The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-12-24

I home to show me Alice. He was always
| talking about her, and she about him and
when he was there, scarce look did she
| give me- Her brother-his name was
| Joe, and mine too-could do everything,
| and was the be-all and end-all of the world,
[ used to think and so one day [ tried to
run with Joe, and Joe beat me, and Alice
laughed and then shot against Joe, and
| he beat me too, and she laughed the more;
and [ wrestled with him and threw him;
J she didn't laugh then, but ran to see
| whether he was hurt, and said it wasn't
fair for Joe to tackle big fellow like me,
although he was nigh an inch taller. In
| short, could not please her anyhow.
Well, it was one day when we heard
that the flat-bottomed boats of old Boney
were not coming over, and that the army
of Boulogne had melted, bit by bit, away
| like 2 snowdrift, that we made a night OF
it, Ay, it was night, too and, being
| hot and in the summer, we must need keep
up the fun till the sun came up over the
seacoast looking red and angry at our fol-
| ly. Well, Joe and /, the two Joes, as
they called u.s. ran down to the beach and
washed our hot faces, and plunged in the
fresh, salt waves, and were in minute as
fresh and merry as larks. And after
! dressing, Joe must needs take walk with
me, who was nothing loath, you must know,
along the edge Of the cliff The seas for
centuries have been washing that chalk
bound coast, and at intervals there stand
up pillars of chalk, with seas around them.
The people call such place "No Mans
Land" and no man can own it, truly
Well, Joe came to one of those within a
few feet, say twelve, from the cliff, and
turning to me said, Joe, Junior" said he,
l think see his bright face now, l chal-
lenge you to jump on that No Mans Land,
[ do"
Joe" said I, hurriedly, ''don't be a
fool 1t maybe would give way at the
top, and if it did not, how could you jump
back without a run. You'd be struck on
the top like mad sentinel or pillar
saint. I'm not going to jump il"
''But [ am" said he. And before [
could stop him, if needed | had tried, he
took run and jumped.
1t was so sudden that [ could only stand
aghast when | saw him there. He stood,
indeed, for moment, and then he took a
back step, and would have jumped back,
when [ heard a Rubbing sound, and half
the top of the ''No Mans Land part, and
the chalk and earth, and Joe, too, fell
down with crash on the rocky coast be-
low.
| ran round the little creek to the other
side of a small bay, and throwing myself
down on the turf, strot tched my neck over,
looked over and cried out, ''Jce Are you
hurt Joev'
y faint voice came up, and [ could see
the poor fellow struggling under huge
piece Of chalk which seemed to hold him
down in agony. He smiled in a CHASTITY
way, and said, ''Run, Joe, run the tide S
coming in ~
Well, did run, and we got ropes from
the tents, and few strong fellows held
them as l swung over the cliff, just reach
ing poor Joe as the cold water was lap,
lap, tapping up to his mouth, taking away
his breath and then running back, crawl
ing over him and leaving bubbles of salt
foam, as if In sport. [ got him out, but he
could not stand. Some bones were broken
and he was badly bruised, so that [ was
forced to tie him to a rope, and they hauled
him up and we took him home
We'll, well 70 make long story short,
poor Joe died, with my praise On his lips,
and Alice bowed her head like broken
|
over it, and summer had grown into win
ter, and winter to summer, to autumn, and
to winter again. The threatening inya-
sion was all over; cur swords were getting
rusty, our uniforms dirty, and when the
holidays came [ left the firm III which
was partner, and went to spend fort
night at my old friends in Kent.
Alice was there, well and cheerful now,
and reconciled to her loss though we often
talked of poor Joe, and rs the days wore
on we grew closer together, and she called
me by name, and seemed to have trans
ferred her brothers love to me. She new
er told me SO or let others see it, till one
merry Christmas night, when she rejected
all her cousins and her other friends, and
would only dance with me.
We had the nistletoe too. At last, one
madcap fellow proposed that the ladies
should kiss the gentlemen all around when
and how they could and alice should play
too; and she, in solemn, quiet way, smil-
ing sadly, and yet sweetly, too, took me
beneath the Christmas bough, and kissed
me on the lips.
Ay, it's many years ago, but | feel ii
now. My heart beat so fast that [ hardly
dared return it; but [ put my arm around
her and took her gently by the bay win
dow of the old hall, saying, as [ pressed
her hand, ''Alice, dear Alice, did you mean
that kiss?"
WE'LL need not tell you what she an
: swered. IT'S fifty years ago, fifty years
ago and am surrounded by Allce's dear
grandchildren, and there Is one, little
thing with light and golden hair that vii
) deepen into brown, who plays around my
knees and tells me her little stories, hei