CHAPTER XII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 7 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XII.

A MOUNTAIN RIDE. Such a delightful week followed. The weather was perfect. It seemed as if there never had been such beautiful September days, "crown jewels of the year," Ruby called them, for scarcely a cloud obscured the foky during all that delectable time, and every morning the young girl was up with the lark to sec the sun rise— a sight which she had previously very rarely enjoyed. " The witches have cast their beautyspell over her since .she came up heie ; though what for is rnore'n I can tell, for she was as sweet as an angel before," Farmer Ruggles remarked to his wife, one morning, as~ Ruby hipped into the diningroom, absolutely bewildering in her dainty white wrapper with a bunch of cardinal flowers — Walter's morning gift— fastened in her belt. Robert Gordon overheard thcremark, and smiled wisely at the sentiment of tho good man, Tto had not bee»i blind during the few j days of their visit there. He had discovered i Walter's growing attachment for his beautiful sister, and he hai begun to 'realiso also that she was happier in his society than she had ever been before. He liked the young man. He had learnt considerable regarding his history from Mr Ruggles, and he admired his energy and independence as Avellas his honour and manliness. He resolved that if Ruby should learn to love this noble young man, he would never lay a straw in the way of her happiness, even though he possessed nothing but his honest heart and good right hand to offer her. So he smiled indulgently when they arranged to go off upon little excursions by themselves, and he went to the mines, or over the farm, or down to the village with Mr Ruggles, who appeared to think it was all right, only he could not refrain from, remarking once, with a quizzical glance at Ruby, that he "guessed there was one Philadelphia gallant who could make his place good after all." Ruby blushed rosily at this shaft, but she shook her golden head at him, and retorted, with an arch glance at Walter : "That was very naughty of you, Mr Ruggles, when you know my inquisitive brother has monopolised all your time, and I should have fared hard if that same Philadelphia gallent had not taken pity on me." Mr Ruggles only nodded a smiling return to her for this repartee ; but he went away chuckling to himself, and murmuring that he guessed "pity had precious little to do in the matter, any way." The day before the Gordons were to return home, Walter asked the farmer if he avoulcl trust him to drive his span -tho young couple had been using a single buggy on their excursions— and allow him to take Ruby to see a beautiful natural bridge that spanned a mountain stream some twelve miles distant. " Yes, indeed," the man replied, heartily. " I'd trust you with anything I have in the world, my boy ; and as T know tho horses are gentle, and the roads safe, though steep in spots, you shall have them, and welcome. It's a pretty trip,' 5 he added ;

"and I'm right glad you thought to take Miss Gordon to see the bridge. Perhaps Mr Gordon would like to go along, too." But that gentleman Ayas more interested in coal-beds, and sinking of shafts, etc., than in natural bridges, and remarked that he thought they would do very well without him. Mr Ruggles informed them, however, that a gentleman and his wife, who were vi&iting about a mile below them, were intending to mako the samo trip that day, and doubtless would be glad of company. Ho the young couple waited until the strangers made fieir appearance, and then Avent oiFwith a basket of lunch, "such as," Walter said, "only good Mother Ruggles knew how to put up. " The day was perfection itself ; the air pure and invigorating- ; and the horses .sped over the mountain road at a spanking pace, as if realising that youth and vigour were behind them, and would not bo content to jog along in any pro.sy fashion. Every mountain was gorgeous with autumnal colouring, for the foliage was at its height of splendour. Ruby was in ecstasies. " I never bctore saw so much beauty," .she cried, rapturously; " and I believe I will never go to a fashionable watering-place again. Nature is far move charming. I will j/o io the mountains. Their grandeur impresses mo a.s nothing else ever did."' "Would you like to live among them always ?" Walter asked. "No, I hardly think I should, M she answered, thoughtfully. ' ' I believe I .should miss the advantages of city life. It nms>t bo very lonely here in the a\ inter, when one would ha\c to bo shut away in the house a great deal of the time ; but it is very nice in summer, if one can Ikiac pleasant company." " You arc fond of society, Miss Gordon." " Ye«, I am ; I am fiec to confess it," Ruby answered, smiling. "I love life, spai kle, gaiety, and I believe I am fitted for society. I imagine that my mission lies in the great busy Avoild where I live." " Your minion ?" questioned Walter, in surprise. The idea of this bright winsome girl — who seemed made only for sun^hino and pleasme— lm\ing a "mission" in life, had never occurred to him. "' Ye,s ; don't you think that everybody lias a minion, Mr Richardson?" Ruby asked, lifting a pair of Aery earnest eyes to his face. " I suppose that every one oiif/hf to have some aim or purpose in life," he replied, musingly. " Yes, indeed ; everybody ought," she said, decidedly. v ' But that'll a little different from a\ hat I mean. One can have an ' aim and purpose ' in life, and yet be Avholly selfish. My Hea is, that everyone has been appointed some especial Avork to do outside of one's self, and it Aye neglect to do it, avc mKs the chief purpose for Avhich avo Avere put into the world. Have you ever thought of it ?" " Not exactly in that way, 1 ' Walter replied. "I have always felt that I "wanted to make the mo-t of myself, mentally and morally, and to educate myself for that position to which I was best adapted and where I could do the most good." "That amounts to about the simc thing,' 1 said Ruby ; " bub it i.s A T ery hard to decide that question. Noav, I havo not made up my mind thab I am especially fitted for anything. But one thing I haA'c discovered that I can do, Avhen I try, and that is, to make tho.se around me happy. That is why I like plenty of company. I enjoy making people and things harmoni-e. If I tec person^ «ad or discontented, I like to say or do something to lift the clouds and make them feel comfortable. I have often A/ondored Avhat my real Avork in the Avorld is to be. I do nob believe that- it has come to me yet. I ha\ r e ahA'aj's lived such a pleasant, sunny life, with no care or trouble, I have sometimes felt that I Avas a very useless piece of humanity, so it has seemed to me that the very least I could do Avas to try and make happy thos-e Avith whom I come in contact.' 1 Walter regarded her -with almost a feeling" of reverence. It was sufficient to make him happy simply to have her sitting, there beside him, with thab sAveet, earnest expression upon her lovely face, and to listen to the beautiful thoughts that fell from her lips. Ife Avas surprised that such grave reflections and questionings should have a place in her pretty head, and she seemed inexpressibly charming and attractive to him in this unusual mood. "If this world wevc only full of such people, what a delightful place ib would be !" he remarked, a tender smile curling his expressive mouth. " It is a delightful place to me, any way," Ruby ansAvered, brightly. "I suppose I find it so because everybody is so kind to me ; bub I know that there is a great deal of sadness and hardship in it, and the knoAvledge often troubles me. I wonder Avhy it need to be so. It must be very hard to be poor— to be ill and in wanb. I have always had plenty of money ; I have always been Avell, and my brother has guarded me from every trouble." "Are your parents living?" Walter asked. , "No* My father died before my birth, and I losb my mother when I Avas very young ; so Robert has been everything to me all my life. I could imagine no greater sorrow coming to me than that of losing my noble brother," she concluded, Avith a sigh, and a wisfcful expression clouding her young face, as if the shadow of some coming evil had suddenly fallen upon her. "Yours has indeed been a very bright and beautiful life thus far, and I Avish thab it may be so until the end," Walter said earnestly. "Thank you," Ruby replied, a smile chafing the graver expression from her face ; "bub perhaps thab mighb nob be jusb bhe besfc thing for me. Noav, what good fortune oan I Avish for you ?" The young man's face kindled at this question. He longed to tell her that the best fortune that could possibly come to him would be to win the love of her OAvn pure, true heart ; to have the assurance that some day she would become his wife, to Avalk with him through life, and help to ennoble ib with the constant interchange of such grand and holy sentiments as he had enjoyed today- ' But he could not say this to her now, if indeed, he should ever dare to aspire to so much. " Wish," he said, bending to look into her eyes, and speaking very earnestly, " thab I may grow to be so noble and good that I may over be Avorthy of your friendship and esteem." " You are worthy of that noAV," she anSAvered j ' ' and I have ahvays felt since Aye first meb that day on the horse-car, that I should be glad to have you for my friend." "Have you?" Walter said, eagerly. " Thank you for telling me. You do not knoAv lioav much good you have done ; lie by saying so." " It AA-as a A-ery little thing to tell," Ruby returned, shyly, with a flush on her cheek, for his manner had expressed a great deal. "A little thing to you, perhaps; but, Avhen a felloAV is all 'alone in the Avorld thr trifles, especially if they are kindly triflV J sometimes amount to a great deal," ,i S) young man returned, Avith a quiver c" - ,£, £

ing in his voice that betrayed how much the kindly little speech had been to him.