The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-04
Love VS.. Reason.
kind hearts are more than coronets
And simple faith than Norman blood"
-TennySOn.

kind hearts are more than coronets
And simple faith than Norman blood"
-Tennyson.
1t is a pleasure to have you In Nashville
again, WILL after that long visit to your
uncles in Louisiana. You have been missed
by me- your old maid aunt, to whom you
trusted your little secrets, and whom you
often tried to delight by telling me that
cheerful old maids, almost an extinct
species, are the best people in the world,
and that fellow who has never had good
old maid for confidential friend Is ignor-
ant of one of the greatest luxuries of youth.
But since you have been away slight
change has come over you, and my obser-
vations for a number of years, coupled with
the natural intuition of womankind, tells
me that you are either a criminal or a
lover; for any observer may notice how
similar are the actions of these two widely
different characters, as the criminal thinks
of one he has slain, and the lover thinks
of one who has slain him. Judging from re-
ports, must conclude that you have found
the girl who Is to have the collection of
family diamonds that am keeping for your
engagement ring. You blush? But my
state of hearts. and is not thing to be
ashamed Of would not force your secret
from you, but only wish to give you the
assurance that whatever lies on your heart
will never be thought frivolous, nor will be
treated lightly by me.
Well, aunt will confess that as usual
you are right, and yet, my experience, sell
dom found in fiction. seems to belle that
love. 1t came about this way:
One bright May morning few days after
my arrival in Louisiana, took my fishing
tackle and sketching outfit and went to the
back of uncle's plantation to a beautiful
spot of earth on the bayou. I had set my
hooks and was sketching a tree bending
over the water, when heard voices ap-
preaching. Looking around saw DR.. Will
son. whom had met at uncle's, and with
him two girls, apparently about II. One of
them was marvel of beauty with blue
eyes and golden hair. Her face was the
picture of health and her step betokened
the noble born. AS soon as 1 saw her I
thought of the huntress who met Aeneas
in the woods after his shipwreck. The
other girl was rather tall and slender with
brown hair and eyes. the outlines of her
face indicating timidity. They almost
stepped on me before they saw me- then a
surprise, an introduction and we were
friends. My pretty blonde was Rims Lee.
the daughter of DR.. Wilson's widowed sis
ter. and the brunette was Amola Wilson,
the only child of DIR. Wilson They had
brought lunch, and had come to spend the
day. l gladly accepted an invitation to be-
come one Of their party. Why enter into
the details of that day sevents Suffice it
to say that Rima was to me the central fig
ure. Late that afternoon I drove to Dr.
Wilson's In the carriage with them, and as
Rima preferred to walk only a short dis
lance across the meadow to her home I
walked with her, and when. at twilight I
left her at the gate. IL I pressed her hand
with a little too much warmth let Cupid
bear the blame, and If / did not read the
Count OF Monte Cristo that night with the
usual interest. do not charge 1t to the in
ability of Dumas, but to lovely little i'm
age with blue eyes and golden hair that
insinuated itself on every page.
AS Mrs. Lee and Dr. Wilson are near
neighbors, we had several other fishing ex-
cursions that season. and many were the
pleasant visits I made to the mansion-like.
homes of Rima and Amola. II is unneces-
sary to say whore went oftenest and tar
ried longest. Rima has an unusually bril-
liant mind stored with information on a va
riety of subjects. She can be lively or Sc
rious, shallow or profound as occasion de-
mands Indeed. to win admiration seems to
be her greatest ambition, and how we'll she
succeeds the history of broken hearts must
tell. 1t was a treat'to be with her, to oon-
verse with her, to gaze on her beauty One
day, late in the summer, we set at the roots
of that same tree that I was sketching
when we first met. Rima was lovely be-
yond description. To adore her in silence as
did was not to be endured, so In a voice
trembling with emotion / confessed the
burning. tender love had for her and then
and there with glowing cheeks and a throb-
bling heart whose beatinRs could feel