Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-10
LOVED TOO LATE.
By W. II. s. ATKINSON.


II alls my dreams with sunny CLEANS
Una. little knot Of blue.
1t all happened long ago. SO long ago
that do not care to remember how many
weary. lonesome years have fled since
Ghen.
And yet ] am not an old woman by any
s4cans-not past 50 yet; only, suppose,
.he tSnlr draVs so heavily since those two
SUMMERS OF long ago. hardly think, il
you look ever so closely and upon ever so
good n map, you win be able to find the
gil!age Of White River. 1t is such AN in
significant place, and any way, its name has
sneen changed since The days when knew
Il. : don't suppose there ever was, OF ever
slN be, anything very remarkable about
Che place itself. IT was not even pretty
village, there was nothing about White
River to make ii endurable, except the
water. And there was plenty OF that, for
the commonplace village is built at the
point where The creek also known as White
RIyerI empties its shallow waters into
S4ake Erie. Northwestern Ohio contains
i1leuts OF picturesque country few miles
inland, but for some distance back from
Interesting. Then the village is so Very
srdiuary and common, and the majority of
the people are so plain and so dali that
don't really know how ! ever concluded to
20 there, ten years age, to spend a summer
vacation with my old Aunt Phoebe. But
did. aIld the days spent by me at White
River then and afterwards included
among chem the happiest of my life-and
shc sadtiest. Folks used to say | was u
pretty gili III those days. | know ! was
psutnp and shapely. and am sure | was
NOT absolutely bomely. Perhaps | was even
as thc folks saia-pretty. | know that
Billy Harrington said even nicer things
ftlna thlt to me. and indeed, though / Was
'sreatip and truly" rather /, modest gill
caring very little for what most folks
slaonght of me, there was Il time when
gather liked Billy to make those pleasant
assynai,R 10 me.
OF course you will want to know who
Billy was, that ! should have a peculiar
snterast III what he was pleased to say to
aae- Well. Billy was one of the rising
youlsg men of our city. and it was COM
monty reported that he would one day
marry me, Billy and thought So too, in
guiet sort of way, although there had
been no formal engagement. And Yet.
alsongh I liked him SO much. do not think
Z snvea Billy He was handsome and
clever. aud he was very good to me, vet L
sepeat, did not really love him.
When l went down TO White River it was
understood that Billy, who had "a pressing
ailsltaaion from my aunt, should come up
FOR two or three days at u time whenever
Ese could manage to leave his business in
fhe city. Without this understanding |
would not have gone.
as said before, White River dullness
ueas almost unbearable. Had it not been
for bathing and boating, With occasional
Gloits from Billy, T think l should have
Been constrained.to pack my trunk and de-
~ nal. | l,,,1 4
am something of a musician, that is to
studied harmony under some of the best
rahasters i'll America. For this reason l
have usually fought shy of country
churches. I can stand the long PRAYERS.
Che poor elocution, and the prosy sermons
nf the parson, but when it comes to four
as,di6eicnt choristers singing in four
separate keys, while an amateur organist
accompanies them on {; wheezy organ in a
Fifth, my devotion takes back seat, and
gry asitated nerves come to the front. So,
Sunday after Sunday, / never went to
fhalch at White River, though the village
s,easted of two Churches. But the Presby-
of my aunts, would give mo no rest until T
ORGANISED to go to church, which At last
did
determined, however, to 60 late so as
Ia escape tho musical. or unmusical, part
OF stAe service, and the Sunday after made
any promise found me on my way to church
sabesut half-a hour after all the other
Rorshilers. AS 1 neared the church I
head the last verse of hymn sung, and l
congratulated myself on having timed my
visit SO well; for. thought, "surelv now
ake sermon will commence"
As l quietly entered the church, and
~ty H. 7 l.
2stoaished and delighted to hear the notes
of 81 piano, as skilled hands played over
some difficult bars, which proved to be the
sseiude to that sweet, sacred song of
.ssosnsds, "There Is Green Hill Far
Away" The rendition of the piece by the
singer was perfect. And the singer? All!
asss ofien have [ wished that had never
heard or seen the singer! How often have
z regretted that I did not persist in my
resolve never to enter country church
But since did 90 to church and did hear
Che song, l may as we'll continue my story.
Tle singer there was n man with a rich
Tenor voice. When he arose from the piano 1
could see he was tall and awkward in his
movements, while his face at that distance
Feoked positively ugly. But, for my part
could forgive his homely features and
asskWsri carriage after that exquisite song
80 exquisitcly sung.
Naturally enough asked Aunt Phoebe
ssD:sae questions about the singer. ooh, !"
said she, "that's Russell-Tom Russell.
Yes, he's pretty good singer for this town
10 produce, and all the folks who come
saerr from the city rave over his voice--but
ssa> doesn't amount to very much shop
foreman up at the brass works, believe. I"
NEXT evening Tom Russell passed the
at,:lse, grimy and dirty, clad in suit Of
z,verssi!s. Just then he looked like a man who
sssea!d do nothing remarkable, and, to tell
yase truth, l should have passed him IN
noticed, even after having heard him sing,
had not my aunt pointed him out TO me.
y i suppose at home such q thing would
zseyer have entered my head, but in dull
agd rnonotonous White River anything by
sEzy of q change seemed desirable, and so I
aaade up my mind that wanted to become
aaauainied with Mr.. Russell.
fH following Saturday evening I
down al. after hm. Of p course aa nn
intro 'uctiOn followed, and then did nv