Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-11-09
MARY MOORE.
A PLEAsANr LOVE- STORY.

All my life long | had known Mary
Moore. All my life loved her.
Oar mothers were old old plsymatcs and
fis>t-cousins. My first recolIec lons are of
boy, IN . red iroek aud morocco shoes,
rocking q cradle in which reposcd = sunny
hai.sd, bluc-oyed ba5y NOT quite year old
That boy was my self-llarry Church that
blessed baby was Mary Moore.
Later sulI, ] see myself at the little
school house. drawing my little chaisc
up " the door that Mary might ride
home. May u beating have | gained
ON such occasions. for other boys be-
sides mo liked her, and shs, I fear, was
no nsthing Of tlirt. oven in her pinafore.--
How elegantly she came tripping down the
Steps when l called her name. How sweet
y her blue eyes looked up at me. How
gAily rang out her merry laugh. No ono
but Mary could ever bring her heart 70 soon
u her lips. lfolls~cd that laugh from my
days Of childhood till grew an awk ward
b!ushing youlh--l followed Il through the
heated noon Of msnhood-and nov, when
tho frosts Of sgc arc silverins my hair, and
many children climb upon my knee aud call
me "fAthcr," find that the memories Of
youth are strong, aad that, even in gray
"u tVhowsns, tht otlti
When | was fifteen the first great sorrow
Of my life came upon my heart. was sent
10 school. aud WAS Obliged to part with
Nary. We were not to see each other for
three long years. This. 10 me, was like .
sentence Of death, for mary was like life it,
sulf TO inc. But hslr:s are tough things az
ter all.
l left college In all the flush and vigor o!
my Nineteenth year. l was no longer awk-
ward and embarrassed had grown into n
tall. slender stripping. with . very good
opinion Of myself. both in general and par
ticulsr. II thought Of Mary Moore, il uss
10 imagine how could dazzle and bswildsr
her with my good looks and wonderful
mental attainments, and never thinking she
might dazsle and bsw,ldsr me still more.
MAS . ooxcomb, know but % youth and
good locks have He'd, | trust that may be
believed when cay that sell. conosil has
lett mo also.
Al advantageous proposal was made TO
ins ct that time. and accepting il, gave up
all idcs Of profess,on, and prepared 70 30
to India. In my hurried visit houe of two
days. I saw nothing Of Mary Moore. She
bad gone to boarding school q some die.
ssses, and was cot expected home until the
following May. uttered one sigh 10 the
msnosy ef ny Gttls blas-eysd playmate,
end then called myself ~ man" aeaia.
10 . pear, I sAsseha - The vshicle
whirled away from our dssr, h year, o.
three years ~ the verv 0osl. will return,
end u Mary 10 - pretty - she used to be,
Why. then. perhaps may marry her.
And thus sstded the failure Of young
lsdy whom bad not seen foe four ysass. -
never thought Of the possibility Other r.
fusiue ms-aevss dssamsd khal abe would
mot condeseend 20 ascept nv offet.
Das nov kGeo shAt had Mary moA ne
ehen. she would have deeplssd Ne. Pr.
haps In The scented and affected student
she Night have found plenty Of sport: but
- for loving ne. q feeling the slightest in.
forest Ia me. should have perhaps found
myself mistaken. India was my salvation
not merely because o. my success, but be
cause my laborious industry had counter
acted the evil TO my nature. and had made
me better man. When at the end o.
three yeers l prepared to return. said no.
thing Of the reformation 10 myself which
knew had taken place.
They loved me - Was, murnured TO
myself, and they shall find cut for them.
se'Ves wnssner l am better worth loving
than formerly.
packed up many token from that land
OF romance anu gold, for the frieuds hoped
~ meet; the g'it Tor Mary Moore l selected
Wins oe.nog heart, Mwas . ring Of rough,
virgin go'os with my name and hsrs en-
graved insids-that vas oil ana v.s ~.
sight Of the little toy strangely thrilled ms
- balanced il upon the tip u NV f,c,s.
IA thu Ov~a A. fhn mAhae "a