Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-25

! "Ohe otuupitLS lilTOuSu Tie SHOW, say.
ing gay, pleasant things, that made the
Shy little girl laugh, and when, at length.
he opened her mothers cottage door, he
stood her on the floor, saying-"there
Mrs. May, brought Alice home, lest she
should get buried in snow bank: she's
such weeny little thing" and before
Mrs. May could thank him, he was out of
sight. . g.
| What brave. glorious snow storm it
was, though! The boys built great
snow house, dipping the chunks of snow
in the water to harden them, so they
might last longer; and they rolled large
snow balls for a pyramid, till it was
higher than the school house. They
worked bravely, but the brightest face
and pleasantest voice among them was
Ben Bolts. Such rides as they had down
hill! and the larger boys and girls said
Alice May was too little and cowardly to
Din them, become she felt fearful some
times, yet Ben Bolt held her in his arms,
and away they went, merrily as any of
the rest. - ....
But the Winter began to wane, and
now and then soft, mild day would
come that lessened the pyramid and snow
house materially. ''Such a pity" they
said, and wished Winter would last al
ways; but there was one little, wren
like voice, that prayed for violets and
| blue birds. 81
The pyramid tumbled down, the snow
house grew thinner and thinner, and the
boys jested about its being in decline,
till one day it disappeared-faded away
like so many of their childish hopes.
The glad Spring came with its larks
and days, and one delightful day the
children went Maying. Kate Ashley
was queen, and a brilliant queen she was
too. bat Ben Bolt gathered white violets,
and braided them in the soft curls of
Alice, and told her she was sweeter.
dearer than thousand May queens like
Kate. Child as she was, his words made
the sun shine brighter, and lent enchant-
ment to the atmosphere. of her existence.
Then the long June days came, encir-
cling the green earth with a coronal Of
roses, and making it redolent with per-
| fume and in the warm noontide hour the
children strolled to the foot of the hill,
and clustering together, told over their
childish hopes of the future. Some were
| lured by ambition some dreamed of quiet
repose; some of gay city life; but there
was one whose eye kindled and young
face flushed with enthusiasm, as he spoke
of the sparkling blue waters, and the
brave ships that breasted them so gal
lantly.
Ben Bolt was going to sea. Captain
Shirley, a generous, whole-souled being
as ever trod the deck, was to take him
under his protection the next five years
| There was eXclamations of surprise and
sorrow from the children old haunts
were visited and revisited they sat down
in the shade Of the old sycamore, and lis
tened TO the musical murmur of the brook,
and the dreamy hum of "Appleton's
mill ;" exchanged keepsakes and promised
to remember the merry, brave-hearted
boy, whose home would be the wide blue
ocean.
Alice May seldom joined them. She
was so delicate and timid, and the thought
of Bens departure filled her eyes with
| tears, SO she would steal away alone,
| fearful of the ridicule of her harder COM
panionS.
But one night Ben came to Mr.. Mays
cottage, to bid them good-by. Alice
stood by the window watching the stars,
wondering what made them so dim-never
thinking Of the tears that dimmed her
eyes, as Ben told over his hopes so joy
fully. She could not part with him there,
so she walked through the little door
yard, and stood beside the gate, looking
like golden crowned angel in the yellow
moonlight; and when he told her over
again how large she would be on his re-
turn, that he would not dare to call her
| little Alice then; as he looked back lin
gerincly, she laid soft brown curl in his
hand, saying-s'I have kept it for you
this long, long time, Ben; ever since you
brought me home through the snow-do
| you remember -
He did remember. and with one passion
ate burst of grief, he pressed the little
| girl to his bosom, and the brave-hearted
| boy sobbed the farewell he could find no
words for,
But five years are not always life
time. True, it was such to the quiet,
thoughtful Charlie Allen, whose large,
dark eyes had stolen brilliancy from his
books; and the laughing little Bel Ar
cher-both were laid to sleep in the old
church yard, when the night-stars shone
on their graves. Others went out to seek
fortune in the gay world, and some grew
into miniature men and women by their
own sweet firesides; but Alice May seemed
still child. Yet she was taller, and her
slight form more gracefully developed;
but there was the same angel looking
through her eyes as had watched there
in the olden days. She staid "a home
now, to assist her mother in sewing
| @L,;. l,t oh, .,-o, IL.