The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-15
FIDELIS.

merry talk ana ripple OF gIrllsh laughter
had gradually subsidized under the quiet
ing influence of the summer twilight,
and now they sat gazing at the rivers
broad eXpanse, dotted here and there with
white sails.
"Girls, " said Madge, breaking the long
silence into which they had fallen, 9 do
you suppose that there is any such
thing as true love, the 'deathless love of
which the poets sing, in existence in this
! prOsaic nineteenth century? |, for one,
am inclined to be skeptical on the sub
ject."
"Of course there is" burst forth Lily,
Indignantly; do you mean that, none
marry for love, now-a-days?"
q No, dear; I've no doubt that many
experience a faint passion which they
are pleased to term love, but the love of
which weread, the love that survives all
temporal changes, does it really exist
outside of poetry and novels? How
often do we see two who seem to love
with all the power of their being, sepa-
rated for some cause, and in the course
of a few years, one, and oftentimes both,
marry, and appear to live as happily as
if the current of their lives had never
been disturbed by an earlier passion"
:" Yes" said Alice, coming back from
| dreamland to enter into the discussion,
and many a woman who has been dis
appointed, as the phrase is, will give the
dregs of her life to another when she
knows that, try to stife it as she may,
her whole heart cries out to the only one
| whom she should every marry"
But what should she do?" cried
Belle. "WOuld you make an old maid
of herr"
GHOST assuredIy. There are too many
women who, for the fear of that Odious
title, or want of a home, marry, when
their lives become one continued struggle
to master an old passion. and thus a life
long disloyalty to their husbands. Even
if he knows her story, a woman has no
right, | claim, to marry a man unless she
is morally certain of having banished
even the faintest trace of the old love
forever. Otherwise, she is bringing upon
him and upon herself, untold misery"
"Well, said Belle, drily, "your theory,
if generally carried out, would consider
ably augment the number of old beg
pardOn-maiden ladies"
"What of that? The world would be
a great deal happier and infinitely better
if women were true to themselves, and,
falling to obtain the highest good that
can come &c Il woman, the blessing OF n
pure, exalted love, quietly put aside
what would be but a mockery OF married
life, and work out for themselves their
lifes problem, with wommly faith and
patience"
Such women are rare" said Madge |
"and | still come back to my old query, |
Does such love exist p"
II !,
sweet voice near them, and a gentle old |
lady stepped into the midst Of the eager
group.
90, Auntie,- can you really enlighten
us upon this vexed question ?'' said |
chair and begin, for | know you have a |
story for us"
ct is a story | have never told, dear" |
she answered, playing fondly with the
girls bright hair, Z" but it grieves me to .
hear your young hearts doubling
the existence of faithful love. Look at .
that ring dear" drawing from her slender
white finger a plain gold band, "my
story is of that, and that it is a true one
you may know, for it is my own"
The girls heads drew closer together,
and the ring was passed tenderly from
hand to hand, for each felt that the be-
loved Auntie was about to unlock some
Of the sacred mysteries of her past. The
ring was plain circlet of gold, cngraven
on the inner side with the single word,
Fidelis."
The old lady replaced the ring, and in
a low, musical voice, began:
"Dearies, the story that | shall tell
you is half a century old, yet 50 wildly
are the words and faces Of those by-gone
days engraven on my mind, the remem-
brance of them thrills me now.
" |, as you know, was an only child.
My mother and | lived in quiet old
country town. My father | cannot re-
member, but [ see as plainly as if before
me the face Of my sweettaced, gentle .
mother, who was, from my earliest recOl- /
lection, my bestowed companion and .
confdant. Her health was very delicate, /
although she was not what one would .
term an invalid. | had but few girl /
friends. but there were two boys with .
whom | grew up almost as a sister. One |
was the son of wealthy, retired mer-
chant A manly boy, who eXcelIed in all
athletic sports, and about whose actions |
there was a dash and daring which won
my girlish admiration.
IIduup D6l0lOHU WAS INC 1ClOl VI HIS
proud old fathers heart, all of whose
ambitious dreams for the future centered
in his only son.
"My other boy friend, Herbert Spen-
Ger, was Of a far different nature. More
inclined to his books than the other, he
often spent long hours with me over
some favOrite poet, when his cheek would
kindle and his eyes fame at some fine
passage.
ct seems natural tosuppose that Her
bert was the favorite; but the dark
ewes and manly ways of Claude made
place in my heart that his gentler com
panion could never fill.
"Our house was small, and we had but
one maid-servant, faithful old Hannah,
who did her best to help US exc out our
slender income. We were an old family
and proud, so in spite Of limited means
our society was of the best.
$50 the happy days of childhood
merged into those of girlhood with
scarcely a care or sorrow.
My first trouble came when Claude
left for college. | was sixteen, | remem-
Der. and for weeks we had talked over
the coming separation; he with enthusi-
assn, eager TO leave behind him our quiet
little world, and take his first steps in
life alone; | more sadly, as in magma
ton | saw the long days and weeks with
out him drag slowly along. Then he
would comfort me with bright talk Of
long letters and frequent Homecoming.
The days before his departure seemed to
/