Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-02-16

tCctt as u HCuFt 70 tOCe.
Ha, they say am growing old. Oldl
was old score Of years ago. This
hand is heshless and wrinkled, and as l |
write it moves tremulously over the
paper. True, it was not SO twenty years
ago, nor were my eyes dimmed and de-
spoiled of their youthful luster; my step
was firm, my head erect, my hair as
glossy as when my mother bade me her
last, dying farewell. All these I had
yet l was old. My life was gone; only
existed. Twenty years-long, dreary
yearsl And as look back Grron the !
thorny, uneven path, naught but mock
ing shadows, stretching their huge
black bodies across the way, appear to
my view. Did say naughts No. One
star-one bright, refulgent star at length
penetrated the gloom of my pathway
and drove away the shadows that
haunted me.
There yonder by tne window she
stands. Oh, how like anotherl She is
no longer child that l may dandle on
my knee. She is woman now, and l
smoothed with careful hand her path
way and watched with futtering heart
her progress. She stands there by the
window gazing out upon the bleak, snow
filed street, and ever and anon as some
half frozen, famishing wretch staggers
by, suppressed sigh, whispered prayer
escapes her lips.
1t is fast growing dark, and the street
lamps shed their Pickering rays through
the storm; still she stands there. The
wind RACES and howls through the
street, as if in mad joy at the misery
and woe it was sending to many poor
abode; and she knows not how very like
that night it is, that night when first
she breathed the air of heaven. As that
fearful night rolls back upon my mem
ory can with difficulty keep back a
struggling tear. And that night was
just twenty years ago.
Little did ] think when in the first
bright flush of manhood | should ever
witness such o scene; little did | know
what woe, what despair was in store for
me and for her, long dead, as in our
youthful love we sat by that purling
brook, and revelled in our "castles in
Spain" All, those We're happy hours,
alas, / fear too happy. The events of
Yesterday have fled from my remem-
brance; but that evening, that last In
dian summer evening, so full OF joy and
promise, remains in letters ineffable.
How beautiful thought she looked as
l gazed upon her that memorable even
ing-that evening which must see us
part, she to return to the wild whirl OF
city life, to resume my studies at col
lege. Dame Fortune had not fondled
me as she had most of my classmates
vacations were not for me opportunities
to throw aside the mental cares Of stu
dent life and ramble unrestrained
through the country or revel in the daz
cling delights of Newport and Saratoga
With vacation came new cares, new
duties. must spend it in some obscure
district school house eking out few
dollars to bear my expenses at college
for the rest of the year. But | did al
this with willing, cheerful heart. Am
bition had whispered.a sweet tale in m.
ear and heaped up before my eager eye
invaluable rewards for all this toll.
It was in the autumn of 49,, and th
vacation fast coming to close, begal
to see the end of my intercourse witt
thirty or forty dirty, saucy ragamuffin
with no small joy. / received my fort
dollars forKhree months hard labor, an
on the morrow was to return to college
AS the evening came Itook my last wal
to the babbling trout brook, and seatin
myself on the broad, smooth rock clos
down by the waters edge, | waited
bid farewell to the mistress of yor
der summer villa. As | sat there o
that rock and gazed half sadly in th
calm water, what tide of sweet men
ories swept DER me! It was on this yer
spot only three little months ago that
first saw her.
On that well remembered evening
sat there on that same rock reading th
closing chapter of the Life of Thoms
Jefferson" !" and my meditations were
perfect unison with their spirit. The
were thoughts of greatness, of honor
thoughts of good to be done, Of hopes
be realized, of a nalneto bequeath. Bot
reading and meditation We're broken Of
however, by the approach of footstel
! looked up and saw on the opposit
bank some rods above me person | ha
heard much concerning from the vi
layers, but never before seen. They a
spoke much of certain rich man, WI
in the summer months came from IL
great city with his family and occupie
the little cottage yonder among the tree
And | had heard, too, of this ric
mans daughter, SO beautiful, so kind,
stately. This was she then. But W;
unnoticed, and she continued arrangir
little bouquet Of wild flowers to gla
den her mothers siclzroofn, suppose
for Ihad heard also that the rich man
wife was an invalid. She walked {
slowly down the stream till she w
nearly opposite me. ! Thought ] hi
never seen sucs a being, her dark ha
hanging loose, her dark hazel eyes al
complexion so fair; and then that plai
white, low necked dress, and that jockt
hat and blue ribbons; and she was
queenly, SO majestic-she was just n
ideal. And then when she saw me s.
blushed SO prettily. and ceasing her 10
warbling turned away into the gro
beyond soproudly, 50 deiantly, that
dropped my book in the water in n
eager gaze after her.
The following evening found me I
~ the same spot, but my coat was hrushe
my boots polished, my hair oiled, n
beard CLOSE shayen. for I was no smoa smoa
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