The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-04-22
GBf 4ailg g9onrnal rna
THE BLOSSOM IN THE WILDERNESS.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

houses? / do. And when the stage swept
round the corner, looked out eagerly, for, as
the driver had told me, about "ten rod up the
roadr stood the house of Philander White
His wife was my mothers own cousin, and |
was Just thirteen years old when / went there
to make my first visit There had been some
quarrel between the two families two or three
score Of years anterior to my visit; and though
my mother and Mrs. White had never partici-
patetl in this, the feud of their ancestors had
doubtless evolved some coldneSs between
thems So ,ez aa Is I'D ess E-Q iGfoz
But to "cut short a long story" for pen and
paper gossip may be more dignified, but not a
whit better than tes-party Scandal, | had
been an invalid all the previous winter.
When the soft April days, to which my
mother looked forward so eagerly, came, they
brought no bloom to my cheek nor yigor to
my step. My constitution seemed to have
lost all its recuperative power, and the doctor
said, send her into the country, Mrs May
If that doesn't help her she is lost to you.''
Just before this Mrs. White had heard
through a mutual friend, of my illness, and
the very day OF the blunt physicians ultima
tum brought letter to my mother. "For the
sake of our old love, Jane,''s it read, "let all
that may have come between you and me at
an earlier time be forgotten. The grass is
springing green on the hills of Meadow Brook,
and now-in this late lia yz--is the time for
Jennie to come to US. Taerc. : aprophecy of
health for her in theSsoft Hind tn,,t 70 lifting
the edges of my papera I write. | know she
is your all, and we Will lie very tender to your
darling. Will you not trust her with US for
single summerH' --7- .ra: saia7ls .,is = &
And be ore another week had passed my
trunk was packed for g Philander Whites, ESQ.
Meadow Brook" e2'
i looked out, as / said, and there sat the
pleasant white house, with its green window
blinds, between the shrubbery in front, and
the cherry trees behind. My heart went out
to it at once, as it did moment later to the
gentle-yoced woman and the fair, dark haired
girl, who rushed out on the broad front steps
and kissing my cheeks, said, cousin Jennie,
you are very welcome" f1 -e
But it is not to tell you of that summer,
though look across the gray years toits green
picture in the Maryland OF my memory, that l
have taken up my pen this morning. = .laal
Suffice it, the mountain breezes of Meadow
Brook did their work well; and when, in the
early autumn, my mother came for her child,
she could hardly identify the rosy-cheeked girl
that rushed in, with her curls tanglng about
her face, and held up her rosy lips for a
kiss. -o ---If.,
I think it must have been nearly two months
after nv domestication at Aunt Marys-for
so called my mothers cousin--before Uncle
Charles Brace, her husbands brother, visited
US. He was minister, and Cora and | an
ticipated the gcntlemans advent with any
thing but pleasurable emotions. "' A~
Our preconceived notions of the gentleman's
elongated yisage and solemn, Puritancal man.
ner, which we regarded as necessary concomi-
tants of the profession, soon vanished before
the beautiful kindling Of his smile and the
winning gentleness of his manner. He was
| Uncle Phips youngest brother, not more than
1 twenty-eight at that time; and his religion had
deepened and harInonized his fine poetic tenn
| perament without checking the outflow of that
under current of huinor which sparkled
through his character. "Uncle Charlie was
/ soon our companion in our rides and rambles,
and our confident in all our girlish plans.
| .'You doa't really mean so, uncle Charlie"'
and Cora's bright face was lifted from the
roses and geraniums We were weaving into a
boauet for the parlor mantle. "You don't re-
ally think what you just said, that in every
1 heart there is some fountain, some blossom IN
the human wilderness of every soul,"' es1: sHI
He put down his paper and came towards
i MS 81 havn't doubt of it, my little girl. The
story l was just reading of the hardened old
man who cried because the child gave him 9
bunch of marigolds,' corroborates my remark
i The LIGHT that is in us cannot quite become
; darkness; the heart that might bring forth
fruit hundred fold' for the harvest of heaven
/ will never vet become such desert but some
Il leood seed might take root therein"
"I don't believe it would, though, in Far.
liner Keep You don't know him as well as
| NJ IosS ora nf riPh
mon in all Meadow Brook, worth thousands
nd thousands. He's an old bachelor yol
know. and lives in the great red house on th'
! .ood to Woodbury., YOU remember? Well, h,
n never poes to church; he never gives a cen
: to tho moor: he never loved human being Of
: did . kind thing in all his life. Now, dom
: Won think Farmer Keep-Why, Grandm
: Deane, how do you do!'' 3 1ct9a e s5il T.
The old lady whose entrance put this sud
:. iden period to my cousins earnest peroratloT
came slowly toward the rocking chair whic
: Cora draw out for her She was the oldes
.s nerson in the village. The hair under he
can. white as hillside snow, had imprisone
$: the sunshine of four-score and ten summers
Il Rut she still retained much of the physics
: ond mental stamina which, with her actlV
or tor,ne,ament. had made her SO vigorous a We
: nian for many years. ssi el.A -,
ay sWbat,s that you're saying child aoo'
i Farmer Keep" said the old lady, with plea
ant a. r smile as she pinned her knitting sheath
:: hst ~Why, Wy' was telling Uncle Charlie what
~, a LII hard Kind of man he is.s You've alwa.
ST. Grandma Deane. NOW, sQlQ
= ever ever do good thing or ever love anybody
in eSoi -. r... ..4It e
but his life I''afiab rgs+ l.ffel=af faitl%-e faa
~ ~ : l- ayes, he loved girl once, remember" !"
the {. Farmer Keep lo0ed a girl once" repeats
sill - :tL boIf conternntuous and Who'll