The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-09-02
id grace, and Frank Chester grasped my

| Id grace, and FRANK Cnester graSpeo III J
hand
Welcome home, my boy!' he said
with the loud, cheerful tones 1 remem
bered SO well. You have changed sc
that 1 should never have known you
but no matter for that--your heart is
in the right place 1 knew
How can you say be has changed ?
said my mother, gently. To be sure, he
looks older and graver, and moro like a
man, than when he went away-but his
eyes and smile are the same 81 ever
1t that heavy beard that changes him.
He is my boy STILL
'Ay, MOTHER L answered sadly, Il
am your hoy still
Heaven help ME At that moment i
felt like boy, and it would have been
blessed relief to have wept on her bo-
som as I had done in my infancy. But
1 kept down the beating of my heart and
the tremor of my lip, and answered qui-
city, as looked in his full handsome
face.
You have changed too, Frank, but I
think fer the BETTER
'Oh, yes--thank you for that COM
pliment,' he answered with a hearty
laugh. My wife tells me I grow hand
somer every day
His wife ?--could I hear that name
aud keep sil cnt still ?
Aud have you seen my little girl he
added, lifting his infant in his arms, and
kissing Lcr crimson cheek. 4 tell you
til ere is not such another in the world.
Don't you think she locks very much as
her n other used to p
Very much !! 1 faltered.
Halo = cried Frank, with sudden
ness that made me start violently, Il
have forgotten to introduce you to my
wife believe you aud she used to be
playmates in your young days, eh, IIar-
ry ? and he slapped me on the back
For the sake of old times, and because
you were not here at the wedding, III
give you leave to kiss her oncc-but
mind, old fellow, you are never to re-
peat the ceremony. Come-hcre she is,
aud for once, want to see how you
will manage :hose ferocious moustaches
of yours in the operation
Hepushed Lizzie, laughing and blush
ing towards me- A CLEAN of light and
hope, almost too dazzling to bear, came
over ne, and 1 cried out before I
thought
Not Mary
L must have betrayed my secret to
every one in the room, but nothing was
said-even Frank, in general so obtuse,
was this time silent. 1 kissed the fair
cheek of the young wife, and hurried to
the silent figure looking out from the
window.
'Mary-Mary Moore said I, in low,
eager voice, have you no welcome to
give to the wanderer?'
She turned and laid her hand in mine,
and murmu, ed hurriedly;
1 am glad to sec you here, Harry
Sim pie words-and yet how blest they
made me 1 would not have yielded
them up at that moment for an Emperor
crown For there was the happy home
group, and the dear home freside, and
there, sweet Mary Moore The eyes I
had dreamed of by day and night, were
falling before the ardent gaze of mine
and the sweet face [ had so long prayed
to see, was there before me I never
knew the meaning of happiness till that
moment came
Many years have passed since that
happy night, and the hair that was dark
and glossy then, is fast turning gray
l am growing to be an old mrn, and can
look back to long and happy, and l
hope, well spent life. And yet sweet
as it has been, would not recall sin
gle Gay, tor the love that made my man
hood SO bright, shines also upon my
white hairs
An old mani Can this be so? AT
heart 1 am as young as ever. And Ma
ry, with bright hair parted smoothly
from brow that has slight furrow
upon it, is still the Mary of my early
days To me she can never grow old
or change. The heart that held her in
her infancy and sheltered her in the
flush and beauty of womanhood, can new
er cast Ler out till life shall cease to
warm it. Nor even then-for love still
lives above.
Here's gem from Dombey that
will never grow dim: