TH.E IIESPEK1AN
Environment.
A lily pure and pale,
Beside a purling stream
Within a sunlit vale
Midst myri'd flowerets' gleam.
A spray of golden rod
Upon a wind-swept wold,
O'er glinting dewless sod
Lone, shifting sheen of gold.
These sent with ardent care
From truant heart dejected
The lily decks love's flowing hair
The hill-flower lie neglected.
J. F. B.
A Letter From Walking Wolf.
Walking Wolf, Akizona, Fob. 20, '96.
Deak Ted:
Yon UBk why I didn't sond that htory.
Well, I had ono writton which I intended '
to sond; but since I wrote it, I've had such
an extraordinary oxporionco thnt what I
called a story of ndvouturo before, now
seoms as a simplo narrative a child's nur
sery story, as it wore.
I'll try to toll you about it, but for tho
first time, I am unable to express satisfactor
ily what I have clearly in mind. I hardly
know how to begin.
This will bo told by degrees, but if I can
just get started, I know you will bo interest
ed. And Ted, nt the conclusion, don't
think hard of mo or judgo mo hastily for
tho sako of tho old days whon you and I
yelled togothor at tho old Uni. People
differ, and I did as woll as I could accord
ing to my light.
It is best I should oxplain a little. You
know, here in this lnnd of mountains and
cow-punchers and cattle, nearly everyone
rides horseback. Tho range bronchos are
vicious and hard to rido; but a young follow
isnot considered much of a rider unless ho
breaks threo or four of these little horso
dpyils each winter. Tho boys are very skil-fulr-with
tho lasso. They think nothing of
roping any ono out of a bunch of twenty
horBOs running closo togothor, and of ton, tho
girls of a family are as skilful as tho boys.
As you alroady know, I havo boon attend
ing Binging school at tho littlo school houso
up tho gulch. Among tho othors who woro
attending was a young lady by tho namo of
Pridoaux, Winnie Pridoaux. She is a girl
of modium sizo, with black hair, and hns a
vory determined cast of countonnnco. Sho
is considered pretty by tho boys around horo,
and I'll confoss sho is fairly good looking;
and sho has such a rcBoluto way about her
that sho is intorosting to a stranger. Sho
has tho reputation of being exclusive in hor
society; nnd tho boys aro somewhat afraid
of her. Sho usod to go to school in Donvor.
I had hoard all about hor before I saw
hor and my curiosity was aroused, so whon I
mot hor at singing school ono ovoning, I
wns as agreeable aB possiblo boing deter
mined to got acquainted with this western
beauty.
Woll, I succeodod. Aftor chatting with
hor a bit boforo singing school for sovoral
ovonings and soeing that sho waB not
avcrso to my company, I musterod up cour
ago enough to bog tho privilego of accom
panying hor homo after class. Sho scorned
rather ploaBod and consontod.
Woll, this samo thing happened sovoral
times in tho next few weoks; and I thought
wo woro gotting to bo famous frionds. Sho
wa tho moro free and oasy than any othor
girl friond I havo ovor known; and yot sho
po88C8sod a quiet dignity and good sense that
could not fail to win honost respect from an
honest man. Thoro was no display of affec
tion on my part I would not havo dored
nor did sho show any markod preference for
mo. 'Tis true, sho wont with none of tho
othor boyB aftor 1 rodo homo with hor that
first night; but, aB for that, she went with
none of them boforo I met hor. All our
conduct towards each othor was as rigidly
corroct as if wo had never known anything
except that taught in an .encyclopedia of
etiquette. ey
At the end of the term, the Binging. school