The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-04-29

Was friend, and friend was foe;
When life and youth. and love had truth,
And heart had faith to show.
Somewhere now woods are green and tender; %.
Somewhere hedgerows are filed :,
With buds; somewhere. IL winds befriend her,
The thrush begins tobaild;3'tR 0i5fe ss'
Somewhere no fears has Spring. no tears. {sGssg
For hopes that March has killed. y,...,s,.t q
Sing. thrush, Your songs of praise and passion;
Fill all the budding wood ~. g,
With music of that bygone fashion .'-''
Ny youth SO understood!
Now am old, the worlds grown cold, s! : . =
And God alone is good . ~ i'Sfs!-a ? 9
THE MIsERis REQUEST .
The hour hand of Philip, Acres old
fashioned silver watch was pointing,
to the figure 8, the snug red curtains
shut out the rain and darkness of the
March night, and thesfir snapped and
cracked behind the red-hot bars of
the little crate in q most comfortable
sort of way casting q rosy shine into
the thoughtful brown eyes that were
tracing castles and eoronets in the
brightly burning Goals. For Philip
Acre was, for once, indulging himself
in the dangerous destinations of day
dream.
"lfI were only rich!" hepondered
to himself, 4sAh, ifl Then good-by
to all these musty law books; good-by
to mended boots and. ldarned coats,
and all the ways and means that turn
a mans life into wretched bondage
Wouldn't L revel in new books and
delicious paintings and high-stespppiing
horses? wouldn't buy set Of jew
els for Edith-not pale pearls, or sick
ly emeralds, but diamonds, to- blaze
like links of fire upon her royal throat
Wouldn't What nonsense Pfn talk
ing, thought, he cried suddenly to
himself; "Phil. Acre, hold youl
tongue. 1 did suppose you were 2
fellow of more sense. Here you are
neither rich nor distinguished, but 9
simple law-student !; while Edith Wyl.
lis is far above your moon aspirations
as the Queen of Night herselfh Sht
loves me, though-she will wait-and
the timemay=one day come. If only
DIR. Wyllis were, not distrustful of {
fellow However, I must learn te
prove myself fworthy of the sweetes,
prize that ever-Halloo come in
there, whoever:you arei'
1t was only the serving maid of the
/ lodging house, carrying letter in the
corner of her apron, between her fin.
ger and thumb. ;zsss as-z9s 1Ez4a
"Please, sir, the postman has jus
left it."
CAL right, Katy. Now )then," h
added as the door closed behind Ka
ty's substantial back, "iet's see wha
my unknown correspondents has t.
say. A black seal, eh ? Not havin'
any rela ations to lose, 1 am not alarme,
at the prognostic.D' DJ59JII.
He broke the seal and glanced leis
urely over the short, business-lik
communication contained within, wit
a face thatsvaried from incredulou
surprise to sudden gladness.
Gam / dreaming?" he murmured
rubbing his eyes, and shaking himsel
as if to insure complete possession G
his senses. No, I'm wide awake
and in my mind its no delusion-n
part of my waking visions. But VIII
would ever suppose that old Thoma
Mortimer, whom 1 haven't seen sine
I was o boy of sixteen, and pickle
him out of the river half dead be
tween cramp and fright, would di
and leaye me all his money? VIII!
/, I'm not the shadow of relation; br
then I never heard that the old ma
had any kith or kin, so can't imas
/ inc any harm in taking advantage {
his freak. ,Rich-am 1 really to /
rich? Is my Aladdin vision to be a
d actual fact? Oh, Edith, Edith"
He clasped both hands over his eye
sick and giddy with the thought thi
the lovely far-off star of his adoratio
! would be brought near to him at la
by the magnet gold. All those yeal
of patient waiting were to be bridge
c over by the strange old miser's b.
8 quest; he might claim Edith now.
How full of heart sunshine were Il
!. weeks that fitted over the head of Il
a accepted lover, frightened by Edith
r. r. siniIe--made beautiful by the soft I
: !. dance of Edith's love. There WI
p only one alloying shadow-the almo
= imperceptibie9 touch of distrust al
suspicion with which stern old d
!, Wyllis regarded his future -in-la,
h All he feared to trust his only child
n. the keeping of any man who had n
been proved in the fiery furnace
trial.
n 1t was precisely week before ii
III day appointed for the, wedding, al
31s soft lightsSs veiled by shades of groul
1s glass, were j !st lighted in DR.. Wyll
drawing-room, where Edith sat anol
4 = u