Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-10-04

weather-Lily Cobb has been very
poorly lately, too sick % come to
church last Sabbath. Some Of the
neighbors say she has caiioping con
sumption; her folks all 20 that way.
The young couple had guarded their
secret 30 carefully that even the moth
er's keen eyes had failed to detect it.
| Hos YEARLY the next forty ight
hours dragged along. The soldier
/ needed al . i discipline 20 enable him
70 endure the torture Of waiting Then
he hurried homeward a. fast a- steam
could carry him, but alas % fiud only
a grave.
4 long slow fever followed the 70
suit % the harj-aips % a four years
campaign was ths verdict - the phy-
stefan summoned from the nearest city.
bui a. last the pitifui little story found
+ is way through the ne.ghborlooi in
vesting the handsome young soldier
with q halo % romantic interest.
Hell get over his trouble .O0n an
be- lookin' out fur wife. his mothers
grown old and can't be -teppin round
the house n lively a. she used ter. &c
said the gossips. But spring after
spring woge pink aud white mantle
FOR the apple-trees. autumn after
autumn painted their fruit with gold
and crimson. and still there was no
new mistress at the Richards farm
Abner's father had died during his
sons absence. and the young farmer
remained deaf 70 all his mothers hints
and suggestions. sometimes listening
in silence. sometimes when the hints
became complaints and entreaties. i'm
patiently quitting the house and a.
eending with long swift strides the
hillside where grew the Old apple
orchard beneath whose boughs his
Lily. with pink flush on her fair
cheeks that rivaled their dainty bios
SONS. had plighted her troth to him.
+ This morning. A. usual. no had bent
his steps there bowling his head ever
aud anon 10 avoid some dropping
branch ,wayed by a sudden gust OF the
spent tempest. He was strongly moved
by his mothers words. though the
lament had been 80 often iterated
h'- loyalty To am idea which had led
his ancestors acr0s, wiutry seas TO
settle on the bleak tract Of land on the
New England coast. afterwards known
as the Richards Farm. was heritage
Of his birth that held him constant.
through the long years 10 the memory
Of "a girls fair face Yet. unconsciously
to himself. these years had gradually
drawn vail over the loved features.
and there we're hours when his mothers
persistent lamentations reused a vague
longing for a change in his destiny
which he instantly rrpre--sd. a II it
Were treason to the dead
To-day this yearning grew stronger
A. he walked on up the hill he felt.
with the keenness Of a recent bereave-
meut the emptiness Of life. the dos
Olation Of the future. and a. imagina-
ton. in cruel contrast. held up 70 view
the bright picture OF what lif. might
have been had his Lily lived. the
strong man almost grooned aloud in
his pain. At the same instant he
started violently, then smiled bitterly.
mutterins:
Il believe I am growing AS nervous
a. a woman
Something had brushed his cheek
I like the touch 81 light hand and
now. caught and whirled aloit by the
breeze. futtered before him like a lit
tie gray bird.
Abner watched it idly a he walked on
Only a scrap OF soiled paper. he per-
ceived. looking at it more closely and
A. II fell on the grass few feet before
him b. stopped to pick it up. but ju-t
at tht5 Instant the little torn. muddy
sheet. imbued with 1.-The contrariness
Of inanimate objects flew upward on
the wings OF another gust and van
Z ished
I Abner walked on to the crest Of the
hill where stood messy old APPLE
( tree. beneath whose bourh- the Young
lovers had kept their last tryst on that
/ spring evening 80 many years ago. He
passed his hand eare-singly over the
rough trunk a. he leaned against il,
gazing across the wide sweep Of coun-
try now glowing with the rich tints OF
autumn. at the blue sea flashing in the
distance view for which the Rich
ards farm was famed throughout the
neighborhood.
The wind. which had died gently
away again. swept sOughing through
the orchard, shaking "a shower Of fruit
from the bOughs Of the old tree. some
thing impaled on broken twig fiut-
tered from branch Just above his
head lie smiled a. he recognized the
torn bit Of paper that had escaped his
grasp a few minutes before. and
hastily -natehed il just a. "A stronger
gust whirled it from the bough.
Through the understanding the pa
per he saw a woman's dainty hand
writing. aud, opening the sheet.
glanced down the page II was ev!-
IDENTIFY letter Hilton. Kansas. Oct. =
- the date was iIlegible. liz turned
II seeking the signature. \ quick
gasp FOR breath. and his cheeks paled
with a thrill Of superstitious awe. a.
his eyes suddenly rested on the name
Lily G.
For an instant il seemed like a mes
sage from the grave. Then. with a
half trown at his own folly. he
scanned the crumpled sheet more
closely. Yes. he was right. it was a
letter-a pretty. girlish letter written