The Argosy — page 323: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

302 Only an Episode. Hearing it, the coils of lustrous blonde hair, thick-sown with pearls, and the perfect face drawn rather near to the soldier’s breast, passed out of his mind asif they had never been. He stood on the green shores of his native land, with the blue skies of spring above his head ; and beside him nestled a fair young girl, with dewy blossoms in her hair: and in the tender eyes a look that no other woman's had ever worn for him. Ah, me! Ten long years lay between that time and the present; but it all came back to him as Maclennan sang—the young, wistful face, the clasp of the gentle hand, the glowing hopes of his sweet spring- time, the lark’s song above their heads, and all the glory and brightness of a day that had long since passed away. **°Tis but a step down yonder lane, the little church stands near, The church where we were wed, Mary,—I see the spire from here ; But the graveyard lies between, Mary, and my step might break your rest, Where I’ve laid you, darling, down to sleep, with your baby on your breast.” Home, and wife, and little child. Strange memories these for the courted man, the gallant cavalier, whom women delighted to honour. But I think that in the hves of most of us there are some passages which the world never reads, some pages for ever sealed even from the eyes that love us best. Louisa Haynes never guessed, even while her lover's arm was about her, how his thoughts had gone over leagues and leagues of blue water, to a green grave in old Ireland, guarded by a simple cross, emblem of the sleeper’s faitb. ‘‘T’m bidding you a long farewell, my Mary, kind and true, But I’ll not forget you, darling, in the land I’m going to. They say there’s bread, and work for all, and the sun shines always there, But I’ll not forget old Ireland, were it fifty times as fair.” Bread and work he had found in the far-off lands he had gone out to; fame and riches, too; bnt he had zof forgotten old Ireland, nor the love, faithful and unselfish, that had blessed his early manhood. Years might come, and a fairer head lie on his breast where hers had lain, but no other could ever be to him just what she had been—not even Louisa, tenderly beloved though she was ; for that early happiness had come to him in the brightness and freshness of youth, and ¢#a¢—ah, no! never comes again to any one of us. And when the song was ended and its echoes had died away, Dennis Adair woke up with a start, and saw his promised wife beside him. Captain Adair rosé, gave her his arm and took her back to the more frequented rooms. Among all the revellers none played their part better than the man who had just been face to face with his dead past; for the peaceful unities of outward life must be preserved, and it is not well, I think, for any of us to carry our hearts in our faces. - comicbooks.co m