '" 'An honest, intelligent looking man, but

nothing for me to fear,' thought Harry Everton, as he stroked his soft, silky moustache with fingers as white and taper as. a woman's. •..-..

Dr. Livingstone did not make the dangerous mistake of undervaluing his opponent. ' A fine-looking young fellow,' ho thought: 'just the kind to enlist the feelings and sym-

pathies of a woman like Mrs Linden. Butl will enter the field against whateverodds, and win her, if I can.'

The rivalry between the two was carried on very good-naturedly. As they became better acquainted I think either would havo been glad, to hare the other succeed in most anything else but this.

The new name given to Edith and her mother charmed Dr. Livingstone with its appropriateness and'beauty; and so it would most any one who saw the two together, and they were seldom apart. Both had the same black, velvety-eyes, fringed with long, curling lashes of, the same color ; the same vivid color in cheek and lips, and jetty, lustrous hair.

This never struck the doctor so forcibly as it did one morning, a few days after his arrival. Ho had been • standing for some minutes at the hall window, which "opened out upon the garden, where the mother and child were frolicking, very much aftbr the manner of two children, chasing each other round and round a big elm-tree, until Mrs Linden's heavy, abundant hair escaping from its imprisonment', fell around her as free and unconfined as the floating curls of Edith, who, finally stumbling, was caught up by her mother, who bore her in triumph, laughing nnd struggling, to a rustic scat beneath the tree.

' Sweet Bud and Blossom ! rightly named!' ,he thought, as he watched them. 'Was there ever anything half so lovely ?' 'Supposing that he was quito alone,Dr/ Livingstone uttered the last sentence aloud, and with.considerable emphasis: ' y\Yliich,the mother, or/the child ?' said a. voice back of him, which belonged to Harry Everton, who had been standing there, unnoticed, for some minutes. '.■'.'■ : ' Both,' responded the doctor, laughing and coloring. ' , 1 You admire them both, equally ?' said tho other, dryly. 'I love them both differently,' was/the frank reply. 'I consider Mrs Linden the * most charming woman, and, Edith the most lovely child I ever knew.' ' Edith is yory pretty,'" said Everton, carelessly, ' but I'm not over fond of children. They are a great' both'ei'", "and/ confoundedly in the way, sometimes.' ~ The truth was, Everton was; jealous of the • child, as well as annoyed by herfrequent.inr terruptions and demands upon her mother's time and attention. ; ; Mrs Linden was a devoted mother. She had as good a nurse-girl as money,could procure, but sho.never delegated to any.one the duties and responsibilities that were .hers.;, .Edith was her constant companion,, she was .never so happy as when she was in, f her ;arms, or by her aide. -She had no idea that Everton felt: her presence, tobe an annoyance or constraint.- He had too much policy to allow anything of the sort to be visiblo, to her, though sometimes it would creep out when .she was not present. Edith affected Dr. Livingstone very differently ; he never felt so much at.ease"; or:so much freedom' in conversing : . with her mother ,as when; she.was sitting-upon his knee, with her head on his shoulder. With a child's .unerring, instinct, she knew who really loved her, and whilo.she submitted passively to the caresses w.ith which: Everton sought to winhis way to her mother's favor, she. returned-D.r, Livingstone's honest affection with all the fervor of her honest little SOul.' : i ■■ ' , ..- :• . .-.- ■:(. :-...:• ;: ,'. She was unusually bright, and, from being so,much with older people,,.,very mature for ; her age, often making remarks,-and asking questions not a little embarrassing to hear and puzzling to answer. ;• . .■•■■■:■ 'Mamma,' she said, one ' what is a. nusons ?': ■•.■; ~ . .;; ... --.:--... .-<■■ ■ ,'A nuisance, darling ?' - : .-, ,v... 'Yes. Mr.Ever.ton; said I was a little husans, yesterday. What does it mean?' ,•? It means that yo,u are a troublesome little girl, I'm afraid,' laughed Mrs Linden, turning her eyes away considerately from Ever' top's crimsoned face. M aint one bit .twoublesome !' .exclaimed Edithj indignantly.: '8e.1,, Doctor?' '.Not to me,' .said-Dr. Livingstone; gathering her up closely to his breast. Now no mother, however sensible, likes.to havo her child called a nuisance, and Mrs Linden treated Everton a little coolly for some days "after"this"unlucky speech. But there was something so seductive in the charm of his words and manner that tho old J spell returned, until there were times that she almost believed that she loved liim. But Mrs Liridehsiris.tinctively loved the good arid the true, and /there was something in.-.Dr. Livingstone's simple honesty and sterling goodness, if ho had the courago to urge his suit, that would;'have'turned: the scales in his favor. As it was, they hung very evenly,Mrs Lindon being puzzled to decide which of them she liked best. It waswhilo in this doubtful, unsettled state of mind "that both suitors broached tho subject that was so near to their hearts, Everton with a boldness and confidence that have won many a woman from less assured but more worthy men ; Livingstone with a trembling eagerness which showed how highly he estimated, how much.he feared to lose the prize for which ho was striving. To-both''she had only one answer—tlia| she would decide and lot them, know before her departure, which was nearathand. , 'Mamma, do you lore Doctor Livingstone ?' •'""" "■' •':; -" ■'■','.'' ■'"" Now as this was a .question that she was just asking her own heart, Mrs Linden was riot a Utile'startled at her words. ' What makes you ask that, Edith ?' 'Well, but'do. you P' persisted the child. ' He asked me last night if I wouldn't teach you to love him. I said you didn't need to be teached. Wasthat right?' : ' You shouldn't say such things to Doctor Livingstone,' said Mrs Linden, her face all aglow with blushes. : - Why?' -<■'■ ■■■■ - ■ ;-.: ;• '■•■-- .' This being a question not very easy to answer, it remained unanswered. 'But do you love Doctor Livingstone, mamma?' repeated Edith, renewing the attack with fresh Zealand energy. • !•' •■; ■•;•':. 'I think —I do,' responded Mrs Linden, slowly, replying more to the own heart than to that upon the sweet lips lifted so eagerly to hers. .-■■".: ; At this'opportune moment the doctor en- ! tered. ------ ■< j Breaking away from her mother, Edith ran to meet him. •■■'.'■- ■ ". ' Mamma does love you! She just told me so!' Holding Edith's hand in his, Dr. Livingstone stood before her mother, his face flushed with hope and joy. ' Kate ! — Mrs Linden !—does this dear child speak truly ?' The new arid sweet revelation that had come to that questioning heart was very clearly mirrored in tho eyes that were'liftcd to his, making the words that followed scarcely needed. 1 She speaks truly !' With asudden movement, Dr. Livingstone clasped both mother and child to the breaßt that was to be their protection and shelter through all tho years t hut followed. Edith announced this unwelcome fact to Mr Everton the next mor-iing, and in a manner so unique and original that we cannot forbear transcribing it. ' You can't be my papa! Doctor Livingstone's going to be my papa !' she shouted at him across the breakfast-table,'to the no small amusement of those present, among whom Mrs Linden fortunately was not one, not being yet down. Mr Everton left the following day, taking with him a very clear realisation of bow small whs' the hand that had toppled down the castlo he had taken so much pains to rear.' i (For continuation see next page.)