The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-02-15
AUNT ELEANOR.
From The Grecnvrllc Mountaineer.
a LOVE STORY
BY y GREENvILLE AUTHOR.

"Oh, Aunt, Eleanor, | am so glad 70
be here with you, and to see something
real again. | am very tired Of my life.
1t all seems such u make-believe and
sham. | am tired of balls and recep-
tions, where even the smiles are false,
and where the words and dresses are
all set to the one same tune OF iXeG rules
and etiquette. SO, Auntic, ] left it all,
and came away 10 you, where | could
hear the crlCkCts sing, and the music
Of the frogs, and learn "Contentment
from looking into your dear old peace
full face
Aunt Eleanor looked up from her
knitting into the fair face OF the young
girl IT was Il very young and lovely
face to be saying such things. Felicia
sat leaning far back in the big arm
chair, with her arms stretched above
her head, gazing into the fire, and her
dark brown eyes looked into the Goals
with IL deep, wlstiul Longing, as if
searching ior something in their glow
ing depths.
Aunt eleanor, | ought to be happy.
! have all the world calls happiness,
wealth and beauty, but my money has
never brought me any real love. OF
course, | know many men who call
themselves my lovers, but | do not
wau IL few hOncycd wOrus, clothed in
the fashion OF the day, one or two stitf
drives in the park, and then u mar
riage, where the heart is untouched
by any thought Of real love, the soul
mistaken by deep passion without
Impulse, and as cold, hard and unre-
sponelve rs h heaps of gold ant silver
wedding presents. | mean love that
cannot be bought. Love that links
soul to soul, mat time and absence can
not change. y love that will sacrifice
itself, that ennOb.es and cOlors all in
r unl - -, An 49, 49,
grows stronger. ~ love that in its
purity and depth lifts us higher thar
mere, common earthly passions. Love
That makes mGn do great and noble
things, and makes women true and
tender. ~ heart that sees no weak
ness In loving, and iinds its greatest
happiness in being loved. Oh, Aunt
Eleanor, some Old fashion love. d.
you min theroi is any left in the world,
and that can find IT? Has Cupid lie,
his little darts get dull, OF Is the heart
OF the world so hard and Crusted oven
with egotlsm, ana owe Of gold that his
arrows all bound back and 40 not leave
even u marx"
Felicia stretched out her arms with
a passionate gesture, and looked VI
with eager, questioning eyes Aun'
eleanor LAID uOwn her knitting, and ;
faint color came into her Old face a.
~ NSSA1 L Sb"iI WI W. {
story. l have never told it to many
for It'll sacred, but Fay, it will tell you
OF u love that Is as true and uudying a
hat you speak Of"
SnC unlocked u cabinet, and tool
from 1T d small, I'D, ha~lr-covered trunk
the very look OF which told that i
held some sacred memory. Aun
Eieanor's eyes had a tender light, ant
her hands trembIcd as she helu thu
dear relics Of her life. 1t was lk,
lifting the curtain Of the past whel
she raised the lid. There was O fain
musty door, hut it was u sweet. smell t,
her, Tor II brought with it a rush of lont
memories. There was a curious col
lection OF things: worthless the
looked, and yet no gold could hav,
bought them. There we're d few faded
yellow letters, Il white cross all latter
ed and torn u badge Of honor Of som,
Kind, which had been torn by a bulIct
n also two or three Did bras
cadet buttons. These things Will
tell The story of my life" SAID Aun
Eleanor, ana she took up an old do
guerreotype with a golden curl pinnet
In the case. The picture was SO din
that you could scarcely see the outlin
of the face.
"Ah, Fay, when that was taken lf
was sweet and hopes were great. NJ
white hair was once those golde,
clustering curls IN the picture. Al
thur carried it for thirty years in hi
breast, far away to India and Egypt h
took IL with nm.
Arthur and | loved each othe
dearly, but he was only u private i
the Queens army, and | was an orpha
ana lived with my uncle. Arthur an
were very young and fun OF hope
and meant to marry as soon as he wa
able.
His regiment was sent to India
The parting nearly broke our hearts
but we said goodbye ~bcaveIy. | CAV,
Arthur this white cross. He said h
would always wear it next his heart
and he cut off The right arm Of tn
cross, and gave it to me TO keep, as
sign hat nothing but death Shout
Keep nm from bringing his cross bac!
10 me TO Do united, and we promised T.
DC true, and never TO doubt each othe
whatever happened.
Arthur had not been CONC tw,
months when my uncle died, and | wa
lett alone. ] 90 not know what woult
nave become Of me but for an Ameri
can lacy who al d frierd of mine.
had . good education, so | came with
hcr to this country as a governess in
your grandmother's family. though
mat should never see Arthur again
so wrote to him to tell him where
was going, and to say goodbye.
My lie in this country was as hapDy
as could expect. Your people were
very kind 10 me. | soon became Xix.
one OF the family, and my pupils learn
ed TO call me aunt, but with all this
was sometimes very lonely. | could
only hear from Arthur very seldom,
but his letters were full of u%nchauping
love n hope they were NOBLE, brave
letters, and helped me to be- true and
bear my life.
Eight years passed, and no thought
OF another man had entered my lie.
Ihen there came q long unbroken
silence, and my letters to Arthur were
wered. l never doubted him
Ghough this uncertainty was cruel, but
kept saying to myself. He is not
DEAD, and he will come back
Here the tenor of nv story
changes. or this part | do not like 10
speak, and | shu0der when [ think
now near IT came leaving q dark blot
upon my life, but | shall tell it all for
there Is no shame in being tempted,
~ Is only those women who have been
thrust into a fiery furnace, and come
out unhurt who can s%ympathizs with
others In temptation. Those women
who look down. from a high pedestal
OF nntrled virtue and interrupted purity,
with scOrn upon their less protected
sisters do not understand To l., -