The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-04-29
HARRIET CLARKSON.
She Waited, and Her True Lover
Came at Last.

MIS- AlaTkNOl only SI-4llct.- Nnc was
given II "ny Smilinr. anyway. when
ever her daughter set her head on o7.c
side and let fall some wise little dc
ci>ion from her cycr-buSy brain. 80.
- Miss Harriet leaned forward and
cnmplaccntly surveyed the tips of her
new slippers as she said: Il wigh that
/ had a lover; I'm sure that J could
manage one," the mother took another
stitch in the dainty cambric and re
marked: There Is plenty Of time yet
Harriet mine
Harriet started up in such haste that
the little chair was set violently rock
ing. Going To the mantcl. she raised
her pretty arms above her brown head
and contcntcdly studied the fresh,
young face in the mirror.
We'll, she laughed softly in the
midst of n faint yawn. I'm drcadfully
anxious for him 10 come. I'm tired of
this do-nothing life
Let him come wien he may. and
let Us pray that he come in Joy and
peace" was the quiet rcj"indcr.
That had been less than q month ago
and now Harriet stood bcforc the sam .
mirror: but II was different face that
the glass pictured nova pcrp'yScd
brow, a scornful lip, and yet 4 mist of
pity struggling to the gentle gray eyes.
\ schoolboy's note was the cause of il
ala little hastily scrawlcd note. but
hot with an unframed passion. And
its frank despair was what hurt her
most.
Il know that you cannot forrive mo. hut
cant keep from it. have tried. hur / not
strong enough 20 beat il back. II j. burning mg
4 81 HHHHa E...T
this VIII make So man II me At least il VIII
put n man heart in Inc. "
Harriet read IL over and over, and
each time there rose before her a vision
of an honest young face and tears lying
in the eyes hardly dry as yet from the
grief over the lost ball. Mrs. ClarHson
said never word, for she knew that
the confession would come in good
time At last Harriet tossed her the
note, and, throwing herself on the
couch, she buried her face in the soft
pillows and sobbed.
.'Oh, why did ever want a lover?
And why did he do it? / knew that he
liked me. but | never dreamed of his
loving me"
Mrs. Clarkson read the poor little
note with a sigh: then, drawing the
Il, too. am sorry from the bottom of
my heart. But he and you are only the
instruments of fate Every boy some
time in his boyhoOd loses his heart to
woman older than himself 1t Is his
first love and his first great sorrow. 1t
does put a mans heart in him. But he
gets over it-that i, the sting il gone
but he always remembers il, for the
Il. -.
first lover and he has not come in JOY
and peace. BE L woman and dea
gently with him"
Harriet dried her eyes as she went to
her desk But womanhood seemed to
have suddenly opened within her. and
she was surprised at her own gentle
ness Women are both vomanly
strong and womanly weak. and the
tender, almost mothcrlv note that she
wrote in reply was an example of the
first, while the big. round tear which
splashed unexpectedly on the address
was only a betrayal of the latter.
And so Harriet, in her twentieth
year, cried over her first lover and sent
him away.
Four years went by. The curls had
become a little more contrOllable. and
n sweet dignity had begun To soften
the old-timc girlish joys. 1t was the
day before her graduation. as she was
hurrying through the hall on her way
TO the library, when Prof Palmer ap-
pearcl before hrr. a little paroxysm
of pain seemed To 90 over his sweet. old
face, as he hcsitated puzzled light
CLEANED in Harriet's eyes, for she did
not understand why his face should
pale.
Miss Clarkson," he at last said, ''if
YOU have time ] should like to see you
in my Office moment"
She followed him wonderingly, and
yet half in dread, but il was not ill he
had held open the door for her to pass,
in that stately, elegant old style of his,
that he said:
y fear it is wrong, but ! cannot help
il. ] cannot let you go away with
out telling you that l love you
know that am selfish, hut l am not so
old, after all-only sixty-five." And
deep pleading crept
into his soft. old voice, and his trem-
bling hands clasped.
Again mighty pity filled her heart.
How she loved the kind, old man, with
his handsome head and wide-opening
heart. And yet, not at all as hus-
band, but as an instructor, an adviser,
Il friend. whose gentle concern had
done SO much toward making her col
Iege life success Her lips trembled
as she faltered:
''Dr. Palmer, / am truly sorry. /
cannot be thankful enough, either, for
] am not worthy of Such "A rich love as
yours But | shall be frank. ] do not
love You and / never can love you as
you wish"
He s1nk into a chair at his desk,
while already a calm resignation had
begun to steal over his features
Il see, you are right II was wicked
for a man of MY age To wish To possess
so young and beautiful a woman as