The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-11-26

dear old Plato's theory; but you Away
were thoughtless."
You are coming 70 see grandmaP'
she added, presently, as the supper.bel
sent h CHEEKY invitation through tn,
orchard; "she will never forgive you 1
you slight her." and, seeing that hel
companion hesitated, "if you do moi
come shall think you are offended and
angry with me-"
Would you care, Marjorie, dearP'
Willard asked, eagerly.
'Ot course it would make me very
unhappy TO think that we, who have
been friends from our cradles, should,
on the eve OF my departure, be estranged
about such a triae as love; something
you will torgetthat before this fruit
bushes meath August's kisses; and, be-
fore apple-blossoms come again, there
will be pretty, blue-eyed wife at the
parsonage-Annie Leigh, perhaps-who
will fill the position SO much more
WORTH y and gracefully than l."
"Stop, Marjorie, interrupted Willard
almost sternly, Heaven knows have
borne great deal from you, but 1 can
not endure this unkind jesting when you
well know that as long as life hath
shadows, as long as the heart hath woes,
l shall love you, only you"
! "Of course. that is the proper speech
6make just now, Will dear, but / pre-
dicfSQu will console yourself very soon
with RhRie Leigh. AS did Mrs. An
drews would>ssy, : FEEL it in my bones"
Marjorie gained her wish. A few
months after her arrival at her uncle's
Fifth avenue home, she had like Byron,
walked TO find herself famous on The pub
hcation of her first prose work. Two
Others followed in quick succession;
But just when my heroine felt she had
almost climbed the height of literary re-
nown, when the praises of an admiring
public were waited to her like incense,
with only now and then a criticism,
which she insisted only spiced the other
wise insipid ovation, that eccentric
young lady suddenly declared her inten-
tion of devoting her time to American
politics. So thorough was her study OF
the subject that she now (six years after
you first met her) virtually stood at the
head of her uncle's widely-circulated
and influential daily. She had indeed
climbed to a dizzy height where few
women ever ventured. Her editorials
were copied everywhere, her opinions
quoted from dan to Beersheba," but
was she happyp some one asks. Was
the mountain as purple and beautiful as
" hen she gazed longingly at it from the
sweet valley of youthP or did she find it
but common earth after all, and the
mysterious beauty lay in the misty val
ley of girlhood she had left behindP
Marjorie dropped her pen with a
short, impatient sigh. cit is strange
that little Nell's words should haunt me
so tonight, ringing in my ears, and
waking echoes Of that still, small voice
l had hoped was forever stilled. What
does that lid of eighteen know of the
tue heart, that she should assert so con-
fidently, Ambition, even gratifed am
bition can never satisfy the inner sane
tuary of your soul; you will never be
happy till you love- Are The words OF
a child to undermine the foundations OF
my theories of life, love and happiness
that six years ago / boasted were built
on the solid rock of reason instead of on
the shifting sands OF human affectionP
And yet-have they brought peace to me
after ALP would freely give power,
fame and ambition for the look in Nell's
blue eyes as she talked of her husband.
All! child, with only your trusting heart
to guide you, you have found and gath
cred the little wayside flower, happiness,
which in my selfshness and pride /
have missed. Across the chasm OF
years, comes faint yet never-dying
echo of the same words.
Willard, you at least truly loved
NJ = and would have saved me from my.
self, and would not, and now it is for
ever too late, for the fire in my heart
has burned so low that there is now left
only faint, tender strain of regret, and
the white ashes OF memory. have in
deed passed the Rubicon of youth and
hope, and for me there is no redemp-
ton"
Little Joe Harris, Mauorie's special
errand boy and devoted slave, after ar
ranging to his satisfaction the furniture
and papers in her private sanctum in
her uncle's large establishment, had
placed a tiny bunch OF apple-blossoms
on his idols desk, and now stood half |
bashfully watching Marjorie, as she
came in, pale and weary-looking from
last nights vigil, and sat down to write.
Seeing the flowers, she drew them to.
ward her with look OF pleased sur
prise, but, as she inhaled their fragrance,
gradually there stole over her face a
shadow, marring its brightness, as a
cloud crosses the face of the sun. The
breath of the flowers was laden with
old associations and mem ories of her
happy home at Applicable farm, of her
grandmother, who had long since
crossed that mystic river whose tide
never ebbs toward the shores of time,
and waited on their sweet breath came
her talk with Willard Lester in the
sun-lit orchard on that afternoon so
long ago. Then a full knowledge other
mistake swept over her, and, laying her
cheek against the pink petals, she burst
into a passion of tears. Poor Joe, ut
terly amazed at such u reception of SO
paltry a gift, started to her, then stole