The Washington critic., 1888-02-18

Hanaford except in folkses gardens,
and we mostly went along in the fall.
Well, well, welll do wonder where
he is, and what he is a-doin', and
how upon airth he come to think so
much o. me after all these years."
A soft color stole up on to Miss
Lydia's pale cheek, glow crept into
her heart, her eyes grew bright and
soft and dim, but nobody saw them
except Tommy the cat, and Tommy
was not an observant person, except
in the case of fresh meat OF new milk.
The arrival of those viands he noticed
with alacrity, and expressed himself
about them with deep Interest," he
cared nothing for Cupids and doves
(painted ones), nor yet for tender
verses. He escaped much disquietude.
Miss Lyddy locked away that mis-
sive in little upper drawer of the
great bureau with glass handles in
her keeping.room, and lay awake
much longer than she ought, trying to
remember more about Lemuel Bangs
than she really did.
She woke up next day with that
gratiiied feeling, vague, yet delight
ful, that visits us all when something
and smiled to herself, as she fried her
potato for breakfast, and boiled
fresh egg for that frugal meal, to
think how pleasant it was to be re-
membered and-almost-made love
to by Lemuel Bangs, who was such q
jolly little boy with red hair and
freckles when she knew him. What
had become of him? Like all the
other Hanaford boys, he had gone
West; she knew so much; but his
parents died some time ago, and both
his brothers went away, too, after
that; he had slipped out Of Banaford
talk and recollections as one IT,. lips
away from the crowding foliage of q
forest tree, and is thought of no more.
Blessed be condolences Without
them how could we poor literary
grubbers ever write stories, or poems,
or any such thing2 And condolences
are much more common, beloved
reader, than you have any idea, un-
less you belong to the Psychical So
ciety anu diligently study their
records.
While Lydia Packard was smiling
and coloring. over her valentine,
Lemuel Bangs was actually brushing
off his great-coat in the bar-room Of
the Hanaford tavern. He had come
back from that indefinite, prosperous
West with q modest fortune, not to
settle in his native .town-oh no l.
but he had business lii Boston, and as
that was done with sooner than he
expected, he just ran up to Hanaford
with q vague longing to see the
old town, much wondering on his
way il there were any left
there who remembered him, so
long an exile. For Lemuel had had
his own experiences, like most
men of forty-nine; he had been mar
ried and lost his wife, as well as sew
eral children; only the youngest,
twin girls Of five, had he left behind
him, at his farm in Dakota, with
tavern nobody knew him. Old
Shepard VAS 'fUfg gone to mis-
IlaSe in the graveyard; it was
like the roll-call after mighty bat
tie to hear him ask the smart fellow
who was landlord now about his old
schoolmates; relatives he knew were
not there. Yes, this one was dead
SO was this one; that one was in Cali
forny," t'other in "York;" even the
girls were dead or married, till II
came to Lyddy's turn.
| 'Well, she is here" answered the
landlord, pleased to find one name
left; "she lives by herself q piece
down the Darby road, in a leetle REQ
house; her folks used to live there,
| guess"
1t was too late to hunt her up thai
night, but Lemuel Bangs rose next
day with full intent TO find his school
mate. There was not spark of sen.
timent in his recollection of her; he
never could or would have written
that valentines; but he remembered
the demure, bright-eyed little maid
and how he had pitied even though
he avoided her for being thay old
reprobate cold man Packard's''
daughther. He had gone away be-
fore her father died, and had whole
history of his own since; his hair was
no longer red--it was q good bushy
gray; and wholesome tan had oblit-
Grated his freckles; but the sound
white teeth, the kindly eyes, the deer
chin dimple, still remained; the
laughing boy had grown into the reso
lutte, CHEEKY man, who scrambled NJ
again every time fate knocked him
down, and laughed at his own falls.
Lydia knew him as soon as she
opened the door and held out both
her hands. "Why, Lem Bangs" she
cried, with voice of tender surprise
and welcome. "This beats every
thing Who'd ha' thought of seein
you !"
| "Well, Lyddy, here am"
He strobe in and sat down by The
fire, a big, sturdy, pleasant-faced man
and Lydia stood and looked at him
Dear old Lydia that bad little Cupit
had brushed. the cobwebs of Time of
her face. since yesterday; some in
effable CLEAN of youth played ovel
the smiling old face and kindled the
pensive eyes to brightness.
i why, goD haven't grown old tC
speak of, have ye?" laughed Lemuel
4 And Lyddy answered, 81 guess
hev as much as you, Lemuel; but
knowed you right Of"
! So then they sat down and chatted
There was n plate Of doughnuts in tn,
corner cupboard that tasted ''ius
like mother's," on which she regalet
him, brewing cup of tea besides, th,
only beverage she had to offer. And
there they sat for hours, talking 6ve,
the dead and gone, till each knew al
the other had to tell.
Lemuel did not leave Hanaford
next day, as he meant to; he hired {
pung, and took Lyddy over to Dayton
where his "folks' were buried; ht
wanted to see about their gravestones
and the way to Dayton led past Brandy
| Hill schopl-house. Lemuel reminded
her how they used to swing ON those
trees, and inquired if the winter
green plums up in her wood lot wert
as big as they used to be. Lyddy