The Osceola times. [volume] (Osceola, Ark.) 1870-current, 1881-07-16
RECONCILIATION.

lover, which, on the very eve Of the
wedding, had resulted in the breaking
of of the marriage. Some time after
wards Miss Courtenay found that she
had been too hasty in her decision that
the reports she had received from we'll
meaning friends were exaggerated, and
in many cases untrue; but the discovery
came too late for her to repair her error
Mr.. John Elwell, her lover, had left for
California, and Margaret Courtenay grew
into an old maid.
This bad happened twenty years ago;
and now, within the last fortnight, these
two had met again.
Brothers take little interest IN their
sisters love affairs. and moreover Mr..
Courtenay had long ago forgotten the
name of John Elwell. Therefore, when,
having gained lawsuit, he asked the
lawyer he had retained (who happened
to be John Elwell) to run down for u
few days with him TO his country seat,
he had no idea that he was bringing the
long. separated lovers together.
But SO it was, There was a start and
a bow, flush, and a constrained shake
Of the hands: and then there was Sec
Itl DtlN ttll tlltIll, ipI lltlilltf CouItsStu
TO having known the other before. We
can scarcely therefore, be surprised at the
pensive attitude that Margaret has as
sumed. A fortnight spent in country
house in the wet month of February is
necessarily trying time TO two people
with secret. Both had discovered that
the years had made no difference in
their feelings for one another, but both
were too diflident or proud to make any
overtures toward a reconciliation.
There is no doubt that many unfort-
innate people have stumbled over this
same stone. Two people have honestly
and truly loved one another, but either
from pride or diflidence, or perhaps
both, the mutual confessions have never
been made. and the two lives which
might have flowed tremendously togeth-
or diverge in different channels.
1t Is oitentlmes necessary TO prevent
such catastrophe, that third party
should step in and gently remove the
obstacle that prevents the union, and
here the much-abused Office of match
maker may honorably and fairly be
brought into play. No such friendly
mediator had stepped in between John
l-iNtll bthil VI
Tended pride on his side and prudish re-
serve on hers were the stumbling blocks
over which these two were tripping.
Margaret gave way still more to day
dreams, and John Elwell prolonged his
stay; but the divided streams still fought
against the stones, and were as far from
unity as ever,
Margaret's day dreams were, however,
broken in upon on this occasion by the
hero, John Elwell himself, who advanced
toward the fire, rubbing his hands with
satisfaction, and exclaiming:
"Ah, Miss Courtenay, nothing can
make room look so cheerful as lady
by the freside. | hope that you were
not caught in the rain this afternoon"
II was not out" returned Miss COurte-
nay. AT this time OF the year morning
seems to be the best time for constitu-
tional exercise. / invariably walk be-
tween II and l."
"The Winters walk at noon." What
is it Cowper says?
" The night was winter in its toughest mood,
The morning sharp aud clear. But now at neon.
Upon the southern side of the slant hills,
And where the woods fence off the northern blast
The season smiles, resigning all its rage,
And has the warmth Of June,
"May," corrected Miss Margaret.
"Of course. ! am forgetting all my
poetry. A man generally does, unless
he has women and children about him."
"And very frequently when he has
them" said Miss Courtenay, looking
pensively at the fire.
"True. Yet even should the actual
poetic nature die out of man. there is ia
certain sottness and loveliness infused
into his life by being brought into con-
tact with women and children"
whilst often with women the love of
poetry drifts into sentimentalism, where
it is not associated with the sterner COM
mon sense ofmen, said Margaret, speak
ing more to herself than TO him.
THAT shows how dependent the one
sex is upon the other, and how it was
never intended that either should live
alone"
Miss Courtenay discreetly changed the
subject and began talking about the
mornings news, inquired if tho evening
papers had arrived, and discussed the
various kilograms.
"llaving been abroad so much, nat
urally take an interest in what is going
on in the world" she said; and sc the
conversation drifted into indifferent sub
iects.
1t wanted half an hour to dinner time,
and none of the other members of the
household had as yet made theirappear-
ance. Gradually the conversation died
away, and these silly blunderers sat star
ing into the FIRE as though they hoped TO
find fresh fuel for discussion in the
flames.
Now and again new topic was start
ed, first by one and then by the other;
but as neither seemed to have much to
say, each returned to the thoughtful
scrutiny of the fire. This process of
making conversation became very irk-
some; Miss Margaret reused herself and
determined to make more vigorous eff
fort; John Elwell did the same; they both
seized upon subject, simultaneously
withdrew their gaze from the fire, and
opened their lips to speak; their eyes
met, and they laughed.
There was a rustic, and the words
kiss me-" sounded gently through the
room.
John Elwell started, and thrill o.
pleasure shot through him, At last,