The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-04-16


and when, at length, he opened hel
mothers cottage door, he stood on
the floor, saying, "There! Mrs. May
brought Alice home, lest she should
get buried i'm snow bank; she's
such a weeny little thing;" and be
fore Mrs. May could thank him, Inc
was out of sight.
What a brave, glorious snow-storm
it was, though! The boy built q
great snow house, dipping the chunks
of snow i'm the water to harden them
so they might last longer; and they
rolled large snow-balls for Il pyramid
till 1t was higher than the school.
house. They worked bravely, but the
brightest face and pleasantest voice
among them was Ben Bolts. Such
rides as they had down hill (! and
though the larger boys and girls said
y Ann6NEA WAS toslitAA<nQ eoHtardly
to Join them, because she felt fearful
sometimes, yet Ben Bolt held her in
his arms, and away they went, mer-
rily as any of the rest.
But the winter began to wane, and
now and then soft, mild day, would
come that lessened the pyramid and
snow house materially. " Such a
pity" they said, and wished winter
would last always; but there was
one little wren-like voice that prayed
for viOlets and blue birds.
The pyramid tumbled down, the
snow house grew thinner and thin
ner, and the boys jested about its
being i'm decline, till one day it dis
appeared-faded away like 80 many
Of their childish hopes.
The glad spring came with its larks
and daisies, and one delightful day
the children went Maying. Kate
Ashley was Queen, and Il brilliant
Queen she was too, but Ben Bolt
gathered white violets, and braided
them i'm the soft curls OF Alice. and
told her she was sweeter and dearer
than a thousand May Queens like
Kate. Child as she was, his words
made the sunshine brighter, and lent
enchantment to the atmosphere OF
her existence.
The long June day came, encircling
the green earth with a cOrOnal of
roses, and making ii redOlent with
perfume; and in the warm noon
tide hour the children strOlled to the
foot of the hill, and clustering together
told over their childish hopes of
the future. Some lured by ambition;
some dreamed of quiet country re-
pose, some of gay city life; but there
was one whose eye kindled and
young face flushed with enthusiasm,
as he spoke of the sparkling blue
waters, and the brave ships that
breasted them so gallantly.
Ben Bolt was going to sea. Cap
tain Shirley, as generous, ,wnOle-sOuled
being as ever trOd the deck, was to
take him under his protection the
next five years. There were excla-
nations of surprise and sorrow from
the children; old haunts were visited
and revisited they sat down i'm the
shade of the old sycamore, and list
ened to the musical murmur of the
brook, and the dreamy hum of zap
pletOn's mill exchanged keepsakes,
and promised tOremember the merry,
brave-hearted boy, whose home
would be the wide, blue ocean.
Alice May seldom joined them.-
She was SO delicate and timid, and
the thought of Ben's departure filled
her eyes with tears, so she would steal
away alone, fearful of the ridicule of
her harder companions.
But one night Ben came to Mrs.
Mays cottage, to bid them goodbye.
Alice stood by the windows watching
the stars, wondering what made them
so dim-never thinking of the tears
that dimmed her eyes, as 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 a gOlden-crowned angel i'm the
yellow moonlight; and when he told
over 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 linger lingly, she laid a
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 snow,
do you remember"
He did remember, and with one
passionate burst of grief, he pressed
the little girl to his bosom, and the
brave hearted boy sobbed the fare
well he could find no words for.
But five years are not always life
time. True, it was such to the quiet,
thoughtful Charlie Allen, whose
large, dark eyes had stolen brilliancy
from his books; and the laughing,
Belle Archer-both were laid to sleep
in the old church-yard, when the
night stars shOne on their graves. -
Others went out to seek fortune I'm
the gay world, and some grew into
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own sweet firesides; but Alice May
seemed still child. Yet she was
taller, and her slight form more grace.
fully developed but there was the
same angel looking through her eyes
as had watched there i'm the Olden
days. She stayed ut home now, to
assist her mother in sewing - their
chief support; but she was the same
shy, sweet Alice that Ben Bolt had
carried through the snow.
Ben Bolt came back. How strange
that five years should have passed
so quickly and stranger still that
this tall, handsome sailor, whose
voice was SO full and rich, snould
be Ben Bolt. Kate Ashley was not
thinking of the sweet Sabbath rest,
as the chime OF the church-beli
floated through the village; there
she stood before her mirror, arrang-
ing her shining curls, and fastening
her dainty bonnet, with its white
ribbons dropping; blue-bells, think
ing If she could not fascinate Ben
with her sparkling eyes, 1t would be
delightful to have his chief atten-
ton during his stay.
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beautiful, as he sat before service,--
looking on Olden faces but there
was fairer one than hers he fan
cied, as he saw the sweet face OF
Alice May, with the half-closed eyes,
and long, golden-edgcd lashes,
shadowing the pale cheek. He car
rled in his bosom u curl like the
one nesting so softly by her temple,
and IL was a talisman, keeping him
from the cnchantment of other eyes.
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