The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-30
THE TWO KISSES.

am an old man; 30 old am I that,
looking back, life seems very long, and
yet so short, that I do not know whether
many things did not happen in dream.
am hale, and hearty, and merry, for
the matter of that; and when I laugh,
my laugh rings out clearly and loud, they
say; 80 much 30, that it makes the people
around, especially my grand children,
and nephews and nieces, laugh too. And
when laugh the old times come back
when others, who are silent now, laughed
with me, and then am suddenly still,
and the laugh dies away; and when I
think of it, its empty echoes fill my
brain just as if it were sleep laughter in
O dream. .s
When I stop laughing so suddenly
for the merriment and enjoyment, and,
for the matter of that, the grief and
pain of old men, are short and sudden,
like those of children-my grand-chil-
dren, and nephews, and nieces have
great difficulty tc stop, too; and they
choke and nudge each other, and say:
'"rhat is good story, uncle; almost
as good as the story you told us yes
terday." rs3 -
Told yesterday! Let me see what it
was told yesterday. How long ago it
seems it must be longer ago than the
time when was only twenty years old,
stalwart, brave fellow, in yellow
breeches, black leggings, heavy, brass
bound, leather helmet; with q plume
tipped with red, and clanking sword,
which I now could not lift with my two
hands. I was royal volunteer then,
prepared to resist the French; and I
and some of my companions were en-
camped in white tents OH the coast of
Kent.
Yes, people think me very merry. And
g., tnank heaven, I am; for I try to stand
upright, four.square to the world, as a
man should; but being an old man, I
have blank places in my heart now where
no love grows; barren spots in my memo
ry, and chilled and numbed parts in my
feelings whereto cannot look back, and
whereon dare not tread and touch, lest
sudden pain should come back, like the
shooting of an old. old wound.
Been in love? Yes, should think I
have; how else could I have grand-chil-
dren, those people who laugh so hearty
when laugh, and make me tell how old
I am score of times, and say how we'll
am looking
Been in love? I think I was talking of
that, was I not? Yes, been in lovel
Well, we did love when was young
fellow, and recollect my Alice, and I
recollcct her as I loved her when she was
very young. and as I love her now. I
think she could do anything but drink
and smoke or tell an untruth, or do
wrong action. Her face was sweet
oval; her hair very dark brown, nearly
black: and her eyes were deep blue,
full of merriment at one moment-ay. at
oil ronyr,anfc r,hon ohn haor1
sad story or was touched with pain for
any one else, and they grew deeper and
deeper as they filled with tears. Not for
herself. She never cried for herself that
I know Of, for she never had days
illness. But she was terribly cut up
when her brother died, and that you see
was how knew her. Her brother was
my right-hand man in my company.
Many's the time he stood shoulder to
shoulder to me, good at drill. good at
song-good at anything. He used to
live near the coast; and, indeed, he join
ed us, and was one of his tent-fellows,
and his chum.
Well, he knew the people that knew,
and we were soon friends; and he took
me home to show me Alice. He was
always talking about her, and she about
him; and when he was there, scarce a
look did she give me. Her brother-his
name was Joe, and mine too-could do
everything, and was the be-all and end
oil of the world, used to think; and so
one day tried to run with Joe, md Joe
beat me, and Alice laughed; and then I
shot against Joe, and he beat me too,
and she laughed the more; and I wrestled
with him and threw him; she didn't
laugh then, but ran to see whether he
was hurt, and said it wasn't fair for Joe
to tackle a big fellow like me, although
he was nigh m inch taller. In short, I
could not please hex anyhow.
Well, it was one day when we heard
that the fiat t-bottomed boats Of old Boney
were not coming over, aud that the
army of Boulogne had melted. hit by
bit, away like snow-drift, thai we
made night of it. Ay, it was night
too! and, being hot and in summer, we
must need keep up the fun till the sun
came up over the sea-coast, looking red
and angry at our folly. Well, Joe and
1.-The two Joes, as they called us-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-along
the edge of the cliff. The seas for cen