Year: 1872

"
a word or two. He was very kind and
friendly, but no more; but if those shep-
herds had eyes to see and tongues to speak
with. they'd have stories enough to tell of
those days. | hated the thought of being
an old maid, as every girl does. but how
could | marry any but the man loved
! And he did not ask me A look now and
then pleased me, but girl must wait for
/ words. | waited in vain. And Garret
Gray counting me 50 warmly, and /
taught, ,as girls must be, that torture should
not wiring my love from me as long as
WAS sure it was not returned-tried to
seem cold 10 Walter. and did not mind
seeming warm enough 10 Garret GRAY,
for cared nothing for him. knew he
was poor enough, but | would be rich
! And | knew he was old Welchs son, but
that made no difference. | pined for a
kiss OF a loving word from him. as starry
ing people long for bread. The one great
| Joy OF earth seemed to me the hope of be-


ing Walters wife I'm 50 old now. that
don't mind telling YOU the truth; then
/ I'd have died first


/ One Gay we sat together before the fire
/ blazing under that great mantle piece
! grandfather and his partner, Walter and
l. 1t was uncle's birthday, and we had a
| little feast, and Walter-iust as well thot
OF after five years service in the office as
any one there-had ben asked to taste the
old wine grandfather prided himself on
And we were talking of what had happen
ed in the town. and how Dolly Rose was
married


And Japhet courted her five years"
said grandfather, "afraid to ask her the
question all the while, and she came near
lilting him out of pique. but he's got her
after all "


Served him right if she had Tilted him. y
said |. II man loves girl let him
say so out and ont, or else let her not wait
tor him"


"A man may be too bold sometime. and
presume on kindness" said Walter. ,and
be hutfed for his pains"


He'll know her mind at least" said I,
land She II know his 1t il death to have
to wait and wait | should think il would
he AT least"


bushed when said that, | knew.
and Walter bushed too wished | had
not spoken. He was silent all the evening
after that but when he left Us he shook
hands, and kept my hand in his a little
while, and looked at me in way that
made my heart beat t'nriouslv


laid awake all night, and only fell
asleep when the sun was rising; and it
was 50 late when | arose, that the maid
was dustng the parlor. and--awkward
thing-htd GOT feather fan half wav
down behind the mantle-piece. We Just
saved il, and | scolded her we'll felt so
out of sorts that day that scolding came
natural


Oh, if had not made that speech, |
thought. What did Walter think of it
And | asked myself that question more
than once, for from that never saw him
again. | did not go to the office, nor he
come TO the parlor, and on Saturday
grandfather came in to tea, and sat down
with a face half puzzled and half angry.
and said


There's piece Of news for YOU. Ellie
w alter has gone"


Gone where ?" | asked. turning cold


Left u.s." said grandfather. "Effie
there is something queer about this.
Have vou been hurting him"


He never gave me a chance TO hurt
him, grandpa" and the truth would out
then, .'it he had-I-l couldn't hurt him.
grandpa, dear. He never liked me one
bit, though liked him"


And grandpa said, "Ah, Etfie, it's dan
gerous leaving young folk much together,
| wish things had been different, tor |
liked Walter No matter, kiss me. Ellie"


50 kissed him. We never spoke of
Walter. and he never came again, never,
never TO me it was as if he We're dead;
but | could not cry for him as though he
had been And after i while tIarret Gray
made me listen to him, and we were
married. And oh, the sin and the shame
| did not love him one bit. | married
Just 50 that Walter might not think pined
for him


You couldn't expect much happiness
from such marriage; none came. Ii
was my fault, suppose as much As his.
We tell out soon, and quarreled constant
ly. We had a little girl and little Grip
pied boy, who died At five years old, and
l loved them dearly, and used to wonder
how 1t was that they both had Walters
eyes. on see that sometimes Woman's
children now ana then look like the man
she loved, whom she never even kissed
rather than like the husband she married;
and blamed Gltrret for fall the boy got,
and was hard with him In the end he
ran away and left me to myself.


1 ttilllV btiCh " tlllS uOISt IItii- anu
father was dead-and brought my little
girl. soon | sent her to school, and then
used to set day after day, evening after
evening, before this old mantle-piece
watching Cupid with his bow. and the
shepherd and shepherdess, and the satyrs
down below there, and thinking of the old
times and Walter. Ny hair turned gray
early, and my figure shrank, and my face
wrnkled. They called me old Mrs Gray
when was forty, just as they do now.


Do YOU believe in mesmerism? do, a
little. There was something that drew
me constantly to that old mantle-piece,
hept me touching it, and looking at it,
something very strange, as you'll believe,
when I've told you all


My girl grew up and married, and
her children climbed about my knee and
made me tell them about the figures upon
the ma BILE there; and in my old age a
kind OF a calm came to me-a sort of hap
piness as though | rested; and looked
back on the girl | had been once and on
the woman had been atterward, plying
ly. a though they were other people
Why not. The Ellie they had named
after me, my granddaughter Ellie, was as
old now, as when | fell in love with
Walter Welch; her mother older than |
when brought her back to my own home
and settled down to my dull, lonely life.


Two weeks ago Etiie, came and told
me she was going to be married. She
was all bushes.


1t seemed odd enough to me; but |
promised her handsome gift and wished
her all good wishes, and felt as pleased
as her mother did in setting the house in
order, and seeing all was nice and neat
| am not feeble yet though I'm seventy
five


We had new carpets sent from the city,
and the great parlor was newly painted,
all but the ceiling. And my daughter
would have the grand old mantle-p piece
reset; for the crack behind was great
gap now, and it really was in danger of
falling. mason came for the purpose,
and we stood woman-like, watching him.
He took the pieces down one by one, and
there was the mortar with all sorts of
things in it. There was knitting pin,
and here paper folder Of poor grand
fathers and matches and china jar cover,