Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-05-25
A DREAM THAT
FADED
Q, ESTHER vAlDCw

ODpysagAe -. ~ American Pfos
isn't thers q romance In yosv Iifs,
grandma r said q little girl to whom
her grandmothee had been telling sto-
ries.
'Oh. yes. There are romances In the
lives Of al Of ma
well. grandma. tell me yourA"
Let me see. I was but eighteen
when my father-your great-grandfa-
ther, you know-hired . farm hand
who came along Just at the beginning
Of the harvest season. viii call him
Elisha We girls used to help get In
the grain IN those days. and sometimes
I used to 80 out and help on purpose
to Be with Elisha. He was two years
older than l, and considered him very
handsome. / was at that ago when q
girls heart goes out naturally. and
| mine went out to Elisha.
| -One evening about sunset when We
were alone together among the wheat
We sat down on . pile Of sheafs t.
talk. Elisha put his arm around me
and kiseed me Then be told No be
loved me. and told him I loved him.
7 was too young-at any rats. TOO
unsophist1cated-to know the next
thing to b done, which was for Elisha
to 80 to my father and asst for me.
He didn't do this. but whsn the first
natural outpouring Of love was over
asked him II should my anything
about our AFFAIR to father or mother.
he told me to say nothing at present
Il waited, no one but Elisha and I
knowing what was between ~, TIL the
harvest was an In and my lover was
paid on That day be took me Oh
whers ~ would b. alone and said to
me:
-Tour father wouldn't think Of CIV
ing you 10 me- haven't cent In the
world We must wait ri Try dur
ing the next few years to get a start.
then WIN come back and ask for you
NY heart stood SIN. How could
whit several yean for him to come
back to msi Each year would seem
q century. In three years ! would Be
twenty-ooa and that seemed to ms
then 70 mark Q gii - an old maid
But there was nothing to b done, 20
I said goodby 70 Elisha. and hs went
away.
There was Q farmer near ~ who
stood very high In the community.
He was but twenty-eight yean old,
and Ut he had been In the Legislature
Of the state. He seemed to me to b.
hundred years old He used to come
to our place and talk with father about
things that didn't understand-tarifr
and free trade, raising money to build
railroads to take our grain to market,
and all that When we were all in
the living room In the evening, and
father and Mr.. Baxter, III call him,
were talking about these things and
the slavery question In the south and
the troubles In Kansas used to sit at
my needlework and wonder what they
meant, for didn't understand a word
Of It al.
Then one day father surprised me
by telling me that Mr.. Baxter had
proposed for me, and father hoped
would accept him since the match
would be such good one for me.
Isn't that funny way to propose
for q giriY ! asked. i supposed the
lover proposed to the girl instead Of
her father
1.-The most honorable way - to ask
permission Of her father to speak to
her,
IAN this was too formal. too unnat-
ural for me. l told father that would
mot have Mr.. Baxter; he was altogeth-
er too old for me. And when father
said he was just the right age re-
Piled that be seemed too old anyway.
Father was obliged to tell Mr..
Baxter that wouldn't have him. and
Mr.. Baxter only said that be was
very sorry, but he wouldn't think Of
permitting the least influence to be
brought to bear on me to induce me
to accept him. / didn't tell any one
that my heart had been given to q
farm hand. Indeed, didn't dare tell.
I couldn't have braved fathers anger
and contempt l ground my teeth to-
gether and resolved to wait for Elisha.
I waited two years. and he didn't
come waited two years more.
Meanwhile Mr.. Baxter had been away
much Of the time. He had been elect
ed to congress. Then heard father
say that he was sure Of the nomina-
ton for governor.
This didn't interest me. I didn't
care II he was president What l
wanted was that which would satisfy
the cravings Of my heart-I wanted
Elisha.
TT was ave years after Elisha had
gone away and three after Mr.. Bax-
ter had proposed for me that l saw
one morning when was standing on
the porch a man coming down the
road. His clothes were city cut.
though not fashionable. He stopped
|