The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-04-25


like to the thought. Perhaps fol
fear he would not get n good wife
"Ycs, this fall, probably"
"I'm sure congratulate you, and
hope you'll be very happy And
thinking | did not show quite inter
est enough, | added, "E[ayc you
known her long?'
"Abolt ten years" was the reply
began to feel that ] was not as
delighted as | should have been,
and | think he noticed my lack OF
interest, for he added, to incite my
curiosity, "She was a schoolmate
of Rosella's." "
"What? When we were at the
academy at I4--?"
"Yes.n
"Then, perhaps, know her?"
"Not very well, / think. She was
a very intimate friend of Rosella's.
though"
"She had but few intimate friends
l knew them all; what is her name?"
He did not answer. ! looked up
at him, and found his eyes looking
into mine. What was it / read
there? l looked away in confusion
and put out my hand for my book;
but he reached for the book, and
kept the hand that held it and said:
"You've guessed the name, my dear
Miss Richmond, and, from the time
/ first saw you, at your examination
at L., until now, l have loved
you. Rosella know this but she
knew you so well that she declared
that | never should win you f |
sought you as ] wanted to. | can
not tell if you love me, but will you
bid me hope that you can learn to
care for me, learn to think of me as
your best, your dearest friend ? More
than that" he added, "can you love
me as do you; for nothing short of
that will satisfy mc?"
/ thought of my strange feeling
when | found that he was not mar
ried, and what l supposed my anxi-
ETY. for him TO have Il good wife,
when he told me he was to be mar
ried, and | believed in my heart
that l had begun to love him.
l looked at him. ''Yes l do be-
| can love you, James Oliver" was
my thought, and he read it in my
eyes, for he took my face in his
hands, and gave me an earnest,
searching look then said: milne
at last"
What Il feeling of rest and peace
filled my heart. had found
place of refuge. Had found Il no.
bic soul to love me, to care for me
the best of all the world. My indie
pendence, my pride, my self-love
all left me, and, with a feeling of
trust, of thankfulness, | bowed my
head upon the table, and my heart
was lifted in praise and thanksgiv-
ing to Him who gave me so great a
blessing,
y few hours after, when Rosella
came in, she opened her eyes in
pretended astonishment to see me
sitting there with my hand clasped
in his. did try to withdraw it as
she opened the door, but it was held
with firm grasp. James must
needs tell her all, and she smiled
when she said: "Oh! | knew if you
only thought he was married, you
would apper yourself. | told him
to make your acquaintance in the
stage, for you couldn't run away
from there"
No more walks over the dusty
no more climbing stir to
the school-room to drag through
the six hours of toll and care, no
more gazing from my attic window
upon the milky way in Il hot sum
mcr's night. | found different
heaven in that library from what |
anticipated when l took the "new
novel," and curled upon the sofa.
My home is in Il large square
house, shaded by tall clms and
climbing vines in pretty townnear
Boston. | have never been to Sar-
atoga nor Newport during the fash
ionable season but we have always
been to Cape Cod, and to the beach
and the sailors hut; and we have
sat in the library, and talked of past
happiness, and planned for the fut-
ure, and ! think that / made Il mis-
take when | decided that school
teaching ought to be my life-work.
In all policies of insurance these
among IL host of other questions,
occur; "Age of father, if living? A
man in the country who filled
up an application made his
fathers age, "if living" 112 years
and his mothers 1O2. The agent
was amazed at this and fancied he