Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-12-22
A STORY OF TRUELOVE
BY F. II. CARLoUGH.

hS6iO Aiooh anu L udo lONcO cdCl
other from childhood. At first il
was a mere childish passion, but ii
ripened and strengthened with ma
turer years. With all the natural
ness and hope that became our ages,
we looked forward to the future with
happy and eager anticipations.
Many a castle built we, that lowered
high in the air, and many ship we
sent out to sea-ships that were Ia
den with hopes and fears, withal a
precious freight; but the lofty
castles we had reared fell to the
ground mass of ruins, and our
ships, that had sailed forth SO aus
piciously, never came back to us,
but were, alas! wrecked and lost.
But whatever the future held in
store for us, we were in
the present contented and happy in
our own little way. Together we
wended our way to school, together
studied our lessons and rambled
over the green fields. l fought her
battles for her, and was as devoted
to her as any knight to his lady.
So great was our attachment, so
much our happiness concentrated in
one another, that we never thought
of separation. Never, indeed, in
our day-dreams, had we pictured
such an event; but still, despite all
this, fate decreed that we must
part.
Aggie was left an orphan, and her
Uncle Thornton, who was very
wealthy, was coming to take her to
his home in the city. 1 can remem-
Der with visible distinctness how,
after learning this, 1 instantly formed
dislike to him, simply because he
was going to take her from me, per-
haps forever.
How shall / ever forget the last
walk we took ere her departure! 1t
was a beautiful day in the spring,
when the flowers were in early
bloom; birds sang in the leafy
boughs of the trees, and at our IA
vorite haunt, where the little brook
let under the willow murmured Joy
ously, We paused. 1t was here, on
the messy banks of the brooklet,
that we sat down together where we
had sat so often before. 1 made
wreaths of the flowers we had gath
cred, with which 1 decked Aggie's
brow. How sweetly she smiled,
and how clearly her merry laugh
rang through the grand old woods,
when, after gently placing the
wreath on her head, 1 stepped back
wards to view the effect, and how
her cheeks flushed, and her eyes
frightened, when 1 became profuse
in my praise of her beauty.
1t seems but yesterday, that hap
py morning in the glorious spring
time of birds and sunshine and
fowers-the last time that we were
together in childhood's sunny cline.
"You will think of me often, Ag-
gle, willyou not?' said.
"Oh, yes, Robert" she replied.
81 shall never forget you"
What sweet words they were, and
how happy they made me! I re-
member how she promised to be my
wife, some day, and gave me a keep
sake, one little golden curl, in re-
turn for which 1 placed ON her finger
plain little ring, which had been
given to me by my mother many
years before! But now a mist steals
before my eyes, and blank seems
to come between Aggie and me.
Ten years had come and gone
since the parting between Aggie and
me-years that wrought great
changes both in the lot and sur
rounding circumstances of my life.
The boy of fifteen was now q young
man of twenty-five. l worked
steadily on, with only one desire in
view-that of once more seeing Ag-
gle and claiming her as my wife.
But still, doubt and anxiety con-
corning her came to perplex and
trouble me.
"She is rich and grand now," I
said, "and no doubt has forgotten
the playmate of her childhood in all
these long years."
1 had never seen or heard from
Aggie since the day we parted, al
though her image had never been
absent from my mind.
l tried to picture to myself the
changes ten years must have wrought
in her, but in spite of every effort a
sweet, mild face, with its bright blue
eyes, little ruby lips and snow-white
brow, over which many golden
curl had found its way, comes be-
fore me and disperses all other WIS.,
ions.
Yes, ten years had wrought
changes--the old homestead, which
had for so many years sheltered me,
had been sold, and was now occu-
pied by strangers. They who had
gladdened it with their presence,
and who were dear to me, now slept
peacefully in the little churchyard
on the hill. / had left the home OF
my childhood, with many tear and
fond regret, gladly gazing back up