The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-04-10
MARY MOORE.

all my life had loved her.
Our mothers were old playmates an,
first cousins. Ny first recollections ar
of a boy, in red frock and morOcc'
shoes, rocking q cradle, in which re
+ posed q sunny haired, blue-eyed baby
not quite year old. That boy wa
myself--Harry Church; that baby wa
Mary Moore.
Later still, / see myself at the old
schOOl-hOuse, drawing my little chais,
up to the door that Mary might rid'
on such occasions, for other boys be
sides me liked her, and she, / fear, wa
something of a firt, even in her pima
fore. How elegantly she came trippins
down the steps when I called her name
how sweetly her blue eyes looked a.
me, how gaily rang out her merry
laugh. No one but Mary could evel
bring her heart so near her lips. I fol.
lowed that laugh from my days OF
childhood till | grew an awkward
blushing youth; / followed it through
the heated noon of manhood; and now
when the fr0sts of age are silvering my
hair, and many children climb upon my
knee and call me father [ find that
the memories of youth are strong, and
that even in gray hairs I'm following
the music still.
When was fifteen the first great sor-
row of my life came upon my breast.
was sent to school, and was obliged to
| part with Mary. We were not to see
each other for three long years. This
to me was like q sentence Of death, for
Mary was like life itself to me. But
hearts are tough things after ali.
left college in all the flush Of my
nineteenth year. was no longer awk-
ward or embarrassed. had grown in
to tall, slender STRIPPING, with very
| good opinion of myself both in general
and particular. If / thought Of Mary
| Moore, it was to think how I could
| dazzle and hewiider her with my good
looks and wonderful mental attain
ments, and never thinking she might
| dazzle and bewilder me still more.
! was a cOxcOmb, know, but as youth
and good looks have fed, / trust that
may be believed when I say that self
cOnceit has left me also.
An advantageous proposal was made
me at that time, and accepting it, gave
up all idea of q profession, and prepared
to go to India. In my hurried visit
home of two days saw nothing of
Mary Moore. She had gone to board
ing-school at some distance, and was
May. uttered O sigh to the memory
of my little blue-eyed playmate, and
then called myself ga man" again.
In q year, / thought as the vehicle
whirled away from our door, will re-
turn, and it Mary is as pretty as she
used to be, why then, perhaps may
marry her.
And thus I settled the future of
young lady whom / had not seen for
four years. / never thought of the
possibility of her refusing me-neyer
dreamed that she would not condescend
to accept my offer.
But now | know that had Mary met
me then she would have despised me.
Perhaps in the scented and affected stu
dent she might have found plenty of
sport but as for loving me, ] should
perhaps have found myself mistaken.
India was my salvation, not merely be-
cause OF my success, but because my
laborious industry had counteracted
the evil in my nature, and had made me
better man. When at the end of
three years, / prepared to return, l said
nothing of the reformation of myself,
which knew had taken place. They
loved me as was, murmured to my
self, and they shall find out for them
selves whether am better worth loving
than formerly.
picked up many token from that,
and of romance and gold for the friends
/ hoped to meet. The gift for Mary
Moore / selected with beating heart;
it was ring of rough virgin gold, with
my name and hers engraved inSide-that
was all, and yet the sight of the little
toy strangely thrilled me as / balanced
it on the tip of my finger,
To the eyes of others it was but q
small plain circle, suggesting thoughts,
perhaps, by it's elegance, of the beauti-
full Write hand that was to wear it.
But not to mellow much was embodied
there--all these delights were hidden
within that little ring of gold.s
Tall, bearded, and sun-bronzed, I
knocked at my fathers house. The
light in the parlor window, and the
laughter, showed me that company was
assembled there, hoped that sister
Lizzie would come to the door,, and I
might greet my family when no strange
eye was looking caTelessly on.
But no, d servant answered my sum-
mons. They were too merry in the
parlor to heed the long absent one who
asked for admittance. A bitter thought
like this. run through my mind as
heard the sound from the parlor, and
saw the half-suppressed smile on the
servants face.
hesitated a moment before making
myself known or asking for any of my
family. And while I stood silent a |
strange apparitiOn grew up before me
from behind the servant peered out a
golden head, q tiny, delicate form and |
sweet childish face with blue eyes, SO
like these of one who had frightened |
my bOyhOod, that started with sud- |
den feeling Of pain.
"What is your name, my pretty ~ / |
asked. while the wondering servant |
held che door,
Mary Moore.
" And what else ?" I asked quickly. |
She lifted MP her hands to shade her /
face. had seen that very attitude in |
another, in my boyhOOd, many and |
many O time and answered in a sweet |
bird like. voice:
Mary Moore Chester
NV heart sank down like lead. Here I
was an end to all the bright dreams and |
hopes of my youth and manhood. /
Frank Chester, my boyish rival, who |
had often tried in vein to usurp my /
place beside the girl, had succeeded at |
last, and had won her away from ME. /
This was the child-his child and
Mary's.
sank, body and soul, beneath this
blow, and, hiding my face I'M my hands, +
leaned against the door, while my /
heart wepb tears of blood, The little
one gazed at me, grieved and amazed,
and put up her pretty lips ag 1t about
10 cry, while. the peTplexed servant
stepped to the parlor and called my