Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-01-02

/
"Let me carry you home"
"Oh, no, I'm too heavy to be carried
so far" and she laughed low and sweet
ly.
"Heavy! no, you're just like thistl,
down, or a snow fake, Ally: coult
carry you to England and back agail
without being at all fatigued," and b,
tossed the little girl in his arms.
"No, no; let me go; the boys vii
laugh at you, Ben;" and she struggled
"What do 1 care? =? They may
laugh at Ben Bolt as they like :" and The
brave boy drew back the chesnut curl.
from his broad, fair forehead, anil drew
himself up proudly; "but | did not mean
to frighten you, Alice" he continued,
as he saw how the little girl trembled
So he put on her bonnet and cloak
and Ben took her in his arms as if she
been bird, while the tiny little thing
nestled down on his shoulder, as he wen
stumbling through the snow, saying gay,
pleasant things that made the little thing
laugh; and when, at length, he opened
her mothers cottage door, he placed hel
on the floor, saying
"There, Mrs. May, brought Alice
home lest she should get buried in a snow
bank, she's such a weeny thing" and
before Mrs. May could thank him he was
out of sight.
What brave and glorious snow-storm
it was, though, dipping the great chunks
of snow into water to harden them, so
they rolled large snow balls for a pyra-
mid, until it was higher than the school
house.
They worked bravely, but the bright
est and pleasantest face among them was
Ben Bolts. Such rides as they had
down the hill. and though the larger
boys and girls said Alice May was too
little and timid 10 join them, because
she felt fearful betimes, yet Ben Bolt
took her in his aims, and away they
went as merrily as any of the rest.
But the winter began to wane, and
now and then soft day would come,
and lesson the pyramid and snow house
materially. "Such a pity !'' they said,
and wished winter would last always,
but there was one little wren-like voice
that prayed for violets and blue-bi
The pyramid tumbled down, the snow
house grew timer, and the boys jested
about its being on the decline, till one
day it disappeared-faded away, like SO
many of their childish hopes.
The glad spring came with its larks
and daisies, and one day the children
went Mayilg. Kate Ashley was queen,
and brilliant queen she was, too. But
Ben Bolt gathered white violets and
braided them in the soft curIs of Alice,
and told her that she was sweeter, dear
er than a thousand May Queens like
Kate. Child as she was, his words made
the sunbright brighter, and lent enchant-
ment to the atmosphere of her very ex
istence.
Then the long June days came, encirc
ling the green earth with her 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 for the future. Some
were lured by ambition; some dreamed
of quiet country repose some of gay
city life but there was one whose eye
kindled, and whose face flushed with en-
thusiasm, as he spake of the sparkling
blue waters, aud the brave ships that
breasted them so gallantly.
Ben Bolt was going to sea. Captain
generous, whole-souled being
as ever trod the deck, was to take him
under his protection for the next five
years. There were exclamations of sur
prise from the children old haunts
were visited and revisited; they sat down
in the shade of an old sycamore, and
listened TO the musical murmur of "Old
mills. exchanging keepsakes,
and promises always to remember the
merry, brave hearted boy whose home
was on the wild blue ocean.
Alice May did not join them. She was
so delicate and timid, and the thought
Of Ben's departure fill her eyes with
tears, so she would steal away alone,
fearful of the ridicule of her harder
companions.
But one night Ben came to Mrs. Mays
to bid Alice good bye. Alice stood by
the window watching the stars-won-
1ering what made them SO dim-never
thinking of the tears that dimmed hereyes
as Ben told over his hopes so joyfully. !
She could not part with him there, so
she walked through the little yard, and
stood beside the gate, looking like a
crowned angel in the yellow moonlight;
and when he told her over and over
again how large she would be on his re-
urn; that he would not dare to call his
little Alice then, as he looked lingering |
y-she laid soft brown curl in Lis
hand, saying
81 have kept this for you this long