Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-05-14
no, the boys will laugh at you,
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IoeIisloolt rs much rs they like, and the
brave boy drew himself up proudly, and
pushed the chesnut curls from his bread,
fi,isfzorehead; '"but I do not mean to
lsss frisssls!sssn you, Alice" he continued, :.s he
saw}ssiow how the little girl trembled.
che put on her bonnet and cloak,
iinsis took her in his arms rs if she had
beeh bird, while the little tiny thing
nestled down on his shoulder, us he went
stumbling through the snow, saysing gay
pleaEant things. that made the shy little
girlsSsugh, and when, at length, he open
ed lar mothers cottage door, he stood OH
the goor, saying, "There Mrs. May,
broQ sht Alice home, lest she should get
bnri6dilita snow bank; she's such wceny
littsssshing;" and before Mrs. May could
tha.g him, lie was ought of sight,
yISt the winter began to wane, and
nosysSAhen a soft, mild day, would cone
hasssened the pyramid and snow house
mitt nli ttSFially. "Such a pity" they said, and
Will winter would last always; but
thelSsssas one little wren-lke voice that
prayJd for violets and blue birds.
Sepyramid tumbled down, the snow
hoisa grew thinner and thinner, and the
boyIlsested about iti being in decline,
tills9re day it disappeared-adcd away
like many of their childish hopes.
glad spring came with its larks
and Syalses, and one delightful day the
chilsSen5went Il Maying. Kate Ashley
wassg1pueen, and n brilliant Queen she
was tYoy but Ben Bolt gathered white
viole2s, and braided them in the soft
curlslof Alice, and told her she was
swect9r and dcarcr than thousand May
Queel like Kate. Child as she was, his
wor made the sunshine brighter, and
lesss s.sneliantmentto the atmosphere of
& & ~ eXig q. sS,is
ae long June day came, encircling
the grecn earth with coronal of roses,
and making it rcdolent with perfume;
end if the warm noontidc hour the chill
dren ftroled to the foot of the hill, and
clustering togcther-told over their chil-
dish hopes of the future. some lured by.
ambition; some dreamed of quiet country
rcposc, some OF gay city life but there
was one whose eye kindlcd and young
face flushed with enthusiasm. a: he spoke
of the sparkling blue waters, and the
brave ships that breasted them SO gal
lantly.
Ben Bolt was going to sen. Captain
Shirley, us generous, wholcsoul being rs
ever trod the deck, was to take him under
his protection the next five years. There
were exclamations Of surprise and sorrow
from the children haunts we're visited
and revisited they sat down in the shade
OF the old sycamore, and listened to the
musical murmcr of the brook, and the
dreamy hum Of "Appleton's mill; cx-
changed kccp<akes, and promised to ,e-
member the merry, brave hearted boy,
whose home would be the wide, blue
ocean.
Alice May seldom Joined thcm.-Shc
was so delicate and timid and the thought
of Ben's departure filed her eyes with
tears, so she would steal Away alone,
fearful of the ridiculc of her harder
companions.
But one night Ben came to Mrs. Mays
cottage, to bid them goodbye Alice
stood oy the windows watching the stars,
wondering what made them so dim
never thinking Of the tears that ,limmcd
her eyes, rs Ben told over his hopes so
joyfully She could not part with him
there, so she walked through the little
door-yard, and stood beside the gate,
looking like II golden crowned angel in
the yellow moonlight; and when he told
ever again how large she would be on
his return, that he would not dare to call
her his little Alice then, as he looked
back lingcr lingly, she laid soft brown
curl in his hand, saying:
81 have kept it for you this long, long
time, Ben; ever since you brought me
home through the SHOW, do you rcmem-
b.r?"
He did remember. and with ono ms