Saint Mary's beacon., 1881-10-20


p IorA.
Bncie, who was your first love
and Why did you not marry her? ]
am very sure that you hid loved sons
one before yon met Auntie. Is you
were quite thirty-fTs when you mar
ried her.
Ny uncle lid down The paper ID
was reading as / finished speaking
and locking &c ne eaid
why. child what pzumpfea yaa q
ask such Question
Well uncle. because 81 q
strange that you did not marry when
you were younger, and / imagined
that you had some disappointment or
sorrow IN your youth which time alone
could help you forget. Now, uncle,
am ] not right2 And viii you tell
me something Of your past lief TfeeI
in srealsentimental mood tonight and
would like to hear something consiss
tent with my feelings. Now, do tell
me nice story--a real one-Tm lis
tening now, uncle. and waiting for you
TO begin"
/ drew an ottoman up to his chair
and leaned my head against his knee,
knowing that he would comply with
my request, as he had never refused
me anything since was little girl,
and would listen to an exciting fairy
tale with open eyes and ears. j
"Well. my little Pet, since you de-
sire to hear something Of my early his
tory ! viii tell you Of my boyhood
and my first love. Ny story will per-
haps be tedious TO listen to, and if You
become tired, you have only to speak
and we will continue it in our next. "
20 no. uncle, / shall not tire.
could listen ell night to good story
and not feel sleepy"
"Well, dear, beginning as stories
usually begin: Once upon time, in
a part of SC. Mary's county not many
miles from Leonardtown, there lived
q girl named Ellen Ames. That girl
was my first lore.
Not more than half-a-mile distant
lived q boy named Samuel Boyd. That
boy was your uncle. Having always
lived so near each other, we, ofcourse,
were constantly in each others socie-
ty. We quarrelel and parted, and
met and made up day after day, un-
til at the age OF twelve and fifteen we
we're lovers still. We attended the
same public school; and one day after
> little quarrel I determined to make
her repent having treated me badly,
50 paid devoted attention to Mary
Morgan all day and had the satisfac-
ton. after school in the evening. to see
that she looked sad and troubled. A
storm was coming and ] determined
to make her seek shelter under my
umbrella, as / had always walked to
her gate with her every evening. But
she walked on seemingly unconscious
Of the approaching storm. And the
falling rain did not conquer her indie
pendent spirit. / was then convinced
that ! must make the first step to-
wards reconciliation. / ran after her
and asked If she would accept the
shelter Of my umbrella. She did moi
answer, and for some time we walked
on in silence. AT last / could stand
the state ofaffairs no longer, and hum
bly, asked her pardon for having slight
ed her. She said:
"Sammie, ] am sorry we 90 often
misunderstand each other; wish we
could always be agreeable, and I am
willing to try from this hour never to
quarrel again. but always love each
other as We do now"
] promised that would never acain
Intentionally wound her feelings, and
she promised me the same. We were
happy that rainy evening, but it was
ne last for many aday.
My mother had been watching the
growing intimacy for q long while, and
had determined to nip It in the bud. .
The next day Ellen was not at school.
and on inquiry / learned that she was
sick with q sore throat, which became
IN short time diptheria in its most
dangerous form. Ny mother, during
Ellen's illness. noticed my anxiety and
resolved 20 separate us in future.
In order 10 carry out her intention.
she persuaded my father that Il was
time ! was in college, and in ! few
weeks was prepared for my journey.
Ny mother, for some unspoken reason.
did not ike Ellen, and did not wish
me 70 think Of her as my wife. Young
as / was ! had already declared that
! should never marry another.
One evening / resolved to tell FL
len that ! had to leave her. Iwalked
down to the meadow where We had
often met and sat down by : lisfle
stream @here the water had worn
away the bank, thus forming . little
pool which we had hamed Laughing
Brook on account Of the noisv. mer.
H sound il always made. I saf there
Sometime thinking of what nv lise
would Be when / could see Ellen no
mpres for although only sixteen years
ok age. | was serioIsly il love.
4 had sat there perhars half-an-hour
when ] saw Ellen coming. / rose and
went to meet her.
Ellen, I said. Il an glad You have
come; have something to teIl Won
Come SIT down BY I.as,rhsn0 R-ook :.
i : perhaps the last time we shall N
here together lor . long tins"
We sat down on a old loe. where
We sat - often il days past. / little
thought then that Il wonld be the IauI
time we would ~ there forever
Ellen: I aaid, whsn could er,eslr
xnw Ifn3k = ~ ss-