The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1885-11-18
:. Che strange old Bible and the ancien.

| prayer-boOks: at the fine carving on
pulpit pews. They talked great
deal TO each other, and when. at last.
she left the church to take her way
homewart, he said to her:
IF You should feel like reading.
| have tolerable brary; and, though
am an old bachelor. my housekeeper,
Mrs. Pratt, is very COOL old woman,
and will do her best to oblige YOU in
every way. This is my little home.
you know" aud he pointed to the
tiny house that hid itself among the
| trees.
She thanked him and went her ay
full of new softness, and he looked
| after her.
81 should have liked so very mucb 10
| kiss her." he sad to him self.
Ii was the first time he had said il vi
any woman even thus. and the bio cd
| flew TO his smooth brow as he. spoke.
and he blamed himself very much; for
he knew it was no fatherly kiss OF
which he thought, did that old eurste.
And so strange, sweet friendship
grew into existence. The difference ir
their ages and his Office gave them
privileges else impo ssible in dec ro1s
England. Lettice could walk and talk
with that old curate as much as she
chose. and she chose TO do it a great
deal: The library was an excuse, and
there was the garden. and what more
proper than that she should 90 tc
even NC prayer?
And the old curate began very soon
to watch for her; to count the mo
ments of her absence. and TO know
that that which had never come to him
in youth had come to him in age; toe
late for him to taste its sweetness, but
not too late TO feel the bitterness that
love must ever bring when it is moth
ing but an unrequ:ted longing.
Oh, if he could but keep her thus! he
said to himself. If only she could love
no one else. And they might be friends
forever Then he could be happy. But
til s could not be. Young, sweet,
beautiful, some one must claim her
soon. She would be the wife of a
young man. She would love him, and
have for the old curate only a kind
memory.
All that she knew was that he was
oraver. and that he did not seem TO
like her as well as be had done at first.
This troubled her. and at last moved
her to Shun the old library and even
the church, and she even shed tears
sometimes, wondering how she had OF
Tended him. So. in the end, they saw
little of each other, and thought a great
deal; but his heart gave a wild throb
when one day he heard that Lett.ce
Lee was going home to America.
Would she go without bidding him
adieu?'' he asked himself Would it
not be better that she should?" But
she did not. She could not. He had
been too kind to her. even though he
were cold to her now. One morning
, she came.
She opened the door of his library
"a, he sat staring at blank of sermon
; paper, thinking of no text, unless ii
, were this: Love Is strong as death, and
, jealousy is as cruel as the grave; and
coming up to him. put out her little
, hand and said, softly:
Il have come to bid you good-by,
, sir | am going away"
, He took the hand and arose and led
, her to seat, and then they sat quite
silent for a while. 1t was not .ight
for an old heart to beat so fast, and
|
, Il am sorry. knew that you must
: 90. but | am very sorry
, She gave little start, and looked
full into his eyes. What shesaw there
two tears that quivered on the lashe:
q made her put both her little palm:
Z upon his arm.
. ..Sorry?" she said. ''Oh, are yol
! really sorry, sir? II thought yol
;. d d not like me any more-thatI borec
; You with my chatter; and so l KEEP
away"
- Two hands upon his arm, two blu
ewes fixed upon his own. sweet quiv
! ering red mouth parted with sucl
:, childish sweetness-do you wonder tina
; the man forgot that he was an old Gu
rate?
. People are really never old, yo
: know: only this fieshv dwelling G
a theirs DECAYS, not the heart-the SOU
= He forgot his gray hairs aud his fifty
g five wears of lie. and in moment b
. stood almost TRANSPORTED before heI
flushed with youth color, bright wit
, loves passion.
\ oh my little girl, my little girl!
= he cried. Gould you not see? Di
= you not know? Sorry! All, when yo
= leave me YOU take my life with you
. |. who never loved any one before
. love you madly. My little one, my dal
a lingL''
= And then it passed. The truth cam
- to him. He turned from her; his fac
grew gray. He flung himself into
. chair and hid his face.
Good bye" he faltered. Forge
: what the foolish old man has said. an
! don't think i'll of him. "
- He did not look at her, but he hear
z the rustic of her dress upon the foo
He felt her close to him. He kne
=, that she knelt down beside him, an
= again the little hand touched him.
= Good bye" he faltered.
No No Then he heard her sobbing and bel
"a over her.
- NV child. do you weep for the Of
= man?' he said. "You weep and {
% : not laugh. God bless you
y And a choked voice answered:
=, - IL cry because | am happy. l d
: not want to 90 away. want to sts
= with YOU. People that are nice a
10 always nice. even if they are old.
y, ~ only wonder you could Ike lit
"a thing Ike me-so silly and so young
" but / am very glad you do
bo And then he opened his arms and s.
IA crept close to his breast, and he he
~ her there; and whatever people Sa
80 when the bans were published in Al
berly Church, it was no sacrifice; t
!. within that old breast and that YOU
81 one dwelt unaccountably the twin sol
whose bodies should have been of t
same age. and no two married peoI