The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-18

story; when he came to me, the youn!
grass was beginning to grow on heI
grave
The May day was ballad, soft, rich
full, one of the months sweetest inspir.
atoms. The breeze trembl,d among
the apple boughs, and came to us, thro
the haif-open window, like b ymn across
/ the years since We parted, and so, sitting
by him on the chintz covered lounge,
listened to the story OF Leonard's be.
trothal
You know, Helen, that my uncle
stipulated in the will, which made me
his heir, that | should pursue my collie
giate studies in Europe, aud that two
years after | left you, an old friend oi
my iather's, who had passed ten years Of
his life at tue East, was obliged to re-
turn there for the re-cstablishmrnt ol
his health. liz was cultivated, thor
ough-bred gentleman, aud my father
eagerly availed himself Of the opportu.
nifty thus afforded for me to travel III his
Gu pany. Circumstances demanded
MIR. A. nold's immediate departure. |
had no time to cn,ne down to the farms
and say good bye to you before
| #, and only gave two days to Mapl'
Grove, and the lady who, wnen return
ed, confidently expected would be ny
wife. My uncle blessings on his mem
ory y continued Leonard, in a hall
musing tone, committed great mis-.
take when he made that will, as all men
do who leave similar ones. Those we're,
however, in his case, unusually weighty
reasons, for his desiring this union be-
tween Ada and myself. The love OF
his early manhood was her only aunt,
and Ada is said to resemble her in per-
son as much as l do my uncle. Beside
this, was at that time perfectly satis-
fed with his disposal of our future. -
Ada's wondrous beauty dazzled my boy
hoods eyes, and intoxicated my fancy,
but crest certain on this, Helen aerer
touched my heart. l watched the
smiles that came for me, like outbreak
ing sunlight to that fair, naughty face,
aud was very proud to think one day
it would be mine. So went down to
Maple Grove, to wander in the twilight
OF It's great trees, and with ittla SNOWY
hand ciaSped IN minc, fiji the future
with bright vlsluns, whose inspiration
should be the iair fac" of Ada Fleming
| cached Maple Grove just at night, aud
lca,n d, much TO my chagrin, that Ada
wao abscnt ou u visit to ii neighbnring
town. A messenger was Immediately
despatched for her, but it would not be
possible for her to return before the af-
ternoon Of the next day. 1t was in the
late May, and that next day was an elder
sister of this one. The wind sang the
same story in the broad maple boughs it
is singing iu your old apple tree now,
and so, after a three hours chat, relat-
ing to my present and future, with my
pro. .pective father aud mother, | saun
tered off with Tiger into the fields.
wandered away for hours, enjoying the
sunshine, the meadow-grass, the sky
every thing that helped to make up the
rare beauty of that spring day. re-
member ut last roaming through mar
row shady road, Aankvd by an old stone
wall. suddenly reached tie head OF
this, and turning sharp angle, came
suddenly upon broad open field, filled
with wild strawberries had only time
70 notice small tin kettle, half hidden
IN ,h. =, ..s .. anu = little girl busily eu-
gagged in gathering berries a few ro'!s
from me, when Tiger sprang with loud
bark toward her, and before | could re-
call him, he had upset the kettle, and
it. heap Of ripencd berrier bad rolled
into the grass. The child started sud-
denly, for she had not observed US, and
looked up. What picture she was -
How | wish could paint it for you -
Her sunbopnet in be, flight tumbled off
her head, and heap Of golden curls,
bright a. the May sunlight, fell to her
waist. She wore a blue calico dress,
and her white shoulders rose bare above
It's upper hem. Her lips and brown I'm.
gers we're stained with the berries, but
I thought she looked all the prettiet for
49,, Than ker avail eould think of