White Sulphur papers; or, Life at the springs of Western Virginia

80 WHITE SULPHUR PAPERR.
to the plan, and that day was spent in gathering the
brightest flowers, and twining them with the
dark
green leaves of the laurel which grows in such abundance
here into crowns for the expected troubadours.
Night came, and about an hour after we
had retired, we heard the anticipated sounds beneath
the window ; v/e immediately rose and attaching
strings of ribbon to the wreaths, we softly raised the
sash and at the conclusion of the first song, lowered
them to our friends below. There was a slight
pause and then some whispering among the
musicians
as though they were consulting how they
might best rev/ard so flattering a return of their
compliment to us, so we thought at least, and were
confirmed in this opinion by their singing in conclusion
one of our most favourite songs.
We retired in high spirits at wdiat we considered
the success of our little frolic. In the morning on
looking from the window as usual, to
ascertain the
state of the w^eather, what was our consternation,
at beholding withered and neglected on the ground
the wreaths that we fondly imagined were on the
road to the Warm Springs with the friends for whom
they were intended and treasured by them as
precious
remembrances of ourselves.
that the night had been dark,
It so happened
and we had been so
cautious in our movements, that we were neither