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

little, for my heart was too full: and IN,
dear, kind mother, guessing the cause O
my unWonted silence, did her best to fiji
the pauseS that would come. After
little Herbert joined the group, and thel
the conversation grew more lively.
''The dreaded moment came. Gland
rose to 90. He shook hands with Her
bert, and there were exchanges of prom
Uses to write often between them. Then
| with that manly grace 50 characteristic
of him, Claude bent and kissed my
mother where she sat, saying, "Good-by
little mother; he always called ne
for his own was dead shall remcmbc
all your COUNSEL
"Then to me, Little girl, don't for
got me entirely. Herbert, take good car,
of her while / am away and without
trusting himself to say moro, like an
arrow he sped away.
" The days passed rapidly, contrary
to my expectations, and brought to Il.
all letters from Claude. Herbert in.
variably came over to read his aloud to
us, but, for some unexplained reason
mine | kept unread by all save myself
Herbert often rallied me on this. but
sometimes | fancied he looked hurt.
Still it made no difference to me, and
after a time he ceased asking to see
| them.
Then came a time when Herbert
went to the city, and thus l was left al
| most alone. | spent my time in study
for to be a lady and to possess q good
education, were two leading objects
whose importance had been early instillcd
into my mind by my gentle, lady
mother.
Four years passed without much in
cident, until the time Claude was grad
uated. He came home laden with
honors to gladden. his fathers fond, am
bilious heart.
Well, dearies, | suppouse you are
thinking that | am making nay story
uninterestingly long; but when my
mind reverts to those old days, it loves
to linger fondly around every scene.
The summer that Claude came
home was an unusually gay one. A
large number Of city people coming into
our midst was the occasion of number
less drives, picnics, and various amuse-
ments Claude and | were the gayest of
the gay. My gentle mother sometimes
gazed at me apprehensiyely, maryeling
at my wild spirits.
oh, that summer time so long AGO,
Did ever birds sing as then, or flowers
bloom so freshly? Although my life
has been comparatively peaceful, still
that summer, as compared with the rest
of my DAYS, seems like a strain of sweet
est. music IN the midst Of tite vi est
record.
8 You can readily guess what is COM
ing One summer evening, when the
breath of the roses came sweet from lee
garden below, up through The omen win
dow at which | sat, | saw Claude COM
ing up the garden walk.
!" Come down, Berta, he said. !
want you
q ran lightly down to meet him.
Although full fifty years ago, ! cnn see
myself as | then was, flushed with youth
and hope.
q l wore a muslin dress dotted with
pansics, and in my dark hair and at my
throat tiny punches of the same fra~-
ment, velvety fowers-my iavorites and
his. All me the breath of those flowers
carries me ever back TO that happie=t
time of my life. Flowers OF romcm-
berance sweet are they indeed to me-
" cannot tell you all, though every
word he spoke Is lndehOIy craven ON my
heart. Suffice 1t to say, that I'D that
little, quaint old garden was told again
the old, Old story, and the two who
walked there together IN the tender
light of the dying day experienced such
happiness as is rarely allotted to NOR
tails.
. We agreed, 80 fond were we I'M orr
first love, to Keep 1t a secret aI present
but mother guessed 1t, think, for my
face was not good at assembling, 0ie
kissed me more tenderly even than was
her wont that night but She sand never
a word, and patiently bided my Iimc'
s.CIaude, who had ALWAYS been like
one of the family, came, as usual, every
dav: and | would run to meet him with
a clad. happy light in my ewes. which.
strive as | would, | could never hide.
Pansie. little Pan.ic.' he used to
call me.
Adj ,,.ho, IoboId his tall MANLY,
f,,rn l'( oray- ",ai With if. pn1Ic bc9d va
80 j., ,,,II ii++Io fnoIisb boa,t ,r,,,il
I,IG - nv, i,fno2, mt i v~ 81 ,.rr,-
", e. -. Lot mo ton ,,n,, which MT
aolv " 10 10. dia,,id boar
etpa-f,o+ ban,linc-- :. NOT f,r car-b I'm
Tho o eIjTCV flI I cIond be o f. annca
, VII IN tho end 50 snraad and darr--
cned NV life, that for a time ! Iongcd
to die,
:" Claude became. at times. silent and
moody. When pressed for the cause, he
would seem, as if by an effort, to over
come the feeling, and to be his own self
Then sometimes a whole day would pass
and he not come.