The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-10-04


they died, she would say, in an, absent
kind Of way-"Oh, long time ago."
And with little smothered sigh, I
would 60 back to dream, or chase the but
terfies over the sweetest flowers.
'And the days went out and the days came in
as ever they come and 60,
Wearing robe Of summer green, or a.mantle of
winter snow"
l must 60 to school, they said; and
when I was dozen years old, there was
great trunk filled with I didn't know
what; and I was put into the coach, won
dering why the tears swelled up into my
aunt's eyes; for | didn't cry, then. l
learned that at school, where L. learned
many other things, some we'll enough in
their way-some it had been better for me
had I never known. ...
There were strange looks and covert
smiles at the old-fashioned dresses; that 1
didn't understand then. The old-fashion-
ed dresses we're worn out after while
but the friendships that were not offered
when | wore them, were not accepted when
| wore others of more modern style; and
l saw the end of my days of boarding
school life without having sought Or won
single friend. My uncle came for me,
then; he came with bowed form and
Grape on his hat, and took my hand in
his very ,tremblingly, as the tears, one
after another, trickled down his furrowed
face. ..
"She is gone, Myra-gone, and we are
alone-all alone"
"Who, uncle ?" .....
"Your aunt. Up yonder, Myra."
And he pointed where white, ghostly
clouds were sailing over the far-off sky.
"Dead, uncle? Aunt dead p
ono, not dead, Myra-not dead only
gone with the pale boatman over the
bridgeless river; only gone to land of
fairer skies and purer love than this-to a
land where the flowers never close and the
summer is forever"
That was the land of my dreams. Was
it true that [ should not see the land of
my longing with these earthly eyes p
Was it only in heaven that peace and sun
shine ever fingered
awe will 60 to Brighton, Myra; I can't
stay in the old house when she ism t there.
She was my first love, Myra-the one
love of my life; and 1 feel now that in
our devotion to each other, we were hard
ly just to you. We have loved you Myra !;
but somehow, l feel that your little joys
and sorrows were not-as they should have
been-a part Of our care / had not felt,
until now, how hard it was to be alone.'
[ took his hand in both mine, and wept,
l hardly knew why. I had never loved
my aunt; I had never loved any one, for
no one had ever asked me to; but the low
words of sorrow were SO much the echo of
my own soul, in its long quest for sympa-
thy, that the tears would come. Poor un-
Gle Warren? His heart was much wider
and more tender than | had thought it;
but | had never crept within it, for I new
er knew there was any room for ME, But
might I not, now? Might not almost
fill the place that aunt Warren had filed?
It might have been so, had he been left
with us but when the city spires were all
that rose against the arching blue of the
sky, again came the boatman pale, and
rowed him away through the unseen wa
ters.
/ had yet an aunt-the last of my kin
dred-and to her care was left. Gay
guests were in the rooms for my aunt
was wealthy, and my cousins beautiful +;
and used to sit alone in the shadow of
the curtains, wishing for just one to love
me. AS the unfolding of heavenly flow
err comes the memory of June day when
handsome man knelt at my feel and cal
led me beautiful-knelt and asked me to
love him.
What answer should I make him ?
did not know; but I babe him 90 away
then; and come again on the morrow
When the last echo of his footsteps had
! died away, i ran up to my little room,
locked out everything but the sunshine,
and sat down to think. 5il
} And he had stopped to call me beautiful!
HE, the noble, the gifted ! And stood
by the mirror, and put back the ourls of
midnight hair, and gazed long and search
4 ingly at the face that met me. There was
a pair of dark, flashing eyes: q white
face, that no wind could fan into rose
hue lips little too full to be naughty /;
and mass Of black hair, that might have
Ibeenf braided into diadem. Was it beau
tiful2 lie had said So ] Did love him !!
Thespiercing eyes that ] saw softened, and
I pressed my hands close over my heart,