Year: 1874

said my mother, gently. "To be sure
he looks older and graver, and more
like man than when he went away, but
his eyes and smile are the same rs ever.
1t is heavy heart which changes him.
He is my boy STILL"


"Aye, mother" I answered sadly,
81 am your boy STILL"


Heaven help me at that moment I
felt like boy, and it would have been
blessed relief to have wept upon her
bosom as 1 had done in my infancy.
But l kept down the tremor of my lips,
and answered quietly, as l looked into
his full, handsome face.


"You have changed, too, Frank, but
l think for the better.
"Oh, yes-thank you for the compli-
ment," he answered with a hearty
laugh. "My wife tells me 1 grow hand
somer every day"


His wife! Could 1 hear that name
and keep silent still.


And have you seen my little girl p
he added, lifting the infant in his arms,
and kissing her crimsoned cheek. 81
tell you, Harry, there is no such other
in the world. Don't you think she
looks very much like her mother used
to?'


Very much" 1 faltered.


Halo ~ cried Frank, with a sud
denness which made me start violently,
81 have forgotten to introduce you to
my wife; 1 believe you and she used to
be playmates in your younger days
yes, Harry" and he slapped me on the
back" for the sake of old times, and
because you were not at the wedding, l
will give You leave to kiss her once,
but mind, old fellow, you are never to
repeat the ceremony. Come, here she
is, / for one want to see how you will
manage those ferocious mustaches of
yours in the operation"


He pushed Lizzie, laughing and
blushing toward me. A CLEAN of light
and hope almost too dazzling to bear,
came over me, and / cried out before
thought, "Not Mary"


must have betrayed my secret to
every one in the room. But nothing
was said; even Frank, in general so OBJ
tuse was this time silent. kissed the
fair cheek of the young wife, and hur-
ried to the silent figure looking out of
the window.


Mary-Mary Moore! ~ I said in a
low eager tone, "have you no welcome
to give the wanderer 2"


She turned, and laid her hand in
mine and said hurriedly-


81 am glad to see you here, Harry. I"


Simple words and yet how blessed
they made me. l would not have
yielded her mp at the moment for an
Emperor's crown. For there was the
happy home group and dear home fire.
side, with sweet Mary Moore. The
eyes had dreamed of day and night
were falling beneath the ardent gaze of
mine, and the sweet face l had go long
prayed to see was there beside me. |
never knew the meaning of happiness
until that moment.


Many years have passed since the
happy night, and the hair that was
dark and glossy is fast turning gray
l am now grown to be an old man, and
can look back to a happy, and 1 hope
a well spent life. And yet sweet as it
has been, l would not recall single
day, for the love that made my man
hood so bright, shines also upon my
white hairs.


An old man Can this be so? At
heart, am as young as ever. And
Mary, with her bright hair parted
smoothly from brow that has a slight
furrow upon it, is still the Mary of
other days. To me she can never grow
old or changed. The heart that held
her in infancy and sheltered her i'll the
flush and beauty of womanhood can
never cast her out till life shall cease
to warm it.