Evening journal., 1905-04-12
heavy upon un aII.
cHApTER xvII.

away buying cattle half the
/ 2SsFSSr week, but Elizabeth Brewer
elsIzs, was always at home to look
after my comfort. She was up betimes
in the morning and singing at her work
I long before ! was out Of bed. When
/ the breakfast was near ready she
came to my door with a call so full Of
/ cheerfulness and good nature it was
/ the best thing in the day. And often
at night have known her TO come into
/ my room when l was lying awake
with some hard problem to see that
was properly covered or that my win
dow was not open too far. As we sat
alone together Of an evening / have
seen her listen for hours while / was
committing the odes Of Horace with a
curiosity that finally gave way to res.
ignation. Sometimes she would look
over my shoulder at the printed page
and try to discern some meaning IN It.
When Uncle Eb was with us he would
often sit a long time, his head turned
attentvely as the lines came rafting
CT my tongue.
Gurus talk" he said one evening as
I paused a moment, while he crossed
| ne room for a drink Of water. Don
seem c make no kind o. sense. can
make out word here an there, but
! Ter good, sound, common sense | call It
purity thin crop"
! Hope wrote me every week for
| time A church choir had offered her
place soon after she went TO the big
city. She came home intending TO sur
prise us all the first summer, hut I'M
/ fortunately / had gone away in the
woods with party Of surveyors and
missed her We were a month IN the
| wilderness and came out a little west
/ Of Albany, where / took a boat for
! New York to see Hope. / came down
/ the North river between the great
/ smoky cities on either side Of IL one
damp and chilly morning. The noise
the crowds, the immensity Of the town
appalled, me.
At John Fuller's 1 found that Hope
had gone home, and, while they tried to
detain me longer, | came back on the
night boat OF the same day. Hope and
passed each other in that journey,
and did not see her until the summer
preceding my third and last year In
college, the faculty having allowed me
TO take two years in one. Her letters
had come less frequently, and when
she came l saw a grand young lady Of
fine manners, her beauty shaping to an
ampler mold. her form strengthening to
the dignity Of womanhood.
AT the depot our hands were cold
and trembling with excitement, neither
Of us, fancy, knowing quite how far
to 90 in our greeting, Our correspond
ence had been true TO the promise
made mother. There had not been a
word Of love In il, only now and then
a suggestion Of our tender feeling. We
hesitated only for the briefest moment,
Then put my arm about her neck and
kissed her.
81 am so glad to see YOU" she said. :
Well, she was charming and beauti-
ful. but different. and probably not
more different than was /. She was
no longer the laughing. simple man
nered child of PARKWAY, whose heart
was as ones hand before him in. the
daylight she had now bit OF the
woman's researcher prudence. her
skill in hiding the things Of the heart
I loved her more than ever. but some
how / felt il hopeless; that she had
grown out Of my life. She was much
In request among the people of Hills
borough, and we went about a good
deal and had many callers. But We
had little time TO ourselves. She seem
ed TO avoid that and had much to say
Of the grand young men who came c
call on her in the great city.
Anyhow it all hurt me to the sou
and even robbed me of my sleep.
better lover than / would have mad,
an end Of dallyingr and got at thu
truth. come what might. But was o.
the Puritans and not OF the cavaliers
and my way was that which God haC
marked for me, albeit ] must own n,
man had ever a keener eye for a Lowell!
woman or more heart TO please her :
mighty pride had come to me. and
had rather have thrown my heart I,
vultures than see it an unwelcome Of
fering And / was quite out Of courag
with Hope. She I dare say, was a
much out of patience with me.
She returned in the late summer. ant
] went back TO my work at college in
/ hopeless fashion that gave way unde
, the whip of a strong will.
l made myself as contented as possi
! bic. / knew all the pretty girls AM
went about with some Of them TO tn
entertainments Of the college season
At last came the long looked for da
Of my graduation, the end of my stu
dent life.
The streets Of the town were throne
\ ed. every student having the colleg
colors in his coat lapel The little con
= pany of graduates trembled wit
!, fright as the people crowded into IN
= church. whispering and tanning then
selves, In eager anticipation AS tn
former looked from the two side pew
!. where they sat many familiar face
= greeted them-the faces OF fathers an
mothers aglow with the inner light q
pride and pleasure, the faces Of man
they loved come to claim a share IN "a
glory of that day. I found my own,
remember, but none Of them gave M
such help as that Of Uncle Eb How
ever l might fare. none would feel III
pride or disgrace OF ii more keenl
than he. l shall never forget how b
turned his head TO catch every wor
= when ascended the platform.
As warmed to my argument l cOul