Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-02-09
GB.e. gteorp GeIIer:
asarr le kF.Iv From the New York Sunday Atlas
z e LON S NDS.
BY ALICE CAREY.
CHAPTER ]

D CHAPTER /. - 4 .a-F
al : A capital fellow everybody said, when
speaking of Zeb, for no one ever called him
Zebulon--not even his brothers and sister if
you called him Zebulon, he would have laugh
ed in your face. Poor fellow can see
him now, in fancy, just as used to see him
about the old farm house, when was going
to schooEalways busy and always cheerful,
doing some good thing or other, and laughing
and whistling as he did so. Let me describe
him as remember him, when he was perhaps
sixteen, and quite little girl. He was not
handsome, but no one thought whether he
were or not, so good-humored and genial was
the expression of his countenance He was a
little below the ordinary height, and stout rath-
er than graceful, yet he was always selfpos-
sessed, and so never awkward His hair hung
IN curls of soft brown, along low white fore
head, and pair of hazel eyes twinkled with
laughter beneath. His face was full, with
the fresh glow Of health breaking through the
tan, for he was a farmers boy, and used to
exposure and hard work but Notwithstanding
this, his hands and feet were delicately moul-
ded and beautiful -s..s
-r At an early age he was fond of all manly
exercises, and while still child would brave
the severest cold with the fortitude of soldier.
Many lime have seen him chopping wood
an the mid-winter, without coat or hat, and
standing knee deep in the snow; his hair tos-
sing an the north wind, and his cheeks ruddy
rs the air and exercise could make them. He
was never too busy TO see me as I passed, or
TO whistle me a gay good morning. if were
near enough 10 hear it, and had often pleas
and word or two beside. And never forgot
to look for him children are more fond of at
tentions than are apt to be imagined, and /,
perhaps, had the weakness in even an unusual
degree. Commonly he was choppng al the
woodplle, but not always; sometimes / would
see him driving the oxen towards the woods,
seated on the cart-side, his great dog, Watch
er, sitting beside him, he would not see me,
and straightway the distance before seemed to
iengthen, and the winter wind to have keen
er edge. Sometimes he was about the barn,
iCCulIS tlC llOlSCS anu CdtiIC, anu remember
seeing him on distant Hill, dispensing bun
dies of oats to the sheep he saw me, howev-
er, far as he was away, and waved bundle of
the grain in friendly recognition. ..t ~.
Everybody in the neighborhood knew Zeb,
and had a kind word to say when they met
him, for men and women, boys and girls, were
alike fond of his good nature; there was no
distrust in his brain he never walked with
an irresolute step, or raped at the proudest
door with misgving heart, or doubted Of the
cordial reception that awaited him, wherever
he might go. But his confidence in the world
was greater than its goodness warranted he
did not recognize the weakness that is in hui
mainly, nor the weakness that was in himself,
till too late. When he was a little boy he
said often, will never be sick-I will never
die--Iwlll go out in the woods and sing =
And this was his spirit till he grew into man
hood. sfs f f i.-t
Zeb had an only sister-Ruth, or Ruthy,
as he always called her, and the two children
lived in the old farmhouse, with their father,
a aquerulous gray-headed man, who had long
forgotten he was ever young. He did not per-
haps mean to be hard MASTER nevertheless
he was SO sometimes use doth breed hab-
it in a man,, and Mr.. Sands, | suppose, be-
came accustomed by little and little, to the
much, 10 the all, his son did for him SO that
at last his expectations in regard to him could
scarcely be equalled Sometimes Zeb would
come in at night, weary and dusty with the
days hard work, and, for his fathers comfort,
and perhaps in the hope Of little praise, tell
over what he had done how he had -felled,
and chopped the firewood, the most stubborn
tree in the forest, or, it might be, had plough
ed more ground than he expected, and SO had
unyoked the oxen before the sunlight was
quite gone. But never was he rejoiced BY
one word of congratulation. If he had feled
a tree, why there was another knotty thing
close by-could he not have got that down
tOOp If he had ploughed more than another
would have done, he could have ploughed on
yet for an hOur-there was light enough. -
This was rather dlscouraging, but Zeb kept
his patience through all, and tended the farm
year after year, giving all the profits that ac-
crned into the old man s hand and keepinp
nothing for himself ams3 sd. H9'
/. Ruth-was as good as most persons, but less
thoughtful of her brothers. pleasure than her
own. Zeb, want to go to town tomorrow
or next week. she was accustomed to saw.
and before the appointed time Zeb would haul
the little wagon to the creek, and wash the
old paint to look as fresh as new The corn
was left ungathered, the moving undone, and
Ruth went to town and bought new dress,
and bonnet too, if she chose; and Zeb said,
how pretty you will look when you wear
them you will be ashamed to 60 with me in
my threadbare coat and old hat. i am rather
behind the fashion, amt /, Ruthyl He
laughed gaily all the while, and Ruth laughed
too-never thinking how many new hats she
had since Zeb had once INDUCED in such lux
ury. tt.-.
The grass was whitening 10 the hazy days
of October the orchards were bright with
ripe fruit, and the corn was rustling and dry
twas the autumn that made Zeb twenty years
old. His lip was darkening little from its