The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-08-21
Select STORY.
A SWEET WILD ROSE.

Neo chester TO his lifelong chum, Hal
Elmcndorf (the two young men were leis-
urely strolling through Maple Ayenue);
'ior when went abroad you we're most
emphatically denouncing the heartlessness,
aud extrayagance, and few other amiable
eharaeteristics-according to your way Of
thinking at the time--of society girls, and
sincere in your determination
to remain bachelor rather than marry
one Of them; and your letters have given
no hint Of q change in your sentiments.
Quite the contrary Your last, by-the-by,
was most pcrplexiug No woman's letter
could have been more so. In it YOU sud
denly jumped from the Clauson Mine to
"a sweet wild rose" Of whom YOU had
previously told me nothing. If remom.
Der Alright tho sentence introducing her
read thus -aAnd the dividends this year
arc much larger than this sweet wild rose
that | have found in this lonely place, and |
am almost persuaded to court and marry,
after the manner Of Tennysonfs landscape
painter"
Elmendorf threw away his cigarette,
looked thoughtfully into space moment,
dropped into a still slower walk, aud asked,
SHOULD you like to hear all about it, old
fellow p
"Of course l should replied Chester.
"Liyes there a man with soul SO dead who
ever to himself hath said, 81 take no in
terest in sweet wild roses? And besides
that, haven't l been the eonfdant Of all
your love affairs since you were twelve,
aud awfully smitten with the pretty girl
in Wilds confectionery Drive ahead.
I'm all attention"
As you remarked few moments ago,
began Elmendorf, 'just before you crossed
'the briny," became disgusted with fash.
ionablc young ladies in general, aud, as
you did not remark, for fear OF hurting
my feelings, with Eudora Brookfeld in
particular. II was rather hard on a 70.
mantle sort of a fellow, who was awful
spoouy on a girl, to be told by that girl
that his fortune considerably enhanced his
attractions in her eyes, and that for her
part she thought love in cottage on les:
than five thousand a year must be the
NNetteN VI tAAotenNess We HudtINhcut a.
you know, and parted. She went, short,
after, TO Newport, and |, filed with scoru
Of managing mammas and fortune, ,huntiu,
daughters, donned blue flannel suit and
coarse broad-brimmed hat, and carrying
with me only small yalise, started fol
anywhere-anywhere out Of the world.
AT noon OF my second days travel the
train stopped at a quiet, tree embowered
station, and following the impulse Of the
moment jumped of and struck iuto a
lonely shady road, resolving to keep on
foot until Fate should say, "Thus far aud
no farther Ned, that road was certainly
the loneliest road | ever saw. Not per
son did | meet, not house did | see in
an hours brisk tramp. But Itrudged on,
aud the more Eudoras beauty and grace
fitted before me, the more her sweet voice
rang out 10 the song Of the birds, the more
my heart yarned for her smile, the more |
was determined TO put miles between us.
! would not be married for my fortune. |
would be loved for myself, or not at all.
And growing stronger in resolution at ev.
cry step, suddenly found myself in front
Of small gray coitage-I remembered in
slantly that Eudora hada a silk dress Of the
same shade Of grny--half covered with
woodbines and rose-yines, they stood just
at the entrance Of dcuse wood, where
grew oaks, naples, willows, elder.bushes,
blaekbcrry-bushes, aud Heaven only knows
how many other things, planted there by
the winds and the birds A COW with a
young calf beside her was lowing in field
opposite, aud brook was sparkling in the
sunshine Of short distance away.
"0n the porch Of this cottage sat a mid
dle-aged woman sewing To her hat in
hand, / advanced and humbly preferred
request for a drink of water; and she, ris-
ing with hospitable quickness, babe me
take the seat she left while she went to
the we'll sank into the chair. for was
weary, aud she returned with glass Of
water and glass Of milk. | drank them
both--not at once, Of course, but during
the conversation about the weather that
ensued-and had risen to depart, when the
prettiest girl in blue aud gold that ever
beheld camo tripping up the garden path,
pail Of water 10 each hand. "a sweet
wild rosc,' ! said TO myself, and sat down
again, convinced BY single glance at the
lovely face and form that this cottage was
Fate's aNs farther"
Accordingly, ! told mine hostess that
was poor story-w-iter (you win admit
that that was no lie, for all the editors to
whom have submitted my manuscripts
have said the samo thing,) with book to
finish, and that Of al places in the world
to finish II in her beautiful quiet home
seemed the best, and begged her to let
me stay there few weeks, promising to
make her as little trouble as possible.
"Well, don't sec nothiD again itiffaiher
and daughter don't, said she, aud away
she went again, aud from the murmur of
voices in the hall knew the matter was
being discussed BY the family. And in a
few moments shrewed looking old man
appeared, looked at me sharply, aud asked
brusquely, "Kin you ford to pay s4 a
weekg" told him | thought | could.
and be seized my vaise aud carried il into
the cottage; | following. Ned, old chap.
il was a lovely spot, aud no mistake. Ev-
cry morning the birds awakened me with
their songs, and they were so fearless, never
having learned how cruel men can be, that
they flew in at my window and perched
upon the frame Of the old looking. glass
such rum old glass (erooked my nose aud
crossed my eyes )-and watched me dress;
and fragrance enough from the rose vines
fioated into that attic room in one day to
have perfamed Eudora's handkerchieis for
whole year.
"As for Alicethe sweet wild rose---no
poet ever dreamed Of maid more beautiful
Large, innorcnt dark blue eyes, with lnshes
SO long that they cast faint shadow on
her rounded checks; mouth, nose, chin,
ears, hands, feet simply perfection, and
voice, pos as musical as Eudora's, il Is true.
but with childish ring aud Sweetness;
and when she spoke, which was seldom. il !
was pretty modest hesitancy that made