New-York tribune., 1879-11-27

young man named Henry Lauring became en-
gagged to MIss Vcna Waldron who " concise y de-
scrIbed as "a negiboring yonng lady," Young
Lauring enlisted when war declared. aud the
ncignborlng and reighborly yonur lady declared
that she wonld never marry " he did not return
After he fall 81 the City Of Mexico. Ralph Nit
chell. the McphiscDloes of This Arkinsas roma zee.
appeared upon the scene. lie tod iairHs hat Hiss
WaIlron Wis dead. and lanriDg WIS " N Doment
transformed from na ardent soldier Dfp Trrk less
man" He went roaming over the world. lighting IN
numerous wars. getting bullets IN his lungs ian-
gushing In hospitals, etc. Meanwhile, ihs
astuse Mr. Mitchell had returned 20 Pike
County, Arkansas. and informed Miss Wal
dlOn that hor lover was dead. fhe gurl fell
spcecbess to the aoor." When She came back 10
herself" when the rush OF recollection forced Us
way over indistinct memory siags into tie
mind" there a fever of c0nr-e. wlIch lasted for
months as such fevers always do. Daring all tis
time tie chronicler takes pains TO state, sho
tossed on bed" Tho fact that the writer seem,
10 be surprised that size did not toss" on
the sidewalk OF on the roof of the house. only Illus
trates the beautiful Southwestern simplicity Of hs
nature She recovered. and Mitchell who had been
very attentive 10 her IN her sickness. called fire.
quently in health" And here the writer approaches
one OF the most thrilling episodes in his story
One night while the shining, while
the pale moon shOne on the face Of q paler R.rl'
Mitchell told his love. Owe have known each
other as children" he sad " we have lived as neigh
bors You know me; my father aud mother
Every reader with any experience Whatever IN pop
ping the question knows that this last detail Is
never omitted from really ardent declaration Of
affection But the girl was inhexible She was
"engaged to another" and "the engagement would
beconsummated in heaven" Mr.. Mitehellwas wroth.
"Then" said he. " will tantazc you the more
not having "tantazed" her. strictly speaking up
to tins point at ALL He disclosed the stratagem he had
employed and added that when Lauring was told
that his betrothed was dead, with n yell Of de-
spair. he left the army! Necessarily the only
proper thing for well-regulated young lady
10 do under these circumstances was to have
another fever, and she did 80 accordingly when
q strong constitution again came 10 the rescue OF a
life, Mitchell had married a neighborng grl' 1t
will be observed that neighboring girls abound
in Arkansas If they really deserve tho
name, life in that State must be very
pleasant indeed But years went on. as
years inevitably do. The girls father and
mother sank beneath the clay. The girl lived with
her brother The girls brothers children grew up
and marred-not the girl, for she was advanced In
years. Girls who are advanced in years" must
be among the most remarkable products of the soil
of Arkansas. 4" In small house they lived.
There vines IN tne ydiu,
them the once beautiful woman sat and
unused. Summer and Winter came and
went. The oye-killed woman had read every book
In the neighborhood The birds sang. and the
rabbit sprauq from his damp snow-sDrnked bed"
considering the possibility Of rheumatism, very
sensible thing to do "BGt"-in spite OF this man@u-
vre ON the part of the rabbit" old songs and old
memories still swept the harp-strings OF heart
once young and still ardent"
One evening. as Miss Waldron sat among the
vines in the yard an old man. with long beard aud
totteripg walk" stopped at the gate and in-
ouIred if Mr. Waldron lived there. he was
invited in, and sank down on char, the
one Miss Waldron had vacated which shows
how little foreign travel improves ones manners
and "buried his face IN his wrnked hands" lie
must have aged remarkably fast since the Mexican
War for she addressed him as old gentleman" and
manfred if she could do anything for him. That
voice ~ he exclaimed. "Vena don't you know mel
Henry has -" WHAT II was that " Henry has we
shall never know for there was shrek. and an old
man stopped and lifted the form OF an old
woman from the floor" The language OF the writer
is such that we might easily infer that the hoor
was covered with the forms of old women, and the
old man took his pick among them but no doubt
this Is an error. When the moon had risen,
"a couple Of old lovers )" walked out into
the beautiful polished peace of night The
marty walked along the road, each hand
clasped within the other (which simply
gymnastic miracle. They opened gate and turned
into an inclosure. They stopped at a mound 1t
was the grave of Ralph Mitchell " Then. in the
pale moonlight; then, while the soft air
famed them, Henry and Vena clasped
hands across the almost time-eveed mound,
and said: Great God, we forgive the man who de-
stroyed so many years OF happiness" No one viii
be surprised hear that shortly after this rather
tremendous ceremonial, the two were made one in
q" little log church" by "a pleased minister 80
ends the Arkansas romance, and so may all 70
manccs end.
rlo,r NTH