The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-05-06
Original 5ketfbts.
ey'G SKETCHES OF q uFo.
GRIPEvrLLE AND IT'S DENIZENs
BY L'INcocNITA.

Reader! have in the foregoing
chapters given you an inkling of the
peculiar characteristics of the four
grandees of Gripeville, viz. Gripe, Hold
fast, Goodwell and Catchall. True, of
the last mentioned one, have said but
little, yet that little is. enough, and if you
are Yankee you can easily give a
shrewd guess as to what was his charac-
ter, and SO leaving his history and ex-
ploits for the theme Of some more gifted
pen, pass on to speak of other person
ages.
On the top of the highest western bill
overlooking the village, lowered the
dwelling of Mr.. Ferdinand Eftwold. 1t
was high square-roofed white house
with vcnitian blinds and vine-embow-
cred portico in front. A large door
yard surrounded by handsome fence,
displayed within its wide extension cer-
tain stiff, tall, stately poplars, arranged
in precise rows on either side of gravel
walk, which was hcdged in by two long
lines of box trees whose extraordinary
height betokened that the hand that
had planted them had long since crum-
bled into dust. On one side of the yard
a lane led up to the garden and barn
yard gates, and also to door that open
cd into a projecting portion of the house.
Beyond the lane was fine orchard now
almost past its prime, and on the oppo-
site side of the dnor-ynrd a smooth green
meadow, sloping gently down the undu-
lating hill side, terminated on the bor-
dcrs of little purling rivulet that dash
ed along its uneven course through
rocks and stones and brushwood; and
here, at the foot of the hill in sunny
nook, was situated what was known to-
all the neighborbood as Miss Victoria's
Rock" a very large rock surrounded by
grape-vines which clambered up its rug
ged sides and covered its rough surface
with creeping tendrils, clustering leaves,
and delicious fruit that offered most
delightful temptation to the village
urchins who sometimes passed it in their
wildwood excursions after whortleberries,
walnuts, birch, wintcr-green, and other
luxuries of the woods and fields. And
yet alluring as was the sight of the pur-
pie clusters peering out from beneath
the broad green leaves, or exposed to
the ripening rays of the autumn sun on
some projecting point of the jagged rock,
not many of the little village rovers
dared to partake of the forbidden fruit I;
and when they did, their pleasant visions
were quickly dispclled by the gaping
jaws Of certain ugly stcel-traps that lay
concealed beneath.
Poplar Grove (for by this name was
Mr.. EltwoiI's dwelling designated) was
the residence Of Mr.. Ferdinand Eftwold,
the younger, and Mr.. Job Eftwold, the
elder, with their families. Job Eftwold
had been an Independent, well-to-do-in-
thc-world farmer and had withal amassed
considerable property. He had only
one heir--the hopeful Ferdinand, who
was famous in his youth for his supreme
contempt Of honest labor, his passion for
fine clothes, and his frequent descant-
ings on the virtues of being an only son,
and "getting as much money as ha
could spend from the old man." His
mother idolised him, and his father in
dulged him, and it Is no wonder that
Ferdinand became a spoiled child. AT
fourteen he was sent away 70 school, and
from thence he went to college, where,
after getting into innumerable scrapes,
he graduated by eloping with a naughty
boafdine school miss, who boastcd much
oc hos, uchlo. .tkoubb ANN evhat romoto