Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1866-06-28
STORY OE TWO KISSES,

| / am an old man so old am / that,
, looking back, life seems very long, and
! yet SO short, that do not know whether
many things did not happen in dream.
| am hale and hearty, and merry, for the
matter of that and when l laugh, my
| laugh rings out clear and loud, they say !;
so much so that it makes the people
around, especially my grandchildren, and
nephews and nieces, laugh too. And
when L laugh, the old times come back
when others, who are silent now, laughed
with me, and then am suddenly still, and
the laugh dies away; and when L think
of it, its empty echoes fill my brain just
as if it was slcep-laughter in a dream.
When l stop laughing So suddenly-for
the merriment and enjoyment, and, for the
matter of that, the grief and pain of old
men, are short and sudden, like those of
children-my grandchildren and nephews
and nieces, have great difficulty to stop
too: and they choke, and nudge each
other, uncle almost as good as the story
you told us yesterday"
Told you yesterday; let me see what it
was that l told you yesterday. How
long ago It seems; it must be longer ago
than the time when | was only twenty
| years old, a stalwart, brave fellow in yell
low breeches, black leggings, a heavy
brass-bound leather helmet with white
plume tipped with red, and a clanking
sword which | now could not lift with two
hands. l was a royal volunteer then,
prepared to resist the French and L and
some of my companions were encamped
in white tents on the coast of Kent.
Yes; people think me very merry
And so, bless Heaven! l am; for try
to stand upright, four-square to the world,
as man should but, being an old man,
l have blank places in my heart now,
where no love grows; barren spots in my
memory, and chill and numbed parts in
my feelings whereto L cannot look back ;
and whereon | dare not tread and touch
lest sudden pain should come back, like
to the shooting Of an old, old wound.
| Been in love? Yes, L should think 1
have; ; how else could | have grandchil-
dren, those people who laugh SO hearty
! when l laugh, and make me tell how old
am score OF times, and say how well |
am looking.
Been in love? l think I was talking
OF that, was / not? Yes, been in love
Well we just did love when was a young
fellow, and recollect my Alice, and rec
ollect her as l loved her when she was
very young, and as l love her now. I
think that she could do anything but drink
and smoke, or tell an untruth, or do a
wrong action. Her face was a sweet oval
face her hair very dark brown, nearly
black; and her eyes deep blue, full of
merrlment at one moment, ay, at all mo-
ments, except when she heard sad story
or was touched with pain for any one else.
and then they grew deeper and deeper as
they filled with tears. Not for herself
She never cried for herself that | know of
tor she never had days illness.-But
she was terribly cut up when her poor
brother died, and that you see was how 1
knew her. Her brother was nv right
hand man IN my company the
time he stood shoulder to me, good at drill,
good at song-good at anything. He
used to live near the coast and, indeed.
he joined us, and L was one of his tent
fellows, and his chum.
Well he knew people that 1 knew, and
we were soon friends and he took me
home to show me Alice. He was always