Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-11-28
After Eleven Years.

weary Toll, 1Dcplrcu Dy Ono eohbdi9
hope, brought him nothing but dis
appointment, after all.
Ten years before, with youth,
strength and energy upon his side, he
had entered upon life's battle. He
was successful. The world called him
"lucky." That success bred of unde-
waiting win is always attributed to
good fortune. He amassed wealth, and
he was envied on every side.
Yet all his successes in life, all his
wealth of gold and silver, were
nothing to him. The desire of early
life, which had girded his loins and
led him onward to victory-the one
thought and darling wish of his soul
through all these years OF battle-lay
dead at the bottom of his heart.
Ten years before-how well he re-
membered the day The had parted
from the playmate of his former years.
She was the daughter of the Squire,
and she lived at the "great house yon-
DER" where young Ernest, although
far beneath her in the social scale, had
free entry, because his ready wit and
Youthful enthusiasm had touched the
fancy of little Nellie's parents.
Added to this he had some claim
upon their good will-he had saved
Nellie's life at the risk of his own one
day, when she fell from the light wood
en- bridge (now replaced by massive
iron structure) into the river which
ran through the estate.
So the two grew together-the one
strong, impetuous boy, and the other
an open-hearted, generous girl; and
the Squire watched their progress con-
tentedlv, end never said "nay" to their
familiar intercourse.
But when the time came that Ernest
was no longer a boy, and he entered
upon the duties of clerkship at the
local bank, a post which the Squire,
his patron, had procured for him, came
also the beginning of his trouble.
He was taking an affectionate fare
we'll of Nellie, making numberless rash
promises for her sake; while she, list
ening 10 them with wonder, and moth
ing 10th to hear, bent her face down
upon his shoulder, and his arm stole
round her waist.
In this position they were discovered
by her father, and for the first time the
truth dawned upon his mind. He
gently laid her away, and, returning
speedily to the room where Ernest
remained, revolving what was next to
come, the proud mans fury burst forth
in torrent of fierce invective.
~. fha 40
he used-words that went deep into
the soul of Ernest May and rnsted
there; "mean, dishonorable villainl
Pauperl See that you never dare to
set foot within these doors again"
Ernest May compressed his lips
proudly to stifle the ready answer.
Was il not her father? and what could
he not bear for Nellie's sake?
He endeavored to reason with the
enraged parent, but in vain.
"Truly we love each other" he said,
"and our position is unequal-what of
that? Time, which works SO many
wonders, may yet span the social chasm
which separates us. / can watt
Vain was his appeal to the reason of
the enraged and passionate Squire. He
was in an unreasonable mood just
then, and Ernest was thrust from the
threshold he had so often crossed with
light and careless step out into the
dusty road-out upon new life and
sad reality.
He met Nellie once again. IL was
close by the little bridge where he had
once rescued her from death; and hero
he told her of his love for her without
interruption, and her heart responded
word for word as his whispers fell
upon her ear. He was going out into
the world, he said-he would bind her
to him by no promises; he was not
mean enough for that; but he would
return in a year or two, maybe-never,
however, until be could count pound
to pound and shilling to shilling with
the Squire, who was once his friend.
In these ten years he had succeeded
greatly. His footsteps had wandered
into many places, and fortune seemed
ever to attend his efforts. He had
worked hard and manfully, and he &C.
knowledged that he was rich beyond
his most cherished anticipaiions. He
could breathe again now.
Returning to the well-remembered
scene, his youthful affection--the one
object of his ambition still strong with.
sn him-fall of rich belief in won.
ANS constancy and faith in the OBJ.
ject of her iove-proud Of the equality
which resulted from his own labor
he forgot that time, which had deal
SO favorably with him, might alsC
have set its mark upon the old man.
sion while those long years rolled by
The mark was there. The SPUR,
long since dead and buried, the old
house closed up and deserted, for it,
mistress was away, the wooden bridge
displaced and an iron one erected in ii
stead the pretty village improved