The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-07-04
AUNT SOPHIE'S STORY.

| nave never tOlu me the romance OF NOll
long ago? / came in Just to hear it this
evening" And grave look came into
/ Gcorgia's merry blue eyes. Miss Chester
turned her glance from the far-oll dream
lard of the opal sunset to the little
beauty who was knceling daiutily before
her.
"How can you imagine that any
romance is connected with my past,
Georgia"
The young lady glanced up at her
cunts deep, liquid brown eyes, aud the
heavy folds of satiuy dark hair that tho
J last sunbeams had changed TO golden
just then, and exclaimed, with her usual
candor;
ooh, ] know it very well, Aunt
Sophie. Beautiful as You arc-thcrc,
don't deny it would givc--wcll, ]
would give my diamond set just to have
such glorious eyes, Now, tell me why
you didn't marry.
every well, Georgia, if it will crafty
You, You shall have those pages from my
hcart-book read. You may profit by the
lesson it teaches.
only father died when was still n
child, leaving me to the care of my
brother and two elder sisters. My father
had all his children educated at home,
and would have followed the same plan
regarding myself if he had lived, for he
did not fancy the idea of sending girls
away from home TO he educated. But
my brother thought differently, and
when / was twelve he placed me in a
boarding school in another State"
"Four years passed, and among my
friends at school there WAS one to whom
I was bound by the warmcst ties Of
friendship-Bcrtha Grey. Al last the
vacation came when she must return TO
her distant home, and she cnteated me
to accompany her. My brothers con-
sent was gained, and Bertha and | were
happy as possible.
ole came for us Bcrha'S brother,
Elroyd Grey. 1t would he impossible,
Georgia, to describe him. His rare
charm was something indoIinahle. In
the seclusion in which had always lived
[ had mingled but slightly with the
, world Every Sunday, in the st.
Berthold church, TO which we were
marshalcd by our preccptress, n faint
vision came to my eyes of the Splcndor
, and magnifcence uf life outside the
!, college walls, nut among all the faces /
had scanned so curiously there had never
= been one to compare with his. / was
L but foolish child, perhaps, but when
his deep voice came to me, rich
melodious, moduatcd, my very heart
would pause in its throbbing ! have
thought since that he understood an(
exertcd his strange power at will,
= "But / was quiet and reserved anC
resisted all his attempts to establish {
friendly intimacy with a pcrtinocity o
i which | was ashamed even then. Bertha
" was my friend, and to her alone did
a. cling, wishing not for others. w
arrived at Bertha's home, and | was III
troduced to Mrs. Grcy--a tall, pale lady
who greeted me with such kindness tina
IS the tears came unbdlcn to my eyes.
4. 81 can hardly tell how the next tw
!, months passed. Swiftly, like an hour
, golden, glowing dreams, that we remen
III Der aiterward with strange thrill
rs pain. Elroyd, Bertha and Ia pleasm
lc little trio-rode, walked, talked, h;
ms boating excursions out over the glass
GO little lake, sat on the galleryin the bea
~ tiful, calm, moonlit night and sung swe
old songs that thrilled all the chords
10 the heart with their exquisite patho
" and when every other amusement W
ne exhausted in the long, glowing SUNNI
NJ days, we sought the library. 90 II
he know when the consciousness came
49,. me first of my love for Eroyd Grey.
W. was almost overpowcring inits depth al
~ intensity. | concealed 1t so SG''tio"a
" that even Bertha, to whom | laa COZ
{ n municated every secret for the past /,
M years, never suspected the TRUTH
Ut" rode, walked and talked rs usual,
floated out over the miror-like surface
the lake in the jubilant summer evening
ich and still / kept my hearts idol-worSl
md enshrined sacrcdly in my heart.
y. - ave stood one evening at the ga
y Bertha, Elroyd and !. 1t was peace,
sht scene upon which we were looking !
sis sky, with its cleaning stars, was
ave fected in the motionless lake. Even
Ter hooking bird hushed its iubilant chor
an as if to listen to the silence.
va, "What calm and peaceful mig
lcr- What rest, what quiet Would Una
tile might continue forever, murm'lred
,cts royd, turning his eyes upon me vii
am look that always rendered me restless
q q uneasy. -.
rot "You are insatiable,' 1 said wit
augh.
dyes. want this glorious nigh
stay with its deep rest and peace,
know that the peace ] see now Will
uns ,sh almost ms quickly as the night.
her "'Why ?" ] asked half unconsciou
sses "Becau the star that is illun
avervthint without and within will