Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-06-28


tiona chasm he knew pride of birth
would rear between them did he dare
/ whisper mis- aspirations in her ear.
Perchance he took heart that night;
perchance he told her all Youth is
never SO beautiful as when dar-
ing to soar; never so enchant-
ing or interesting as when seek
ing to pluck out the tares that
bestrew lifes pathway, and plant,
instead, seeds of success and gratified
ambition. Did she smile upon his
suitl | know not. Did she bid him
hope1 l dare not say. Only this,
that when one afternoon the guests,
in their stately old time courtesy,
took their leave, he, too, mindful OF the
conventionalities always exacted in
that house, approached and took her
hand. He bent low before her; a
tear drop fell upon his hand, as her
own rested an instant within it; their
eyes met, and that intuitive telegra-
ply known only to those who love
and are loved in return seemed to
flash back an answer from one to the
other, and without word, happy and
thoughtful he passed from the dreamy
music and the floating fragrance into
the quiet, peaceful night
The stars smiled softly down and
seemed to whisper hope; the night
bird gently warbled, and he thought
it trilled her name; even the continu-
GUS, monotonous echo of his own
football on the pavement he uncon-
sciously wove into a refrain, whose
repeated numbers associated them
selves with thoughts of her. The
night was beautiful and alluring; far
too beautiful and suggestive and full
of wistful sympathy, he thought, to
exchange it for the close atmosphere
of his lodging room. He walked on,
weaving ambitious projects, that were
far too exalted for mortal to realize;
scaling insurmountable heights and
reaching the giddy eminence from
which his star of success was to daz-
zle the world, and beholding himself
ever the central moving figure in the
great events, he forefelt the future
held in store for him.
And beneath all these hopes and
projects there lay one all absorbing
principle, one handspring of action,
one supreme motor power; and that
was the thought of the dark eyes
that had looked SO softly into his that
night; of the little hand that had
trembled within his own str ng clasp,
and the unspoken words which he
knew lowered upon her lips, but which
she, no doubt like himself, believed
that words could never express. The
thought of her ran like gentle I'M
dercurrent to all he hoped and prayed
for, and he could think of no day that
would be bright when far from her, no
world in which it would be possible
for him to live without her Hence
forth she was an essential chord in his
own existence, and when at length
he sought his home, he could almost
have waited a kiss to the star that
glimmered SO brightly through his
window and seemed TO tell HIM that
sweetest of all words to anxious, aspir-
ing youth-hope.
Youth and ambition together, what
would they not dol The one would
furnish material for the realization of
the latter He stretched out his arms
how strong and supple they were
what obstacles could they not over
come; he breathed and felt the rich
blood go bounding along his veins
he closed his eyes, feeling an almost
reckless joy in existence, and when
morning dawned he sprang from his
bed as blithely as lark and thought
the sunshine never seemed SO bright,
nor life more inviting.
That day he sought the presence of
the old Spanish Don; and with an ar
dor and courage born of the high
spirits that thrilled his bosom, he
asked for the hand of the daughter in
marriage. The old man could scarce
credit his senses; that an Irishman
without a cent in his pocket, and with
out drop of noble blood in his veins,
should dare aspire to the daughter of
one of the most ancient families of
CASTLE. He was Mortified and indig-
nant beyond measure; he had the do
nestle show the offender the door, de-
claring that his daughter should mar
ny none but her equal in wealth and
blood.
From that day the world changed
for the proud and broken heart. Bold,
brave and loyal to the core, even
though the blood of hundred noble
ancestors did not purple his veins, he
believed that he had received from the
naughty Don an insult of which
neither time nor distance could ever
efface the memory. Too proud to sue
for pity, even from the woman he
loved; too insulted to throw himself
upon her generosity, he left the
haunts of the gay and happy and shut
himself up in the seclusion of his own
bitter thoughts. Then he planned
he schemed, he harbored revenge.
The proud Spaniard had tainted him
, with his lack of blue blood; that was
natures fault and not his own; it is
not given to all to be born of noble
ancestry, and thank God for that; fol
. many forget that the mere name re
fleets no credit upon the inheritor, il
he does not prove his right to beal
it by noble, manly deeds
But wealth ah, that was within the
reach of all; and in these latter days
the young Irishman told his breaking
heart it was power indeed Kings
bowed respectfully before it; title.
cOu1d ha hOuUht with IL and in evarx