The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-04-13
TRI-WEEKLY EDITION.

cal thoughts, the young man strobe on to-
ward the house, ald went up to his roon
And Margery!
Face downward, by the orchard wall, she
knclt in her despair. She had kept her
secret! She had saved her pride! That
was all. And so the trial came to her which
comes to every woman once in her life,
and which makes or mars that life, accord
ing TO her capacity for bearing, enduring,
or rising above that grief.
Ten years passed by.
Clinton Parl<e, no longer college stu
dent, but weary and unsuccessful man,
found himself once moro at the old How
land farm, just as summer was giving place
to autumn, and the uplands, shorn of their
green burden, smiled bravcly beneath the
Indian summer sun.
Alas! the bright visions of his youth had
by no means been realized. The world
was full of greater men than he. Once
having discovered that truth, he soon grew
wise enough TO act upon it. During the
ten years of his absence, the little country
village nearthe Howland farm had grown
into town, and now it wanted an academy
TO educate its youth, in place of the old
district schools, that had served their faith
crs and mothers in their day.
Of the academy, Professor Parkc, grad
uatc Of Yale was now the acknowledged
head. Here, in the quiet place to which he
had once said it was impossible that he
could return, his days was likely to be spent
his grave to be made, for aught that he
could say. He was glad to fill even 50
small place in life as this, 80 moderate
had his once soaring ambition become of
late.
Nlusing on these changes, he walked slow
ly one evening up toward tho Rowland
farm At the foot of tho tcn-acre lot,
where he and Marsery had rested on that
far-away evening, he paused sgain. A lady
sitting there, Oh the broad stone wall be-
meath the apple tree, moved slightly and
looked up as he came near.
1t was Margcry--grown older and more
beautiful, richly dressed, aud with name
less case and grace in her manner that wcro
not of the old timc-thc old which he began
to remember suddenly and so well.
She greeted him quietly, and made room
for him in the old place by Der side. They
talked of other days till the twilight closed
| in around them, and the dusk of summers
night, full of soft. influences, and sweet
smells and sounds, descended, like veil OF
peace, upon weary heart
And suddenly his eyes were opened to
his carly and his lifelong mistake.
lie knew now what lie had always missed
and unconsciously ycarncd and longed for,
yet never found. And something told him
that for want of the lost love, this woman's
life had been barren, and cold, and unsatis-
flying, too.
"Margery!" he said, in a low voice, as
she rose to return to the house.
She stopped short and turned toward
him, trembling slightly at his tone. (
'Ycars ago left you here, when ought
to have taken you with me-" he said, earn.
estfy. ''Sincc then have groped blinlly
on through life, never really knowing what
l sought or missed TIL now. I am a poor
man, Margery. I can offer you little more
than l could have offered you then. But,
| Is it too late-too late for life and love, for
me, for you, for both f'us, Margcry7"
lie bent toward her, holding both her
hands in his. His cheeks were flushed,
his blue eyes, no longer cold or grave, look
| cd into hers with glance of fire.
She only sighed and drew away her
hands.
"Years ago I loved you-worshiped
you'll" she said, sadly. "You left me for
ambition, and here, in this very place, my
heart was crushed and changed to stone
You won me lightly-you lost me as light
| ly-and now can be won no morcl am
married, my husband is rich, and luxury
and splendor fill my home. fill my lifo
| with things like these. 1t might have been
so different, if whom loved you, you had
loved me back again. Now it is too
late |"
| She left him and went toward the house.
1t was his turn now to sink down beside
the orchard wall, to hide his face upon the
cold gray stone, and pray for strength to
bear the sorrow that had come so suddenly
upon him.
Alasl my reader, how many human
lives might be changed and glorifed (yours
and mine, 1t may be, among the rcst), if
only WIEN wo love our dear ones most
tcndcrly and fondly, they as tcndcrly and
fondly would Glove lis back again." 1t
seldom happens SO here on earth Perhaps
1t may IN hcavenl
| srEs4nn1Dra1z.aazusrznu.zsrxx
|