Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-02-21

At midsummer, on the breaking-up
day, when my little pupils were making
such clatter, that l could hardly hear
my own voice, L received a letter from
Marjory.
1t contained more of herself than her
letters usually did. They were general
| ly all "Alwyn-Alwyn," from begin
ming to end.
She said her husband was away on a
short journey, and she felt very lonely.
She dreaded more particularly longer
absence he was about to make; tour in
| Switzerland with his patron, the titled
! author, who, as she added, found it ut
terly impossible to travel without the
| agreeable mpanionship of Alwyn
Reid. And it would be great treat to
| Alwyn himself. Meantime she wanted
to come "home" (Which word was cal e.
fully erased, and "to the farm substi-
tuted to be with her grandparents and
me.
She came. Alwyn brought her. The
same afternoon they appeared Al my
| wicket-gate, just as they used to appear
| when he went and fetched her over to
| take tea with us.
That time might have been yesterday,
so like all seemed. The same yellow
ribes were in flower against the wall
| the same standard rose tree, large white
roses with waxen petals, OF which he
once gave her one, saying it was the
| very picture of herself.
| She stood and gazed, evidently with
an overfiowing heart.
| ooh, Alwyn! do you remember?'
Remember what, my dear?'
Every thing. In our courting days,
| you know
He sighed, half sadly.
Il fear | never 'courted' much, Mar
jory.'
| No; l should not have liked it if you
had; | could not have endured being
made love to- But we were so happy.
I was so happy. did not know that |
| loved you, OF you me-only felt so ha p-
py:'
sMayst thou always be happy, my lit
| tie white rose! Not one of us all de-
serves happiness so much!'
He staid with her at the farm for a
| few days; then he went away; and l
had my little sister entirely to myself.
! | saw great deal of her; penetrated
i fold after fold into the pure calyx of the
| white rose, and wondered at its rare per-
| fectness.
There are two distinct classes of our
seX-women whom men love and women
whom women love. Marjory was OF
the latter, and, though it be treason to
mankind to say it, the higher order
Her attractions were wholly distinct
from those 'of the earth, earthly which
gain young woman many lovers
Hers wonld be more likely to win her
only friends; but all she did win she
| won forever.
Watching Alwyn closely, during the
few days of his stay, it had seemed to
me, when the London rust was rubbed
Off him. that his nature was growing
purer and better-that toward his wife,
especially, a deep tenderness was spring
ing up. AS if his love, omitting the
passion time, had seized on the friend
ship stage OF married life, and was bios
soming out; like an auricule of mine
which obstinately refused to flower at
the proper season, but in the middle OF
August astonished me by putting forth
the prettiest bud in the world.
Iaugured that my brothers marriage
would some day become one of the many
instances of how almost impossible it is
for truly good man not to love no
BILE and lovable wife who loves him.
We spent very happy month, my
sister and |, in talking of his future, in
which was included both of ours. And
a little-a very little-of another future
so dim, yet SO near, so strange, yet SO
wonderously beloved, which as vet Law
in the Almighty's hand among unborn
souls.
On the last day of the month, the day
before Alwyn was expected home, Mar
jory came to take tea with me. She was
restless with joy-could not sit still for
five minutes-kepto on smiling and talk
: ing, turning over and over again my
books and work. At last she came to
my desk, where | had been making out
my midsummer school bills, and began
TO amuse herself with its contents.
j may, CHARLOTTE? You have no Sc
erets, l suppose? At least none from
me-
None. my child
And thanked heaven it was so--thst