The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-04-16
From the "New-York Ledger"
THE LETTERS ON THE ELM
BY NARY KYLE DALLAS.

What old, old elms they were.
Moss grown and gnarled, intertwi-
ming their long branches, like friend
ly giants embracing; creaking and
groaning mysteriously on winter
nights when the wind blew, flutter-
ing coyly in their fresh young foil
age on early spring mornings
Beautiful always, whether the sum-
mer sunshine kissed them, rich with
leaves, or whether they stood, brown
and naked, in bath of silvery De-
cember moonlight. s a.
The prettiest spot in all pretty
Hepburn was Elm Grove.
On one of those old trunks, you
might find yet, deep sunk within
the added rind of years, deftly-
carven true-lover's knot, tying to-
gether an E and an o. Perhaps
were you cunning in greenwood
lore, you might tell just how long
ago the sharp knife trimmed the
bark into those ciphers but you
could not tell how it wrought, or
what hand held it, or what thoughts
were in the brain, at whose bidding
the hand worked, unless 1 told you.
Yes, IL only. --
Sometimes, when the grove is
very lonely, I go there and look;
and it is as though I opened the
pages of dairy, for memories re-
turn, forgotten at all other times.
and I see and hear as I saw and
heard when those letters were
carved, the face and voice of Olive
Olney. ....- Hes r-- j..
wonder whether girl was ever
in love who did not at some mo-
ment write down by stealth her low
er's name and her own, for the joy
of looking at them together; or a
boy who did not once, at least, cut
them together somewhere. l had
come out into the grove on pur-
pose, and never at nay work, for I
was acaryer and glider by trade,
had [ taken more pains with curve
or flourish than I did with those
letters-O, for Olive, and E, for
Ellis, my own name Now whether
l meant to link the Olive Ellis to-
gether, as it'would stand if 1 could
ever win her, I do not know. It
was only my name and hers thought
Of at first, but when it flashed on
me, I turned scarlet alone in the
elm grove, though / worked on
more eagerly. rr5oal 8
1t was q careful bit of carving,
but I meant to cut it all away when
1 had looked my fill, and was stand
ing, knife in hand, when down on
my shoulders came plump palm,
and a voice said in my ear:
"Let's look at your work, Grant
Ellis; what is it you are carving
there % @ -.
1t was Olives voice, She had
come behind me unawares, and I
turned to find her all aglow with
exercise and fun her hair a crinkled
mass Of jet under her hat, with blue
ribbons her eyes dancing like two
stars, ready as ever to torment me.
I set my back against the elm,
hiding the letters with my broad
shoulders. / laughed back at her,
and said: i
'You can't see, Miss Olive. It's
a secret @
"Bah !'' she said ga secret cut
into the bark Of tree in such a
place as this. I can come back and
see it in an hour when you are gone"
81 shall cut it out before / 60"
",Then Til see it now"
stood resolute, a screen to my
hand work. e.. g. 'e.- .as -;z
She sat down on a green knoll.
II will look at that before I 60"
she said. s- ~s- t-.a
cat your peril, Miss Olive
"Eh-why.?" 1~ $3.50. @
Hooked at her. The fire in her
eye burnt me to the heart. aa
ou acW see p / asked.
"Yes." .ls5- sa-.
I stepped back. She came nearer.
co." she said, s'and E, and true
love knot" .=a s.5 ~-. fs.a r
30 E might stand for Olive Ell
lis" said /. II meant it for that :;
will you take the name, and me,
such as / am, with it ?'' l.
And that which / never hoped to
have courage to utter, was said,
and over. .4r0 ;ra
She paused and looked down. I
crept nearer to her [ took her
hand. She let me keep it. 1 kiss
ed it, She did not takeit from me.
Then I kissed her lips, and knew
that she loved me. .-.
What a silly pair we were. How
thoughtless of all prudent young
folks ought to think of. I was as
poor as one with health and youth,
some education, and trade, could
be. She at once rich and poor.
The 'pampered pet of a wealthy old
spinster, who had indulged her
since she took her from her dying
mothers arms, but who could leave
her penniless if it were her whim to
do so. And Miss Mobiles whims
were many and not all amiable.
AS for me, she had as soon fan =
cied the beggar at the church porch
suitor for Olives hand. I sung
in the choir with her, it is true, and
the village society was homely and
well mixed; but Miss Noble prided
herself on aristoeratic descent, and
had high views for her niece. With
her will, Olive would never be the
wife of a village carver and glider.
We knew that, and the first words
Olive spoke as we walked towards
her home together, were ::
"Aunt Noble will be furious"
At that, vision Of the grim old
maiden lady fitted before me, daunt
ing me little. 80 '- z5.5s;. SD