Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1856-11-27

The Merchant and the Miller.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND


Have you ever sat, reader. when the autumn eve
nings were growing oeoi and long. By some glowing
mountains of New Hampshire2 Those grand, cid /
druidical mountains, about which the Summer
streams hang beir silver necklaces, and over which
the winter storms weave their garments of snow!-I
Then, while the re-hames dashed their yellow light
the great, brown rafers, and with every break
Of wind, the withered leaves ratified against the
panes, have you listened to the story OF some "old
settler, p whose memory reached back to the time
when the bear and the wolf came down to the heldsi
and sometimes of an autumn morning the little
children would go softly through the woods 10 school
almost expectng to see pair Of wild, glaring eyes
among the bushes; and whispered how they had
heard, the night before Of some neighbours sheep
cots which had been broken into and the blood.dag
gted grass had told the story next day.
Well, listening to just such tales, in the autumn
evening", we dreamed among those gray old noun
tains, the story we are about to tell y'u.
az guess we shall have real warm day Of it, to-
morrow" said the widow Pease; asshe stood a mo.
ment in the kitchen door Of the old farmhouse, at
the close of an April day, two score and half
years ago; just as the resting Oh the tops OF
the mountains that bounded the horizon. sixty
years. observation Of the winds and clouds had made
Mrs Pease kind Of weather oracle in the village
and the good woman prided herself no little upon
her elemental foresight
door, and returned to her knitting and the chair by
the Fireplace 81 guess it'll be frst-Iate day to
bile the sap. I'll tell Enech and Cyrus to pile up
the boughs to night, and hang tn kettle, you
can have it all ready to kindle in the mornin You
know they said the trees were running bIiakly to-
day, and they'd have two tubs full afore night"
'They didn't though, mother % said Lefty paus-
ing moment in her work, for she W as setting the
supper table "Goody I'm 80 glad, for do love
to have sap boilin'."
Letita Pease was the child of he's mothers old
age, and daintier bit Of natures handiwork you
have seldom looked upon. The next summer would
count her twentieth, and her blue eyes were clear
and bright as her New Hampshire slies, and the
mountain winds had kindled a ruddy glow in her
fair cheeks She was rather short, but straight
with finely curved figure, aud plump as health and
hearty appetite could make her.
For her characteristic was right down good
hearted, little spirited New England girl. That
pretty little head Of hers had been slightly turned
by the fattery that sundry swains had poured into
it but considering that she the hRndsomss
girl in the village, and knew 1t, too Lefty conduct
ed herself remarkably we'll. And perhaps, after
ALL it was not so much her fair face as twas the
smiles that broke up from the fountains Of her
nature ard always dimpled 1t, that won so many
hearts towards her. She was not sentimental, or
inclined to the blues. Alas tn damsels Of fifty
years ago had not so intimate acquaintance with
these matters as their descendants.
But now, reader, 10 do full penance for this last
remark wejust admit that for one, we don't believe
that our grandmethers were any better then we are
mot q bit.
Nicer pies and buildings they could indisputably
make, thrifty housekeepsrs, faithful wives and low
ing mothers they surely were, and for these things
blessed be their memory hut, after all, spinning
wheels alone cannot enlarge ons's sympathiei, or
daily darned stockings enrich ones intellect and
Instinct and habit narrowed down to the circle Of
their own families, the views and feelings OF the
woman Of the lastcentury
Aud the true woman Of the present time has
broader social sympathies and richer life; and al
though she must acknowledge that her first dutie
are in her home, she will not think they end there
as her grandmother did. Knowledge, that's true t
itself, expands the moral as we'll the iuellectua
life; and the world hasn't gone backward with tn
substitution Of botany for butter ehurns, and matht
maties for milking pals
But to return to our heroine. When Enoch an
Cyrus, two tall, suuburnt, but fne>lOoking, youn
farmers, came in to supper they were full OF stor
which quite drove out all thoughts of the sap boi
ing from tho head OF widow Pease and her daug
ter.
Some terrible depredations had been oommitt'
the night before, on Squire Hubbard's sheep al
lambs-the dog had been devoured, a nd two lar
bears had been seen prowling around Bluebery h
just in the edge of the previous evening
The young men were greatly excited, for lar
party had been organized 10 60 out that very ev
ming to Squire Hubbard's who lived in an adjoini
town not more than ten miles of, for the purpose
destroying the wild animals, as it was apprehend
their former success would stimulate them to fire
deprelatiOns So, with that beligerent propens
which is SO strong On element of Anglo Saxon cha
aoter Cyrus and Enoch descanted glowingly on
best method Of surprising and despatching the n
mails; while the mother and sister listened with
terror, which woman always awards to manly col
age and skill.
'".But, dear me" said Lefty, as she poured oyr
third glass OF milk, Hwhat il a bear should aOl
Iou0d here some of these days You know Etc
Smith said he saw on his farm last autumn
Oh, my! believe it would take the breath on t
my body to come across one OF those creatures. .
And tho rosy checks grew pale at the thought.
Nonsense sis ~ said the hearty voice OF EnoS
as he spread double stratum of butter on his foui
slice OF rye bread there's no sort of danger rou
here. Nobody in these parts was ever touched
onB OF them ere chaps | reckon they're smG
enough not TO venture their heads far into this tow
tin,n
NOW whether there was much philosophy in /
speec or not, it had the effect oil greatly quiet
Lettyis fear. though if Enoch had been sailed
TO give his reason for exempting Berrygats fr
beur incursions, he could probably have found
better one than that the propensity indigenous
human nature of surprising ourselves less liable
i'll fortune than our neighbors.
Well, after supper the boys started of, in h
splits, duly equipped with rides and lsng kni'
receiving many solemn injunctions from their
Their to look out that them critters didn't get h
of their skins, maternal warnings, which have
nsrkasle faculty Of going in at one ear and out
the other.
81 declare, Lefty, we'd forgot all about that
boiling" suddenly remarked the widow to
dan ghter, who, having washed up the tea dish
was busily smoothing down the wavy folds of
hair, of the little mirror on one side of the ktch
while some pleasant thought was shyly dlmpl
round her ripe lips, and Frightening through
blneeyes.
$50 we have, and thoy havn't piled up any bong
It's too bad, with such nioeweaher for boiling, /
Il likely to set up and rain week steady at /
time of year,
"Suppesin' you run down to the woods, and h,
up some boughs tonight, Lefty? The moon shi
so It's as bright as day. The boys could hang
the kettle early for you, you know, but they co,
not stay odo anything else, fer they've got to
of by sunrise to sec about them alVes /; and Ii
won't be home before midnight, reckon, " q
eludod Mrs Pease, with an oracular shake Of
head.
"But I'm expecting company Tonight, mo tho
answered Lefty, with the rosy tinge widening
deepening through her cheek; sand i wouldna
very polite to be off when they come"
"Well, it's likely you'd have time TO get b
nfsre they do, child. it's any o. your bea u,
can send em out to the naples"
Now, il the truth mdst be told, Lefty Pea ss
two admirers, for whom there had often, o {
bar pride. Jus
'as0n Williams was country merchant q su