The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-01
RETURNED.
AN EASTER STORY.

Hearts love will meet thee again"
"Good-by, little sweetheart"
"Good-by, George; have good time,
and mind your tutors and your governors.
George Hale laughed and kissed his
hand to the merry child standing on the
steps OF her fathers house, her dark gray
eyes laughing, though she tried to keep
her pretty red lips sober, and pretend a
solemnity she did not feel, but with femi-
nine instinct feltit proper to assume, though
the tiny witch was but seven years old. A
pretty picture she made there in the level
sunset rays that brought her white dress
out into full relief against the dark door
way, and threaded the wild abundance OF
her floating red hair with rays of gold till
il made fiery halo about the small apple
blossom face, and gave an air Of unreality
TO very red and positive little mortal.
Annis Carver and George Hale had been
neighbos and playmates all their short
lives; they had romped together out-of-
doors and in he had coaxed and domi-
neered over her; she had coaxed and
leased him. Annis was the only daughter
OF wealthy New York merchant who
lived on the Hudson river for the sake Of
his wife's health, for Mrs. Carver was an
invalid who could not bear the rush and
roar OF the great city. Annis saw very
little OF her father, who took an early train
to New York every day, and only returned
In time for the dinner at which she was
too young to appear. He was merely a
Sunday acquaintance, 80 when George
Hale's father died one day very unex-
pectedly, Annis cool remark was, swell,
George; II isn't much matter; papas don't
mount to much, fink"
There was only year left, however, for
George to coincide with Annis' philoso-
ply, and during that year the two went
about us usual devising their own amuse
ment, in which "Aniseed," rs George
teasingly called the piquant dancing little
fairy, was always the readiest OF wit, the
most daring in invention. Many time
thereafter George smiled and sighed both
TO remember her odd and difficult schemes
for their mutual amusement; she i'm
printed herself ON his memory as nothing
commonplace could have done; in ''all
the chances and changes Of this mortal
life he never really forgot her till they
met again.
For at the end Of this year, when Mr.
Ilales estate was all settled, and his af-
fairs put into tangible shape, il was found
that George and his mother had but just
enough to live on comfortably; and, as
yNIN. llatt Ouil kbut W
England in his youth, and was now a
prosperous merchant in London, he wrote
her, on hearing Of her husbands death,
offered her home in his own house, and
promised 20 find place for George as soon
as he was old enough 10 work, for now he
was only twelve.
The offer was accepted at once. Mr..
Nvcns was widower with one child-a
daughter about Georges own age-and
Mrs. Hale knew that she herself would be
OF use 10 her brother and comfort TO
Mary; 80 she sold her pretty home on the
Hudson, with all its appurlenances, bado
good.by 10 her friends, and took passage
for her boy and herself 20 England. In
the novelty and excitement OF the journey
George soon ceased TO mourn for his play
mate, but once settled in London a terrible
attack OF homesickness fell upon him; the
dingy streets, the new ways and places
the fog and rain, the confinement 10 the
house, at first absolutely necessary, were
all a sharp and painful contrast 10 his lost
home with its lawns and gardens, his free
dom to go and come, the bright skies and
fresh breezes OF America, and tho COM
panionship OF his'gay, loving and amusing
delicate, silent child, shut up in her nur-
sery except for formal walk daily with
her maid or drive through the park with
her goyerness-a prim, forbidding woman,
who considered propriety the chief OF all
virtues
For time George was really i'll with
that ailment so exhausting that even strong
men have died of II In enforced exile; but
he WIS young anS boy. and after a time
grew ont of II, and began 10 accommodate
himself 10 his surroundings. lie went 10
school, had TO fight his way and find his
level, and between his studies and his
comrades soon learned TO feel that Lon.
don was his home.
His radiant little sweetheart became q
bright picture only In his memory; he
always thought Of her rs a child, even
when he left school and was put into q
bank rs the youngest clerk there, 10 work
his way upward m he might
But before his eyes Mary Nivcn grew M
into sweet, languid girl, with the soft
blue eyes, silvery blonde hair, and too ex
quisitc complexion, flushing and fading
Ike the sudden changes Of a sunset sky
that she had inherited from her dead
mother. There was nothing piquant OF
salient about her n sharper contrast "a
Annis Carver could not be Imagined. She
was brought up by line and plummet, sub
missivc, gentle, delicate; cared for like n fmi
bit OF priceless china; waited ON ri every
turn; helpless, fair and fragile. Georgc ~
boy, had shifted at her. "Miss Molly
coddlc," lac styled her, and Il took all hil
mothers authority TO keep him from teas
ing and tormenting the timid child, who
shnnk from his breezy, boisierous wayi
with mute terror. But as they both grew
older he learned 10 be more careful OF thi
feeble, appealing creature; aud she lcarnct
10 adore with childish ardor the strong
cheerful, kind.hcarted cousin whom sin
raw every day. MB. Hale had her owl
day-dreams about tho natter she has
grown 10 love Mary tendcrly, and the cir
chung TO her ~ 10 mother; but Mr.
Niycn, absorbed In his business, ncithc
thought nor dreamed Of anything else
Mary was his little girl still, and II hc eve
gave her n serious place In his thoughts !
WAS with sad foreboding, for she was tn
imagc of her mother, who had faded on
oil his arms like
"The nth primrose. that forsakcn dies"
and left him with only this wailing baby
who had grown into her very image, an,
filled him with wordlcs iean IA he rccog
nized the ominously delicate loyolincs
that wis not the brightness Of life, but In
shadow Of death, 20 his eyes
In tho meantime Annis Carver wa
growing up, and had her own experiences
the too had lost her father few year
after George went abroad, and the hous