The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-08-11
One of Many.

trees stand laden with apple blooms, whose
delicate perfume floats in the twilight air,
lust as it did four years ago tonight.
There is nothing changed about this old
place as ! look upon its picture now.
There stands the stone-curbed well, over
which the long sweep hangs with its dang
ling bucket, moss-covered and dripping
monotonously-just as ever There is
Carlos kennel, and Carlo himself is lying
there, with his nose upon his outstretched
paws, and his eyes closed lazily; precise
ly thus he lay as looked out this window
four years ago this hour. | can hear
Kate and Bess and Dick and Duke stamp
ing with their iron hoofs in their stables
in the old red barn; and over the top of
that same tree that bears the golden
sweets, peeps the wooden weathercook on
the roof of the hay-shed. The doves
have been flying in and out Of their cotes
over the wide door for the past hour; and
the swallows not yet gone to sleep, are
squcaking and chattering in the caves over
head. There bangles the swing under the
oak Yondcr comes Philip whistling up
the road. He has changed no more in
these four years than if he were an image,
instead of being, as he is, middle aged
serving man. Everything my eye rests on
is lust the same | wish it were not
How can the world 90 on so unchanged
1t seems as if | had been dreaming here
bv the window in the sun of the warm
May afternoon, and had just awakened in
falling. Was it my wedding night this
four years ago!
Yes. There, on the bed within this
room, my boy is sleeping. Here on my
finger is my wedding ring, and l kiss it !;
and it is cold to my lips as his forehead
was Here are my widows mourning gar
ments. | am twenty-five. | was eigh-
teen when Frank drew me to his heart,
here in this very room. He called me his
darling, brown-eyed bride Oh, how |
loved him. You ladies who live in cities,
and whoes lives are crowded with events
who have Lowell and mloyed one man after
another whose hearts were older at eigh-
) teen than mine is this day, even after all
its deep JOY and sorrow-you cannot know
how loved my husband.
He was the only one | ever loved. re-
member, the only one. My father was SO
stern with me. that him never dared tC
5 love. My mother died when was little.
and my father kept me always under hi:
eye, permitting me no such pleasures as
those that country girls generally have, and
books were my best companions There
were picnic parties in the woods in sum
mer and husking bees in autumn and Other
merry makings of which l never saw.
Almost my only knowledge of life outside
my own home was gathered from the Gimp
r ses got of the nelghbor-people on Sun,
= days at the little church which where al
the farmers on Morton Heights met to wor
. ship. and still do. 1t was there that
first saw Frank-when was little cur
!. Iy headed girl, and he was blue eyed bo,
Of five years my senior. There saw al
| ever saw of him, till | was sixteen, an'
he was home for the college vacation.
met him then. one afternoon as was com
= inc home from neighbor's house, and h
. walked along my side loved him tha
= hour with my whole soul and during tn
two years following | learned to find m.
sweetest happiness in his smiles, the thrill
$ inc touch of his hand. and soft words O
love he spoke to me- and at last too
IN sunk in the trcmor of unutterablc happl
- ness upon his breast when he asked me t.
be his wife.
. Can You wonder, then; that the wed
- din. night OH which he made me his, wa
dazzling in its brilliancy to my eyes?
was almost intoxicated with the nOvelt
IS. and joy of that scene. The great room
of Squire Moreton's house were like thos
v, of palace compared to the humber HON
where | had been reared, and it was thel
that we were married, for Frank wishe
it so. The crowding guests, the gleamin
ed lights, the marriage ceremony, the COZ
gratulations, the whispering joy of m
husband as he bent over me, and the ode
$ of apple blooms pervadins all, seemed lik
Il beautiful dream then, seems like dreal
. now, with the orchards bloom alone, r,
naming
-. Do you believe me exaggerating when
say that would have yielded up my Ii
: unmurmuring for my husbands sake?
:. you do, it only shows that you have 1
conception of love bore for Frank.
was wrong to love man SO, perhaps b.
n oh, | was 50 happy! He was my all, T
Il member. On him / lavished the lol
he boarded affection of nature whose dept
ar no mortal being looked into before hil
ne My heart would leap with gladness at Il
n. sound of his voice at distance. kne
a his footsteps so well that would 60
NO beyond the gate to meet him when he w
nd coming up the road His kiss was heav
.u- to my lips, and the fond glance of his bl
lld eye would thrill my being to the core.
ner You may wonder that consented
vas part with Frank when | loved him 80.
to was because loved him as | did that
- could not oppose him when he told II
md his face all glowing with enthusiasm, tn
he wanted to raise company for the w;
at Then he talked 50 eloquently about it,
ian eyes shone with such lustre and his vo
nd, had such cheer in it, as he spoke of goi
ork forth with his comrades to fight in defer
my of the dear old flag, how could put
lng my selfish protest?
yer But | clung to his neck with silent f