Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-09-10
Tbf',".' gepabIifan.,
A:rSs

fling along the saysrues wasever san
AdOnnis.l Bat he was. He con-
quered men and he captivatei NO.
men. and like most heroes and con
querors he knew his own power
My cousin, Mary Latimer and he
were neighboes. They played to-
gether first; then, as they grew older
they walked and rode, and boated,
while yet he was boy and she a
girl. Next came college, and way
he went. They said blithe good
bye and parted, nor did they meet
again until the long vacation. Home
came the handsome Algernon, no
more boy. Frank, familiar. buoy
ant, he was even more bouyant than
before. The swift years flew. Each
added a grace to her, a charm TO
him. He told her of his college life,
the mad pranks, the hopes the tri-
umphs. She told him Of the town
gossip. of the books she read, the
journeys she made, the friends she
gained! "My friend, Mary Lati-
mer," said Algernon to his college
companions, lis one Of the noblest
of women; We are the best of
friends" "My friend, Algernon
Ridley" said Mary to her mother,
is the brightest man in college. /
am very fortunate in having such a
friend. Don't you think so, mar
1t was curious how much she
talked of Algernon, how constantly
she congratulated herself upon her
good fortune in his friendship, and
how very intimate they were when he
came home. People seem to think
that Algernon and | cannot be good
friends without being lovers, mama:
how foolish people arer' Then Ma
ry told her mother little of the
heart history of her friend; how he
was idolized by the cleverest girls;
how they would fall in love with
him; how sorry he was. but what
could he do, and what remarkable
young man he was. needing, evident
ly, nothing but n firm and faithful
woman for friend, with whom there
was no danger Of falling in love-
Home came AlgernOn graduate.
For a few weeks he was to enjoy the
delights of idleness before beginning
the study of Lis profession. 1t was
summer; it was lovely country;
and almost every day, and almost all
day, Algernon and Mary were to
gether. She took her work into the
woods, and while she sat fair as q
nymph upon a rock, he smiled and
swung himself into the pine trees
with his stalwart arms, and hidden
i'm the green foliage, his voice rang
out in the warm silence of the
woodsin tone half gay, but strong
and sweet: - aalJ 7.@
$50 now my simmer task Is ended. Mary,
And return to thee, my own hearts home
As to his queen some victor knight OF fiery,
Earning bright spois for her enchanted DOME"
Then down he bounded. laughing, to
her feet, and said, "Do you know
that? 1t is the prelude to Shelley's
'Prometheus.' / like Shelley be-
cause he 0espised the conventions.
He thought the dismal old world a
fool, and he told it so. And who
had better right to tell it so? He
was poet. Hark. hear THAT wood
thrush, Shenstonz was poet, too,
whenhe sang 4at -fftf1.
az have found out g'ft for nv fair,
/ have forn6 where the wood pigeons breed,
Bu. let such plumber fcrhsar;
She will say twas n barlarOus deed;
For he ne'er could ;se true, she averrrd,
Who would rob poor bird cf her young;
nd loved her the more when heard
Such tender fall from her tongue
He looked up in her face as he re-
peated the lines. Fair as o wood
nymph, l say. Mary Latimer sat up
on the rock, and her busy fingers
flew and her eyes softly answered
his, and her happy heart was con-
tented with such friend.
"Busy, busy--always busy" he
would say. Mary, you country
girl, you village maiden, do you re,
member these lovely lines that gruff
old Ursa Major used to like to re-
peat?
"a verse sweetens toll. however rude the sound.
Still at her work the village maiden sings,
And a. she turns the busy wheel around,
Resolves the sad vicissitude OF things
Well, too must turn the busy wheel
around, although / am not exactly q
village maiden; and, Mary, / shall
want to hold in my hand some clew
to the dear old days; so you will
write to me, and we can be just as
good friends as ever"
With the evening they returned;
and so the summer days of idlencss
passed by-to her all poetry and mu-
sic, and manly beauty and fascina-
ton. He went, and Mary told her
mother about the correspo ldence.
Her mother was wise, and begged
ner not to consent. "Why, Mother,
how absurd! Algefnon and / under
stand each other perfectly. Our
friendship is purely Platonic. -
Then for an hour she talked Of him,
everything he did, re-
peating everything he said, until her
mother replied:
"Afary, it is q matter in which r1y
experience must decide. Unless
you love Algernon more than me,
vou will not write to him. When
vou see him you are conscious of
some faults. but they do not over
come your feeling for him. When
he writes he will seem faultless. He
has no right to ask 20" to give him
all your confidence. except upon one
-
Mary looked at her mother, and
burst into tears.
When she told Algernon that her
mother was unwilling that she sho'd