The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-21
TOO LATE.

zach on his own strict line We move.
end some find death ere they find love:
So far apart their lives are thrown
From the twin soul that halves their
own.
And sometimes by still harder fate,
The lovers meet, but meet too late.
Thy heart is mine!-True, true! all.
true!
Then, love, thy hand!-Ah, no! adieu!"
1t was a beautiful day, in that lowell
est OF all seasons-early spring. The
whole air was heavy with the perfume
OF fruit blossoms, and all nature was
bursting forth into fresh young life.
Under an apple tree in full bloom sat
a young man and maid, so full Of
youthful dreams, anticipation Ms, and
longings that they seemed to make a
natural and perfect finish to all
natures young beauties. They were
in earnest conversation and on the
face Of each was a very p~erceptible
shade OF sadness. For it was a day
of parting, and on the NOR NV each
would begin a new page in life's his
tory. SO far their lives had been al
most ~inseparable, but now the re SEEM
ed every probability Of their drifting
apart.
fOI elSllccH YEARS XudI d. e I1dZSl-
tine and Wallace Graham had been
near reighbOrs and rhe closest friends;
as babies, children, IL in the dawn
Of young manhood and womanhood
they had been ever together. To say
that they had grown up d, brother
and sister would be insufficient to ex-
press their true relation to one another.
There existed betWeen them that pc
culiar bond of sympathy that is seldom
found between members Of one family,
but occasionally develops in a very
strong degree between fri sslds-es-
pccially of opposite sex. These two
young people had played together,
studied together, read and discussed
the same books, upheld the same ideals
end i'll short were "tWo minds with but
a single thought" To-day Wallace
had come expressly to say good-by.
Ije was going west to make his for
tune he was full of bright hopes for
the fIture-a new field vas opening be-
fore him, wherein were planted all
sorts of plans and ambitions. SO en-
thusiastic was he over What he was
going to gain that at this moment he
could not fully realize that which he
must in a measure lose.
But the girl beside him, what Of her?
Did she fail to realize what this sep
aratinn must mean to her? Was this
interest of his one with which she
could not fully sympathiZe, or could
she put aside her OWl feelings entirely,
and think only Of him, and what good
things the future might have in store
for nm? She received the news al
most as a mother receives the news
that the young son, whom she has
watched over so carefully, must leave
her and go into the world to fight life's
battles for himself, unaided, except by
that divine power which watches over
all. She was to be deprived of what
seemed to her half the goodness of her
life, for who could take the same in
lerest in her that Wallace Gid? And
did she not need him to urge her on
with a. branches Of her work?
I "Cheer up. Mag, I m not going away
Sf.r ever. When I have made my for
tune / IL soon be back to my dear old
home, and you shal show me how to
spend it! Won't that be nice? Til
build a hospital, with a special ward
for the old women, where they can
talk over their ailments to their hearts
content without disturbing sny one.
You can be head nurse, too, if you
want. Then the free library we have
so cften wished for, we can build that
together; you can save up the money
you get from nursing, and I'll make up
wrat's wanting, and We'll rave the
dearest little library in the country
do hush, Wallace; you know from
this time I shall have no interest in
any of our big schmes. How a ]
keep the work going by myself? and
no one else in the village can do What
you do. What goods Dick Howard
OF course he's a nice boy, but he's nc
half the man that you are-why. he
can kNep his mind on anything
serious for half an hour!"
"Now, old girl, it's not fair for you to
pitch into poor Dick, just because I'm
going away. He's one of the best fell
lows in the world, and always has beer
on of your most devoted slaves. II
I'm any better than any Of the Other
fellows in the village, it's only because
you've made me so. If you'd take al
the trouble with Dick hat you've
taken with me, in six months heo
throw me completely in the shade
"Oh we'll, it's no use talking to you
men. You have no feelings; one per
sons as good as another to you! III
six months you'll be so interested II
your cousins and their friends that yot
will probably have forgotten all abou1
us and our little village! But you're
a. dear boy, and I'll let the future take
care of itself and just live in the pre-
sent. and try to make myself real nice
for the next two hours
And she succeeded. The next TIVE
hours fairly flew. Mag listened Will
the greatest interest 10 ali
had to tell her about his own affalrs
Then he gave her innumerable 1nstruc'
tions about carrying on of their work
for he said, he wouldn't hear OF nav
ing any of their work ropped. VIVA
would the old women do without theit
little social gatherings each week
And the sick people without their min
istering angel? Dick had really prom
dsed wallace to take up his work a.
much as possible, and the lila poo
would very soon learn to love him o
any one who helped tine GEAR HUI
lady," .,
And so the time went, and Dot
tried to he very brave.
wallace walked hurriedly down tn
Garden path, but before he reached tn
rate he turned back, and walked t
che ous
"Oh@Mag, may I speak to you agar