The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-11-18
MISCELLANY.
HOMEWARD G0UND.

friend Ralph Hay. Edwina Edwina y
She turned her face as he called her. and
looked at us. have never seen anything
like her before, nor had ever heard her name;
both were unique, both I thought beautiful
Whether any one is really so, it is hard to de-
termine. That every eye makes its own beau
ty, is a truth as well as provero.
She suited me- that small, dark, crimson
Tipped creature, as 1.-THE as a gazelle and al
most as shy
saw in the glance that she gave US that
she hesitated between advancing and run
ming away when she heard her name called.
The conventionalities got the better of her
bashfulness, and she turned and came toward
us.
"Miss EARL said Ralph, "ATr. Smith.
John, this my cousin Edwina."
She bowed, SO did l, and so my love came
into my life. TWAS the supreme moment Of
my existence, though / was not conscious of
it then.
knew that had met girl that liked,
that the day was bright, and the pleasant
country place pleasanter that it had ever
seemed before.
can see it now-the long green lane that
ended in a group of tall, dark polIards, the
cottage roof beyond, the white spre in the
distance, over all sweet, pink-tinted sunset
sky, and near by the tiny tinkle of the run
ming stream, the girl in the white Dress with
cluster Of scarlet flowers in her small hand,
walking between us.
had come to Ferndale OH a visit. Such
holidays as my business permitted me |
should spend there, and it was on my way
from the railway station ton friends house
that met Edwina.
She was his cousin, as he had said, and she
helped to care for the children, of whom
there were q half dozen. She churns and
milks, and bakes, and she had read all Of
SCOTS novels and many other besides. She
was bright and quick when not under the
cloud of shyness, and she believed what her
believe concerning morals and theology.
She was not a brilliant woman, she was not
a society belle. Most men would have rated
her only '.nice little thing" presume
Whatever she was she crept into my heart,
and stayed there. One day knew that
loved her, and that if she did not love me /
should be very unhappy.
We had gone out upon the water for lilies.
There was quiet little nook, quiet overarch-
ed by tree branches, where they grew in pro-
fusion. rowed the boat. She drew the
great, white floating beauties toward her by
their stems, and breaking them off, laid them
in the basket which she had brought. There
was no other boat on the river, there was no
one on the shore.
A little further on lay the shadow of
covered bridge, and further still the ruins of
a mill but no one crossed the bridge, and
the mill was deserted. We had never been SO
entirely alone before.
The long lily stems had entangled my oars;
drew them out and laid them in the boat
We drifted slowly now. Everything was
very still.
A sense of peace such as / had never felt
before settled down upon me. Her hand, SO
white and small, rested on the boats edge.
To save my life could not have resisted the
impulse had to touch it.
One moment laid my palm upon it, the
next held it fast and close. She did not
take it away. Her shy eyes sought the
water, but the hand remained in mine. And
SO we sat quiet and silent until the sunset.
Then kissed her.
We rode back to our starting point in the
twilight. The children were ON the grass
watching for us, and had no chance of
speaking to her alone that night but felt
that she was mine. To any but heartless
flirt, acts are as binding as words, and love
kiss is vow not lightly to be broken.
went to my room happy man. I lost
myself in sumber, only to dream of Edwina !;
and remember, that in my fancy we were
walking hand in hand, in some pleasant place
where flowers grew, and birds sing, and waters
rippled, when rough hand shook me by the
shoulder, and voice at my ear cried
"John say old fellow, wake up. Here's
a telegram. Steady now. I'm afraid it's bad
news
At these words rose from my bed with a
sudden chill of terror upon me, snatched the
paper from my friends hand, and read the
brief contents.
They brought me bad news indeed. Ny
father lay at deaths door, and was hidden
to hasten if would see him alive.
/ looked at my friend with eyes from which
could not Danish the sudden flow of tears. =
He had read the message also, and only
touched me on the shoulder. He was a big,
kindly, well-meaning fellow, who generally
bungled over everything, and had liked him