The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-18

r des as they had down the hill; and thor
the large boys and. girls SAID Alice Nav
too little and timd to join them, because
le' was fearful sometimes, yet Ben Bolt held
IN his arms, and away they went as merrily
any one of the rest.
But the winter began to wane and now a
then soft day would come and lessen the ,
rarnld and snow-house materiall,i. H3;
''Such pity they said, ami they wish
winter would last always, but there was one
tie Wren-ilke voice that prayed for violets al
blhebirds = sss ~ :, =. 4
e. The pyramid tumbled down, the snov-hou
grew thinner and thinner, and the bows lest,
about Its being on the decline, till one day
disappeared faded away like so many chill
ish hopes.
The glad spring came, with its larks. an
DAISIES, and one beautiful day the childre
went t., Maying-Kate Ashly was queer, an
a brilliant queen she was, too But Ben Bo
gathered white violets and braided them in tb
soft curls OF Alice, and told her she was sweet
er, dearer than thousand May Queens lik
hate Child as she was, his words made tb
sunshine brighter, and lent enchantment T.
the atmosphere of her existence.
1he long j une days came encircline the greer
earth with corona of roses, and making it red
oient with perfume; aud in warm noon tide
hour the children strolled to the hill. and Gins
tering together, told over their childish homes
OF the future. Some were lured by ambition
some dreamed of country repose; some of CAV
CITY life, but there was one whose eve kindled.
AID " b ose fee blushed with enthusiasm, as he
spoke OF the sparkling blue waters, and the
brave ship that breasted them SO gallantly.
Ben Bolt was going to sea-. Capt Shiseley,
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 surprise from the children old haunts were
VISITED and revisited; they sat down in the
s1ade OF the old sycamore, and listened to the
musical murmur of the brook and the. drearv
hum OF old "Appleton's mill" exchanged keep
sakes, and promised always to remember the
merry, brave hearted boy whose home would
tie the wild Blue ocean.
Alice May did not join them. She was SO
1eiicate and tlnid, and the thought of Ben's |
departure filled her eyes with tears. so She |
would steal away alone, fearful of the ridicule
't her harder companions.
but one night Ben came to Mrs May's to
Did thcm good bye Alice stood by tie win
i'W watching the stars-wondcring what made
hcm so dlm-never thinking of the tears that
mined her eyes-as Ben told over his lopes
Joy iuIt She could not part with him IL ere.
she walked through the little door yard, and
'ood 6eslde.the gate looking like golden J
rowned angel In the yellow moonlight; and :
hen he told her over again how large she :
'ouid be on his return; that he would not dar, :
all her his little Alice, then as he looked :,
ack lngeringly, she laid a soft brown curl in u
is hand, saying: -
Il have Kept it for you this long, long time :
en-, ever since the day you brought me homo :,
rough the cold snow-do you remember ?" D
he dld remember, and with one passionate :,
rst OF grief he pressed her to his bosom and =:
6bed the farewell he could find no words for. -
ar not /, e. -. r, /
IS such to the quiet thoughtful Charlie Aller. a..
lose large dark eyes had stolen brilliancl nc
I'M ms book: and the laugh hing little Bell Ar -
er-Doth were laid to sleep in the old church y.
lu' "here the night stars shone over thei, ~
ives. others went to seek fortune in tho =, IA
"orids and some grew into miniature men =. -
women by their own firesides but Alice ~, ~,
was sun a child Yet she was little n,
er and her slight form more gracefully de An en'
oped; but there was the same angel lookino vo
ough her eyes as had wa ehed there in old. !"
days. She stayed at her home now, to rs -
her mother In sewing, their chief support
she was the same shy, sweet Alice that Rem oh m
had carried through the snow. "e
sen Bolt had come back How strange that a..
years should have passed So quickly. and s.". ..e
niger stlli that this tall handsome sailor Lan 10.
nd be Ben Bolt. Kate Ashly was not oIc ,,:
king of sweet Sabbath day rest, as the an an
mes OF the church bell foated through TIE ohI
'ge: there she stood before the mirror ar =
tv bonnet with e. L;..II Hei lant
blue bells. thinking if she should not fss.
tie Ben with her sparkling eyes; it would VI, s
delightful to have his chief attention du ai.e AT.
Nov
e thought she did look very beautiful. as Gins
, 80 INC service looking on the olden Som
,no;ad ID .nS t was Iairer one than hers, fore
- 1,c 90 ne saw INC sweet lace OF Alice gras
;, %i'n y, ""i o,o'eu eyes, ana long golden in Il
d lashes, shadowing the pale cheek. He the
ed In his bosom curl like the one nest | he n
SO. soft by her temple, and it was tails n n
keeping him from enchantment of other motl
:, s ling,
hen the service closed, Ben was thronoed how
ny Ola 1amiliar faces-they had so much beau
?, SO many things to speak of, so much to Year,
ss at his safe return, that it well nigh be- heart
reo nim- IL was very pleasant to be SO had
y "eieonHeu oy old friends, delightful to greer
oI oy,gones, and 1t was indeed Sabbath of AL
1or Ben Bolt. of II
eet Alice! All, how long and weary the knew
had been to her. Sometimes er bea,t into
within her, as she thought of the broad Ye
ou1 wnen she looked SO shyly at Ben sleep
nornlng and saw how handsome he had
y a heart-slckness came over her. and the BroI
inc fell but dimly at her feet. She knew
I'd hidden away in the depths of her n,ra TIL,
".i.' carry rove ana she strove to put rarty
ner Ior' %ouid ne think OF her now ? cy bro
! sas h no ~onaer 1hat she should slip her high
r hand In her mothers and steal quietly can pa
he joyous throng. ton il
'as Sabbath eve-one of the balmy moon and Ii
,'enlnes OF the young summer. Mrs. histor.
ad gone to visit sick. neighbor and AL part,
by the window with the Bible open, and in fra
nder white fingers pointing to the worts tory h
: 81 ~ husicaiiy rom rom her lips travag
shaii pc no nls Mt there, and they Its nal
= canu,e' nei,her ngnt OF the sun !; for ton,
~ you giVetn tnem hight, and they shall proved
1f ever der.
looked tremblingly up in the moonlight GERS in
Sc DenInd In her knelt the manly form of Mates
olt There was told sweet story of Does it
d hope-not the less sweet for being when
susge Of every human heart-and the corrupt