Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-10-30

An Arkansan Returns After an Abb
sence of Many Years.
DSA4SS u @77-- . VT y
Little Rock Gazettee.

terminus OF recent date. rev E
Just about the time that war
Was declared with Mexico, a
young man named Henery Lau-
ring and a young neighboring
lady, Miss Vena WaItlron, be-
came engaged. Whenthe trum.
pet Of war sounded young Lau-
ring, conceiving it TO be a duty
owed to his country, bade his
affianced goodbye, and became
a soldier. They were devoted
to each other, and when the
young man left the young lady
vowed that she would never
marry if he did not return. j.
After the fall of the City of
Mexico, a man named Ralph
Mitchell approached Laurimg
and stated that he had Jeff Pike
County subsequent to Lauring's
departure, and that Miss WAL
dron had died a few days before
his departure. The young SOL
dier was desperate, and when
the troops "came marching homo
with glad and gallant tread" he
was not with them. Having, in
moment, been transformed
from an ardent soldier to.a recl7
less man, he left The army. and,
embarking, went to Cuba. From
there he went to Spain, TO En-
gland, to Austria, Prussia and
t. France. When tt c late
Franco-Prussian war broke 0liE
he entered the French ranks,
and at Metz was almosd fatally.
wounded. When he recovered
the war was over, and remain
ing in France untilithe Russian
war with Turkey, he repaired
to Russia and joined the army,
though an old man. With a der
tachment Of troops, willie sat-
tempting to cross the Danube,
he was shot through the lungs.
For a long time he languished
in a hospital, and final y rccoy-
cred. ,iap-a - sai1si
After the Mexican war, and
when Ralph Mitchell returned
to Pike County, he called on
Miss Waldron and sympathet-
icaIly told her that her lover,
Lauring,. was dead; that he
strayed from camp one night
and was killed by a band of
scouts. The girl fell speechless
to the floor. When she regain
ed consciousness-when the
rush of recollection forced its
way over ihdistihcto memory
snags into The mind, a high fc-
yer sprang mp, and for months
she tossed OH a bed, caring
nothing for her surroundings,
and dreading recovery worse
than death. After long i'll
ness she recovered. Mitchell,
who was very attentive to her
in her sickness, called frequent
ly in health. One night while
the moon was shining, while the
pale moon shone on the face of
a paler girl, Mitchell told her of
his devotion. m wra sso.l
"We have known each other
from children," he said, "we
have lived as neighbors. You
know me; my father and moth
er. / love you with the depth
only known TO a burning soul.
Will you DC my wife?
"Mr. MITCHELL" the girl ie-
piled, 81 respect you highly;
but / am engaged to aaotller."'
a ''But he is dead" aii,hit d'
e "The engagement is not Il
will be contaminated in heay-
en-" @F pa, ai eaii ai lois g
"Is there no appeal from your
dccision?" ssa- "a n dfo<
"None." = 9,.e q lv'os .'i2"-.1''
"Then 1 win tantalize yon The
more. Lauring is not dead.
My love for you caused me TO
deceive him. / told him, that
You were dead, aud, with a yell
of despair, he left the army. |
did this through love" ia .s,nee
Another long illness followed
this. When a strong constitu-
ton again came 10 the rescue
OF a l;ie, Mitchell had married, "a
neighboring girl.
Years went by as years iney-
itabIy' do. The girls father and
mother sank beheaih the clay.
The girl lived with her brother.
The civil war came on. The
girls brothers children grew up
and married--not the girl, for
she was advanced in years. In
a small house they lived. There
were vines in the yard, and a.
mong them once beautiful wo-
man sat and muscd. haSummer
and winter came and went. The
love-killed woman sisud read ey-
cry book in the heighhSrhood.
The birds sang, aEd the rabbit
sprang from, his damp, snow
isprinkicd Lea. But old songs
and old memories slifl swupt
1.-The harpsarings or a hcnft oace