Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-01-09
An Sntstsstina starr.
THE MERCHANT AND THE
So MILLER. 'ase

whilo the fire flames dashed their yellow
light over tho great brown rafters, and with
every break Of wind tho withered leaves
ratified against the panes, have you list
encd to the story Of some cold settler"
whose memory reached back to tho time
when the bear and the wolf came down to
the fields; and sometimes Of an autumn
morning tho little children would go soft
ly through the woods to school, almost
expecting to SEQ a pair of wild, glaring
eyes among tho bushes, and whispered
how they had heard the night before Of
somo neighbours sheep-cots which had
boon broken into and the blood-slraggled
grass had told the story next day.
Well, listening to just such tales, in tho
autumn evenings, wo dreamed among
those gray old mountains tho story wo arc
about to tell you.
II guess wc shall have real warm day
Of il tomorrow" said the widow Peasc,
as she stood a moment in the kitchen
door Of tho old farmhouse, at tho close
OF an April day, some two score aud
half years ago. just rs the sun was resting
on tho tops Of tho mountains that bound
cd the horizon. Sixty years observation
OF tho winds aud clouds had made Mrs.
Peasc a kind Of weather oracle. In the viii
lagc, and the good woman prided herself
no little upon hor elemental foresight.
swell, Lefty she continued. as she
closed the door aud returned 10 her knit.
ting and tho chair by the Fireplace, "I
guess it'll be first-rale day 10 bile tho
sap. I'll tell Enoch aud Cyrus to pile up
the boughs tonight, aud hang on tho kct-
tlc, 50 you can have II already to kindlo
in tho mornin'. You know they said tho
trees were running briskly 10 day, and
they'd have two tubs full afore night"
"They didn't though, mother p said
Lofty pausing moment at her work, for
she was setting tho supper table. "Goody
Pm 80 glad, for do love to have sap
boilin.'"
Lstitia Pcaso was tho child OF hor
mothers old age, and daintlcr BIT Of na.
tugc's handiworlx you have seldom looked
upon. Tho next summer would count
her twentieth, and her blue eyes were
clear and bright rs her Now HAMPSHIRE
skies, and the mountain winds had kin
died ruddy glow IN her fair checks -
She was rather short, but straight with q
finely curved figure, and plump as health
and a hearty APPETITE could mako her.
For her character--sh was right down
good-hcarted, little, spirited New England
girl. That pretty little head Of hers had
bcen slightly turned by the ilattcry tha!
sundry swains had poured into Il; but
considering that she was tho handsomcsl
girl In tho village, and knew II too, Lefty
conducted herself remarkably wcll.--
And perhaps, after all, IL was not Sc much
her fair face as II was tito smiles that broke
up from the warm fountains Of her natur,
and always dimpled H. that won so many
hearts towards her. She was not scnti
mental, or inclined 10 tho blues. Alas
tho damsols Of fifty years ago had not SC
intimate acquaintance with these matter.
as their dscendents. 81
Butnow, reader, to do full pcnance 70,
this last remark, wo Just admit, that fo
one, wo don't believe that our grandmoth
crs were any better than We urc--not
bit
! Nice pies and puddings they could In
disputably make, thrifty house-kccpcrs
faithful wives and loving mothers the,
surely were, and for these things blessed
be their memory But, aiterall, spinnin,
wheels alone cannot enlarge ones sympa
thies. or daily darned stockings curicl
ones intellect; and instinct and habit mar
rowed down to the circle OF their owl
families, the views and feelings Of tn
women OF the last century.
And tho true woman Of the presen
time has broader social sympathies an
richer life; and although she must &C
knowledge that her first duties arc in he
home. sho will not think they end ther,
as her grandmother did. Knowledge tina
Is true TO ilsel.r, expands tho moral as we
as the iptellec tual life; and tho worl
hasn't gone back ward with tho substi,,
ton of botany for buttcr churns. an
ma,hor,.,;.. - ,,,ll;,r n.iis