The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-05

should I think you would smile? Do
not know that you must have seen the
gay young plant putting out it's tender
leaves in spring, growing green and
luxuriant of foliage in summer, ripe
andNuddy insaut4mn, and gray, bent,
and withered inagee And should l he.
pitied because I have but followed in
the way of nature Surely not: 1t IS
for that ]. ask your sympathy, but, for,
the blight that fell upon the young
that it seemed for months that it would
die; but it lived, as have fixed to tell
you this.
Do you know that wondrous feeling
which comes in the early year, and
that strange sense of keen delight,
that elasticity of spirit, when, full of
youth and hope, the very tears of joy.
Gus sensibility start to the eyes as you
wander amidst the trees and flowers in
spring remember how felt. oh, so
well-even though it is now forty
yeas ago, and was twenty.
Jack and l were engaged. 1t was all
such simple, homely affair. We had
known one another for years-the
children of neighboring farmers. Jack
II 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 on, taking to engineering
instead of his fathers farm life and
now it had come to this that ne had
been staying at home for a month pre-
vious to going out to a good appointment
in Melbourne.
That month In spring, how it pass
ed We had met again and again, and
in his honest, manly way, he had ask
ed me to be his wife.
''You know, Grace, that. I have al
ways loved you,'' he said ''and, now
/ have hopes and prospects,. it cannot
be wrong to ask you for your promise"
We were walking by the riverside
as he said this, and how we'll I can pic
ture it all-the soft gliding water
mirroring the trees on the opposite
bank, the young green buds just break
ing from their cases, and, above all,
the soft, tender blue of the spring sky
the blue, he had told me, that was
like my eyes.
''Do you want me to promise,
Jack :" said, simply, as looked UP
in his face.
''No, darling I am satisfied he
cried, as his strong arms held me to
his broad breast, and that was all. No
oaths could have bound me more tight
ly to him. felt that !. was his wife
when he should 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 months slime Jac was to sail for
Melbourne; Twas towork. very
hard for three years, and come and
fetch me to be his wife.
That month glided by, and the last
day had come. It was, as told, spring
time-joyous spring-time, with the
hawthorn's snowy blossoms, the apple
trees pink, and the pear trees pearly
with their myriads of flowers, Every
meadow | passed was. starred with
golden buttercups, and from every
spray the birds trilled or jerked forth
their merry songs of hope and love.
could not feel sad, even though I
was going to meet Jack for the last
walk before he went away; but as [
said, mingled with feelings of ecstacy
there was a tearfulness of eye, and my
breath would come at times with a sob.
He was by the stile, waiting for me
the stile down by the long mead, half
way between the two FARMS and as
he took my hands inzsshis, we ,neither.
Of rs spoke, but stood gaz ing away
oYefWoo dlaWn and meadow, all clad
infheir woldrous beatty, and listened
70 tAe birds. Nov It was I ss,t 4
tender coo Of the stoc kdoqe fro1lnytehee
WOOD, now the. ierked oft whitening,
song fthe innets !; then, soft and
mellow, from the =, thick he'd rows
doatds toward us sthefluty notes of the
hbird. while. far.aon high trilled
aeay the shrks, singing one.sagainsts
pther to their mates. sitting On, the
tKl grass of the golden meads. ~ =. !,
We could not talk, our hearts were
too full, for Jack Wassto BE off at day
break next morning. But there was
. no need for words. We loved each
other in~~the simple, nature-taught
way that has been since the world be-
gan, and we knew that every Joyous
song around that thrilled upon our
ears meant love, and even in our sor-
row we were happy.
''Only three years, darling,' Jack
whispered to me, land then
The tears rose to my eyes as I tried
to answer him, but l could not speak a
word,
''And you will let me find a long let.
ter when I get there?' he said ten
derby.
eyes, Jack, I PROMISE said, and
then it was time to return for the
hours had glided by how, we could
no tell