Year: 1868

A PLEASANT LOVE STORY.


All my life long l had known Mary
Moore. All my life I loved her.


Our mothers were old playmates and
first cousins. My first recoleetions are
of boy in red frock and morocco shoes
rocking a cradle in which reposed sun
ny haired. blue-eyed baby. not quite a
year old. That boy was myself-Harry
Church that blessed baby was Mary
Moore.


Later still. see myself at the little
hool-house. drawing mv little chair up
to the door that Mary might ride home.
Many beating have gained on such
occasions, for other boys. besides me. liked
her, aud she. I fear, was something of a
firt, even in her pinafore. How elegant
ly she came tripping down the steps wien
| called her name. How sweetly her blue
eyes looked at me. How gaily rang out
the merry laugh. No one but Mary could
ever bring her heart SO soon to her lips.
l followed that laugh from my days OF
childhood till I grew an awkward blush
ing youth; followed it through the heat
ed noon of manhood and now. when the
frosts of age are silvering my hair and
many children climb up my knee and call
me father" l find that the memories of
youth are strong and that. even in my
grey hairs. l am following the music still.


When I was fifteen the first great sor-
row OF my life came upon my heart. l
was sent to school and was obliged to part
with Mary. We were not to see each
other for three long years This. to me,
was like sentence of death, for Mary
was like life itself to me. But hearts are
tough things after all


I left college in .alI The .fnsh ard .Yigor
Of my nineteenth year. was no longer
awkward or embarrassed. l had grown
into tall, slender STRIPPING. with very
good opinion of myself. both in general
md particular. Ii l thought of Mary
Moore, it was to Imagine how I could daz-
sle and bewilder her with my good looks
and wonderful mental attainments, and
never thinking she might dazzle and be-
wilder me still more. I was coxcomb.
[ know, but as youth and good looks have
fed, | trust | may be believed when | say
that self-concet has left me also.


An advantageous proposal was made me
1t that time, and, accepting it, gave up
al idea of a profession and prepared to 60
% India. In my hurried visit home of
;wo days l saw nothing Of Mary Moore.
She had gone to boarding school at some
distance and was not expected home until
The following May. l uttered sigh to
ny little blue-eyed playmate and then
,alled myself man again.


In year, | thought, as the vehicle
Whirled away from our door-in a year.
or three years at the very most-I will
return, and if Mary is as pretty as she
used to be, why. then. perhaps | may
marry her. And thus I settled the flu
ture Of young lady whom had not seen
for four years. never thought of the
possibility Of her refusing me-never
dreamed that she would not condesceud to
accept my offer.


But now I know that, had Mary me,
me then, she would have despised me-
Perhaps. in the scented and affected stu
dent she might have found plenty of sport,
but as for loving me, I should. perhaps.
have found myself mistaken India was
my salvation, not merely because of my
success. but because my laborious indus
try had contracted that evil in my nature
and had made me better man. When
at the end of three years, had prepared
to return. I said nothing of the reforma-
ton of myself which I knew had taken
place. They loved me as l was, 1 mur-
INJURED to myself, and they shall 6nd out
for themselves. whether am better worth
loving than formerly.


I packed up many token from that
land of romance and gold for the friends
1 hoped to meet. The gift for Mary
Moore l selected with beating heart; it
was a ring of rough. virgin gold with my
name and hers engraved inside-that was
all. and yet the sight of that little toy
strangely thrilled me. as l balanced it
upon the tip of my finger. To the eyes
of others it was but small plain cirelet.
suggesting thoughts perhaps, by its ele-
gsnce, Of the beautiful white hand that