The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-09-10


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loved, and so tonight I have besn liv-
ing over my youth that left me--only
these" and he spread his hands pa
thetieally over the little -heap on the
desk S
"Psfhaps you have wondered, as
other people do" he went on, "why /
meyer married. Twas TO have BEEN
once. / was engaged TO b eautiful
| girl whom I loved With 81 MT heasts
and vs had already ytbsguh 10 mako the
plans--the sweet, foelisk planar.f6g
the little home that was TO be ours,
when suddenly my sisters husband
died, and her support was thrown up.
On me. I couldn't ref1se the burden,
you know. She was. helpless and de-
stitute, and thore were little children
crying to me- for bread, and so I had
to give ur my own happiness for
her.
Angela Dried when / told her ehd
gave her back her freedom, for / would
not bind the woman I loved to the
wearing slavery Of o long engagement.
and then she laid her dear head upon
my breast for the last time, aud ]
held her close in arms, arms thss knew
would, 60 hungeriug for her to the
grave, ae che told me over and over
again that she would be faithful to
ME and wait for ne to the end. a
81 wasn't rich in those days, my
dear It was hard struggle to feed
eight hungry little mouths, and it
linedsmy face and strewed my hair
with silver before my time; bnt, by
and BY, the years wore on, and the
children went out into the world. and
| sawhappiness beokoning to me again
aud Angela and I took up our uniin-
ished dream and began knitting to-
getherits dropped threads.
"Then-one Of my sister's boys-a
weaks foolish fellow, fell into bad
compsny, and got to drinking and
gambling and robbed his employer Of
Q large sum OF money. I sat here oil
alonsane long night fighting out the
battlssbetween duty and love, and
whenShe gray dawn broke duty had
| | yen IN. IN. 6 i;ssss ma an old msE.
There5was my sisters broken heart TO
coneider, and-the old name that had
nevershad stain upon 'it-and paid
the money for the boy.
"As last, however, after middle life
had passed and long waiting had rob.
bed Angela's cheek Of its roses and
her step Of it's lighsnens. when We
.knewthat the fire and joy of youth
had gone from US forever, it seemed
thai ,opr happiness was coming to us.
My Sister had gone to live with her
children, the business was prospecting
and Angela and I were planning ouoe
more for the home that was to BIZ ours
at last; but it was not to be. Angela
sickened and died, aud all that was
left me was the memory Of the long,
long years aud this little heap Of treas
ures. aE
SIT isn't much for life time, but.
but I have my, pleasures. I shall
never know the clinging arms Of q
wife about me, bnt send many wo-
mans husband at home so her az night
with his wages who would waste them
at the corner saloon but for me. I
shall never have child, but many q
boy listens to me when he wouldn' to
his own father, and many a girl has
the lessons and the help that enabled
her to 60 out into the world aud earn
living. They don't mind it from
me, you know. am just Uncle Jim,
o orochetty old bachelor, who isn't
quite either man or woman, but
who has his l;;ttle place in the world
for all that, he added, with wbim-
sical sigh.
Sometimes I hear important fathers
Of families or gay. young boys ask ban
teringly:
''Unole Jim, why didn't you ever
paarry?" s
"Oh, l wasn't handsome young
fellow like you," he invariably re-.
plies, but ] know that he is thinking
Of withered rose, and A ds.1 70 !.
nance, and grave where tho grass is
growing Dorothy Dix.
It will undoubtedly be cold