The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-03-13

hopes of my youth and manhoo1
Frank Chester, my boyish rival, VIII
had often tried In vain to usGrp m
place beside the girl, had succeeded a
last, and had won her away from me
This was the child--his child an,
Mary's.
| I sank, body and soul, beneath thi
blow, and, hiding my face In my hand
[ leaned against the door, while M
heart wept tears of blood. The LITTLE
one gazed at me, grieved and amazed
and put up her pretty lips as if abou
to cry, while the perplexed servant step
ped to the parlor and called my sister
out to see who it was that conducted
himself so strangely. I heard Light
step, and pleasant voice, saying:
6 Did you wish to see my father, sir p
I looked up. There stood pretty,
sweet-faced maiden of twenty, not much
changed from the dear little sister ]
had loved so well. I looked after her
| for a moment, and then stilling the
tempest of my heart, by a mighty ef-
fort, opened my arms and said
7" 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
1 could not weep. I drew her gently
into the light parlor, and stood with her
before them all.
There was rush, and cry of Joy,
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.
Aud as held my dear old mother to
my heart, and grasped my fathers hand,
while Lizzie clung beside me, I felt
t: at all was not yet lost and although
another had secured Iife's most choicest
blessing, many a Joy remained for me
In the dear sanctuary of home.
There were four inmates of the room,
who had risen on my sudden entrance.
One was the blue-eyed child whom I
had already seen, and who now stood
beside Frank Chester, clinging 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 and 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
my hand.
Welcome home, my boy T" he said
with the loud, cheerful tones I remem-
bered so well. You have changed so
that [ never would have known you !;
but no matter about that, your heart is
in the right place, I know"
How can you say that he is chan
ged ?" said my mother, gently. "To
be sure he looks older and graver, and
more like a man than when he went
h,,N L. l., -
same as ever. It is heavy heart that
changes him. He is my boy still"
''Aye, mother" I answered sadly,
''I am your boy still. -
Heaven help mel at that moment I
felt like boy, and it would have been
a blessed relief to have wept upon her
bosom as / had done in my infancy.
But kept down the tremor of my lips,
and answered quickly, as I looked into
his full, handsome face.
'FYou have changed, too, Frank, but
I think for the better
"Oh, yes-thank you for the compli-
ment, " he answered with hearty laugh.
My wife tells nae I grow handsomer
every day"
His wife Gould I hear that name
and keep silent still.
And have you seen my little girl ?''
he added, lifting the infant in his arms,
and kissing her crimsoned cheek. 'FI
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 mueh," I faltered.
Halo % cried Frank, with a sud
denness which made me start violently,
''I have forgotten to introduce you to
my wife; I believe you and she used to
be playmates 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 mustaches of
yours in the operation.
He pushed Lizzie, laughing and
blushing, toward me. A CLEAN of light
and hope almost too dazzling TO bear,
came over me, and cried out before I
thought, SO Not Mary"
I must have betrayed my secret to
every one in the room. But nothing
was said even Frank, in general so OBJ
tuse, was this time silent. I kissed the
| fair cheek the young wife, and hur-
/ ElC(A 70 bAlC oAAC4h ALC AOOAAAf5 OAAS "a
the window.
'' Mary-Mary Moore p I said in a
low eager tone, "have you no welcome
/ to give the wanderer ?"
She turned, and laid her hand IN
mine and said hurriedly-
'' I am glad to see you here, Harry.
Simple words and yet how blessed
| they made me. / would not have
| Welded 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 I had dreamed of day and night
were falling beneath the ardent gaze oil
mine, and the sweet face had so long
prayed to see was there beside me-
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
am now grown to be an old man, anc
can look back to happy, and ] hops
a we'll spent life. And yet, sweet as Il
has been, would not recall a single
day, for the love that made my man
hood SO bright, shines also upon my
An old man Can this be so? A.
heart / am as young as ever. Ane
Mar with her bright hair partei
smoothly from a brow that has sligh
. furrow upon il, is still the Mary o
other days. To me she can never grow
OLD or changed. The heart that helC
,, her in infancy and sheltered her in th'
flush and beauty of womanhOod ca
!. never cast her ont till life shall cease t
warm it.
THE oldest stove, probably, in tn
United States is that which is still i
use at the capitol IN Richmond. Va
was made IN England in 1770, and wa
-