The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-03-19


himself so strangely. I heard light
step and pleasant voice, saying
DID you wish to see my father, sir p
1 looked mp. There stood a pretty,
sweet-faced maiden of twenty, not much
changed from the dear little sister I
had loved so we'll 1 looked after her
for moment, and then stilling the
tempest of my heart, by a mighty eff
fort, opened my arms and said +:
Lizzie, don't you know me ?"
Harry oh, my brother Harry she
| cried, and threw herself upon my breast.
and wept as if her heart would break.
could not weep. I drew her gently
into the light parlOr, and stood with her
before them all.
There was a rush, and a cry of ioy,
| and then my father and mother sprang
toward me and welcomed me home with
heartfelt tears.
! Oh, strange and passing sweet is such
a greeting to the way-wOrn traveller.
4 And as I held my dear old mother TO
| my heart, and grasped my fathers hand,
| whiles Lizzie elung beside me, I felt
that all was not yet lost; and although
another had secured life's most choicest
blessing, many q joy Temaine for me
IN the dear sanctuary of home
There were four inmates of the room,
] VIZ LAtA AAoCA OAA IL buINEtl El1bLAlCE.
/ One was the blue-eyed child whom I
had already seen, and who now stood
beside Frank Chester, clingiDg to his
hand. Near by stood Lizzie Moore,
| Mary's eldest sister, and in a distant
corner, to which she had hurriedly re-
treated when my name was spoken,
| stood a tall aud slender figure, half
| hidden by the heavy window curtains
that fell to the floor.
When the first rapturous greeting
was over, Lizzie led me forward with a
timid grace, and Frank Chester grasped
q Welcome home, my boyl" he said
| with the loud, cheerful tones remem-
bered so well. You have changed so
that nev;r would have known you
but nc matter about that, your heart is
in the right place, I know"
(" How can you say that he is chan
| ged 2" said my mother, gently. "To
be sure he looks older and graver, and
| more like man than when he went
away, but his eyes and smile are the
same as ever. It is a heavy heart that
changes him. He is my boy STILL"
aye, mother" I answered sadly,
g am your boy still" f"
Heaven help mel at that moment I
felt like boy, and it would have been
blessed relief to have wept upon her
bosom as 1 had done in my infancy.
Bat kept down the tremor of my lips,
and answered quickly, as looked into
his full, handsome face.
"You have changed, too, Frank, but
I think for the better"
=" Oh, yes-thank you for the compii-
ment, " he answered with hearty laugh.
My wife tells me I grow handsomer
every day"
His wife Could I hear that name
and keep silent still.
Aud have you seen my little girl ?"
he added, lifting the infant in his arms,
and kissing her crimsoned cheek. GI
tell you, Harry, t ere is no such other
in the world. Don't yo1 think she
looks very much like her mother used
to?
every much, I faltered.
Halo r. cried Frank, with a sud
denness which made me start violently,
81 have forgotten TO introduce you to
my wife; / believe you and she used to
be playuabes in your younger days
yes, Harry" and he slapped me on the
back" for the sake of old times, and
because you were not at the wedding, I
Will give you leave to kiss her once, but
mind, old fellow, You are never to re-
peat the ceremony. Come, here she is;
I for one want to see how you will
manage those ferOcious mustacbes of
yours Ia the operation"
He pushed Lizzie, laughing aud
blushing, toward me. A CLEAN of light
and hope almost too dazzling 10 bear.
came over me, and 1 cried out before I
thought, " Not Mary"
I must have betrayed my secret to
every one in the room. But nothing
ucf1 ErovaIr erannVo1 &c, ],
tuse, was this time silent. / kissed the
fair cheek the young wife, and hur-
ried to the silent figure looking out of
the window.
" Mary-Msry Moore % I said in
low eager tone, g have you no welcome
to give the wanderer ?"
She turned, and laid her hand in
mine and said hurriedly--
I" 1 am glad to see you here, Harry.
Simple words and yet how blessed
they made me. I would not have
yielded her up at the moment for an
emperor's crown. For there was the
happy hymn group and dear home fire.
side, with sweet Mary Moore. The
| eyes had dreamed of day and night
we're falling beneath the ardent gaze of
mine, aud the sweet face had so long
I prayed to see was there beside me. I
never knew the meaning of happiness
until that moment.
Many years have passed since the
| happy night, and the hair that was
| dark and glossy is fast turning gray,
I am now grown to be an old man, and
can look back to a happy, and hope
a we'll spent life. And yet, sweet as it
has beer, would not recall a single
day, FOR the love that made my man
hood so bright, shines also upon my
white hairs.
An old man Can this be so? At
heart, 1 am as young as ever. And
Mary, with her bright hair parted
smoothly from brow that has a slight
| furrow upon IL, is still the Mary of
other days. To me she can never grow
old or changed. The heart that held
her in infancy and sheltered her in the
flush and beauty of womanhood can
never cast her out Till life shall cease to
warm it.