The National tribune., 1884-03-20
UNcLEBENS ROMANCE
a Touching Love Story of Fifty
Years Ago.

as ] be. Howsomcver," he added, in more
serious tone, Gurus as you may think it is, /
hey bin just. IN that FIX precisely. ] amt
never told the steTy much, cause, although it's
Nor "a fifty years since ii happened, fur a long
spell i couldn't even think Ont without
feelin riicd up. and fndin fault with Provi-
dcRce. which amt the right way, boys TO git
rid OF 4 sore heart. But now its different and
ii yer mind, I'll tell you the hail story"
We were, OF course, unanimous in favor of
hearing IT,
Nail, afore / beg.a,' said Uncle Ben, I'll
show We this picter."
Drawing from his inner vest pocket a worn
morocco case. ie opened il, displaying the ivory
miniature of a young and beautiful 2irl. The
face was small, with delicate features, dark
blne c-cs, cheeks with The least flush Of pink
q well-sGapca head, covered with wayy ringlcts
Of golden brown hair. The expression of the
countcllance was enc Of chilG-like simplicity.
with just tho least hint IN the riTthful eyes Of
fur and coqaetTy.
That 'ai's a purity face, as ] see We al
think" said Uncle Ben. after We had fully ex-
amined it. There want purifier for miles
around when WAS a Young feier. The gals
name thst owned ii Sas Mirandy SnithcTs,
only daughter CT Farmer Smifhers. She gin
THIS 10 me herself the night afOre / went on
nay fust yeyase. lis so We won't foFgit me-
Ben. says She in her iascinatin' way. I've
wore that picteg eyer since, and allus shall so
long rs ] i've
The fast ] ever hcercd Of Nirandy was by
means Of brother Josiah he died in the war of
lSll3. Oue day he says u me: Ben, there's a
now gal come TO singin -skale: yer ought 10 see
her: she's got the handsOlnest face, the neatest
figure, the purttiest f0ot yer ever sse,' and he
KEEP a bldgeGin me all day to 20 that night 10
siEgin' -skule. So went aud There ] fnst see
Mirandv. j didn't have eyes for auythin else
the hull eyeuin'. Josiah. seem how ] WAS z
feein, up and turned TO her she s0t right in
front Of as, and says he: Miss Snlithers, let
me make yer acquainted with rly brother Ben
And She give me the pGrttest bow, and says
she: Happy 10 meet sc. Air D2wkins.' |
was 100 bashful 10 say much but ter cousid-
cradle skirInisbin' ] managed 10 ask ii ] could
sec her home after skHle, and she said, Yes
To make long story short, 'tw8nt the
last time, by amy means, that ] saw Airandy
home. although she WAS purity aggravatin'
when she s0t ont TO tease like all gals of spirit
viii with iellers. 4 chap by the name of jim
Fowler used 10 come out from the city; his
father lived in cur place, and the gals seemed
10 think there want anybody Ike Jim. But
he Was Jest ike me-all tux up with 8irandy,
and 'tsas tust one aud then t'other of US that
She favored, a-keepin both on Us Uneasy most
OF the tine.
Howsomever. one night / found her TO
home, alter Jimd ban there, as she aterward
tod me. and as soon as / SGT eyes on her /
knsBed that there'd been suIhin' 10 pay. /
asked her to 60 with me 70 singin -skule. No,
thank ye, Ben, she says believe / wont go
Tonight So 4 asked her if shed go for a
walk. Twas mild and The moon was a-shinin',
but not SO bnt what the staTs could be seen.
So she pat on her little hat gypsy they called
Il ia them dags-tWas white. made of straw
and trimmed with light blue ribbands. |
never see her lock purifier N all my life. j
offered her my arm and she tux It, How /
felt you boys that have walked with purity
gal III the same WY can oueSS
, ter wed walked q spell. / noticed HI
randy was parity seber-dIferent from usual
$50 / says: MiTardy, there's a good many
stars in the tifgament, amt thereg Yes
says she, a-io0kiI np. kinder wonderin Wal
says j. TGn cant count en- Can yer No
says She. That's jest the way love re. Mi
randy says /. more'n I can tell We. VIII yen
be mine, Mirandys Eor . mint she didn't say
anything; then she says. You must ask
1afaer, Ben: aud seiR she'd the same rs said
Yes as inr rs she was, jest np-yon fellers
know: 50 L needn't tell; twas the same old
story," said Uncle Ben. with merry twinkle
IN his small black eyes.
When We got 70 the house, !, Ineanin' bus
iness. went to find the old man. He was asst
TN ca the back porch, a-srsokin'. Mr. Smith
ers.' Gays i, can / have word with yoa?'
Certain, Mr. Dzwkius, SAYS he, walk right
this way, and opened al the same time door
leadIn 70 small room, and on il the door i
mean was writ the word Office as / could
see by the moonlight. When we sot down he
says: val, young man, what kin / du for
youg Give me yOGr daughter, says ]; for |
love her with InT huh heart Which, SAWS
he with that ar curious smile Of hisn more
like monkeys grin than material snile)
does credit 70 yer taste, but Mirandy's too
young 10 be married yit, and besides yer agOin'
away 10 be gone 30 long there's no tellin' when
yerl be back again ] forgot TO say that I'D
taken berth Oh board Of brother J0siahs brig
ffT gfo tall -rfff al
says ], if come back al snug and dry, what
them Then, says he, ii Mirandy's agree
able, ] an. Low 1 got ont Of that ar room,
don't know 70 this day, but ] went straight to
hirandy, and We sat up TIL most midnight
taiksn aud plannin Ter the futur We did
this a most every night Till ] went away, and
there al The fiIne old snitheFs was a chucklin'
and fhink5n What fools we was. for Hotwifh-
Etandin his promises, he never meant word
or EN-
About month alter this went TO sea, and
IS nc was wrecked on the voyage home was
gone about two years al told. / heerd pretty
regclar from Niranay az fasf, bat al ter once
the letters stopped thOagb ] continued 10 write
jest tbe same, fer ] didn't so much wonder at
The letters Bot gettln' 10 me, seen we'd been
wrecked, as we had At last re got into sort
and when brother Josizh and ] got into the
house they was al glad enough tosce rs, though
noticed mother looked at me. every once in a
while, very mgurGl4ul. Dinner bein over, got
siicled up ready 10 20 to Miraady's, fer ] was
mighty anxious 20 see her, as We may think.
come down stairs q hummin aud feelin' very
cheerful Where yer going Benz saysmother.
To see Alrandy, Of course says j surprised at
mothers askin me sich question Ny poor
boy, says she, MiTandy'sI Dead = saws T.
fNo.-married-last month, 10 Jim Fowler
says mother.
il mother had shot me- ] couldn't a felt
wuss J sot right down IN the highest cheer,
the huh room seemed a spinnin' round like
top. Mother" says l. it's all over with
me. Don't say that, Ben, or you viii xiii me-
mother SAYS. Although they al tried 10 per
susde me different, l wouldn't heer 10 EN-. but
that very day engaged 70 20 in a week on
three years cruise 10 lnjia and Chiny. Instid
OF bein' gone three j was away Ave wears
Mother never said much IN her letters about
Mirandv, except that she d had little 'nn. and
lstterly seemed 70 be pinin' and that Jim often
asked for me--when was comm home az in
This made me SO Uneasy that give up the place
IN Chiny, IN a tea-hoUse, good one il was, too,
and come home ] didn't Jet the folks know
exactly when 20 expect me, 50 they was all sur
pFised when arrived. Nalkin' up. very still, TO
the house, ] see mother settin' readin in the big
hall door; her hair was turned as white as
SNOW, and she had on a black gownd, seem
father had jest died. When she looked up and
sec nc st1ndin aforc her, she fetched scream,
and then we Rugged each other purity tight,
she cryin fur JOY al havin' be back safe and
BClIQd Then f1lerf lei, lie Ia ria