Year: 1871




For the Spectator.


MY PLAYMATE.


To-day in looking over the relics which
have saved from the past, [ came upon bou.
quet Of withered roses, and as held it up and
gazed at it through mist of tears, scene after
scene OF long ago rose up before me, till it was
like living them ali over again. The giver Of
this bouquet gave it to me the last time but
twice that we ever saw each other, and as | sat
down to write the story of my early life, laid
it on the desk beside me, that the sight Of it
might more vividly recall the past.


In my childhood, Edward Saunders was my
only playmate, for, in the neighborhood where
| was reared there were few children with
whom my aristocra tic mother allowed me to as
sociate. But Edward and | wished for no 9th
er companions. We shared all each other s
joys and would have shered each others sor-
rows too, but that we had none. The world
was all joy and gladness for us, and there was
nothing of grief or pain in it. 1t was the May
Of our lives and Gsd crowned 1t with the fair
est and sweetest roses, knowing 10 His Infinite
wisdom that the June of our existence must
be nearly flowerless /; but we all unconscious
of what He knew SO well, lived on in happi-
ness and deemed earth paradise-in our In
nocence, dreaming that the future would be no
iCOo SsiOIlOuoly al ldSL OuT SuuSulIC Uc-
gan to grow dim, and shadows gathered around
u.s. Our first trial was that, which sooner or
later, must come to al friends-the bitter pam
of separation.


One bright August evening, Eddie, as l al
ways called him, came up from the village, and
we wandered into the wood together as We had
done so many times before. When We were
tired and had sat down to rest under the shell
tering b0nghs OF al OLD elnl he told me that
he must go away to School, and not return for
a very long while | burst into a passion of
grlef and said that he must not go. Gently
and kindly he explained to me that it was in
obedience to his fathers wishes, and for his
own good that he was going, Then he turned
to the bright instead of the dark side of the
picture, by telling me how often he would
write, and that l could answer all of his letters
and tell him every thing just as if l were talk
ing to him, and that by and by the summer
holidays would come, bringing with them the
old happy time, and gradually he succeeded in
restoring me to a mere tranquil frame Of mind.
The sun had sunk into the bosom OF the wes-
tern ocean, and the birds had gone to rest
when We bent our steps homeward, striving
within ourselves to bear patiently what just
Heaven had sent upon US.


From that time uutil the day Of bis depart.
ure we were, if possible, more than ever in
each others society. remember, as # it were
but yesterday, how [ stood at the farm-yard
gate the morning he went away, and watched
him as he leaned from the carriage window,
waving his good bye slgDai, and how when the
carriage was out of sight turned away from
the gate and flung myself upon the grass. In
that moment strange fear took possession of
me, fear that when we met again a change
would have come OYER us, and that our friend
ship, hitherto uncrossed would be blighted.
did not fancy for moment that time and sep
araton would chill the affection of either of us,
for | knew that could never forget my first
playmate, and believed himato be the soul Of
constaDcy; but tell q dim foreshadowing of
something that was 10 come between us--some-
thing which we might grieve over but not pre-
vent [ sobbed myself to sleep upon the
ground when | aWoke, | was lying upon my
bed in my own room where some one had
placed me. Instantly the recollection of the
mornings event flashed upon my mind, and !
hid my face in the pillows. and thought how
strange and sad everything would seem with
out Eddie The human heart feels desolate
when the kindred heart that has SO long beat
in unison with it is torn away, and SO l felt
that day, when he, who had always shared ev-
cry joy of my life was taken and l left. A va
cancy was made, which all the loves, great and
noble as some of them were that have been
given me since then, have never filled. | was
again losing consciousness 10 slumber when the
dinner bell reused me, and assuming as much
cheerfulness as possible, descended to the di-
ning-room.


My father stroked my hair kindly as | took
my usual seat beside him, and remarked that
[ had slept long time. | ate my dinner with
what appetite could, and took very little In
terest in the conversation that was carried on
during the meal. AS father was leaving the
dining-roon, he turned back and asked if
would not like to go with him to the Posi-
Office in the buggy, and glad of anything thai
was likely to be of interest, accepted the pro-
posal. A drive In the fresh air did me good
AS we were returning he told me that | mus
not worry too much about my friends going
away.


Il cannot help it, faltered in a voice hal
stihed with tears.


Il wonder" he said, musingly, after
pause, and more to himself than to me, "hov
it will be in future years, if something NOR,
| than distance should come between you.
"What, more than distance could come be
tween us ?" inquired.


'Never mind, perhaps you will know, on
| day, better than l can explain to you now,
was the reply.


| just before we reached home we met DR.
| Saunders. The shade of melancholy upon hi
features, which had been there since my ear
| liest recollection of him, had deepened; an,
no wonder, for, of the FIVE children with whom
he had been best, four of them he had givel
back to God, and he was now deprived Of th
com panionship of the only remaining one.-
But one short year ago Heaven had caime'
the gentle wife who had walked beside hin
through good and i'll for so long I could no
help plying this companionless old man, a
we drove on and left him to pursue his solitar
way.


When the September days came l com
menced school again in the little white school
house on the outskirts of the village, where
had gone to school ever since | was old enough
[ sat at the same desk, surrounded by the oil
familiar forms and faces that | had seen ther
for years, and everything and everybody wa
lust the very same that they used to be, unit
| looked at the vacant seat opposite me an
missed its occupant. Then ali the little worl
in which [ lived and moved seemed changed
and even seemed strangely unlike my forme
self. Whenever had a hard sum to do, or
difficult sentence to parse, | chose to take
lower place 10 my class rather than ask any /
them to assist me, because it would seem lik
allowing them to take the absent ones plac,