Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-12-23
THE TWO KISSES.
A CHARMING CHRISTMAS STORY.

! that do not know whether many things did
not happen in dream am hale, and hearty,
aud merry, for the matter of that; and when
laugh, my laugh rings out clearly and loud, they
say; so much so that it makes the people
around. especially my grandchildren, and neph-
ews and neices laugh too. And when l 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 [ think of it, Its empty echoes fill my
brain just as if it were sleep laughter in dream.
When | 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
children, and nephews and nieces, have great
difficulty to stop too and they choke and nudge
each other and say that is good story, uncle
almost as good as the story you told US yester-
day.
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 leggius, heavy, brass
bound leather helmet with plume tipped with
red, and clankiug sword which | now could
not lift with my two hands. | was royal vol
unteer then, prepared to resist the French and
| and some of my companions were encamped
in white tents on she coast of Kent.
Yes, people think me very merry. And so,
thank Heaven, am; for [ try to stand up
right, four-square to the world, Is man
should but, being an old man, | have blank
places In my heart now where no love grows
barren spots in my memory, and chilled and
numbed parts 10 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 [ have |;
how else could | have grandchildren, those peo-
pie who laugh so hearty when | laugh, and
make me tell how old | am a score of times,
and say how we'll am looking?
Been in love? l think | was talking of that,
was [ not? Yes, been in love Well, we did
love when [ was young fellow, and L recollect
my Alice, and | recollect her as | loved her
when she was very young, and as l love her
now [ think that she could do anything but
drink and smoke or tell an untruth, or do a
wrong action. Her face was sweet oval face /;
her hair very dark brown. nearly black aud
her eyes were deep blue, full Of merriment at
one moment, aye, at all moments, except when
she heard sad story or was touched with pain
for any one else, and then they grew deeper and
deeper as they filed with tears. Not for her
SELF She never cried for herself that | 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 broth
er was my right-hand man in my company
Manys 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 Joined US, and was one of the tent
fellows, and bis chum.
Well, be knew people that | knew, and We
were soon friends; aud he took me home to
show me Alice He was always talking about
her, and she about him; and when lie 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
all of the world, used to think and so one
day [ tried to run with Joe, and Joe beat me-
and Alice laughed; and then 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 an inch taller In short, | could not please
her anyhow.
Well, it was one day when we heard that the
hat-bottomed boat of old Boney were not
coming over, and that the army of Boulogne
had melted, bit by bit, away like snow-drift,
that we made night of it. Aye, it was night,
too and, being hot and In the summer, we
must need keep up the fun till the sun came
up over the seacoast, looking red and angry at
they called US, ran down to the beach and wash
ed our hot faces, and plunged iu the salt waves,
| and were in minute as fresh and merry as
| larks. And after dressing, Joe must needs take
walk with me, who was nothing loath, you
must know, along the edge of the cliff. The
seas for centuries have been washing that chalk
bound coast, and at intervals there stand up
pillars of chalk, with seas around them. The
people call such place mo Man Land, and
no man can own it, truly. Well, Joe came to
one of those within a few feet, say twelve from
the cliff, and turning to me, said, Joe, Ju-
nior," said he, | think see his bright face
now, 81 challenge you to jump on that No
Mans Land do"
"Joe," said I, hurriedly, "dont be fool ?
| May be it would give way at the top and if it
did not, how could you jump back without a
run? You'd be stuck on the top like mad
sentinel or pillar saint. I'm not going jump
| it.
"But am" said he. And before could
stop him, if indeed had tried he took run
and jumped.
It was so sudden that | could only stand
aghast when I saw him there. He stood indeed
for moment, and then he took back step,
and would have jumped back, when | heard a
rumbing sound, and half the top. of the INC
| Mans Land part, and the chalk and earth
|
rocky coast below.
ran round the little creek to the other side
of small bay, and throwing myself down on the
turf. stretched my neck over, looked over and
cried out, Joe, are you hurt, Joe"
A faint voice came up, and | could see the
fellow struggling under huge piece of chalk
which seemed to hold him down in agony. Ht
smiled in CHASTITY way, and said, Kun Joe
run the tides coming in y
Well, did run, and we got ropes from tht
tents, and few strong fellows held them as
swung over the cliff, just reaching poor Joe az
the cold water was lap. lap, tapping up to hi
mouth, taking away his breath, and then run
! ming back, crawling over him, and leaving bub
bles of salt foam, as if in sport. got him out
but he could not stand. Some bones wer
broken, and he was badly bruised, so that
was forced to tie him to rope, and they haul
ed him up, and afterward pulled me up, aud W
took him home
Well, we'll, to make a long story short, poo
Joe died, with my praise On his lips; and Alic
bowed her head like broken lily. 1t was
long time before she got over it, and summe
had grown into winter, and winter to summer
to autumn, and to winter again. The threat
ening invasion was all over our swords wer
getting rusty, our uniforms dirty, aud whe
the holidays came | left the firm 10 which Iva
a partner, and went to spend fortnight at M
/ old friends in Kent.
Alice was there, we'll and cheerful now, an
reconcied to her loss, though we often talke
of poor Joe, and as the days wore on we gre