The morning call., 1893-12-10

PoPOl " HlCll lltS UclOiO
AT that time was very young. scarcely
more'than child. but no one would have
GUESSED it; my pale. attenuated face was
lined with grief. and the eyes. which but
g. lew: months ago had been likeped to
velvet. had almost disappeared behind
their swollen and dlseolored lids.
And the reason for the change was a
grlevous one. had loved and been be-
loved again. A stern father had put his
veto. on all orrespondence-he had for
hidden us even to hope
Certainly Leslie BlountS prospects were
not good; his few years Of soldering lad
brought only debts and no promotion, and
his expectations, such as they were, were
shadowy in the extreme. On his departure
for India three years back ! had been but
3: child was startled, therefore. when, on
his return, he rashy yet paSslonately de-
clared he had loved me all alOng | could
not own to loving him in return: had not
learnt what love was, but had a vague.
indefinite feeling that it meant what the
sunrise does to the flowers-colOr, light.
EXPANSION!
l hid nothing from my parent. but told
him in shy and loving accents of the new
: experience which had dawned. he was
furious; | had never seen him so before
He swore that no penniless infantry sub
altern was fit for his daughter, and NUT
tered something about confounded
cheek of the rascally sub. to propose,
etc, ETC. / wept and entreated-he ranted
and rayed. and finally wrote off to Leslie
an infuriated command never TO darken
his doors again.
Then |, heertsore and wretched at this
abrupt termination OF loves young dream,
tlmidly entraated permission to write one
last epistle My request was granite d, but
rhat P0mmnn cation
should first be submitted to my enraged
parent
1t seemed terri bic ordeal, but l deter
mined to risk it. Ny dear unlucky lover
should at least learn his love was returned
and that nv constancy should last "till
death us do part" This wrote and more
stiIl-pnuring out all the feelings of my
Young awakening heart over four sheets of
note paper and begging him 10 work at
ANYTHING which would bring riches. as
dross seemed to be the only ''open sesame"
10 Maternal hearts.
With trembling hands | intrusted my
first love letter to my father. 1t wrung my
heart TO watch his methodical mode OF rub
bing his glasses before adjusting them to
read the confessions of my love.
] could not face him, but glanced away
across the Landscape till Imagined he
had scanned the whole, aud then | turned.
Was il posi- bic? Could it be? Did l, in
deed, see tear trickling down his venera-
bic nose across which his spectacles looked
dim and Opaque?
bad not intended TO be eloquent or
even pathetic. l had written only as my
soul prompted. and this crude history of
my early grief had thus moved him. l
rushed into his arms and lmDlOred him
:. n ct 10 refuse to send the missiye.
.. II will give it to the impertinent young
dog myself" he exclaimed, and bolted
from the room.
4
scarcely dared demand a reply.
He'll bring his own answer" was all
he vouchsafed.
What was my astonishment as dressed
for 'dinner-weeping lovelOrn tears the
while-to hear LeSlie's Well-known knock
at the door. Down the stairs fed with
winged feet. He might meet my father,
words might eai9 in blows. and then
T,e-=sse thoughts conrsed like lightning
ear tny brain. Yet another shock
g = 3icel me.
found my father and Leslie handshak-
fiog, not formally, but with warmth and
effusiop, in the hail. In short time all
was >explained. On receipt of furious
letter fram my irate parent. warning him
of the premises. Leslie, but just recovered
from Indian fever, had taken to his bed
with ague. In this state my father had
found him when he had called 10 deliver
my letter In person. and there and then
had asked him to dinner.
There were however, conditions at
tached to the invitation. Leslie might
come and dine but once more-just to say
farewell on his honor he must
promise never TO attempt TO see me or
write until some more promising change
took place in his prospects. Should any
stroke of luck bring him reasonable sum
to marry on then he might venture to cor
respond.
After all. this state of things W as prefer
= able to the first. and Leslie parted from
me with heart full Of hope, which love
made infectious.
Before very long my father received
letter informing him that, having obtained
the post of special war CORRESPONDENT to
daily paper at salary which seemed to me
enormous. Leslie was on the eve of start
ing for ConstanlinOple. The Russo-Tur
ish war was the theme in all mouths at the
time. and my lover, who had long been
painting for activity, had determined to put
his military experience to some more prac-
tical use than loafiDg in garrison towns for
meag ger pay aud tardy promotion. My
father was extremely pleased with what
he called the "smartnesS of the young
vascal," and agreed that at so safe dis
tsnce correspondent might commence.
A new happiness came into my life, and
when thetravel- stained letters from my lii
-erary warrior arrived from the seat of war,
fun of animation. OF anecdotes and
IL.
my Joy knew no bounds. This added new
zest to nv education, for l was not yet
finished" according to the scholastic
term-in fact by comparison with my
talented lover [ often felt an ignoramus of
the most kind. In details of the war,
however. / was quite au fait l daily
read every word which came from his
brilliant pen, and in this way hoped to
improve my acquaintance. not only with
life, but with my suitor, of whom. per-
haps. but for the opposition of my parent,
L might never have thought again. This
does the heat of paternal ire often expand
into blossoms the immature shoots of
love which might otherwise know no de-
veiOpment.
One morning as usual / opened the pa
per and at once commenced reading the
columns headed From Our Special Cor
respondent" The account was more ex-
citing than usual-there was description
of Turkish artillery. OF march under try
ing circumstances without food or water,
and many other adventures gra phlcally told.
Iforget them now. for what next read
effaced the immediate past from my mem
ory foTeveri Under the head of special
telegrams" was one line:
- Lieutenant Bloun;. our special corre-
= spondent, died yesterday Of enteric fever.