LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1946, 20 May 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

OMPHALE. (Continued.} ' Now Franc,' said Rose, ' heat np the range; yon will find the wood ia the out house, and draw a couple of buckets of water, and wait for farther orderß." _ Prompt obedience was rendered, but the sisters remarked that their cousin always got as near as he could to Miry, who was enjoying the scene, and that he was frequ'.n* in the tender to her of his offi>ions services which were always declined with a smile or a merry laugh. Poor Prank, do what he would, he did not seem to pleape her. Af er a while the doorbell rang, and several lady friends were announced who asked to see the Misses Henderson. The sisters uttered an exclamation of impatience and looked to Mary for counsel. ' tlD > go hy all means,' said she, they are your friends, whom you must not offend They won t ft -y long and yoa can return when they are gone.' ' Then com-, Rose,' said Minnie, ' and Frank, you must come too. They are friends of youis also.'

' Well, well, said the colonel gently disengaging his arm. 'l'd rather not, I believe I'll stay here Those girls upstairs can't interest me, and didn't ask for me either. No, 1 thank you. Go aw»y, JViianie. Miss Carter, can't I stay ? I'll do all their work and mine too until they come back ? Please say yes.'

'Oh, I reckon you can stay, if you wl'l promise to bo a good boy and behave yourself. Don't stay too long, ■ Now, girls, go at once,' said their delighted cousin. * Yon tlight not to keep your lady friends waiting. Here I'll open the door for you and Eose,' he whispered, ' you need not be in a hurry to get back, I'll do all your work and Minnie's too ' And Rose led the way, convulsed with laughter. ' And now. Miss Carter, what shall I do?'

' Let me see,' said Mary, ' the dinner is all on, thanks to you and the girls, However, I have been proposing a little surprise for your uncle. I shall prepare for him a new style of bread which I learned to make from my dear mother. Corn meal of which he ia so fond, is an ingredient. Can I rely on yon to help me V ' Yes, indeed, to any extent and to any amount of labour,' he answered excitedly. ' Very well,' she replied ; ' It don't require much labour, but you must not work in those clothes. Come here.'

And taking out a linen apron of spotless white she proceeded to tie it around his neck and around his wai*t. The electric touch of her dainty fingers made him tremble with an excitement almost uncontrollable, and when she looked at her work critically and approvingly he had felt s > proud, no, not even when he was leading his crack regiment into action.

' Now, sir, you can go to work I suppose,' said she.

' Yes, Mies Carter, I'm ready.' * Then listen to what I say, and do these things in the order of my direction. Measure out a quart rf flour which you will sift, and then add a half pint of sifted meal, arid four eggs to the mass and stir, and wbile stirring, pour in a cupful of melted lard, which is better than butter. Aftsr the who'e mass has been thoroughly mixed, pour in gently* a quart of sweet milk, th ugh butter-milk is better with a little soda added at the end. Bake quiokly in the shapes that you will find hanging on the wall. We call this bread patty pans, from the shapes in which they are baked, and I am sure that they will please your uncle. Now do you remember my directions ?' ' Certainly I do,' said the Colonel a little embarrassed. * What a question. Firat you pour two eggs into some butter-shapes with corn-meal aided, and take—oh I am sura my uncle will like it ; and—' • Oh hush, you incorrigible,' interrupted Mary. ' I could see that yon were not listening, but I will stand by and see that you carry out my instructions as I state them.'

'Do you know, Miss Carter,' said Frank, as the conversation and work progressed, 'do you know that I am reminded very much here of my resemblance to Hercules at the feet Omphalc 1 He was so much in love with the Lydian queen that he surrendered to her his club, and dressing himself in female attire be toiled at the command. Now, though lam not as Hercules, and clubs, and bows and arrows have gone out of fashion, and distaff, ton, yet, Miss Carter, I do resemble the demigod in one respect,' and the young Virginian kindled with his subject. 'He loved the Lydian queen distractedly, and was willing to sacrifice, for her, his fame, and every noble trait of his heroism, and to become a slave at her feet. And yet. Miss Carter, he did not love with half the devotion that I do. Oh, let me, at your feet hero, pour out my whole heart to you. Oh, listen to me, and let me tell you, even as I kneel to you, the story of my love. Oh, don't for God's sake, spurn me. Oh, Mary—' 'Look here, young man,' said his companion, ' you promised me to behave yourself- Is this being a good boy ? Another such word and I'll strip yon of your uniform and drum you out of the kitchen. Look what y u have done— broken {those eggs and upset the milk.' •Oh, for mercy's sake. Miss Carter,' groaned the poor fellow, 'don't treat the sgony that is breaking my heart with such untimely levity. Only tell me that I may hope—' • Oh, girls, I am glad that yon have come back,' said Mary, as the door opened, 'have your friends left ?' * Why, what's the matter with Frank ?' said Rose, ' and what's that he has on ? One of yonr aprons, Mary, Ido belfcve. He looks as if he had lost the last friend on earth. What's the matter with you, Frank ?'

A groan was the sole reply. ' I'll tell you,' said Mary, ' after you left, I put him to work on a new i-tyle cf bread, but he was so awkward that he broke two eges.' Here a smothered exclamation from the poor fellow, in which Minnie plainly detected the words ' d—n the eggs !' ' And he was so discouraged,' continued Mary, 'that I had to scold him, and I had j-ist finished my lecture when you came in. That's all. Isn't it, ColoaeU' ' Yes,' he said, despondingly, ' that's all of it—all of it.'

■ Never mind, Frank,' said Minnie, kindly. ' Don't go on in that style. Come let us go upstairs and leave Mary to serve up dinner. Give me your arm,' and the diacom titled soldier was led passively into the drawingroom. Poor Frank. He was drifting helplessly, and had reached the most pitiable of all love's stages—the abject and the unrequited. Poor fellow! Kcse and Minnia knew his secret, atd they kept It. ' Mr Henderson,' said Mary after dinner that day, and when all the family had assembled in tho parlor, except Frank, who had forgotten that he had come to spend the day, and had left in the morning. ' I am sorry to inform you that my connection with your iamily is abont to close. To-morrow m.rning I shall have been with you two weeks —two of the happiest weeks of my life.' Mr and Mrs Henderson sat aghast. Minnie and Rose were weeping. ' Has anything in the family happened ?' * Oh, nothing of that sort;' interrupted Mary, at once. ' I will remain with you until to-morrow morning after breakfast.' It was in vain that the whole family urged her continued stay. Mr Henderson referred to her valuable services, especially to his daughters, and intimated that the question of compensation was entirely with herself to arrange. It was all in vain. Nothing could shake the determination of the earnest girl and the darkness of sorrow for the first time since her arrival settled down on that happy houshold. Farly on the next day, (Jolonel Peyton walked into the parlour unannounced, and found Rose alone. ' What's the matter in the house, Rose ?' he asked. ' Everything looks cheerless, almost as a funeral. Is anybody ill ? Where's Minnie ?' ' In the kitchen.' ' Where's Miss Carter V ' Gone.'

Th« young Virginian was thunderstruck. An intense paleness spread itself over his face, and he clung to a chair for support. ' Gone,' he exclaimed. ' When, and where and how ?'

' She left this morning,' replied Hose, * but how ar where none of us know ; after a most cheerless breakfast, for none of ns

had any appetite. Fa paid her au eagle, all that she would accept, according to her computation of the wages of urn-killed labour, and then he said—" Mary, 1 klow it is neeless to ask yon to remain, bat i c%nuot part with yon without thanking you from the bottom of my heart for staying with us as long ts you bave. In this little irterval yon have taught my daught'rs many a noble lesson, the chief of which is the dignity of honest toil. You have shown them that labour can be made hononrab 1 e and a*tractive, and that the relation betw£en tb« employer and domestic can be made the "tnsi* cf mutual esteem and lasting friendship. Before I return, yen will perhaps be gone, Se good-bye, my darling, and God bless yon wherever you go, and come back to n's whenever you may want a home," He conld say no more, bnt after kitting her forehead, while she wept as if her heart would break, he hurriedly left the roon?. I ne-er saw nay father so affected. Of course, the gloom of the grave sett'ed ui tha- remained. The room was cleaned and whcli house put in order, when Mary askei ti ba excused while she went to arrange her "bundle. Mamma went upstairs, after awhile, to give her some memento of her love. Ihe room was vacant. We never saw her again, bnt mamma found this note which you can re*d : ■ I cannot stand the pang of another parting, so I take my leave without seeing any of you again. Good-bye, my dear' Mra Henderson, and my dear, dear Minnie and Rose, good-bye.' ' Mart.' * Note of ua knew when or where' or how she went.' The stout eoldier sunk his head upon bis knees, and his whole frame qcivercd with emotion. 'Rose,' he enquired at last, ' did she leave any message or any note for me!' ' l»one.' ' Boße, dearest, please go up ana examine her room—every drawer, every trunk, every possible place of concealment, .She mast have left something for me. Go, my dear C'usin.' When Bhe returned and reported trie halfhour search as fruitless, he took no his hat in silence and Blowly left the room, bot as he turned from the door Rose saw beneath his vest the dangling strings of a big kitchen apron. Chapter V. ■ Kate will be down in a few minutes, John By the way, John, have yoa forgotten all your Greek ? ' 4 Of course, I haven't. Let me see : phi, beta, kappi, ho, he, to.' * 'Yes, I see you haven't,' said Mary. 'Hemousa, tea mousas, tupto.' ' Yes, that'll do, I see yon are an fait in the classics.'

' Polnphlosboio thalasse,' continued John, warning np. * Oh, that'll do,' said Mary impatiently. «Zoe mon, sas Agapo.' •Oh, for mercy's sake, hash, Jchn. I'm sorry I asked j on,' ' Hevnton ti—' {To le continued.)