The Delaware ledger., 1883-09-01

into which it has pleased Heaven to
call me, as the dear old catechism
says"
81 am at peace with the world to-
night, y say, uncontrolled joy ringing
in my tones. "Rhoda will be home to-
morrow 70
"she is very dear to you, this Rhoda
of yours" she asks.
Every ~ say solemnly, from my
heart.
Gas the old song runs, She is the
very eyes of me. )"
1t is the afternoon of the next day.
Rhoda has come.
| am standing out here on the bal.
cony, watching her as she sits inside,
furling and unfurling her fan, and
glancing up archly at the young man
standing up close by her side.
1t is in truth Rhoda, but how changed
how sadly changed from the dear
little maiden of years past
Where has the simplicity which sat so
well upon ber gomez
Did it depart forever when she put
away her riotous childhoodp
And SO l watch her, disappoint-
ment at my heart so great that there is
room for no other feeling.
Her beautiful soft hair, which had
once crowned her head like halo, is
distorted into a hideous edifice piled
high over her forehead.
Voluminous skirts take up half the
space in the room, and she kicks them
into place as uneeremoniously as a
heroine of opera b0lIle.
Her voice has lost much of its sweet
: ness, and is loud and affected.
She has learned the cant phrases Of
: scientific atheism, and plays with the
great doubts of the age like purring
kitten with ball of yarn.
T How. different from the memory /
had loved so well, and cherished SC
tenderly among strange lands and
faces
With a sore, hitter heart l turned
: away-I cannot stand it.
|, Her mirthless, affected laugh mad,
dens me.
In the garden came across Doris
and her young charge.
She reads my disappointment ant
n pities me.
s 1t is only another version of the ole
IS proverb, Sometimes bitter bubble
up" she says softly.
n But am not to be cOmforted, and
sit moody and silent holding the skeii
> of bright wool for her as she rolls i
d into ball.
re And while she winds and winds sh
It talks in her soft sweet voice and as m
W fancy keeps time with the incessan
N winding, feeling of rest and sati
b. faction steals over me.
l forget Rhoda, with her frivolit
Y, and lately acquired worldliness.
~ A drop of oil has fallen on tn
troubled waters of my life.
40
- - The awful gloom Of war was d.
y pressing our land.
Along the banks of dark, silen
= river our camp was stationed.
n The fires burned red and high, cas-
10 ing long shadows around, and maxim
~ the forests in the background loo
ar darker by contrast.
"A A small party around a watch-fil
were busy at cards, and except for the
,o muttered imprecations at ill-luck, {
o chuckles of qualification from GOO
fortune, the silence of the camp ws
- unbroken.
- 1 stood with barred head at the door
- my tent, weary from the days marcl
~ still unable to sleep.
e My thoughts were far away from IL
camp-ground, as q soldiers will stra
when the noise of battle is for a viii
silent, and patriotic zeal slumbers du
ing the brief rest.
~ From an inner pocket 1 took out
small picture.
ce By the light of the fire I could see
be plainly.
r. 1t was the lovely face of Doris, Ina
a laughing, half tender, turned over III
to shoulder, and looking back at me, wit
lit those fond soft eyes from out of the dal
d. frame.
The memory of her warm fingers
10 parting when she slipped it into min
h the sweet "God speed, the tear-dimmt
of eyes and quivering lips, rise up in n
ny mind. close the cover on the smiliI
face and choose to think of her thus
at saw her last.
all Standing there in the silence, the graz
DIS breathless calm of nature all aroun
,pt with those multitudes Of changele
gfl starry lights above rolling on eternal
it comes to me with convincing certai
lin ty that Doris owns my tenderest lov
,ry The softest, bestfeelings of my natu
NO are awakened even to think of her.
IS, 81 love her ~ are the words viii,
nd beat in my brain.
"While live, even to the end, 1 W
rer love her forever ~
as And this is what saddens me, (
Doris rules my heart.
ass Rhoda feels that she is still bound
am me by the promises that were made
our younger days.
,ut ''Perhaps in the course of time tho
early VOWS will be fulfilled I" / thil
a rather recklessly.