OCT. 48 
held Hagar’s eyes like a spell. He looked down 
the long vacant drawing-room, back again to her. 
“ You remind uio of It standing here; —It—are 
you bravo ? it is somewhat ghostly.” 
" I think I can bear It.” 
The room was dark and echoing; the carved 
chairs and cabinets sat up against the wall, like 
so many specters eager to listen, and Romalne 
began, halt-lfghUy, naif gravely: 
•'Once upon a time, as the fairy stories say, 
there was a certain Earnsollffc, master In this 
old place, young aud handsome, and very much 
lnollned, as all the Earnscllffes have hitherto 
been, to a fast life and dissipated companions. 
The hamlet people saw but little of him. It was 
at this time that the young prodigal came home, 
a matter of pure necessity It seems to have been, 
and he sat himself down, if not in repentance, at 
least in peace, to pass the year on his neglected 
estate” 
Romalne looked at Hagar’s upturned, listening 
face, and his own grow grave. 
“By and by news camo that Earnscllffe was 
betrotheff to a high-born heiress; he was to build 
up his fallen fortunes with her wealth. The old 
house would keep Its old name after all. The 
hamlet people hoard, and shook thetr heads 
vagusly. EarnaclICTe had taken to sunset walks 
of late under the pines, to wild gallops along the 
shore, to rows In the white moonlight, and he 
was never alone. It was a lady, they said—some¬ 
thing like this lady beside me— that la, she had a 
Southern face, with midnight eyes and raven 
hair. Sometimes they would hear her voice In 
these old rooms, sweet as the white symbols of 
the sea-foam when they clash on the pebbles. 
They would see her otaudlng in these windows 
In the raro silks and old Jewels of the house, 
watching the rise of moons and the set of suns, 
or, more likely, the coming of Earnscllffe through 
purple summer twilights. They tell mo, If one 
should come here and listen of still midnights 
he might hear the dead echoes of her old love- 
songs stirring tho dusk, or the rustle of her dress 
over the silent iloorti, or the sound of her sighs In 
the dim recesses.” 
Hagar’s hand touched his arm In a startled, 
terrified way. A quivering streak of moonlight 
had cloven the shadows of the damask curtain 
and fallen ghastfuUy across the floor. She heard 
something behind it, in the darkness, that sound¬ 
ed like u footstep. 
Romalne took tho little hand upon his arm and 
held It firmly In his own. 
“ Well, as 1 was saying-” 
Something rattled beside Romalne, like a hard 
breath quickly drawn. He turned, and Squire 
EarnsctlHe stood there, his eyes shining through 
the shadows like live coals. 
“Let me close the window,” he said, sharply. 
“Miss Eckhart Is shivering. Curse this barren 
place l” 
Hagar recoiled to Romatne’s side with a tear on 
her black lashes. 
“I have another tale to tell you,” he whis¬ 
pered. 
“ Of Earnscllffe?" shivering. 
“No; of myself.” 
The squire turned on them sharply. 
“ Come Into the music-room. This Is the dreari¬ 
est place In tho house. Ugh!” 
He Hung the door wide open. A flood of light 
streamed through. Hagar felt herself drawn 
back; her hand was carried to a moustachioed 
Up, and the passionate voice of Romalne breathed 
In her ear: 
“I love you! I want you to know it for your 
own sake and mine, Hagar.” 
The hand was dropped softly. Hagar stood In 
the music-room with the gay crowd and thoughts 
around her, and Edith at the piano—stood there 
with her life, and the night and its darkness 
hurst suddenly into bloom I 
It was yet early when Thomas came to the door 
with Romalne’s horse. Hagar was standing in a 
dim recess wltu a fall of drapery around her. He 
went to her side. 
“You gave me no answer to my last story, 
Hagar.” 
She crimsoned from brow to throat. He bent 
over her, ills daring lips touched hers, kissed hers 
passionately, and she kissed back. 
“ Good-night. I shall come again for your sake, 
Hagar.” 
A month alter she knew what he meant, but not 
then; but Squire EarnsclltTe, standing just out¬ 
side the recess, turned suddenly, and his look en¬ 
countered Romalne's. Neither ever forgot the 
moment. To Romalne It was a revelation—a seal 
ot certainty on what he half guessed; toEarns- 
cllffe, a mortal despair. The cruel eyes of Ro¬ 
malne seemed searching him through. Ula thlo, 
aristocratic face whitened; he caught at the 
drapery behind him, like a man who feels the 
quicksand under his feet; then Romalne bowed 
himself out. 
CHAPTER IV. 
Quiet and solitude at Earnscllffe for the next 
week. Tne sky was growing gray and cold,—It 
was drawing towards winter, and visitors there 
were like summer birds. Hagar came up from 
the barren shore one afternooD. The marshes 
were bleak and dreary; the mournful clouds 
hung dark and low over the sea. 8ho went on, 
treading over the faUen pine needles, to Earns¬ 
cllffe gate. A man stood there waiting, with hts 
hands thrust into the pockets of hts pea-jacket, 
and a great water-dog at his feet. She stopped; 
it. was Stephen Eckhart. 
i be tears leaped up thick to Hagar's eyes. She 
went up to him. The broad, brown face lighted; 
16 looked at her from head to foot In a sort of 
Pleased amaze, then drew back, while the dog 
yawned and licked her band. 
“Stephen I” 
“Miss—that is, Hagar, you see I’ve shipped 
aboard a whaler for a three-year voyage, and I 
wanted to come and bid ye good-by.” 
She clung to his arm. 
"®h! Stephen!” 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
674 
“ Yes, home a’n’t home now. You won’t take 
It hard of me if I say I’d like to be remembered 
kindly by you, Hagar ?” 
“ What do you mean ?” 
She pressed close up to him, and looked Into his 
honest eyes. Stephen's composure came near 
breaking down at the sight of that pale, beauti¬ 
ful face. 
“ You and 1 was brought up together, anyhow, 
Hagar, and I love you better now than I ever did 
afore.” 
“My dear brother!” she said tearfully. 
He held her off at arm’s length, with a strange, 
timid look in his face. 
“ Let folks talk that want to; but if I make a 
good voyage, Hagar, and If you think you could 
like me well enough by-and-by, I’d like to be 
more to you than a brother." 
She stood thunderstruck — uncomprehending. 
Was the man mad ? 
He read the thought In her face. 
“Don’t you know, Hagar?” he cried out fear¬ 
fully. 
“Know?” 
“ Don’t you know what folks are talking about 
down there In the village ?” 
“ No, StepheD,” In a whisper. 
He started back rrom her as if shot. 
“ I thought you knew, Hagar. 1—I—that Is I’m 
sorry; I didn’t mean to say anything.” 
She leaned back against the gate, feellDg faint 
and sick. 
“ What la it, Stephen ?” 
The poor fellow was utterly frightened and 
discomfited. 
“Don’t ask me. I’m going down to the har¬ 
bor now. Good-bye.” 
He went away down the path reluctantly, 
looklDg hack at her over his shoulder. Hagar 
stood numb and stupefied till It was too late 
to recall him, and then she sank down by the 
gate and dropped her cheek on Its hewn stone. 
Twilight gathered. Tfiu pines moaned hoarsely 
overhead. It was growing dark; Hagar shivered 
with the cold and damp,—she had Bat there an 
hour, certainly. She rose up. A groom stood 
holding a saddled horse Inside the gate—a fiery 
bay—Romalne's. He had come, then, as he 
promised, 
She opened the hall door. Edith's waitlng- 
mald met her on the stair. 
“ Squire Earnscllffe was waiting to see Miss. 
Eckhart at the earliest possible moment.” 
Hagar brushed out her damp, dlsorded hair, 
smoothed the sweeping folds of her dress, and 
went down, wondering vaguely. 
They sat In the low, green parlor, which she 
had first entered on the night of her father’s 
death,—Squire Earnscllffe, Edith, and Romalne. 
Edith’s haughty face was deathly pale. Her 
hands lay In her lap, locked fast, but still tremu¬ 
lous ; her eyes wars bent down towards them. 
Squire Earnsclffe placed a cha!r for Hagar. 
Mocking and weird the red firelight danced on 
the hearth, and tho shadows In the corners hud¬ 
dled together, dark and rrlghtencd,—she had 
never seen the room so lonely before. 
Romalne arose and stood beside Hagar’s chair. 
The squire's face was working convulsively. 
“Hagar,” he began, “John Romalne wants 
you for his wife, and I have given you to him.” 
Brief and to the point. Hagar’s eyebrows 
arched. 
Stephen Eckhart sailed away on hl 3 voyage to 
the wild South seas. The night he left the little 
flshlng-hamlet Earnscllffe House was filled with 
light ‘and revelry from garret to foundation—It 
was Hagar EarnscUffe's bridal eve, 
Long after that same revelry had died away 
the pallid face of Edith Earnscllffe remained 
pressed to the window-pane In her still, dark 
chamber, gazing blankly out Into the night. She 
had found a sister she never knew,—she had lost 
the first and last great passion of her life. Years 
after she married—well, the world said—a stately, 
purse-proud banker, Romalne and Hagar were 
far away under the skies of Italy. Edith and 
they rarely meet, but the blue-eyed boy who 
stands at Edith’s knee to-day,‘and lifts to hers 
eyes as blue and bright as thoee 3he used to wor¬ 
ship, is named Romalne. 
-»♦-» 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Friendship. By OuiDA. Phila.: J. B. Llppincott 
& CO- 
There Is 30 much space given In this Book to 
describing the social exploits and the Idtosyncra- 
cles of the Lady Joan that It Is Impossible to con¬ 
sider it apart from the light of that character. It 
Is as If the author, to combat the difficulty or 
making her readers realize such an enormity, 
felt It necessary to dilate upon It. 
Whether driving a friend's ponies through the 
fashionable promenades or driving a bargain for 
articles of bric-a-brac, or smoking a cigar at Flor. 
dlllsa (of which place, together with the body 
and soul of the owner, Prince Ioris, she takes 
absolute possession) the Lady Joan la always 
mean, dishonest, unscrupulous, bold and intrigu¬ 
ing. The prince, her victim, la good-hearted, 
weak and indolent. Her husband, whom she cor¬ 
dially detests, Is a passive figure-head. 
The heroine, an artist of genius and renown, is 
the sole character to be admired; and even she, 
within limits ; for, sacrificing her ambition and 
her fame she finally succumbs to the Influence of 
a blind aDd unreasoning passion. The scene 13 
laid In Italy, and tho stoiy, such as It is, is of the 
desperate schemes of the Lady Joan, to maintain 
a position in “ Society ” and to retain the mastery 
of the person and property of the prince, and on 
the other hand of the absorbing love of the heroine 
for him, and her futile efforts to effect his 
liberation from the baneful Influence of Lady 
Joan. Of the minor characters Introduced Is that 
ot Mrs. Henry V. Clams, a type of American 
women English satirists delight to present as 
representative, hut of which, as In the present 
case, they generally succeed In making a vulgar 
burlesque. 
Oulda Is accredited with having said she wrote 
books for the army, not for society. It may be 
well to bear this In mind for a lenient criticism, 
and yet It Is the reverse of complimentary to 
the soldiers to fancy her standard of morals <?an 
And among them any practical adherents or any 
admirers o' the phase of society she so vividly 
portrays. Most of the stories by this author are 
marked by an intensely dramatic vein, a sharp 
Individualization, and a certain rackiess of style 
which fascinate while the characters and senti¬ 
ment revolt. “Friendship ” differs from these only 
In degree, and is therefore less pernicious In its 
Influence than many of the others. 
“ That is not all,"said Romalne, looking calmly 
at the squire. Edith’s lily face went down into 
her hand3. It was the bitterest moment of the 
squire’s life, and of hers. 
“No, not all,” he answered, catching at the 
mantel for support. “ Hagar. what I must tell 
you now has been noised about In every nook of 
the hamlet; you might have learned It weeks 
ago,” 
Romalne silently took Hagar's cold hand, and 
held It flrftly. 
“You remember,” said the squire, facing them 
both with a pale, sorrowful face, “ the story that 
yon heard one night of a certain wild master of 
Earnscllffe, child? It was down In the fishing- 
hamlet below, that a young Gorman sailor named 
Hans Eckhart had just found a home for himself 
and young orphan sister when Earnscllffe first 
came home. She had a face like yours, and a 
passionate, willful heart. Earnscllffe saw her and 
loved. She came to live In this old place for one 
long, happy year. It was a secret marriage, 
known to no one but the brother. Earnscllffe 
forgot his fast companions—the betrothed bride, 
Waiting for him far away—his debts—all—every¬ 
thing, but his beautiful Hagar; but hlB fast com¬ 
panions sought him out, after a time, and his 
debts began to press hard and heavy upon him, 
had to accumulate. Tired of his new lire and of 
the dark-eyed hamlet-glrl, he went away! My 
child, he went away, and left her to wear her 
Bweet young life out lu this lonely place; and one 
dreadful night she opened Hans Eckhar’s door 
and stood lu his cottage, with the cruel ralu drip¬ 
ping from her hair, and cursed Earnscllffe. and 
sank down there UUe one dead. That night a 
babe was born In Hans Eokhart’a home—that 
night a spirit went out from it,—Hagar died.” 
He stopped, with great drops or perspiration 
standing out on his forehead, and clung to the 
marble again. 
"Earnscllffe returned to his estate, bringing 
his wealthy, high-born bride with him. The 
child In Hans Eckhnrt's cottage he did not dare 
to call his own. Hans was bribed to adopt It—to 
keep the secret of Its birth sacred till hts death, 
and he did.” 
Hagar cried out sharply. He lifted her to his 
breast, his hot tears ruined down on her cheek. 
“ My child—my child 1 • 
The room reeled before her; she clung to Ro¬ 
malne’s hand; even then she knew and felt It 
was he who had righted her wrongs. 
Edith came and kissed her with cold, white 
Hia Inheritance. By Adeline Trafton. Bos¬ 
ton : Lee & Shepard. $1.50. 
This hook is Interesting from the very satis¬ 
factory and entertaining portrayal of miniature 
society life at Fort Atchison, a military station on 
the plains, as well as of its garrison life. The 
characters are well drawn, the plot Ingeniously 
developed, and the incidents naturally and vivid¬ 
ly described. But It is the characters comprised 
In the dramatis persona we cannot like and can¬ 
not sympathize wdth, however faithfully they 
may be delineated and however entertalatDg the 
story may be. The heroine has a pretty race and 
a capaetty to be loved, which, though a negative, 
Is her sole attribute. One regrets that Capt. 
Ellyot does not marry Miss Laud, by far the most 
lovable character In the book, hut he does not— 
he marries the heroine, the sutler’s daughter, 
and the Interest ot the stoiy centers on his heroic 
sufferings In bis efforts to return to her after an 
escapade with the Indians In which he Is sup¬ 
posed to have been killed, and her quiescent grief, 
submission to her mother, and unresisted decline 
and death. The hero, perfect la other respects, 
betrays a small mental calibre in lovlDg so mane 
an object- He must be mentally and morally de¬ 
ficient and one cannot respect him, while In the 
heroine there are none of the attributes of a 
woman to entitle her to respect- One cannot 
comprehend the freak of nature which Inspires 
so active and mighty a love In the breast, of a 
strong man for an object so passive and Insignifi¬ 
cant. It Is unnatural and Incongruous. Her¬ 
cules would be Imbecile to entertain for a fairy 
a high order of affection. 
A Quiet Life and The Tide on the Moaning- Bar. 
By Mrs. F. H. Burnett. Philadelphia: X. B. Pe¬ 
terson ii Bro. Price 60c. 
These are two pathetic and simple tales as 
different from “ Theo " and her longer stories as 
If they were by another author. There Is little 
scope In either story for an elaborate plot, and 
yet both win be found complete and satisfactory. 
The first Is 0 , touching little story of an artless 
maiden the Rector's daughter to whom her love 
proves her life, and who in losing one loses both. 
The theme of tho secoud Is the same—the char¬ 
acter and Incidents only widely differing—the too 
readily given love—the betrayal and despair and 
death following. 
German Without Grammar or Dictionary. 
By Dr. Ztm Brock#;. Chicago : ,S. C- Griggs * 
Co. Price 50 cents. 
Ups, then went away, and Squire Earnscllffe knelt 
at her feet, and moaned from the depths of a dark 
remorse: “ Forgive for tier sake!”, 
This Uttle manual ought to be very geuerally 
used, as it puts German into a comprehensible 
shape for those who wish to acquire tho language 
for practical purposes. It has been Dr. Zur 
Brucke’s aim to model bis book on the Pestatoz- 
zlan or object method, and to make his lessons so 
simple that the most lmmattire Intellect can com¬ 
prehend what Is being taught, and In a short time 
acquire a knowledge of the tongue, that will give 
him the same freedom of speech that he enjoys 
In the vernacular. The method 13 In successful 
use by the doctor In the Chicago public schools 
and by others; so that Its merit Is proved by Its 
success. We recommend It to schools and teach¬ 
ers generally; a]^o to those who wish to acquire 
German mainly by their own efforts, as It will 
only he necessary to acquire the pronunciation 
and then “ go at It alone.” 
MAGAZINES. 
Thr Pofular Science Monthly for October. 
The number opens with a finely illustrated paper 
by Prof. J. s. Newberry, of Columbia College, on 
the “ Geological History of New York Island and 
Harbor.'' This Is a fascinating story of the 
great natural changes that have taken place 
since ancient geological times In the Land and 
water areas about New York, and the probable 
character of these changes that maybe expected 
In the future. 
The second article is the fifth of Pror. Alexan¬ 
der Bain’s series on “Education as a Science,” 
and deals with the subject of “ The Emotions in 
Education.” 
Prof. Huxley's address ou “The Progress of 
Anthropology,” delivered at the last meeting of 
the Brlttsh Association, comes next. Then fol¬ 
lows Dr. Montgomery's third and concluding 
paper on “ Monera, and the Problem of Life,” in 
which the “ Physical Phase of the Problem” is 
further considered. 
“ Electricity and Thunder-Storms,” by Elisha 
Foote, Is a short but Instructive article, in which 
the author alms to show that the production of 
atmospheric electricity is due to the process of 
condensation. The next paper, by Mr. Herbert 
Spencer, on “ Consciousness under Chloroform,” 
contains a curious and graphic account, by a 
correspondent, of his mental experiences while 
inhaling chloroform for the purpose of having 
a tooth extracted. 
“ Hallucinations of the Senses,” by Dr. Henry 
Maudsley, is a readable, and, at the same time, 
very useful paper, showing our constant liability 
to be deceived by the operations of our senses, 
and how these operations are disturbed and 
their results vitiated by surrounding Influ¬ 
ences. The next article is on “ Yellow Fever,” 
by Dr. R. S, Tracy, and, though short. Is one of 
the clearest and mo3t lutelllglble accounts ot the 
characteristics of that terrible disease that we 
have anywhere seen. " Bird or Reptile—which ?” 
by Henryo. Forbes; “The Planet Vulcan," by 
Prof. Daniel Kirkwood: and “ The Genesis of 
Disinterested Benevolence,” by Paul Friedmann, 
make up, with a portrait and sketch of the late 
Prof. Claude Bernard, the body of the magazine- 
one hundred and four pages of valuable and en¬ 
tertaining reading. 
Art Industry is a new trade-journal that re¬ 
places and absorbs the Jeweler, SUversmuh and 
Watciimaker. Aside from Its main object, which 
Is to foster the art-industrial trades, it is a me¬ 
dium for bringing the general public Into closer 
sympathy with a class of workers who possess 
high Intelligence, and whose contributions to the 
journal will always be interesting reading to 
those who seek to extend their culture by an ac¬ 
quaintance with all art. 
The Initial number of this Monthly is a fine 
specimen of what is being done for trade-journal¬ 
ism, or rather what the publisher, Mr. Howard 
Lockwood, proposes shall be done In tills field 
It la finely Illustrated, printed ou toned-paper, 
and la altogether so handsome In appearance 
that we have no doubt or its meeting with the 
warmest welcome among those to whose Interests 
It appeals. Its alms are epitomized in its appear¬ 
ance. It Is published at 74 Duane St. 
The Farm and Fireside, Springfield, Ohio, 
published by P. P. Mast & Co., and edited by Mr. 
T. J. Kirkpatrick, a rising journalist, has In Its 
October Issue materially changed and Improved 
Its make-up oy the substitution of a new title de¬ 
sign, which clearly indicates the scope of the 
journal, its contents and circulation constantly 
Improve. 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL, 
A powerful disinfectant, especially adapted to 
the destruction of insects, Is prepared by passing 
sulphuric acid into alcohol. 
When swallows fly low, wet weather may be 
expected, because the Insects which the swallows 
pursue in their fight, are flying low to escape the 
moisture or the upper regions of the atmosphere. 
Most aniline stains caa readily be removed 
with alcohol, if the Ink Is made from cochineal, 
a weak solution of chloride of lime with a few 
drops of muriatic acid Is sufficient to destroy the 
color, but it cannot be used on silks and woolens. 
Collectors of insects, and amateurs, were, 
at a recent meeting of the Entomological Soci¬ 
ety, advised to be on their guard against 
tricky dealers, who manufacture new varleiles 
by dipplog various insects Into unlUne and 
other colors. 
Sfonob paper, made by adding finely divided 
sponge to paper pulp, has been used In France 
for dressing wounds. It absorbs water readily 
and retains moisture for a loDg time -, it is there¬ 
fore applicable to many purposes lu the arts and 
manufactures. 
Fork ion journals report that experiments have 
been made at Langenschwalbaeh, lu Prussia, 
with a view to utilize the fiber of the common 
nettle, it was found that when treated in the 
same way as hemp, the fiber came out as soft as 
silk and as strong as linen ; and tuis result being 
regarded as encouraging, a large plantation of 
nettles has been made to provide material for ex- 
periments on a larger scale, 
