Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-10-02
LOST AND FOUND.

The following manuscript came into
my hands about 80 years ago. My
friend John williams, the writer Of it,
was ut my house on q visit. l should
rather call him the friend Of my father,
as he belonged to q generation previous
to my own. he took a great fancy TO
me when 1 was q boy and often told
me his story. One day, when he was in
q peculiarly communicative need, /
persuaded him to write it out, which be
did, on condition that it was not to be
Published during his lifetime. As he
has been dead now 40 years and all the
members of his immediate family have
passed away, there can be no impro-
priety in Offering it 70 the public. 1t is
scarcely necessary for me to say that,
after a lapse Of 90 years, it was neces-
sary to make q copy Of it, as the origi-
nal ink had faded very much.
/, John Williams, had just completed
my college career, which had been
neither better nor worse than that of
thousands G. others. A slow, ploddiug
mind WIS all that nature had given ne
within, and red hair, q freckled face
and q rather ungainly figure were what
she had bestowed upon mo without.
"John will never set Tie river afirc,"
was what my father had once said of
me. Dear, kind old man, he did not
know that | was within hearing dis
lance or he never would have said it.
But, although the remark was gall and
NORWOOD to me at the time, it spurred
me on to exertion, and 1 made much
better use of my time at college than l
would otherwise have done.
Mary Mercer, a daughter Of a near
neighbor and intimate friend of my
father, had been my lifelong companion
and friend. We were opposites in every
particular. She was beautiful, and /
was as has been described. She was
graceful, and l was not; but, owing 10
our secluded lives, we had been thrown
much together, and her charitable dis
position had been accustomed to over
look many OF my imperfections. An adj.
miration amounting almost to worship
had risen in my mind when I saw hel
after my four years absence at college.
/ had left her a sweet, attractive CHILD,
and / found her ON my return "a woman
such as my fancy had never pictured.
OF course there could be but one re-
suit. If / had never been in love before,
! certainly was row, and l was not long
in making known to Mary my feelings
Mary's conduct on the occasion afforded
the first instance in which l had known
her to swerve in the least from wha'
was the obvious truth. She was con
fused, blushed slightly and declared
that I had taken her so much by sur
prise that she did not know what t
say she had never thought Of me il
that light, and 1 must really give her
little time TO think the matter over.
knew at the time that Mary was fb
bling.
No woman was ever born with one
half of her sense without finding out sucl
things long before they were ever pokei
TO her. But there was no help for it
She had the game in her own hands ant
evidently intended to play it TO suit her
self. She asked for a week to conside,
the matter. l insisted that two day
were enough, but she was resolute, and
with a wry face, l had to submit.
One stipulation was that l should no
attempt to see her during hat time.
though this was rather hard and saiC
so, but she was even more positive thai
before, and / yielded with the bes
grace / could.
IN order to give her no excuse fo
further delay 1 set off tho next day t.
visit a college friend and staid at hi
house five days. II took a day to reacl
his house and a day 10 return. Thus thu
week passed away, slowly enough fo
me. and l am afraid my friend founC
me a dull companion. Promptly at thu
end Of the specified time 1 presented
myself at Mary's house. To my dis
may / found it full Of company. l haC
been there only IA few minutes hen
learned that the friends had been Their,
ever since the day after l left. IscanneC
Mary's face, actions, manner and recep
ton, but could make out nothing. Sh,
was kind and agreeable, but that haC
been her ordinary manner, and no con
illusions could be drawn therefrom.
found no opportunity to say a wore
to her in private until my visit wa
over. As went TO the front door ON m,
way out to my horse, which was tied il
front Of the house, she came out IN tn
porch with me, as had been her hahi
ON previous occasions. AS babe he
goodby l asked, as calmly as / could
though heaven knows my heart wa
beating 80 loud that l knew she mus
hear IL:
"Well Mary, what is my fate to be?'
REALLY. john" she said, you mus
give me one day more, and ] promis'
you 20 give you my final answer then
The house has been full Of company an
my time has been so fully occupied tina