Show U THE CHANGES OF TIME By Emily D Carroll playmates in childhood We were Grey and I and nn we crow to Mary womanhood our friendship grow still woro almost Inseparable stronger till at last wo separable I cannot tell how many foolish promises wo made to each other for wo were romantic young simpletons and we loved each other promise was never to 1 know ono marry but always live together In some snug cottage where wo should be as happy as the day was long I proved recreant to my promise as witness my husband and two of tho sweetest darlings that over gladdened a mothers heart Mary still lives In maiden meditation fancy free She was a very pretty girl four years my senior though she did not look It She was an orphan and when a rich uncle In Philadelphia agreed to adopt her she consented to tho arrangement ar-rangement Not long afterward her uncle died and Mary was his heiress According to promise we corresponded corre-sponded regularly for n time Such lengthy loving letters as she wrote mol Never did a fond girl prize her lovers letters more than I prized Marys She missed me so much she said She wanted to BOO me so badly I must come and pay her a visit This was before my marriage One thing and another happened to prevent my going Gradually the years slipped by and J hud taken another name and my heart was thrilling with a strange delightful de-lightful yet solemn feeling But Mary Grey my girlhood friend was not forgotten for-gotten I wanted her to share my joy I wanted to say to her Here Is my husband and your brother Mary sweet sister 1 wanted to lay my firstborn in her arms and say He la mine Mary Love him for my sake But the poor girl was tied down In her New England home She still wrote to mo occasionally and Ito I-to her hut not so often for other duties du-ties claimed our attention I talked about Mary so much that at last Charlie grew tired of hearing her name and began to tease me Your friend Is an old maid Isnt she Lucy he asked mo one oven Ing An old maid I replied Indignantly Indignant-ly I No Indeed sir she Is not an nlrl maid f At last Mary agreed to pay us a visit What a time 1 did have in planning for her reception She was an heiress and I feared might think our little home very poor Indeed True It was comfortable and all that Charlie and I cared for but Mary was rich and used to much grander surroundings sur-roundings I mused The glad day arrived and Charlie was to bring our guest from the station sta-tion in time for lunch When I heard tho carriage I ran eagerly to meet Mary But was that Mary that toll thin sallow dignified woman who I looked as If she had certainly swallowed swal-lowed a poker so straight and stiff did she appear It was Mary beyond a doubt for she kissed mo quite warmly and Bald I had changed very little since sho last saw me She was dressed very elegantly but not tastefully and she had lost several of her front teeth In short she looked anything but tho pretty delicate Mary Grey 1 had known and loved Are you not dreadfully bothered with your children Lucy she asked me after luncheon or arc you fond of them Passionately I cried as I caught my darling Horde In my nrmt and kissed her rosy mouth It Is very fortunate that yon like them she replied I do not like them I know very little about chill dren never having lived much whim them My heart turned sick Not love ebb dren How could she ever got alone with us When the little ones woro put to sleep that afternoon I took some new Ing and entered Marys room for a chat I began by sympathizing with her In her lonely life hut to my stir prise she Informed me that she really had quite u pleasant lime She lives in a handsome house when at home and keeps up n continual round ofgayl ety Some further attempts on 111 my part to bring out a line of conversa < lion on which we might be mutually interested failed and I gave task up the taskDoth Both Charlie and I tried to make her visit ns pleasant as possible In her and dlgnilled way she seemed to enjoy It as much lit she could anything But when It drew to a cnlov close and Mary bid us farewell I refrain clef from drllwllll n High could or not re liefIt It was such a drcndCul frolll the bright homn awakening or ammy girlhood Tho Mary Grey 1 bad known 1 bad sure IX taken flight and In her stoLid a woman who missed was much of good things of life the Only a short time ago wo heard good authority that from Alary Is to a rich widower the marry children I mould father or four like to know much how very Mary will so many little W around get along with her cannot but hope that the l will change her for he better marriage III respects and that she L BOrne may bo for after all there IT great happy doai theal to respect In my old friend wt who ° to be everything to me used |