The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-06-07
one great drawback was that he was

anu u IurlittNe appointment Hau been
offered to him on Il railway which was
being extended. The advantages that
would accrue to him were great. lie
and knowledge and he would make
money. The Doctor considered his son
most fortunate. My mother agreed
with him, but added that it would be
sad for us to part. The Doctor replied
that nothing better could have happen
ed for us. We were too young to marry
too young, in his opinion, to know
our own minds; and we could have no
better test than four years absence and
trial OF constancy.
But during the first few happy weeks
we did not think much of the parting.
1t was n dark cloud ahead of us, a
cloud that had a silver lining; for when
the four years were ended Mark was to
return home and We were to be married.
| should, he promised me, always have
a home in the country. lie would never
ask me to live in the town. 1t was in
the month of May that we met. and in
July we parted; but during the interval
we spent the greater part of the time
together. Other summer days have
dawned for me-. but none like those on
which my young lover came early in
the morning, while the dew sparkled on
the grass, when we walked through the
woods and down by the river, noting
with loving eyes all that was SO fair and
beautiful around us, returning from
ON long ramb!es. our hands filled With
Wild flowers, to find my mother waiting
breakfast for us, the table set out on
the lawn. Then Mark would linger and
pass the morning with me. He came
back i'll the afternoon, and stayed with
us until the moon rose.
How | loved him! Then | saw only
the beauty of a great passion; now |
see its pain and its pathos; NOW | know
That the mighty power OF love has not
been given us to be centred i'll amy crea-
turc. Then | had one idol, and, alas, |
worshipped it. | had no life apart
from my young lovers. | had no life,
no love, no care, no thought apart from
him. | read the love stories of others,
written in poetry and prose; but no
love was like mine. Surely wise peo-
pie, while they laughed, would lave
went over il! II he had asked for INV
life, | should have given it to him. as l
had given my love, freely and with a
smile. | felt something like pity for
those he did not love; | felt that every
girl living must envy me.
Mark Upton cared for me quite as
WV ~ L III wv SINIib li.paS
few weeks in a land into which no care,
no sorrow came-the fairyland of love
and hope. Every hour brought us
closer together, bound us by newer and
sweeter ties, while the summer flowers
bloomed, the corn grew up in the fields,
and the lilacs withered. do not know
what ONE into other lives, but | hope
that Heaven gives such a glimpse of
happiness as mine to all.
On ono occasion heard the Doctor
laughing as he talked to my mother
lie asked her if she knew that in some
parts of England the beautiful fragrant
shrub known as soutliernwood was
called lads love" My mother replied
that She had never heard it SO called,
and asked why it was named lads
answer. BECAUSE" he said, lit dies
in a year, as lads love often does He
looked at me as lie spoke. and ! knew
he was thinking of Marks love, which,
after all, was u lads love. and might
live for a year or die in a day. But he
did not know. He was old and inn
mersed in the cares of Il grave profess
sion. How could he understand our
love, loyalty and co%nstancy,
One evening Mark had gone home;
but the stars were so bright that | re-
manned out Of doors watching the night
sky. The dark blue vault was a mass
of shining, twinkiing gold. They were
so bright and clear, and the faint mys-
teal light they threw upon the earth
was so dreanily beautiful, that | was
entranced.
Nellie" cried my mother, do come
in."
"Mamma," 1 answered, "you come
out"
Almost to my surprise she came and
we stood together watching the far-otf,
wonderful orbs.
How bright they are, those beauti-
full stars, said my mother. "Ah, Mel
lie, how many thousand years have
they been shining? What have they
seen? And, my darling, how soon they
will be shining on our graves
But l, with my warm deep lovc-I
felt no fear of death. Not even the
stars i'll Heaven sione so brightly or
were so true as my love. | said to her
that l might die, but that the love that
filled my whole soul " could. She
looked at me with sad, sweet eyes
When the stars shine in the sky her
look and her words come back to me.
"Neiiie," She said, you Should never
give to a creature the love that is due
the Creator. | lave often thought,
dear child,' she continued, stllat YOU
love Mark too much. Ii is not safe To
centre all your happiness in II per
son. IL anything happens TO that one,
your whole life is s!ipwrecked.i'
There can be no shipwrcck where
Mark is" l answered, strong in my
faith and love.
My mother sighed.
Nothing gives me moro pleasure,
Nellie, than to know how happy you
are with Mark. | believe he is true as
a man d be-
True as a man can be, mamma,
means infinitely t%yue,nI interrupted.
"Ah, no, my dear Nellie. Men are
but mortal; their power of loving is not
infinite. | do not wish to sadden you, to
lessen your trust; but should like to
warn you. Love with caution.n
There need be no caution where
Mark is concerned, mother,n re-
joined.
II am old" she continued; 81 have
seen q great deal of life. | do not say
Heaven forbid that all men are
false, or all women; | do not say that
one sex is more false than the other;
but | have seen love betrayed. trust
misplaced. have known the honest
heart OF a man broken because 4 Wom-
an deserted him, and l have known a
loving and tender-hearted girl die be-
cause her lover left her."
| raised my face to the stars shining
in their calm, eternal beauty. Strong
IN my youth, ignorance and faith, l said
lightly
"Nothing of that kind can eyer hap
pen between Mark and me.n
Some loves" said my mother, ''last
for ever, some for a day; and oil. my
dear Nellie, it seems to me that this
last is, in these prosaic times, the com
monest form of love"
Love for a day." l echoed. "Ah.
thank Heaven, that isnot Marks love-
My mother looked at me %anXiously; ]
wonder how many mothers have given
to their daughters just the same sensi-
BILE advice, and just as much in vain?
"Do you quite understand, Ncllie?'
asked my gentle, loving mother, what
| mean. what | want you to do? Mark
is to be absent four years. l do not say
that his love will change or grow less
but l beg of You to leave yourself one
chance. Do not give him such entire
love that. if he should die or forget you
or any circumstance should part you.
yomr whole life would be ruined. Love
with caution. Nellie"