Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-12-22

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sick who he's no home. 1t is sentl-
ment, it is tradition, it is human ma
ture, perhaps, but it never strikes one
so forcibly and desolately that he is
alone in the world as then-when he
sees all the world rushing homeward.
''Yes," I assented, "there ought TO
be Society for Providing Unattached
Gentlemen of Affectionate Dispositions
with homes to 60 to at Christmas and
Thanksgiving. Intend to call the at
tention of the conference of Charities
to it at their next meeting.
We had dined together-the colonel,
Alaire and lat little corner of the
club dining-room, and the meal had
not been very cheerful one, in spite
of the fact that the chef had surpassed
himself. Afterwards we had walked
around to the colonel's room for one
of the long, discursive talks in which
we three, who were friends OF many
years. standing, delighted.
Somehow we were unusually quiet
1t was Christmas Eve, and at such q
time each heart audits its account
sssftl1 fate,s alter what tie
world may say of success or failure, it
strikes it's own balance of happiness
or sorrow. Suddenly, across the still
ness of the room, there hoated clear
aud sweet from the pavement below a
child's voice singing an old Christmas
carol. The colonel went over and
raised the window and stood listening,
with his broad shoulders toward us.
"Star of Bethlehem"-the childish
voice quavered and faltered in it's song.
He threw a handful of coin on the
pavement and shut the window down.
"Ah," he said, drawing his breath
sharply, 81 used to sing that myself
when I was child. My mother used
to play on an old-fashioned spinnet,
and we used to sing" Then he
turned to us abruptly. 81 am going
home tomorrow.
We made little gesture of protest
and surprise, but he did not notice it.
est isn't the fashion," he went on,
sfor people to care much for anything.
1t isn't fin de steele to weep, and most
of us have forgotten how to laugh,
and we crush down all emotion as if
we were ashamed of it, I am like the
rest of my world. Ibave never talked
about myself, and yet tonight I have
fancy to tell you bit of my life.
1t will help you to understand-when
am gone. If I tire you, stop me,
A mea is generally a bore when he
talks about himself
Alaire reached up and turned out
the single jet of gas that was burning.
'sIt is better talking in the dark,
he said, but I knew the exquisite
chivalry of the man. He would not
read what was written in the open
book of the colonePs face. What he
told us we would know; no more.
There was long pause. "You will
understand, he said, slowly, "that it
is not easy for me to talk of this thing
Of course, as the cynical French pro-
verb has it, there was woman in the
case. I had been off to college, and
when came home for the Christmas
holidays I found her there-Alicia.
Her father had moved into our neigh
borhood from nearby city while l
had been away from home. He ewas a
semi-invalid, whose health had failed,
and his physician had recommended
country air, and so he had bough
farm near my father. I don't know
how girls appear to boys now, who
have sweethearts in their cradles, and
who are blase in their very childhood.
had always been shy, dull fellow,
and to me she appeared o very god
dess. remember she had on soft
blue gown, and some pale winter roses
were on her breast.
"Well," and the colonel laughed un-
mirthfully, "the tale is soon told. 1
loved her from the first moment I ever
saw her. I went back to college with
my head filled full of fancies about her,
graduated and came home to settle
down to the peaceful life of Ken
lucky farmer. By and by Alicia prom
ised to be my wife, and for six months
T lived in FOOLS paradise. Wait,
her father said; you are both too
young to marry and SO I waited on
patiently enough. Every day was so
pressed down and running over with
Joy that I had no need to hurry.
"Did you ever Think" asked the
colonel suddenly, "that great love is
like strong light held close to the
eyes? 1t blinds one to everything
else, and sometimes it is the seltishest
thing ON earth. Afterwards [ knew
that Alicia never really loved me.
That I, slow of thought and speech,
with no grace of manner or person,
was never the one to have filled her
ideal or touched her fancy. In prom
ising to marry me she had been swept
owey nv the strength of my passion,