The ghosts of their ancestors — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The ghosts of their ancestors
John Stuart Mill · en
There was a flutter of garments and the lights vanished suddenly. Only the
scents of old-time perfumes remained, sweet as the hearts of vanished
roses.
A cackle of feeble laughter floated back to the room as if the departing
Knickerbockers were still making merry on the stairway to the other world.
The song of the weary bells was over. Peace had fallen upon the earth, and
in Lady Tyron's mouldering parlor the vials of a foolish pride were
despoiled forever. Through the mystical light the living of the family
seemed to be strangely transfigured. Jonathan Knickerbocker, the autocrat
of York, walked with his head bowed upon his breast. The hard lineaments
of Georgina's face were softened. Ofttimes she turned uneasily, half
expecting some awful apparition to emerge before her. As for Miss Julie,
she moved like one in a dreamland of her own. The tears of the night had
fallen upon that little flower in her heart and brought it back to life.
Henceforth it would fill all her remaining years with fragrance. The three
eldest Knickerbocker daughters clung to her as if she were the guiding
light of their starved souls.
Suddenly she left them, and went to her brother.
"I am glad they came, Jonathan," she faltered; "we had forgotten God made
us all in His own image. He gave us the flowers and the stars, the sweet
winds and the spring-times--the voices of children and the songs of birds.
Every man is rich if he but knew it, and those who are only rich in pride
are the poorest of the race."
Over by the shimmering casement, the youth and the girl crept nearer to
each other. Softly he drew her to him until her face was close to his. The
night was dead. Down old Broadway, over the Bowling Green, the Easter dawn
tiptoed into the silent city.
[Illustration]
Transcriber's Note: All apparent printer's errors retained.
End of Project Gutenberg's The ghosts of their ancestors, by Weymer Jay Mills