True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-08-05
z, RAGAN, Editor and Proprietor.

table, eccentric, but heart warm and
tender as a woman's, beat under The old
fashioned snuff.colored broad cloth, that
ten consecutive years he wore to the brick
, meeting. house Onthe Green. -
He was not rich man. / do not be-
lieve that during his life he ever owned
more than five thousand dollars. But
his farm yielded an income sufficient for
all the comforts Of life. We kept only
one domestic, but our family was very
small, never comprising more than four
or five permanent members.
was a wild, romping, light'hearted,
and half spoiled school girl OF just four
teen, when Leonard Stone came TO the
house to help my uncle in harvest time.
How well l remember that first supper
we took together in the great oId-tashiOn-
ed kitchen.
Leonard was an orphan, three years my
senior. He was very bashful, and color
ed like a girl every time my uncle spoke
TO him, or looking up he caugh! my eyes
for we sat directly opposite each other.
He came, expecting 10 remain with us
abou, two months, instead o. which he
stayed five years. During the winters he
attended school, and in the summers he
assisted my uncle on the farm, who, |
believe, loved him dearly as if he had
been his own son.
Leonard Stones nature is not an ac.
cessible one. You would know that by
The whole physiognomy of his face, by
the clear. searching eyes, by the thin
strong, not handsome, but fine features
by the firm, self.reliarl mouth.
1t was long time before we two grew
thoroughly acquainted. for he was very
shy: and l, who was accustomed to hav
ing every one bend 10 my will, stood
strangely in awe of the boy, though
liked him from The first. -.r...
But when The evenings began to grow
long, and we gathered about the bircf
fire in the old sitting room, our reserve
somehow gradually disappeared. .
Then our studies formed strong bone
of sympathy between US, for Leonard hat
resolved to go 10 the Academy in the ad
Joining village, and shutting my eyes OF
all the splendor around me, my hear
warns 10 The twin piles OF old school
books see on the little pine table unde
the mirror.
Before The earth throbbed again witt
the pulses of spring, believed that Leon
ard and loved each other better than W,
did anything on earth. He understood
me-he sympathized with the new asthet
ic life that was beginning to waken with
in me, even then | felt what | did not un
derstand, that the chords of our natures
were strung in harmony.
must hurry over The record Of thest
years, though their fragrant gales blow
softly over my memory now. The long
winters tina. we studied togeiher-th'
springs that we planted flowers, the sum
mer twilights, when we rode in the olt
wagon around the meadows, and the au
,umns that we gathered nuts, dwell bright
ly in that country, through which, ,hi
afternoon, am travelling. .a|
The last day that Leonard was to b
= with US, the closing up Of those four years
was briei one in The early May. H
was 10 enter college.
During these four years | had grow
from a child almost 10 q woman, and
had begun to know, what it is so dan
gerous for any woman to learn, that CO.
had made me beautiful ! We, Leonar
aud I, went into the front yard after sup
per. 1t was greatly changed since b
} came to US. Deep hedges Of buckthor
ran along the low fence, and graceful
r larches and clumps OF dark cedars, an
mounds blushing over every June wit
red roses. made picture, of what befor
9 had only been green sheet Of grass
with great apple Tree sweeping heav
; shadows all over it. My heart was fu
; Of that night, and full Of something els
d deeper than tears. "et 81
"Oh, Leonard" the cry broke up sue
> denly, for | had not learned to control IN
feelings, "if you weren't going away
; will be such a lonely summer wilhor
( you" We stood by the old garden gate
and leaned my head down on the raj
: ing, not much caring il he saw the teal
I, that were raining down my cheeks.
| felt his hand softly on my, half
: "Look up in my eyes, Alice" he whi
pered, very tenderly. And | looked VI
knew then what he would say befoI
: his lips asked it. .st ii
And SO. when we walked again throus
the amber twilight TO The grey old hous
# Leonard and had spoken those solem
Q words, which, alas alas how often ar
n how lightly, men and women speak /
/. each other ES
Five years had passed before LeOnaI
!, and l looked again into each other face
q During all this time we had been vel
70 true 10 each other. ~ s9 ss
/ But my life was greatly changed from Il
a old way. Uncle Timothy slept with h
y father and his mother, under The gres
IS old ash trees of the country buryinI
% ground, and the old farm house had tak,
10 into It's ample breast Q great family
"A etra,. n.aral M, hn..a a, hal haan for uoa