The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-05-17
STORY OF AN OLD MAID.
M irrA ALLEN rrLlNnR.

| Day as "that old, old maid, Miss La
cell" and could hardly believe they
meant me, for had not thought Of my
self as an sold, old maid,n and yet |
know that l, Marie Lacell, am the only
living soul In Belmont who remembers
the great storm Of 1889 and the wreck
| OF the fishing boat that was blown
against our rocky coast one night, and
the loss Of the noble young men who
went out to the rescue,
Yes, !, the old maid, "old Miss La
cell,n as l am called, was once as young
!, and pretty as the group Of merry
schoolgirls who go laughing by my
lonely old house at twilight, and who,
II they see me, look at each other and
seem to say. ssThere is that old Miss
Lacell; I wonder II she ever had a
lover? Poor thingl"
| All, girls, laugh on and be happy, but
lenve me alone in my own home. While
sit by the window, gazing out upon
the village street and listening for the
evening chimes in the old church tow
er to ring out their dear old melody, I
muse and dream of sixty years ago. /
am no longer an old maid, alone in an
old, old house, but am Marie Lacell,
the pet and pride Of Belmont, avillage
belle, the only daughter of the village
parson and the happiest girl in all the
world, for am Ralph Gordon's sweet
heart, and he loves me.
Belmont was pretty little village
situated upon the rocky shores Of the
freat Atlantic ocean. Unlike most sea-
side villages, Belmont had on one side
mountainous lands, with hills, woods
and meadowss but on the east was the
ever raging sea- with its white-capped
waves always chasing each other far
out into the ocean.
Our coast was very rocky and was
seldom used, for it was treacherous.
Only in pleasant summer weather did
anyone venture out from Belmont in q
boat, Often in winter and sometimes
| IN summer after nfsquall pieces OF q
fishing boat and tackle would be
washed upon the rocks and sometimes
the bodies Of unknown fishermen
would be found dead upon the beach
Now in 1895 the coast is dotted with
lighthouses, but never can ! forget tho
first life-saving station that was built
| BY our own boys sixty years ago, and
the noble crew, with its lraye young
captain, my lover, Ralph Gordon.
Belmont is fashionable summer re-
sort now, but in 1888 it was quiet
little place, where every one lived like
the Acadian farmers OF cll, dwelling
| in the love of God and man, in the
homes Of peace and contentment. Ny
father, the village minister, was much
loved and respected Our family be-
longed to Belmont, and nlJ father built
his house almost in the chnrchyar;l.
Our nearest neighbors were the Cor
dons, and they were cur dearest
| friends. The Gordon family was one
IF the first families in town Cid Mr.
lfordon, or ''the squire as he was al
ways called, was the weaithleat manin
The village. The family consisted of
himself and wife and only son, RALPH,
the handsomest and best young man in
belmont
Ralph Gordon was always . hero "A
my eyes, and do not remember the
| time when / did not love him. When
we were children together he was d.
ways my playmate, and he taught ~
many a childish game. Tie was so
strong and brave, and used 70 watca
linn with such pride and pleasure &C be
rode through the village on horseback
or mingled with the other boys nthea
sports.
AT school he was the teachers fa-
yorite, and thrill Of pleasure ran
through my heart whenever ! heard
strangers praising his manly beauty,
his graceful ways or his sunny nature.
As we grew older lie was my constant
companion and my escort from church
and all our parties and little socii.l
gatherings, for VIC were very gay i!
those old days. The autumn that
Ralph was nineteen and seventeen he
left home for college, How everyone
missed him, for no one could sing ~ he
could sing, no one could talk as he
could talk, but / missed him more
than anyone, for he was all the world
to me.
The evening before he went away he
walked home with me from a friends
house, and as we were waiting in the
churchyard to say gool-by nc took me
Ia his arms and kissed me. just then
the chimes rang out, and somehow,
after he had gone away. ! loved those
chimes and would listen in the hush Of
evening for them to ring and whenI
heard their melodious peal ireTnem-
bered that loving kiss and he seemed
to be nearer to me.
When he came home for the holidays
he looked both well and happy. OF
course he came at once to see me, bnt
not with qnite the old-tirne freedom,
for we were grown up people then, and
| called him Mr., Gordon and he called
me Miss Lacell.
Three years went quickly by and
Ralph left college and came home to
us. Such fine young man the peo-
pie all said, and proud might be the
girl who could win his love- and |
was happy then, for ] believed that he