Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-03-30
MorI GaIe.
ONE SUMMER In BRIMFIELD.
BY TfIARA BIIIISG.

feeling Of faintncss and pain, a long
ing for that summer morning of year
ago, when the heavens bent over u
like the smile of God, when the rive
wound through the daisy-pearlet
meadows with waters clear as tn,
River of Life. .-..
Donald and walked together fo
the last, last time in the paths of tn,
rare old-fashioned garden, that ra,
down from the house to the river, anC
he gathered for me as we passed the
thickets and borders where they grew
knots of the pale pink roses, tufts O
the purple heliotrope.
Still the morning wore on. We
could hear the hay-makers singing and
whetting their scythes in the fields be
yond the river. A boat with white
sail came slowly floating down the
stream, and from it proceeded strains
of music and glad, girlish laughter
Right across the garden, in the old
barn, was hustle of preparation
The men were going to the bayfield,,
said Donald. He must follow them
soon. Would l go with him over the
river 7" No." | answered, 81 say
good-by to you this morning, ere the
dew be dry-havc you forgotten that
go home to-day 2"
We had paused i'll our walk. ]
looked down, scattering as did So
the leaves of the halffaded flowers.
managed, however, to secure one clus-
ter of the poor, faded roses, one tuft
of the dropping heliotropc, They viii
mind me, thought, of this and other
rare mornings, in the days to come,
when Donald is all Annals, and | an
/ forgotten. And they do. mind me OF
that fragrant summertime now, after
the lapse of so many years.
| was eighteen then--now l an
twenty-sevcn orGht certainly tc
have outlivcd all schoolgirl sentiment
But l am foolish enough now, to recall
with a strange, intense longing, that
year in Brimiield, the dreams dream,
ed, the whole enchanted time.
In the main, | am very sensible.
am a good sister to Mary and John
and do the best, most praiseworthy
acts for their little family | left then
all little time ago for some triiling
article from my desk, and right in my
way, as | opened a small secret draw.
er, lay this ebony box, that as write
lies open on the table before me con,
tanning heart-trcasurcs-precious rel
les Of that red-letter year in my life,
and instead Of going back to the cool
morning room, where Alice waits, and
where her great white baby crows and
laughs in its own sweet fashion, take
the box to the table and look over the
contents, as have many and many
times before. | take up the dry, faded
worthless leaves. There is little
fragrance in them now, faded and quite
dead are they, as the loves, the hopes
that bloomed and faded in that single
year.
! Donald has been indeed all Annals
have tried SO hard not to wish it 9th
erwisc. She loved him very tenderly
this always knew, even before she
made inc her confdant, in the year il
! which | first knew and loved her
Donald has Ieen blessed in his home
/ this have seen, because have beer
the true, cherished, faithful friend o1
both. | have gone in and out from
their beautiful home, and no one has
4 Guessed that have felt like one ban
ished from the delights, the joys o
paradise. ..
How the memories of the epocl
days of my life come crowding into
heart and brain to-day bethinl
me of day by the seaside, Donale
and | alone. Has he ever gazed int
| Anna's eyes as into mine that day?
| dared not read all they seemed clio
I quently to say. What might have
been had / done this? But Ann;
would have faded-died, perhaps
God has given me strength to wall
His ways alone. ....
Now that l can think of all calmly
do not regret that | said to my owl
heart" Be still, for Annals sake.
On that day-day above all days !
feigned not to heed the low-spokel
words of tenderness that appealed t
all my heart. had heretofore neg
lected his slight gifts of flowers an,
books, and that morning threw deli
cate shells, that he had been at inf
mite pains to gather, back into the iieb
lie sea. =" know You will and shoul'
marry Anna West" | considered
Therefore | was not surpriscd-wa
: not thrown off my guard, when h
said to me that morning among tn
. roses
Margaret Damer, stand here
Let me see your face. | shall marr,
: Anna West, this soon.'
:" knew it before l answered"
congratulate you
He should have left me then bu
he did not. He gathered both m
hands in his, looked strait into IN
eyes, and said r.as
" Margaret, do you care?"
|, "Why should ?" | answered car,
lessly-"Why should weep and /;
, ment when two friends, dear to M
dear to each other take each othe
for better, for worse p Marry Al
, ma make her happiness. BY and b,
according to the usual course of event,
| shall follow your most worthy exam
| pie. Now goodby,' said bravely, a
| would have left him. 1--WE hav
|, prolonged our leave-takings. onl
intended to have said farewell to yo
in the briefest possible fashion, an
here | have absolutely wasted tw
hours in the performance of the cert
. mony. One word more, though
, Don't, if you and Anna care for me, il
I vite me to your marriage--one is tn
exact counterpart Of another. So Il
me stay at home quietly, and read tn
church service, and think how brave