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The Peace of the Mountains .
I wlllh I coulll get the peace or the moun-
1/111111 Into me
The mountains or Goll11'0 over cUll , fuller
. or rest :
"Do r1tllel" they 1111) , nllll IIrt their
loughlll Ute IU'/I\'l'lI :
The lark with U\ \ Ills wings 1111 ho rises
brullhl'lI their crest :
They gather lilt fuse IIr III1WII , the glory
of oven ;
The night With her 111111'11 leans 011 them ,
breast 10 her brl'l\lIt.
I wI/lh I coulll gel the IICIICO or the moulI-
Inhlll line ml'
And 1I0t' 10 hll\'o nil the worlll n trouble
to mo.
I am full or frets and ! rnthuOH , 111111'1'8
/llIlI fears :
I wish the moulllllhHI woulll tell 010 their
secret of Irllce.
They have ( seek then horn turd tile nil the I
w elk of their hlllllhi
Puss llko the leaves of autumn : Increase
111111 decrease
or natural things and the years , like IL
IIIL/Illrul of sands ,
HUll out anti bo dune and ! the nations
wit her and Cl'IISl'
They have looked 10 God through all the
days and time years :
I wish l were flllll like the mountains ,
I not vexed , Cull or Celli'll.
The wlllll rOllI'S over them , singing UII
from the Hell :
There Is nothing that lasts , they say but
Cod mud the /loul
They 111\\0 cowls or tam mists , and rain
for their hllhlts gray :
The worill's n dream , where ever the
death bells loll.
There III nolhllll Ihlll lives they lillY , but
Cud nUll time soul
\othing lit all that mutters but Cod and
the soul :
I wish I could ! get the peace or the moun-
Inlllll Into rime ,
And not to have all the world n trouble
10 nil'
t --Pall Mall rnnttl' : ,
1 THE MASKED MAIDEN f
Barrack me at Wlcklow'Us exceedingly -
ccedlngly dull. Drill and parade form.
ed about our only dlyerslons At times
a part of young women visited the
encampment , thereby varying the monotony -
notony a trifle Our colonel was a
bard man , who rarely granted a fur-
lougb. I , a young lieutenant , In com-
mon with my brother officers , In can
sequence regarded our existence as
a waste of lICe.
This was before the outbreak of the
Sepoy rebellion. In ' 5i our regiment
was ordered to India Our contem
plated departure was regarded joy-
fully b- the younger fry of the offi ,
cers. The evening before we embarked .
barked a masked ball was given , at
I
which all officers were invited and , I
needless to say , attended , in a varlet
of costumes. Father Sulllyan , our
chaplain , holding the rank of captain ,
was included in the invitation , but
sent a note of regret , saying his cloth
forbade his attendance , and winding
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An air of mystery.
Ip with a short homilyy on the vanities -
ties of the world.-
I , Can Costigan , then a lieutenant ,
and my chum , Charlie Connor , of
course , were there , -he in n pink and
I in ! a black domino A passing court
fool hit mo a blow on the head with
a bladder filled with dried peas Turn.
ing to resent the liberty . I saw a
clown In baggy pantaloons and cbalk.
cd face , whirling madlyy round and
round toward me , clasping tightly a
maid of buxom t1uru ; : In abbreviated
IKlrt , On they' carat stralsbt Cor
me. When only a short distance separated -
arated us the clown , by accident or
design , stumbled and tell , releasing
his partner , who spun like a teetotum
right Into 01) arms with such forgo
that our feet shot from under us and
we hath sat down on the floor bnrd.
" Whoo ' eo ! " shrieked the mnlden.
"Il's kilt I am ! "
As qulclt1y as my domino would ad
mlt I was on my feet , helping her to
arise and pouring forth a string at
apologies. She was not hurt , and
seemed little confused by our awkward -
ward Introduction. Without deigning I
to glance nt the clown she whispered : I
"Ooch ! don't apologize , captain ,
.
dt'ar. Sure , it.s glad I am we've mel.
That clumsy clown-troth ! 'twas an
appropriate choice of a costume he's
mndc-cnn go without a partner for
all of me. 1 shall spend the time with
) 'oul I"
'And , linking her arm In mine , the
unknown led me away.
The clown , who by this time had
also regained his feet , viewed her departure -
parture and then phlloso'thlcnlly
turned awe ) ' .
My conductress led mo to np : alcove ,
whence we could obtain a view lJt the
scene In the ball room an at the
same time converse In comparative
privacy , where , seating herself , she
made ! room for me at her side , and I
sat down with heating benrt. There
was an air of mystery about her that
led me to imagine 1 was about to
participate In some wild romance.
"Captnln , " she began , coyly hiding
her masked features behind her fan ,
"c:1ptaln-for by all appearance your
rank Is no less - "
"night , madam , " I hastily Interrupt
ed-which was false , for I was but a
lIetltenan
"Alas ! " she sighed "whnt weight
or woe is mine ! 1\1) talc will enlist
your sympathies , and , I trust , your
aid ! Oh , say I am not mistaken when
1 believe you to be one . . willing to assist .
sist a maiden In distress ! "
Her appeal Impressed and flattered
me and I hastened to reply :
"Tell me , madam , what it Is you
require of me , and rest assured I will
spare no effort In your behalf ! "
"You are kind ! " she murmured ,
"Alas ! would we had met ere my
heart was given to another ! "
.
"Then you are not- " I , began.
" :0:0 , " she interrupted , " 'tis not
II I wholly on my own behalf I have
I sought you out But Emilie-- "
"Sweet name ! " I murmured. 'Vhnt
of her ? "
"For two days she has been In an
.
agon of fear lest you shouldn't meet
her. At the last minute she eluded
the vigilance of her jailers , and together " ,
gether we'\'e come to the ball , disguised - i I
guised as : : a fairy and a shepherdess.
She bas hidden herself away In a re-
tired nook and bade me go search for
.
"
) .ou.
I was transported with jO ) ' . From
the name let drop I was morally cere
tail\ that my unknown inamorata must
be Miss Emilie Sirron , a young wom-
au whom I had long admired at a dis
t:1Dce But as a general rule she had
treated my advances coldly , although
once or twice , when I supposed she
imagined 1 was not watching , I
thought I detected her contemplating
me , which encouraged me in the be-
lIet that she was not altogether indifferent -
ferent to me.
I stammered a few sentences In rev
lmly , on which m- fair friend arose ,
saying :
"Follow me , captain , and all will go
wall. 011 , but it's you are the lucky
mae If ever there was one-ocb
hone ! "
f Slipping her arm In mIne , we passed
t . from the alcove and mingled with the
: .1en-ymakers. as I whispered In her
' ar :
I "WbO do you sigh ? From your
words I thought 'twas you desired my
aid. You have trouble ? Trust me , for
I am truly your friend this nIght ! "
'Ob , what can you do ? " she criedo
-'I have two suitors , but one alone
holds m- heart ! We were to wed tomorrow
morrow but-ob. salnts-my ! lover
Is not here and we may never meet
I ; t5ijl : Yetefaeft , be was ilaprc ' ( rp1
and borne a captive aboard the trans.
port that sails to'morrow-gone to
fight the foe In foreign lands ! Oh ,
captain , say that you can effect his
release ! or that you can smuggle me
aboard La him , or my heart is brok ,
en ! " Here she Bohbed.
I assured her she might consider
the former as already accomplished.
"You dear ! " she cried , and impul
sively throwing her rounded arms
about my neck she bugged me wartn
ly
Judge my emotions ! I was In a
rosy maze of wondering bliss.
"Now come , " said she , "but care-
funy. If wo are discovered we are
lost ! "
We threaded our way amid the
throng and entered a second hower.
My companion looked eagerly Into It.
It was empt
"She is not here , but she will be
soon , " she said. "Come In , captain , I
and sit down. " ! .
Wo sat some time in sllcnce. Pres.
ently the charmer went to the en
trance and peered cautiously out.
"Emmo- Emme ! " she caned , soft.
ly.
There was no answer , on which she
returned to my side.
Presently , to my astonishment , she
burst Into a flood of tears
"Wboo-ee-wboo"cc ! " age sobbed ,
rocking to and fro.
"Don't cry , " said I , soothingly , slip.
ping my arm about her waist-a ] lib"
crt ) ' she did not resent. "What is the
matter ? Why do you weep ? "
"Och , my trials and troubles are
more than I can bear ! 1\Iy lover's In
the grave , and I wish that I were
there I" !
"Oh , no ! " I whispered , encouraging
ly. I "He's far from dead , let us hope ! "
"But Isn't he as good as In his
grave , for sure , won't the naygurs
kill him when he gets to India ? And
we'll never meet again I Whoo . ee-
whoo-ee ! Sure , 'twas In this spot J
sit , at the Cart"s ball , a twelvemonth
since that be first told me of his , love
and I took him for better or worso-
and now he's gone ! Whooeo-whoo.
ee ! Don't tell me Tim Casey hasn't a
band in this ! "
'Vbo's Tim ? " I asked. ;
"My discarded lover , sure-who I
else ? He's here nt the ball tonight
and it he sees me here with you I'm
lost ! "
The sight of beauty in distress
thrilled me to the soul. After what
had passed between us who can blame
me for drawing her gently toward me
-for reclining her head '
upon my
sboulder-for attempting to JIlt her
mask to Impart a kiss upon her lips ?
But she drew back co'l ) ' .
"Ocb , ye mustn't do that ! "
'Vhnt harm ? None cnn see ! "
"Te-he-be ! " she giggled h.sterlcall
"Just one ! " 1\1) arm was still about
her \'I\ist.
"He-he-be ! Captnln- " She made
a playful feint of resistance , but
seemed not much averse to the ordeal. '
With one hand I grasped the lower
ends of our masks and was about to
remove tbem.
"Zounds , sir ! What are you doing
there ? "
These words , thundered In a deep
voice at my ear , supplemented by the
monosyllable "Tim ! " shrieked forth
by the malden , caused mo to look
round In atrrlrht. ;
In the doorway stood an Elizabethan
courtier , rapier by his side. With
folded arms he glared alternatel at
me and my companion through the'
eyelet boles of his black mask I
startM up , In my baste forgetting to
release mO bold on our masks , and off
they both came , revealing to my gaze
the countenance at my" hitherto unknown -
known charmer-a tat , red , merryy
looking face , which , as It looked into
mine , reflected in Its expression of
ludicrous amazement the astonlsb
meat depicted in my own at what 1
saw before me. For a moment I was
struck dumb by a host of conflicting
emotions. When at last I found my
tongue it ! was to gasp :
" "What ! Father Sulllvan ! "
"Tare-an'-ouns ! It's Can Costlsan ! '
"Hero's a pretty kettle of fish ! "
ti t4 M ; Ell atetban ? c urtter , pis be \ .
IIgerent air vanishing , and he looked ' , \
* (
helplessly from one to the other of . _ . , .
us.
Mutual \ explanations revealed the
following state of affairs :
Miss Sirron , against the wishes of
her relatives , had fallen violently In
love with Gusse ! Fitzgerald , a fop cor
net , to such a desperate degree as to
compel her parents to lock her In her '
.1/
room , this act resulting from the dis . 1
covery at a note addressed by her to
Gussie , wherein she declared her in.
tendon of meeting him at the ball
that night for the purpose of eloping.
She described the costume she
would wear , together with that at a
female friend who would accompany
her , and advised Gussie what to wear
In turn that she might identify blm-
which happened to be a domino like
mine. The note fell Into the bands at
her brother , the Elizabethan courtier ,
,
,
r
'
i ! ' \
I
;
"What are you doing there ? "
who was a lfeutennnt In my regiment.
The brother hastened with the note
to Father Sullivan to ask his advice r '
and co-operation In the carrying out :
of a plan be ball formed. The prIest
entered Into the spirit of the adven
ture , and , disguising himself as a
fairy , this being the costume of the
female friend designated In the note ,
he had repaired to the ball In company '
pan with the Elizabethan courtier.
The plan had been for him to lucre
the unsuspecting gUBsle to the alcove
on the pretense of leading him to the
lady , where the ElIzaebthan courtier . .
was in waiting , there to reveal them
selves to him after showing him n
cop of the note-the original had ,
been forwarded to the one It was ;
originally meant for-administer to
Gussie his merited chastisement , and
then turn him adrift with the promise
of a severer punishment If he persisted - of"w t.
slsted In his addresses.'y 7
The brother' and the priest until '
now had supposed mo to be Fltzgor-
ald. Now that our ludicrous error was
discovered the awkward question oc'
curred to each : What It the plot , in
stead at being a hindrance tu the 10\ :
ers , should prove au ally to their
11
cause br keeping their enemies from I'
them while they rondo good their escape '
j
cape ?
J
Readjusting our masks wo sot out \ t
In company to patrol the ball roots j. ,
But I need hardly say our search wn '
in vain-the lovers had \'nnI5hll-
eloped-nnd the plot hind been made j'
to recoil boomerang ! on the heads
of the conspirators ! .
Yo sailed nt dawn. 1 afterward
learned that soma days after the bnll ' 1
the Sirrons received : n penitential -'pis. 4' s !
tie from the fair Emilio , sn'lng that \
she and Gusslo were married , aid , the :
latter haYing obtained n furlough , .
thor were taking n wedding tour on
the continent , and the one thhlg necessary '
essary to her perfect happiness was
to know that she had the forgiveness
of her parents for what she had done
I
-which , as what was done could not
well bo undone , was not long forth ' ,
coming ,
Until the time 1 now tell the story
the part Father Sulllvaq \ played In
the affair has Ilwn'ttwon kept tIra \ , " 9' " ' 1
t9\\Ud i \ \ seert-Glilcagp ' Trlblluet ' \ \ , '
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