The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-05

my boy sitting in an easy chair by the
side of the reading stand, the lightfrom
1 a shaded lamp shining on the book he
held In his hand, butI saw that he was
1 not reading.
"Bertie," 1 said joyfuIly, 81 thought
you were at church; l am 80 glad you
did not co."
"Why are you glad~ he asked, while
q tremor seemed to shake his voice max
ing the words indistinct.
Or a sudden my eyes dropped before
the splendor OF those brown orbs raised
to mine.
"Because lam lonely" 1 said in low
voice.
NJ am lonely without you all the
time," he said, a sudden, bold light
coming into his eyes. 'Mlss Van Nor
den, "leaning forward and clasping my
hands in his, ''you know that | am never
happy any more except when L am with
| YOU"
''What do you mean? n?' 1 asked, family.
He had risen and was standing by my
side.
Il mean," he said coming closer to me
| till l felt his warm breath on my cheek.
II mean that whether you are proud
and cold, or not, whether you think OF
,
| Miss Van NOrden, with my whole heart
and SOUL"
The words were out at last. l know
now whom "my boy' had enshrined in
| his heart.
No hdxen-haired little maiden who
would nave given him a pure childish
love in return, but proud, dark Wo-
man, whose heart, though she could
have counted her suitors by the score,
had never thrilled to any lovers voice
as it was thrilling now under the words
of a boy of sixteen years.
"Bertie," said at last, when l coul
control my voice, ,and my words sound ed
harsh and cold even to me-"Bertie, do
you know you have been talking love to
woman old enough to be your grand
mother p
Perhaps | exaggerated the difference in
our years somewhat, but tue dlscrepan-
cy had never appeared 30 great to me
before.
"Iknow you think me fool" he said,
bitterly, "Uut l can not help it. Who
could have helped it, seeing your beau
tilul face as nave day alter day W
He sank down again i'll the chair,
hiding his face on the arm.
leaned down and touc0ed the beau
tltul HAIR with hand tuat LremDIed and
thrilled in spite of itself.
"IC is Jolly, Bertie,' l said at last
gently. "Inere is wide gulf between
our lives winch in after years will be
more apparent to you tnan it is now"
"ThinK Of me though as your friend
always, as an eldest sister, il you will,
but forget the words that you have said
| tonight"
He lifted his beautiful haggard face to
nine. His eyes were filled with bitter
| tears-anu then-ot a sudden-l could
not tell you why or how-my little sweet
nearps strong young arms We're around
me, and oul lips met in a kiss SO sweet,
SO full Of all the wondrous pathos and
ecstasy OF love, that past and future
seemed TO fade away into perfect rap
turOus present.
For moment yielded to the spell OF
| that passionate kiss-then l released
myself from my boys arms and went
away from the sweetest happiness my
| life had ever known-wenL out into an
other lite apart from his-a cold, proud
| life that has become u sod0hd nature to
me now.
Many years have passed since then.
l have been married? Yes-to the
man whose name l bear, and who, when
| laid him away under the grass, lelt to
me JneSe DfOau acres, Whlen are all mine.
In another land, not many miles dis
tant, and yet as far removed IRON me as
heaven, lives my little sweetheart-mine
no more.
He is tall, bronzed and bearded man
now, and he calls a fair haired woman
| ''wile" and little children gather round
his knee.
But yet it is not he whom love and
ever shall.
1t is memory of fair haired boy
that comes to me, a boy with eyes like
brown wine, and lips and cheeks the
color of pomegranate blooms.
| And sometimes, when when / think of
that far away future we call eternity, l
wonder With if shall not meet again
my little sweetheart unchanged in that
land where six years" are but as a
moment compared with endless time.