Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-01-22
ALL A MISTAKE.
BY JENEY WREN.

OnaiI go MARY put my Iatc
in your hands, dear. 1t is tor you
to decide, for me to abide by that
decision"
"For me to decide, John, which
to tell you to so is to bar out by
my own act the sunshine from my
life 70
"But only for little while dear.
Remember there is a future-a ia
ture when you will share all the
good that may be in store for me-"
eyes," the girl answered, sadly,
II do not forget that, nor that
But l will not worry you with my
idle fears and forebudings. am
not selfish, John, as to bid you stay
when know that by going you
can give up life you never liked,
and attain unhoped-for ambitions.
No, your uncle is right; and though
he is very late in opening his eyes
to the fact that you are the son Of
his sister even though she so for
sacrificed the family pride as to
marry a farmer, his proposition
that you should go to college at his
expense, with only the stipulation
that all your vacations by spent
with him is too generous to be ig-
nored. Go, John; only do not
quite forget me in your new lifc."
And into the brave words there
crept the sound Of tears.
"Forget you, darling-in four
short years, forget the girl l have
loved all my life What would
such a love be worth Mary You
would be better without than with
it,"
"Perhape," she answered "but
it wouldn't be any the less hard to
bear.''
"You will never be put to the
test, Mary. 1t does seem hard to
leave you dear, bu: this life never
would have contented me. l should
have always felt restless longing
for the great world outside. When
| have tired my wings, i will fly
back, Mary, and then we will bnild
the home-ncst in which you and l
are to grow old together. 1t will
seem strange, indeed, little lassie to
watch gray threads sprinkling your
sunny brown hair, or the peach
tints of your complexion change
and fade. Seventeen and twenty !!
All we have long time to wait
and when the day does come my
old eyes will be too dim to note the
difference"
What meant this sudden sinking
at the girls heart, as she listened {?
Was it dim forcbodlng of the
shadowy fu t ur ca something
whispering in her ear that the heart
might tAde and grow old, even
though the hair retained its bright
ness and the cheek its bloom !!
But she had promised to become
John Arnold's wife. 1t was not
for her, his betrothed, to drag him
down when his foot was on the first
round of the ladder which provi-
dence seemed to have thrust across
his path.
So she bade him godspeed for
the four long years which were to
drift between them-to her rcplete
with the same associations, duties
and cares only changed in the fact
that no longer his voice or smile
would tighten them +; only, instead,
the letters which he promised should
tell her all Iis life.
Why was it that the first sent a
pang to her heart 2 1t read:
my uncle's ward is with him nova
you could see her, Mary. She is still at
school, but spends her vacation with him.
as L shall do, She laughs at me though
not unkindly. Doubtless seem gauche
and rustic enough, and, i'll her presence
think am more so, with you, my car
ling am always my best. All, how sad
ly miss you in this new life of elegance
and ease, in which 1 feel uncomfortable
and sadly out of place.
Bnt after he had gone to- college
and fairly put his shoulder to the
wheel, she found only comfort in
his letters. He wrote:
ST am beginning 10 feel myself man
among men, to rejoice that am no longer
a drone in the hive. Oh, how quickly the
| weeks and months fly! At this rate, the
four years will seem a little time indeed
When the next vacation had be-
gun he wrote:
''Miss Melvil is here again. A year
has made her only more beautiful. Nexl
year is her last at school; the winter fol
lowing she makes her debut in society. ,
This was all. The second year
he ceased to mention her pame
only his letters came not quite sc
often, and were less filled with the
routine of his daily life.
Why was it that into the girl'
rep les crept an answering tone 0
reserve Half of the weary wait
ing time was over. What had th,
next two years in store for her