The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-19
Waiting for an Answer

Waiting for an Answer.
Ny story9 my Ife9 Oh, it has been
+ too uneventful, too simple in its Incl
dents, I could tell you the sorrows of
others, but my own-well. well as you
will. You shall hear. The wound has
never. healed, and i'll put my hand
above it the place still throbs, even as it
viii beat and ache till kindly nature says
to me: "Sleep, poor weary one, and
rest" And then peacefully, trustingly,
and with simple hope of forgiveness,
may sleep that long sleep which they
say so hippantly has no waking, but
which has waking, as every lesson
which we learn in life persists in teach
ing us.
,, Jack and I were engaged. 1t was all
such simple homely affair. We had
known one another for years--the chill
dren of neighboring farmers. Jack-I
still call him by the simple old pet name
of those days-Jack had been away at a
good school, and being bright and
shrewd and clever he had won his way
son, taking to, engineering instead of his
farmers farm life, and now it had come
to this that he had been staying at home
for month previous to going out to
good appointment in Melbourne.
That month in spring, how it passed !!
= We had met again and again, and in his
q honest, manly way, he had asked me to
be his wife.
"You know, Grace. that I have always
loved you," he said "and now have
z hopes and prospects, it cannot be wrong
to ask you for your promise"
We were walking by the river side as
he said this, and how we'll I can picture
it 1.-THE soft gliding water mirroring
the trees on th, opposite bank, the
: young green buds just breaking from
their cases, and, above all, the soft ten
der blue of the spring sky-the blue, he
had told me, that was like my eyes,"
stDo you want me to promise, Jack 2"
! said, simply, as l looked up in his
face.
mo, darling I au satisfied" he
cried, as his strong arms held me to his
: bread breast, and that was all. No
oaths conld have bound be more tightly
to him. felt that 1 was his wife when
he shonld come to claim me.
We were late that evening, and en-.
tered the house shyly, for there had
been SO much to talk of and plan. In a
I months, time Jack was to sail for Mel
bourne then he was to work very hard
for three years, and come and fetch me
to be his wife.
z +; That month gided by, and the last
! day had come. It was, as told YOU,
springtime-joyous springtime, with the
hawthorn's snowy blossoms, the apple
trees pink and the pear trees pearly
with their pyramids OF flowers. Every
meadow passed was starred with golden
buttercups, and from every spray the
birds thrilled forth their merry songs Of
hope and love.
-A I could not feel sad, even though
was going to meet Jack for the last walk
before he went away; bnt, as I said,
mingled with tho feelings of ecstasy
there was q strange tearfulness of eye,
and my breath would come at times with
sob.
. He was by the stilc, waiting for me-
the stile down by the loug mead, half
way between the two farms-and as he
took my hands III his, we neither of us
spoke, but stood gazing away over
woodiawn and meadow, ell clad in their
wondrous beauty. and listened to the
birds. Now it was the soft tcrder COO of
the stock dove from the wood, now the
twittering song of the linnets; then,
soft and mellow, from the thick hedge
rows foated towards us the huty notes
of the blackbird, while far on high
trilled away the larks, singing one
against the other to their mates, sitting
in the tall grass OF the golden meads.
, We co1ld not talk, our hearts we're
too full. for Jack was to he off at day
break the next morning. But there was
no need for words. We loved each
other in the simple nature-taught way
thathas been since the world begun, and
we knew that every joyous song around
, that thrilled upon our ears meant
love, and even in our sorrow we were
happy.
''Only three years, darling" Jack
whispered to NE, "end then -.
The tears rose to my eyes rs trie
to answer him, but + could not speak q
word. 3EEE!.
"And you will let me find a
4 long letter when I get there2" he said,
tenderly. o. 30
> . !" Yes, Jack, I PROMISE" I said, and
then it was time to return, for the
hours had g'ided by, how we could not
tell.
Jack spent the evening with us at
home and then left US hurriedly, for our
farewells had been said in the wood,
and it was one hearty kiss, given and
taken before the old people, and then
goodbye"
Bnt 1 saw him pass soon after day
break and he saw me and waved his
& ihasId, for had sat by the window all
night, lest I might let him go by and
asleep.
And then time glided on sadly, bu,
q pleasantly as we'll Mine was a bus,
life, for soon my father took to his bed
lila bed he never left again, for ht
gradually sunk and died, leaving m,
poor mother in very Indifferent circum
stances.
~ Hwas @ hard blow for as both, for h'
, had been one. Of the kindest and trues
of men, but, while poor mother pinet
and waited, I had my hopeful days Il
view, and from time to time letters from
dear Jack, all 80 true and honest ant
full of trust in the future, that I felt o
il I could not repine even when create
troubles fell upon rs.