Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-05-24

ects ! cannot understand, lie u goinl
out TO learn and improve continually
and II settle down to my old fun an
indolance he will indeed desPlse m
when no returns. | love Grant, aud
want to make myself worthy Of him
Hc viii become accustomed to th
society of polished women, and | vii
seem utterly devoid Of polish. Yo'
are wealthy, pa, but ! would prefe
education to money
'And Amy said the old man tear
fully, when you become q lady per
haps you viii dcspise the awkward, oil
laundering farmer, have heard o
such things
'Oh, pa, Aunt Hastings isa tru'
lady, and she honors you ~ YOU
daughter always must said Am,
winding her arms around the neck o.
her doting father.
We'll, child, write to your aunt Il
find you good school in the city,
She will be good model for you,
Amy, child, if 1t were necessary
would make you lady that you might
win Grants love, even IL il led you to
despisc me. VIII Grant Burchard ever
love you better than that, think youI'
1t was q question that stirred the
depths of Amy Ludwick's loving heart,
and kept her faithful to her fllial duty.
Five years later two gentlemen OF
polished manners and easy address sat
talking in u New York hotel. Some
controvcrtcd point held them in earnest
debate for a long time but At length
the elder of the two arose, saying:
Grant Burchard | like your devotion
to the memory of this country girl. It
shows how true friend you can be.
But, in this case | lelieve you are pre-.
pairing for yourself n cruel disappoint'
ment.
Grant Burchard was only halflisten-
ing. After five years spent in a for
eign land he was still dreaming of the
young girl in the cglantinc bower, and
replied as before:
IF find Amy Ludwick as when |
left her will make her my BRIDE"
sYon cannot 6"a '-"' 10 you 10" hnr
said his friend earnestly. Here is
Ralph Emory's watch against Grant
Burchards hat that she is already we'd
ded to some neighboring farmer, and
that you will fail to recognize your
ideal Amy in the dumpy and illiterate
If she is not married you
will probably wish you had; for dur
ing these five years you have been
adding to your store of knowledge, and
unconsciously gaining a taste for high
er pursuits and companionship. If the
girl has not gained, you will find she
has lost her youth, her simplicity, and
all that native freshness you so much
admire. You shake your head doubt
ingly, Ell? 'Ephraim is joined to his
idols, let him alone Seeing is believ-
ing, however. With such heart as
yours ! pity you when your idol lies
before you fallen and shattered
And Ralph Emory looked with real
concern into the thoughtful face of his
friend.
An hour later they were whizzing
rapidly toward the country, when their
attention was arrested at station by
the entrance of a lady. Grant Bur-
chard started. Something reminded
him of Amy Ludwick. There were
brown eyes and glossy curls, worn in
the old, childish fashion, but now they
were old maidish and unbecoming.
Her face was pretty still, but it lacked
something to make it interesting, and
Grant Burchard could not but acknowl-
edge to himself she was overdressed and
unrefned in appearance. He instinct
lively shrank from acknowledging to his
friend that this woman looked like the
one he had loved. And though his
eye caught the name of "A Ludwick'
on her travelling bag, he shrank from
renewing the acquaintance, as he might
have done by a word. He was con-
trasting this uninteresting woman with
the simple girl in the sweet briar
glen when an old man entered and ad-
dressed her as Miss Ludwick.'
Ralph Emory now started and look
cd into his friends face.
'Ah! remember the name,' he ex'
claimed. is that the divinity of your
dreams?'
j fear it isn't was the deprecatins
answer.
Where have you been?' asked the