The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-10
TIME WORKS WONDERS,

lime WORKS WONDERS,
It was calm, bright night in the
lcafy month of.June, and tie yellow
moonlight lay sleeping on the deserted
streets and closed and silent houses of
the little village of Tcndale.
1t was eleven o'clock at nights "'rhe
time honest people were in bed" and
sound asleep, the worthy denizens OF
Tendale evidently thought; for not a
light could be seen except in the par
Tor window of Farmer Graham's white
house jnst beyond the church.
Every one in Tendalc wonld have
known why that lamp twinkled there
at that hour of the night, had been
awake to see it; for every one knew
that the farmers pretty daughter, Sal
lie, was, at that no, r. parting with her
lover, who was to leave the village in
the morning to ''seek his fortune
where so. many have found and lost
theirs-in the golden plalns of Califor-
MIA tS-.,.,,t
Sarah Graham, beauty and belle
though she was, thought herself the
most unhappy of human beings, as she
stood on the door steps beneath tho
shadows of the linden trees. and fel,
herself clasped, for. the last time, t.
her lovers breast.
''Oh, if yon should forget me, Oliver
should die!" she said earnestly as she
looked mp at him.
His was a fair, frank open face
enough, but there was a flash and
sparkle in the blue eyes that spoke OF
faithlessness, even then.
Forget you !" he said, with light
laugh that Jared upon her sensitive
spirit at that moment. ''Nay; is that
likely? Have not sworn myself away
to yon foreyer2 And where, among all
the Spanish senoritas and Mexican dom
mas, shall / ind face and form more
beautiful than yours, my peerless Sal,
lie? Sarah or Sallie means Princess
yon know, my pretty one. And never
was a name more fittingIy given than
here. eBgaes tsu }sta- ct
Well, it was all very true. She was
beautiful and stately, even then, in her
uniformed girlhood. Her, glass and the
eyes of her admirers had told her SO a
score of times. And she had been
pleased, ere this, to hear her lover of
ten praise that beauty; had been proud
of it, thinking how, one day it would he
all his own. But now they were part
ing. He was going far away from her
to remain many years. Only heaven
could say if they should even meet
again or not. And as the last caress
was given; she felt that she would
rather have heard some more earnest
and even prayerful word from the
yOnng mans lips than the praises of
her grace and beauty which he MUIR
INJURED to the last. Had he even said,
"G0d bless you, or "God protect my
love-" it would have have given some
sanctity to their parting. M
But no! TO the very last it was,
"My loved one, shall see no face like
yours till | come back to You again ~
Almost as if he valued and loved her
only for her beauty. she told herself, as
she stood there in the moonlight after
he was gone.
And then hating herself for being
wicked enough to give way to such a
thought, she went into the honse and
up to her own room, where, before re.
thing, she said a little prayer for the
loved one that at least could do her 10
harm.
The railway omnibus bore. Oliver
clayton away from his boyhnOd's home
the next moraing; and Sarah Graham
watched at her window as it passed
was rewarded 10y one brief glimpse OF
the bright, handsome race that was all
the world to her. How gay and happy
he looked! And yet he was leaving
her
Still, could she blame hims He was
young, ardent ambitious and the worlt
was before him. So she excused hin
to herself and to others, when the days
and weeks and months rolled them
selves slowly INTO years, and his let
tiers, frequent and loving at first, be
came cool, and far between.
Soslie waited, ''hoping against hope
and Keeping her trust and faith in hin
still, in spite Of his long silence an,