Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-14
DIAMO S.
BY MRS. MARY }. HOLMES.

" lhe boys mustn't look at the gIrls, and
the girls must look on their books" was said
at least dozen times by the village school
master, on that stormy morning when Cora
Blanchard and I-she in her brothers boots,
and in my fathers sncks-waded through drift
after drift of snow, to the old brown school
house at the foot Of the long, steep hill
We were the only girls wno had dared to
brave that wintry storm, and we felt amply re-
paid for our trouble when we saw how much
attention we received from the ten tall boys
who had cOme-cOme for fun-sOme because
they saw Cora Blanchard 90 by, aud one, Wal
ter Beaumont, because he did not wish 70 lose
the lesson of the day. Our teacher, Mr.. Gran
mis-, was fitting him for College, and every mo-
ment was precious TO the white-5rowed, intel
leetual student, who was quite lion among US
girls, partly because he was older and partly
because he never noticed us as much as did the
other boys On this occasion however, he was
quite attentive to Cora, at least pulling off her
boots, removing hcrhOod, and brushing the large
snow fakes from her soft, wavy hair, while her
dark brown eyes smiled gratefully upon him, as
he gave her his warm seat by the stove
That morning Cora wrote me silly on her
slate: Il don't care if mother does say Walter
Beaumont is as poor as p0rerty-I like him best
of any body in the wOrid,-iOn't you :"
l thought of the big red apple IN my pOck-
ct, and the boy who had so carefully shaken
the snow off my fathers socks and answered
| "No, thinking the while, that l should say
yes, if Walter had ever treated me as be did
my playmate and friend Cora Blanchard. She
was beautiful young girl, favorite with all,
anS possessing, as 1t seemed, but one glaring
| faut,-a proneness to estimate people for their
,reaifh rather than their lrOrtA This in a
measure was the result OF her long training,
for her family, though far from being rich, were
very aristocratic, and strove 10 keep their chill
dren as much as possible from associating with
the "a vulgar herd" they styled the laboring
class Of the community. In her secret heart
| Cora had long since cherished preference for
| Walter, though never, until the morning OF
which write, had it been so openly avowed.
And Walter. too, while knowing how far above
him she was in point of position, had dared
TO dream Of time when a bright-haired wO-
man, with face much Ike that Of the girlish
Cora. would gladden. his home, whatever il
might be-
That noon as we sat around the glowing fire
we played as children will, and it came my turn
to "answer truly whom / intended to marry
Without a thought of the big apple, the
snowy socks, or Of any Que in particular, l re-
piled unhesitatingly, The one I love best,
and the question passed on to Cora, who was
sitting by the side Of Walter Beaumont. Ht
had not Joined in our sport, but now his ey,
left his book and rested upon Cora with an ex
preston half fearful, half expectant She, too
glanced at him, and as if the spirit Of prophe
cy were upon her, she said" shall not mar
~ the one love the best, but the one who ha
the most money, and can give me the handsom
est diGmOndS Sister Fanny has magnifcen
set, and she looks so beautifully when sue wean
them"
Instantly there fell a shadow on Waite
Beaum lnt's face, and his eye returned agair
to the Latin lettered page But his thOught
were not OF what was written there he wal
thinking Of the humble cottage on the border.
Of the wood, Of the rag-carpet on the oakeI
floor, of the plain old-fashioned furniture, anC
of the gentle loving woman who called hin
"her boy" and that spot her home. There wer,
no diamonds there,-nO money,-and Cora, i
for these she married, would never be his wife
Early and late he toiled and studied, wearing
his threadbare coat and coarse brown pants
for an education, such as he must have, admit
ted of no less expenditure, and the costly gemi
which Cora craved were not his to give II
the pure, unselfsh love springing up for hei
within his heart, there were diamonds Of i'm
j perishable value, and these, together witt
the name he would make for himself, b,
would offer her, but nothing more, and fol
many weeks there was a shadow on his brow
though he was kind and considerate to her Al
of old.
As the spring aud summer elided by, how
ever. there came change, and when, in the
autumn, he left our village for New Haven
there was happy joyous lo,k upon his face
while tress of COra's silken hair was lying
next his heart. Every week he wrote to her
and Cora answered, always showing to me wha
she had written, but never a word Of his
There was too much love-" she said, "toC
much good advice in his letters for me TO see,
and thus the time passed on, until Walter, who
had entered a junior class, was graduated with
honor, and was about TO commence theOlOgi.
cal course at Andover for he had made the
ministry his choice. He was twenty-One nov,
and Cora was sixteen WondrOusly beautiful
was she to look upon, with her fair young face
her soft brown eyes, and wavy hair. And
Walter Beaumont loved her devOtedly, beliey-
ing, too, that she in turn loved him, for cne
summer afternoon, in the green old woods
which skirted the little village, she had sat
down BY his side, and with the mOonbeams
glancing down upon her through the overhang-