Uncle Terry: A Story of the Maine CoastMunn, Charles Clark
General
Uncle Terry: A Story of the Maine Coast
Munn, Charles Clark
Maine -- Fiction
When the parting came, Aunt Susan made a brave effort to bear up until
the train carried the wedding-party away, and the little miss who
scattered flowers was inconsolable after Alice kissed her good-by. The
old miller returned to his toil with a heavy heart, for he had known
Alice since, as a child, he held her up that she might see the wheel go
around and laugh and crow at its splashing. Many times each summer she
had come there to gather lilies, and now she had gone, perhaps never to
return. One by one the summer days would come and go, the mill-stone
rumble, the big wheel splash, the old boat float idly beneath its
willow, and the water-lilies bloom and fade; for sweet Alice would come
no more to pluck them.
Two weeks later occurred the other event, when the 'Gypsy' steamed into
the Cape harbor and a select party became the guests of honor at Uncle
Terry's home. Long tables decked with flowers and loaded with the best
that Aunt Lissy could prepare stood under the trees in front; the little
porch was a bower of ferns and clusters of red bunch-berries, and every
man, woman, and child that dwelt on the island was there.
Then after Albert and Telly had halted in the fern-covered porch to
utter the simple but sacred words that bound them for life, the gladsome
party gathered and made merry at the tables.
The sun was low in the west ere Telly kissed the tear-wet faces of Uncle
Terry and Aunt Lissy and the 'Gypsy' sailed away. Far to seaward the
purple line of coming night was slowly creeping in, and side by side on
the little knoll where stood a low white headstone, those two sat and
watched her pass out of their lives. When only the wide ocean was
visible and the line of shadow had crept up to the wave-washed rocks
beneath them, Uncle Terry arose.
"We'd best go in, Lissy," he said.
And looking into his saddened face she saw that she must lead him, for
he was blinded with tears.
THE END.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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