San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-03-20
LIGHT IN THE EAST.

| summer III OntarlO Is Always Qellgnt
full, but that of 1885 was especially so
The long days, with their hot noontides
had a tropical air about them that sug
gested palm groves, pomegranates ant
cinnamon. The nights were cool and re
freshing, and the radiance of each sun
set was eclipscd only by the splendor Of
the following sunrise. The stars were
brighter, and the moon gave clearer
light than ever before. The clouds
blown by freshening winds, took new
and fantastic shapes, and all nature
smiling in her superb beauty, whispered
Behold me!
1t was on one of these fine summer
days, in August, that the good steamship
Alexandria touched at Massassagua
Point on her way up from Montreal AS
the boat neared, crowd of campers
stood upon the dock, all of whom dis.
played an air of happy Indifference, ex-
cepting Mrs. Secord, who. leaning upon
the arm of her son, gazed intently toward
the passengers. Only one disembarked
"a lady of perhaps 40 years, dressed
I in French costume. Mrs. Secord recog-
nized at once her sister, Nine. La
Londe, whom she had last seen us Alice
de Beaumont twenty years before. OF
course there were embraces and laughter
and tears, and then more embraces, until
finally the French widow was led away
to group of five tents. the summer
home of the Secords.
Nine. La Londe's story is q short one.
The first eighteen years of her life were
spent with her parents in Ottawa. She
was then sent to Montreal to study, and
there made her home with a married Sis
ter, who was ten years her senior. Two
years later there came to visit at her sis
ter's house an old friend of the family,
Mr.. George Carpenter, man perhaps 80
years of age Mr.. Carpenter had small
income, to which he added by doing lit
erary work occasionally. He was a
bachelor, and had not relative in the
world excepting half sister in Austria
liza and two cousins in San Francisco.
He was talented man, with O warm
heart and genial manner that endeared
him to all who knew him. He loved
every one in general, and gave this as a
reason for never having loved any one
in particular. But even Mr.. George Car.
penter was susceptible to the charms of
the light hearted Alice de Beaumont
"the child Of the morning." he always
called her, for she reminded him of the
glad sunrise that he SO much loved. So
the man of fifty actually became in love
with the girl of twenty, and, o lament
able thought! the girl of twenty became
in love with the man of fifty. What
was to be done? Mr.. and Mrs. Secord
talked the matter over and very wisely
decided to ''let them love-" So they loved.
Mr.. Carpenter was the bappiest man
in the world. His great heart throbbed
with joy to which it had been stran-
ger for fifty years. He now loved every
one more than ever. All the street Arabs
in Montreal learned to know him. The
poor sought him for his money and the
rich for his mirth.
Spring and Autumn have gone for
STROLL" Mrs. Secord used to say to her
husband when he would inquire for the
lovers.
''IIalf q century. my darling" one day
Mr.. Carpenter as Alice wound
her soft white arms around his neck and
asked how long he had lived.
Am 1 too old?' he inquired; then
added, laughingly, what matter swift
Iy passing years if the heart remain
young? My soul, in spite of these years,
is filled with a joyfulness to which it was
a stranger in what was called my youth.
You are my youth, the glad, golden
of my life; while 1 have you l
can never be old"
OF course Alice promised to marry tho
nan to whom she was all the world.
Bat, strange to say, no one had the cour-
lse to impart this bit of information TO
,ir. and Mrs. de Beaumont, who were
living life of cold conventionality in
Ottawa. 1t was finally decided that Mr..
Carpenter himself should he the first to
approach the subject. But love had been
allowed to slip out of tho life Of Papa do
Beaumont and Mamma de Beaumont,
md they were shocked at the thought Of
ilelT uIuBnleT COnHcCllOu Will one
Who had neither youth, nor a noble
Iame, nor a fortune. Alice must leave
,lontreal at once. Then followed tears
nd entreaties innumerable. Mr. Secord
insisted that Alice should remain, in
pite Of the opposition Of her parents. 1t
vas time Of great mourning. for the
'arcnts refused TO yield, and Alice left
iOntreal bearing in her heart a life
Dng sOrrow." Three months later she
allied with her parents for France,
shere. nine years afterwards, she mar
led fat man with bald head. big
sms and a bank account. VI. Alfred
.ugene Ia Londe lived to see the fifth
Of his wedding day. then
I'll into his last sleep. Nine. La Jonde
emaincd in France until the summer Of
SIS, when she came to her sister In On
mo. Il
As soon a. Mr.. Carpenter fully realized
Is los his grief vas intense- He went 4
! once 10 Ottawa, and, with all the earn :
stness Of a man pleading for his life.
nplOred the parents Of Alice 10 favor
in But al has pleading p2ssed for 9
othinE With the fzshiO1zble parents, 7
1d Mr. Carpenter returned 70 Montreal I
,s most sorro~ful 1zn N the world. q