Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-01-30
For the REPUBLICAN.
In Search Of the Romantic.
BY l.. RUDOLPH.


BY L. RUDOLPH.
Mother, L am afraid that Laura
Preston has forgotten her promise to
come to-day"
1t was Ada Leigh who spoke, tall,
slender girl with beautiful, blonde curly
hair, and large, dreamy blue eyes. She
was arranging some flower vases, and
glancing occasionally out of the WIN
dow, to look for her expected visitor.
sThere is Laura now, coming down
the lane with Anna"
Ada left her flowers and fastened to
meet her.
81 was just beginning to despair of
your coming. Oh! how glad 1 am to
see you.r .t..sE L-5 rsi-s
And.I am very glad to see you
again. You don't know how much 1
have missed you"
"Not more than missed you. Laura,
1 was so tired of city life sometimes,
and thought if was alone with you,
in some wild, old haunt of ours, 1 would
be contented. We must take stroll to
the rocks after dinner.'' .
The visitor, Laura Preston, was two
years younger than her friend, Ada
Leigh. There was slight resemblance
between the two. Hair and complexion
were the same, but Laura's eyes-were
gray, and she was of a more petite fig
ure. They were firm friends, and not
having seen each other for a year, their
meeting was joyful. In the afternoon,
they started off for the woods, taking
with them volume of Bryant's poems,
and followed by the dog lion.
"Where now?" asked old John, who
was cutting wood.
"1n search of the romantic" ans
wered Ada.
"What new-fangled herb mOught
that be-" muttered the old man.
They soon found the romantic. 1t
was beautiful place, "deep in the
woody wilderness" There were huge
rocks overgrown with ferns and moss,
and up to one ofthese led rude flight of
steps thrown up by natures own hand.
Ada broke the silence by saying
Welcome my old retreats. How
grand and solemn these rocks appear!
How often have 1 come here and dream
ed, Well, some of my dreams have
been realized. Come, let us ascend"
They went up the rude stairway of
stones. Laura exclaimed:
"Now, l must read Gods First Tenn
pies"
"Yes; do, that will be appropriate"
Laura read in clear, musical tone,
and all around was so calm and lovely,
that the heart must partake of the
quietude. When through, she laid the
book aside, and said,-
"Ada, let us talk of old times, when
you and I sustained the relation of
teacher and pupil.
How things have changed since then.
You were supposed to be an heiress TO
your wealthy uncle's property, the fu-
ture owner of the MilwOod estate; but
his will discovered that his whole for
tune was given to his wife's nephew,
and that you were left dependent upon
yourself for support; and now you
teach the school which 1 formerly
taught. can hardly realize it. Have
you ever seen Percy Hamilton, the for
tunate heir?"
."No. He was in England when un-
Gle died; but he is expected here soon,
to take possession. People say he is an
excellent man, worthy of the fortune.
Oh! the loss of wealth is not the most.
There is poverty greater than poverty
of purse-poverty of heart"
"Why, Laura, you have Il wealth of
affection"
"But none to bestow it on but you.
If had parents, brothers and sisters to
love as you have, | would be happy
but, Ada, you don't seem happy. BY
the way, did tell you that Hugh Gill
ford is spending a few weeks in the
country? l saw him yesterday at Mr..
Snyder's. All. half suspect that you
have stolen his heart"
Ada blushed but made no reply; and
then in the silence that followed, she
thought of Hugh Clifford. There years
ago, he had spent the summer in the
country, and had boarded at her IA
theirs. Ada was teaching the district
school, anxious to aid her parents to
pay for their home. The modest, pret-
ty, young teacher won Hugh Gilford's
attention, and the two were often en-
gagged in conversation. Huge Clifford
forgot all about his proud mother and |
sisters, and thought that if Ada Leigh |
loved him half as well as he did her,
she would not refuse to become his wife.
What if she was a country girl. She
was still talented, noble and beautiful,
and would soon learn the little rules of
polished society.
But Ada thought differently; and
when Hugh told her one evening of his
love and hopes, she coldly refused him
and he thought her cold-hearted, and
told her so. He did not know what it
cost her. He did not know that the
next evening, after the scholars had left
school, the tired teacher laid her head
upon the rude desk, and wept-wept be-
cause she was not Hugh Gilford's equal.
She loved him passionately; but he
was very proud. She knew that he was
wealthy and refined, and she was poor
and uneducated, and she would not have
him marry one of whom he and his
family might be ashamed.
But times had changed for Ada. Her
great longing for education had been
gratiied. She had been living three
years, with wealthy aunt in New
York; and now she had returned home