Middletown transcript., 1870-03-12
Selrtt gtorp,
From Tie Democratic Advocate.
MY AUNT ETHEL'S SECRET.
BY sTRATHMoRE. j..

"'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at ALL"
looked up as | repeated the quotation
for felt sure | heard sigh from the oui-
ct corner where my Aunt Ethel sat in her
usual place. Tcnnyson is my favorite
poet aud this betrayal of her sympathy
with my taste made me pause in the pas
sage OF the exquisite "In Memoram'
had just been reading, and she met nv
gaze, half smile curling the lips that
never would purse up like those Of other
maiden aunts of my acquaintance.
Dear Aunt Ethel far back in my child
hood | remembered her as the same quiet
little figure in the same place in my faith
ers cozy back porlor. A face pure in its
expression as that of the Madonna that
hung on the wall opposite, soft, shining
braids Of auburn hair, folded away from
her fair, smooth brow, not wrinkle MARI
ed its intellectual beauty but the earnest,
almost mournful, expression of the brown
eyes seemed ever to my childish fancy tell.
ing tales Of sadness. How often | Won
dered what were the deep shadows that
lay in their depths!
This evening Aunt Ethel and I wer,
alone; my sisters Louise and Evalyn, had
gone out with brother Fred, and the youn
ger ones had all been sent to bed. Aunt
Ethers embroidery lay for once on the ta-
BILE by her side, and her hands were folded
IDLY in her lap. Of what was she think |
ing, with that far-away look on her face ? |
Could the sentiment had just read have
anything to do with her thoughts? After
a silence of few moments arose and
kneeling beside her looked up into her
eyes. She took my hands in her own.
and said in low sad tones:
"Lola my darling, do not read such
sentiments They are false, though as
Tennyson expresses them, very beauti
full. ="
why Aunt EIhel!" 1 cried, almost
surely you are only teasing
me. IL as bitter to have felt the emotion
of love once than to 60 through life unlov-
ed and unloving, even if we can only have
he memories of a lost love" When she
answered me her voice was full of pain
No, no, Lola, there is nothing in life
10 utterly miserable as heart bereft of
What was all its JOY and brightness"
L looked at my Aunt in amazement, in
Ill my life | had never seen her SO moved.
md my old suspicious were aroused.
Lost lost" she murmured as if for ,
5etting my presence, Cecil how wretch
d is my fate! Living, yet dead to me |
orcver! !''
sat quietly essaying to comfort her in I
ny childish fashion, by softly kissing the
aper fingers once on which the tears were (
lst falling. That evening was a new en- 9
'ode in my life. l felt intuitiyely that =
othin1g more must be said upon subject $
lat brought up memories Aunt Ethel E
'emed struggling daily and hourly to Il
'rget. v
My home at Longwood was a pleasant 4
1e. Every comfort and luxury that low a
e hearts could desire were scattered pro- b
sely around me, and yet loved Aunt n
thei and her quiet ways far more than n,
y elder sisters gay company and plea 10
res No change of any sort occurred in
It'll my eighteenth year, when Aunt Eth Il;
S health appeared to be declining. I in
as with her almost constantly after leay- M
G school, and it was at last decided that 70
should accompany her on visit South ~,
efore going to Florida where we intend g.
spending the winter, we concluded to he
'p for few weeks in the " Crescent Ci- ;o
:" How | reveled in those bright balmy }fe f.;
US, and the Partisan manners of those ";
lom We met, SO different from the cold tb
'mality of my Northern home, surprised p,
d delighted me- 10
On sunny afternoon we were riding No
the Boaleuarde, as the French call Ca. sw
Street, when my aunt complained of =
lgue and requested the driver to stop at wi;
Maason Dorce, an elegant establish on
mt, one of the best in the city. noted No
Its almost princely restaurants. The tb,