The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-09-18

Olympus, and that one was Ernest
Picardy. Since time began, all love-
making and all lovers had lacked some
what until now. And oh, never again
to the voice of love let any heart throb
so wildly, so joyously, so regardless of
imagined doom! Until now, nobody
had guaged it all quite thoroughly.
The delightful peril of risking a life's
happiness against half an hour S caprice,
was surely until now an untried adyen-
ture. And the morning and the even
ing, the sunshine, and the rain, the very
birds and breezes moved to one refrain:
"Theres nothing half so sweet in life,
As Loves young dream"
And years went on, until the bond
grew firmer, and Ernest Picardy, hand
some, oh, so handsome, young and gal
liant, ruled over loves kingdom, and
should rule forever and forever. Stop
there. Even in memory-even now
she shrinks from the pain of living over
what came after. The foolish pride,
the mistimed offense, the misadventure
and misery of it all, when she called on
heaven to help her; when she
clung desperately to the hope that
blessed chance or strange adventure
might come in friendly aid; when the
fond belief still fingered that some kind
heart, ere hers was broken quite, would
take home her sorrows and come to her
rescue. That, and that, and that-such
little things-might have been done and
all saved and no one did them, and the
critical time went by, and the world
went circiing on, and mad cries of re-
s4tance and despair went up to heaven,
and still there was no answer.
X X
Let it all be forgotten now. A long
lifetime lay between that time and this.
If the edge of the weapon still be keen,
let it lie in the sheath 1t is in the
happy time, the magical time she lives
now, while she waits to look upon the
lover from whom she parted half cen
fury ago. She saw the carriage coming
from afar. Two men were in it, one of
middle age, with but slightly-grizzled
hair; the other old with rime of many
winters on his scanty locks. She knew
him at Once-the lover of her youth.
She would have known him anywhere.
But oh! the change. Yet the features
were handsome still, and calm dignity
was on them, that looked like an habit
ual expression. Age, extreme old age
was there, but in no repellant form.
Only the eyes that had sought her own,
and wrecked her peace of mind so
sorely, would never look again on
maiden, sky, or meadow. Their lids
were dropped so as completely to con-
ceal them; for during many years he
had been stone-blind.
He sat with his face slightly upturned,
as is the manner with blind people, his
hands resting on the head of his staff,
and as she looked down on him, so fully
visible to her as he was, he turned in
conversation to his companion and
smiled. Do not the old colors of the
regiment, riddled with shot, battered
and stained out Of all their early beauty,
bring to us a sigh of loving tribute to
the glores so present to the spirit, SO
little discernible otherwise now? The
tears rained from the old woman's eyes
as she looked, so changed and yet with
such an ineradcable likeness to the days
of youth was that smile of her former
lover.
The carriage stopped. The younger
gentleman dismounted with some pa
pers, with which he disappeared for d
few minutes into the hotel. The ole
man, gay, active, handsome Ernest
Picardy that once had been, sat still
patiently and calmly, as one who knew
well how to wait. And who knows thai
his heart did notrespond with some deer
seated sensation of peace and fulfilled
desire to the fervent blessing breatheC
on him from above, by the woman
watching so near-the woman he haC
loved so passionately long ago? Fac,
to face they had met at last, although
only one was conscious of thatmeeting
and her soul cried out to his, full of Ole
love and new-yes, love even now
freshly-born of tender truth and wo
mans undying faithfulness.
t His friend joined him, aud the car
riage drove on, 1t was ''adieu pou
{ jamais' between them now. Blu
| when the last sight of him was lost
she covered her face with her trenholm!
hands and murmured forth:
, Thank God! All, so much, mucl
t better than the meeting | had hoped TO
and so oftened planned. What Heaye
t gives comes always mystical with salts
5 faction. What could we have done
] we had spoken of it all, but mingle on
tears and pierce each others soul one
r more with unayailing regrets? Bette
; for us both to be spared it. But oh
5 my love, my love! true to me, l kno'
, and feel it; only parted by our own ma
a pride and folly! We are calm enoug
: now! We have both grown old, yer
? old, my dear, but it has been togethe,
although apart If your brow had bee
r. smooth as remember it, and your lock
5 raven az when l saw them last, coul
not have claimed you for my own as
!, do now. We should have parted con
:, psny then; but nor we are one-W
r were young together, we are old t,
Q gether, and the tie of mutual age has
2 sacredness in it which nothing can di
Y turb. And then, when this last bri,
o portion Of our life is over, we shall me,
4 - L. A