The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-11-19
TRUE LOVE TRIUMPHANT.

1t was the second of July, and they
were walking together in the cool OF
the evening, in an old-fashioned flower
garden, in little village nestled under
the purple shadows of the Highlands
"a young man with broad shoulders
and warm brown eyes, and young
girl in a white dress. with a pink rose
in her fluffy golden hair.
Below them cleaned the river, GRIM
soned by the sunset, as if some great
river monster. wounded unto death,
had poured his life-blood in its spark
ling waves; behind them stood the
girls home, pleasant cottage, with
the snowy curtains at its open win
dows fluttering in the light wind that
rustled to and fro among the leaves;
and before them stretched the white
dusty roads, along which SO many
times during the last four years gallant
youths with floating flags, and waving
plumes, and martial music had gone
marching 10 the landing below, to en-
bark on the first stage of their journey
to the war that thundered in the
South.
1t was a time when tears were more
frequent than smiles. but even the uni
versal sorrow peryading land whence
the flower of its youth had gone forth
to death and danger could hardly ac-
count for the deep distress visible ON
the face of these two.
Tears glittered on the lashes that
yelled the beautiful eyes of the girl,
and sighs burst ever and anon from her
quivering lips, while she tore apart.
with white nervous fingers, the petals
of rose she had just gathered.
A deep gravity was settled upon the
frank countenance of the Young man,
and he regarded her moGrnfully vet
fondly.
.'Oh, it is hard-it is so hardr' she
bursts ont suddenly, as she flung away
the mutilated rose, aud buried her
face in her hands in tempest of tears.
He laid his hand timidly upon her
arm.
Listen. Emily" he said. 81 love
you both. love my brother too we'll
to take his promised bride from him
and wreck bis life, and l love you far
too madly to stay and Bee you welded
to another. even though that other be
him. 1t is Gordian knot which only
the sword can sever, as of old. My
country calls me, and tits better 1
should go. You will forget me after
little while and love him as you loved
him ere we met"
Twill never forget you. will never
cease to love you," twas her passionate
reply.
'.But think of his great love for you,
his trust in us BOTH" he began, then
ceased abruptly as his emotion over
came him, and turning his face away.
he struggled to subdue the grief that
choked back the words he wished to
utter.
She saw the nobility, the loyalty, th-
sublime self-sacrifice of the man before
her and realized that her very love fer
him must strengthen her to aid him to
leave her. So she cheered him and
spoke bravely, and they parted, with
steadfast eyes but aching hearts.
As he took her hand and said good
bye, she lifted her sweet sad face, and
he bent and kissed her. 1t was no
treason to the absent brother and be-
trothed. These two had renounced
each other that they might be loyal to
him, and save him the pain that they
were suffering now.
Honor never occupied loftier throne
than those two bleeding and breaking
hearts, and that farewell kiss was
as pure as q kiss that is given to the
dead.
Kneeling that night by the open
window, when all the house was still,
looking down upon the mOonlit garden
where they had parted, and up at the
star-studded heaven where. only, they
hoped to meet again, Emily Melville
reviewed the record of the past year.
She had come with her mother the
preceding summer, stranger in the
village, and had met Richard Forester,
the elder of the two brothers, ut a pic
mic in the woods that skirted the town.
He escorted her home that night un-
der The mellow moonbeams, and fol-
the rest of the summer, ut party, OF
picnic, or church, he it was who was
ever at her side.
He was a handsome, ,fair-haired youth
of tive-and-twenty, and Emily miStook
her sisterly liking for him for love. So,
in the autumn, when he asked hcl
hand in marriage, they plighted then
troth under the flaming boughs of the
maple.
All that winter she thought she loved
him; but in the springtime, when the
woods were in mist of young green
leaves, and sunny banks were blue with
violets, Robert, the younger brother,
who had been away in the West, came
home.
They met. He looked upon hel
golden head, and rosebud lips, and
dainty figure, and his heart went from
him for ever; and she saw his sunny
smile and warm brown eyes, where
shadow and sunlight seemed ever piay,
ing together as they do in rippliuc
brooks, and realised her great mis-,
take.
Both struggled against the love thai
came too late, and at last, we'll know
ing that to remain was torture for both
Robert enlisted in a company forming
for the war.
His brother protested, his widowed
mother wept, and only Emily under
stood. He had come to bid her good
bye that evening, had found her in hel
tlower-garden, and i'll the bitter agony
of parting the secret that each hac
guarded so carefully from the other,
that had looked from their eyes fol
weeks, passed their lips.
For one moment he had folded hel