The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-11-07

dear old mother to my heart, and
grasped my fathers hand, while Lizzie
still clung beside me, l felt that all was
not yet lost, and though another had
secured life's choicest blessing, many a
Joy remained for me in this dear sane
tuary of home. f...- a..,r ~aee,I
There was four other inmates of the
room, who had arisen on my sudden
entrance. One was the blue-e eyed child
whom / had already seen, and now
stood beside Frank Chester, clinging
to his hand. Near by, stood Lizzie
Moore, Mary's eldest sister, and in a
distant corner, where she had hurried
ly retreated when my name was spo-
ken, stood tall and slender figure,
half hidden by the heavy window cur
tains that fell to the floor.
When the first rapturous greeting
was over, Lizzie led me forward with
timid grace, and Frank Chester
grasped my hand. iraa
"Welcome home, my boy" he said
with the loud, cheerful tones l remem-
bered so well. "You have changed so
should never have known you-but
no matter for that-your heart is in the
right place, l know" .a
Glow can you say he is changed 70
said.my mother gently. ''To be sure
he looks older and graver, and more
like a man than when he went away
but his eyes and smile are the same as
ever. 1t is, that heavy beard that
changes him. He is my boy still.''y
"Aye mother," / answered sadly,
81 am your boy still'
God help me! At that moment
felt like boy, and it would have been
blessed relief to have wept upon her
bosom, as had done in my infancy.
But kept down the beating of my
heart and the tremor of my lip, and an
swered quietly, as | looked in his full
handsome face. Ts.5a aaI ai3 3is
.'You have changed, too, Frank, but
| think for the better"
"Oh. yes-thank you for the compli-
ment," he answered with o hearty
laugh. 53t E. ze'a frfs
"My wife tells me grow b handsomer
every day." .f.-. 90.
ellis wife could I hear that name
and keep silence still ?"
Sand have you seen my little girl p
he added, lifting the infant in his arms
and kissing her crimson cheek.
81 tell you Harry, there is not anoth,
er like her in the United States. Don'l
you think she looks very much as her
mother used TOP" fHaa
"Very much," l faltered. -
''Hallo p cried Frank, with sudden.
ness that made me start violently. 81
have forgotten to introduce you to my
wife; ] believe you and she used to
be playmates in your young days-eh
Harry % and he slapped me on the
back. 'For the sake of old times, and
because you were not here at the wed
ding, | will give you leave to kiss hel
once-but mind, old fellow, you don'1
repeat the ceremony. Come--here she
is, and for once l will manage those
ferocious moustaches of yours, in the
operation"
He pushed Lizzie, laughing ant
blushing, towards me A CLEAN o
light and hope, almost too dazzling tt
bear, came over me, and l cried on
before | thought:
"Not Mary"
1t must have betrayed my secret t.
every one in the room. But nothing
was said-even Frank, in general 81
, obtuse, was this time silent. / kisse(
the fair cheek of the young wife, ant
( hurried to the silent figure looking ou
of the window. iHi .f'l ,at
, "Mary-Mary Moore" / said in .
, low eager voice. Have You alone NJ
welcome to give to the wanderer %
She turned and laid her hand in mine
and murmured hurriedly. t
&C | am glad to see you here Harry.
, Simple words-and yet how bles
they made me! l would not hav
yielded up that moment for an EN-
. peror's crown! For there was tn
E happy home group and the dear hom
fireside, and there sweet Mary Moore
The eyes had dreamed of by day an,
by night were falling before the arden
! gaze of mine-and the sweet face ha
D so longed and prayed to see, was ther
Y before me = more beautiful, NOR
t womanly, and more loving than before
y / never knew the meaning of happines
$ till that moment came .f
? Many years have passed since thu
4 happy night, and the hair that wa
2 dark and glossy then, is fast turnin
gray. am growing to be an old ma
s and can look back to long and happ.
S and well spent life. And yet swee
y as it has been, l would not recall singl
e day for the love that made my manhoo
!, SO bright, shines also upon me in m
It white hairs. An old man! Can thi
t be so? At heart l am as young as eve
a And Mary, with her bright hair parte
q smoothly from brow that has sligt
furrow upon it, is still the Mary of m
It early days. To me she can never gro
old, nor change. The heart that bel
. her in infancy and sheltered her piousl
:, in the flush and beauty of womanhoo'
D can never cast her out till life sha
l cease to warm it. Nor even then, ft
a love still lives in heaven.
= eW "There is no peace this side
the grave. 3" said distinguished clerg.