Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-06-21
"Robert-Robert Alison v' cried aunty

"Robert-Robert Alison v' cried aunty
again.
The young man advanced towards me,
and bowling, said-''My name is Robert
Alison"
Il knew i'll knew it.' cried aunty,
with almost frantic joy and rising from her
chair, she rushed to the young man and
threw her arms round his neck Poor aunty
had been dwelling in imagination upon her
old sweetheart and seeing his very counter
part before her, was lost to. all sense of the
possibility of his being the same person from
whom she ha parted forty years before. I
myself was puzzled, and it was some mo-
ments before it flashed upon me that the
person before us might be Robert Alison's
son. The voting man was seriously embar-
rassed, but kindly took the good old souls
embraces without attempting to disenchant
her. While she hung round him, calling
her fdear Robert, | explained to the young
man that | was her nephew, and that aunty,
who was fast sinking into dotage; had taken
him for his father, whom, as he might know,
she was attached in her youth. He said he
knew that. and that his father was coming
in presently. Meantime, aunty hung about
him, calling him by endearing names, and
reminding him of their sorrowful parting on
the old bridge.
':Don't you rembember, Robert, the old
bridge, and my faxen curls shining in the
wind that morning when [ came to say fare
well ? Come-come and sit by me - and
when the young man took a seat by her side,
she stroked his glossy curls, and; turning to
me said proudly
'tYou see it is jet black as I told you
black and glossy, and all in curls, just like
the one that he gave me forty years ago.
The candles were now alight, and as
aunty said these words, herseyes fell upon
her own lshrivelled fingers, which embraced
the fresh, young hand of her old sweetheart's
son. ''Forty years ago" !" she repeated with
sigh; ''dear, dear, what a foolish old wo-
man | am am wandering in my wits
Here she paused, and covered her face with
her hands. Atlength, she said, more calm
ly-'.I have been dreaming, young man, as
if time had been standing still for forty years
You can't be my Robert Alison, but you
must be Robert Alison's son. Look" she
said, before he had time to reply there
is-your portrait just as if you had sat for it:''
and SO saying she took the candle. and led
the young man to the picture. Meanwhile
"a knock came to the door. and an old gray
bearded man entered at my bi1dinr
Mistress Patterson ?" said the stranger,
inquiringly.
I stepped up quietly to him, and asked
him if he was Mr. Alison-Robert Alison
He said yes, and he wanted to see Mistress
Patterson Aunty was still standing witt,
the young man, throwing the light upon the
picture with her hand. said in whisper,
pointing to aunty, 'tthat is Mistress Patter-
son." The old man started, and seized my
arm as 1t for support. Aunty still steod
there shading the light, and the old man.
grasping my arm more tightly, remained =
gazing at her abstractcdly At length,
turning to me, he said in a low voice-ex-
cuse me, have sustained shock Forty
years ago. that was the prettiest girl in this
town; during that time I have thought of
her as she was then meet her now, when
both she and are verging towards the grave
[ shouldn't have recognised nay old sweet
heart, and [ dare say she will not recognise
me-" L went up to aunty and told her who
had come. She came forward to where the
old man was standing, with the candle still
in hand She gazed at his snow white hair,
and thin, salow face, and said calmly, hold
ing out her hand ''Well, Robert; and 50
we have met at last, after forty years D
eve have" returned old Robert Alison;
-''and having been old sweethcarts, there
will be no harm. in an embrace, especially
as am widower and you widow" And
the old man took aunty in his arms, and
kissed her right heartily.
[ fully expected a ''scene' but was
greatly relieved to find that the old sweet
hearts were by no means disposed tcbc SEN
timental. The old man and his son stopped
and supped, and, after supper, aunty grew
quite chatty and cheerful, and talked in a
light and airy way of old times And at
last she brought out Roberts black curl;
and the old man laughed and said he could
not supply any more according to that SAINT
pie. ''Nor do I suppose, Mistress patter-
son" he added, taking locket from neck,
'that you can execute an order according
to that;'' and so saying, he took out the
trcsses Of aaxen hair, which aunty had given
him on the old bridge forty years before
There were tears in aunty's eyes, as she
looked upon the two locks lying side by side
in her lap.
x X \ x y
Robert Alison settled down in his native
town, and was once more aunty s sweetheart
He was constant visitor at her house, and
often walked out with her to the old bridge
where they parted in their youth The
neighbors laughed to see the old couple al
ways together, and said pleasantly. that the
best thing they could do, since they had
been sWeethearts so long, was to get mar
ried. But aunty always said she had enough
of marrying.
Aunty did not live long after the arrival
of her old sweetheart The infrmities of
age came upon her very fast, and the last
time she went out she was wheeled in chair
to the old bridge, and Robert Alison walked
with tottering steps by her side
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