Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-03-27

DrOEeQ anu Iallen upon Io- w uen L i
came to- 1 found myself hurt and /
somewhat frozen. L dragged myself |
home only to take to my bed for the 1
remainder of the winter. Such winter /
as 1t was-so bitter and hopeless that |
at times l almost lost faith i'll my good |
luck. couldn't finish my contract of |
wood chopplnG, and so the tin store |
vanished.
In the spring was able to be about |
once more; but thin. pale, weak, and |
with bad limp. The doctors SAID l
would never be strong again. This
was terrible news to me. Alasl for the
coed luck l had expected. And yet 1t |
came, though not as L had planned.
1t has a way of doing that, 1 have
noticed.
In the early spring Uncle Zeph came
to see US. He was a kind hearted,
unselfsh man, and he took an interest
in me.
why, the boy isn't able TO do hard
work. lie must be sent to school and
to college, he said, after he thoroughly
understood the situation. But my
father WINGED and said nothing. Edu-
cation was but little respected in those
parts,
what else can be done with himY'
| asked my persistent uncle. The boy
has good head. There's something
in him. Give him a chance. You
surely wouldn't force him to live his
life without resources and tools with
which to aid himself. It's shame
at last il was settled that l was to
receive thorough collegiate education,
| Uncle Zeph, who was childless, paying
half the cost of It. Here was piece
of luck, indeed; better even than any
thing 1 had expected. 1t quite re-
newed my faith in my only proverb
And it had all come out of what L had
| deemed stroke of the hardest Kind OF
luck. Take courage, then, all of you,
and don't think because you can't see
light ahead of you that there is no light.
Well, l was graduated at last from
one of the best colleges After that l
took a medical course and went to
what was then considered the far west,
Indiana, to practice. Patients came
slowly, but expected good luck. as |
had learned to do, and had patience, If
not patients.
1 was just beginning to be a little
known when l fell in love. The young
lady who had effected this state of my
emotions was Miss Alma Adams. She
WAS very handsome. She had the dark
eyes j am so fond of, and placid, un-
emotional manner that L greatly adj
mired. She was not Iich, and / was
rather glad of it, because l wanted to
win her and to do everything for her
myself. l think man who is man
ought to feel that way. L was very
much in love with her, and | thought
that she felt more than kindly to me.
But 1 wasn't sure. She was a queer
girl. One could never tell of what she
was thinking. l put off learning the
actual state of her heart until l saw
my way clear TO decent practice. In
short, till L put some money in my
purse.
Mss Adams parents had in the
family a niece about Alna's age, a
PLAIN little body, who was somewhat
deaf and, therefore, something OF a
bore to a selfish young fool like me,
who had only eyes and ears for the girl
lie adored. But Laura, this cousin,
was good II she was exceedingly plain,
and the girls were very fond of each
other.
At last my unspoken love became
almost a burden. l thought OF but
little else than Alma. Rivals had,
to be sure, but none whom L really
feared. Young Wilcox, son of the
richest man in the growing young
town, hung around her constantly; and
George Carey, middle aged swell
, from the east,' was also devoted TO
, her. But l was not afraid.
! One evening as 1 parte from her
my manner betrayed more tenderness
than / had meant TO express. though
not more than / felt In thinking of
/ it afterwards was happy In remem-
5 bering that Alma had not seemed sur
prised or annoyed at my expression of
feeling. And she must have under
stood, I said to myself. AS l walked
to my lodgings l determined TO tell her
| outright that L loved her. and ask her
t to marry me the very next month. The
| next day L was called away to the bed
side OF my dying father, and did not
return for two months Then l was
. comparatively rich man, with my
f share of his estate. That Is, rich for
, that time, not for the present.
! 1 returned TO Crestfeld on New
( YEARS day. lost no time in going TO
: see Alma. Visions of this moment of
i happiness had filed my mind for DAYS.
r 1 met Laura just coming out OF the
/ housa. Full of childish delight al
= being once more so near the little home
2 circle which held my happiness,
! rushed up to her and held out both my
= bands, saying: Il am SO glad to see you.
= | shall be grateful if you are half as
5 glad to zee me-
t Her eyes opened wide. with a look
7 that was part pleasure and part aston
5 ishment, blended with depreciation.
: She had the appealing eyes which 50
s often belong to the young who are
afflicted with deafness. Something in
2 her look told me that she had not
. really understood my words, but was
s honestly glad TO see me. So ratified
{ on telling her how much 1 had thought
I of all of them while Had been away
{ still holding both her hands in hearty
{ clasp.
/ Il wish you a happy New Year sanc
e many happy New Years. said finally,
5 Your welcome makes me very, very
r happy. Now, let US go and find Alma.
2 DO you really mean il, DR.. Mason?
t and she looked up at me with strange
1 yearnIng expression on her plain face
q which was flushing with red, like al
, early morning sky.
l sMean itl Mean it every word, witt
a all my heart and L held her handl
4 tighter than ever in all my enthusiasm.
d Now let us find Alma, for whom
{ have what hope may lie glad tidings.
> She smiled, and her smile was verI
' sweet, although she was so plain.
= noticed too, that her eyes had a stTangt
= light IN them which made them Iesem
G bic the eyes We sometimes see il
J., dreams, which speak so much NOR
:. meaningly than do those We see in ou
e waking hours. This light was the ligh
! of JOY and nothing else. Oae does no
i see it often in woman's eyes. Some
$ times once only in life time.
e She slipped her arm in mine and w
q walked into the house down the wide
q old fashioned ball to the sitting room
d alma. DEAR said Laura, as W
s opened the door and the tall, dark eye
Y goddess OF my heart arose and cam
e towards us, DIR. Mason says L hav
s made him very happy, and be wants t
II tell you of IT at once. and so do L.
n The goddess glanced at both OF US,