Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-07-10
MY COUSIN AMY. :"

cronies at the club the other evening
after the final brandy and soda. They
never before suspected him of any senti
mental weakness, but now they have
their doubts about it. He did soften in
the telling of it, even if when he had
finished he resumed his natural manner
and swore at the waiter for showing
natural desire to clean up for the even
ing and go, perhaps, to his sweetheart.
Here's his story:
81 have known my cousin Amy since
the days when she was and I was Is,
and that was many years ago. Still l
never during all that time suspected the
truth, and I never knew it till it was
too late Then I learned what might
have been. and as thought the simple
story over, it occurred to me it might
in its moral prove useful to other young
sters as blind as was and have been.
Fortune never knocks twice at a mans
door. Few of us know our caller when
she visits us and are generally disposed
to ignore her summons, taking her for
creditor Or bore. The only way is to
learn from the experience Of our elders
"Young folks think that old folks are
fools, old folks know that young folks
are. Thus goes the old proverb the san
ity of which never impresses one till he
has crossed 80. But let me tell you the
story of my cousin Amy.
ssTo begin with, she was the sweetest
girl that ever was or will be. And she
is so now. But that is only the compile
ment of this story. Well, Amy was, is
and will be the sweetest girl in the
world. Still I never loved her-except
as cousin and as sweet girl, the
sweetest I ever have seen Or shall see
From now on don't know, l can't
tell-but you are not interested in my
future or Amy's, SO let's get back to the
story. Well, then, I have known my
cousin Amy since she was years old.
Even then she had an infinite sweetness
about her which was not overshadowed
even by the fullness Of life and spirits
which was her second best charm.
Given at the age when young maids
of 5 do not live long in the thoughts Of
youths I was ford of Amy. She was
companionable even then, and though
at times noisy and persistent, she III
fused her grace even into those dis
agreeable qualities and made them half
lovable. This was Amy at the age OF g.
Well you know how youth changes
after II. How he becomes then one
thing or the other. Good or bad, studi-
Gus or careless, serious or trifling Dur
ing the next ten years l saw Amy only
now and then. She was changing and
developing also, but paid little atten-
ton to her growth. was chasing after
the false gods whose worship is so at
tractive to the young man. Amy was
only a child to me at my advanced
years, and while family connections
kept me in frequent contact with her,
thought of my old young friend only
as rather awkward, shy girl of 10,
while was rejoicing in the full man.
hood and unlimited experience and wis
dom of 25.
"When I saw her in those days
paid little attention to her. There was
still the old sweetness there, the power
of loving, the simple but strong attrac-
tiveness, but I was busy with my false
gods and tinsel goddesses. You men Of
80, you know where you worshiped
then, and you know how devout you
were in your worship and how the fall
lacy and hollowness Of your creed never
strike you till you have had five or ten
years of it, and how then you learn your
god is stuffed with the dirtiest kind of
sawdust and the worship stinks i'll your
nostrils. Well, I passed through that
stage. I went the rounds and rejoiced
in the designation Of rounder. No
hog wallttee#sd III his 9Th more luxufsS
ously than I, and it took me ten long
never can be anything in dissipation,
that alcoholically stimulated spirits and
the purchased affections of women are
the bitterest mockeries on Gods earth.
They are hell's best counterfeits, but
rank counterfeits they are, and only the
so called keen eyes of youth are de-
ceived by them.
"All this has bearing on my story
of Amy, because, thank God, after a
while my eyes were opened and 1 saw
the folly of my life. And, as when a
man has thrown the bloom and flower
of his youth in the cutters Of dissipation
he takes the faded remnants back to the
highway, SO I, seeing had been giving
much for nothing, bethought myself that
perhaps the ways Of decent people were
wiser and | sought to tread them. So
ciety does not condemn the male sinner.
His social position is thrown like cloak
over his Life and virtuous mothers who
know from worldly husbands the story
Of his escapades are glad to show him
their jewels in the way of manageable
dasaghters-thati is, if he may be eligible.
"WeIl, was rich and eligible. I cas-
lily worked my way back into the society
had quit Tor what is styled Bohemia.
] saw young women far more sweet and
attractive than those who shine at pub
lie balls, late suppers and fancy resorts.
And among them shone conspicuous my
cousin Amy. I had never entirely given
up her society, but of late years l had
seen less and less Of her. 1t seemed to
me her manner had changed. She wss
now a woman Of the world, with her
three crowded seasons behind her. New
York Newport. London and the Riviera
had been her stamping grounds. AMI
even i,er infinite sweetness-pardOn the
repetition Of the word, but it fitted bel
was partially covered though not eff.
faced by the manner of the woman Of
20 years. / had not noticed this, or al
any rate dwelt upon it, iD our few
meetings in the meantime.
"Amy was still and had never ceased
to be fond of me as an old friend and
playmate, for in the far away old day.
we had even played together as children
will. But could never regain my exac,
old footing. After while she did lei
me get little closer, and then later
thought I noticed sometimes a return o.
something like the old camaradarie
WAS I falling in love with Amy? die
not say So Then one day heard some
thing and the next day she told mt
something herself.
81 knew the fellow and liked him
He was all that a man should be, and i
any man could claim such standing