Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-05-21
THE BLOSSOM IN THE WILDERNESS
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.


the inmates from the phsiogDomy or their housesi
do. And so when the stage swept round the
corner, looked out eagerly, for, as the driver
had told me, about 'ten rods up the road" 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 never practipated in this the feud of their
ancestors had doubtless evolved some GOODNESS
between them
But to ''cut short a long story" for pen and
paper gossip may be more dignifed, but not
whit better than tea-party scandal, | had been
an invalid all the previousswinter.
When the soft April days, to which my moth
er looked forward SO eagerly, came, they brought
no bloom to my cheek, no vigor to my step My
constitution seemed to have lost all its recupera-
tive power, and the doctor said, ''Send her into
the country, Mrs May. If that dosn't help her,
she is lost to youn
Just before this Mrs. White had heard through
a mutual friend of my illness, and the very day of
the blunt physicians ultimatum, brought let
ter to my mother. "For the sake of our old love.
Janet" it read, "iet all that may have come be-
tween you and me at an earlier time, be forgot
ten. / he grass is springing green the hills
OF Meadow Brook, and-now, in this late May,
is the time for Jennie to come to us. There is a
prophecy of health for her in the soft wind that
IS lifting the edges ofmy paper as l write. We
know she is your all, and we will be very ten
der OF your darling. VIII you not trust her
with us for one single SUMMER
And before another week had passed my trunk
was packed tor "PhHGnder Whites Esq, Mead
oio Bro0h.'
| looked out, as L said, and there sat the pleas
ant white house, with its green window blinds,
betw cen the shrubhery in front aud the cherry
-ar,4n 70 t.,E md
it did moment later to the ir,dark haired cir,
who rushed out on the broad front steps, and,
kissing my checks said Cousin Jennie, you
are very welcome"
But tits not to tell you ofthat summer, though
look across the gray years to its green picture
in the Maryland of my memory, that l have ia
ken up my pen this morning
Suffice it, the mountain breezes of Meadow
Brook did their work well. and when in the ear
y autumn my mother came for her child, she
could hardly identify the rosy-cheeked girl that
rushed in with her curls tangling about her face,
and held up her rosy lips for kiss.
think it must have been nearly two months
after my domestication at aunt Mary's-f so |
called my mothers cOusin-before uncle Charles
Brace, her husbands brother visited us He
was minister, and Cora and anticipated the
gentleman's advent with anything but pleasur-
able emotions.
Our preconceiyed notions of the gentleman 5
elongated visage and solemn, Puritancial man
ner, which We regarded as necessary concomi-
tants of the profession, soon vanished before the
beautiful kindliug of his smile and the winning
gentleness of his manner. He was Uncle Pills
youngest brother not more than twenty-eight at
that time, and his religion had deepened and
harmonlzed his fine poetic temper ament, with
ont checking the outflow of that under current
of humor 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 don't really mean so, uncle Charlie .
and Cora's bright face was lifted from the roses
and geraniums we were weaving into boquet
for the parUr-mantel. you dont't really think
what you lust said, that in every heart there is
some fountain, some blossom in the human will
dernoSs of every soull"
He put down his paper, and came towards US.
Il haven't doabt of it my little girl-the story
| was just reading of the hardened old man who
cried because child gave him bunch of ma
rigolds' corroborates my remark. The light
that is in us cauuot quite become darkness; the
heart that might bring forth fruit "a hundred
tola'' for the harvest of heaven, will never vet
become such desert but some good seed might
take root therein"
i don't believe it would. though. in Farmer
Keep. You don't know him as well as l do, un-
Gle Charlie. He's one of the richest men in all
Meadow Brook, worth thousands and thousands
He's an old bachelor, you know, and lives in the
| great red house on the road TO Woodbury., you
remember?-Wen he never goes to church; he
never gives a cent to the poor he never loved
! q human being or did a kind thing in all his life
| Now don't you think Farmer Keep--Why, grand
| ma Deane, how do you DOR
! The old lady whose entrance put this sudden
period to my cousins earnest peroration, came
slowly toward the rocking chair Cora drew out
! for her. She was the Oldest person in the vii
/ aCe. The hair under her cap white as the hill
| side snow. had imprisoned the sunshine of four
| score and ten summers. But she still retained
much of the physical and mental stamina which
with her active temperament, had made her Sc
| vigorous woman for many years.
What's that you're saying, child, about Far
mer Keep" said the old lady, with a pleasant
smile as she pinned her knitting sheath to hel
waist.
why. was telling Uncle Charlie, what 2
cold, hard kind Of man he IS. You've always
known him, grandma Deane, Now, did he ever
DO good thing. or ever love anybody in hi:
/ hfe2'
ayes, he loved girl once, remember
Farmer Keep Tered giri once % repeated Cors
with a half contemptuous and wholly skeptica
curl Of her berry lip "Shes forgotten
she added in an undertone to her uncle and me
for grandma Deane was slightly deaf.
| No havn't forgotten either placing her
( hElC
| on my lap TOO often, and rocked her cradle
poor little motherless thing-too many times tC
/ forget.
/ Cora's look Of incredulity was giving way tC
/ one Of curiosity. Grandma Deane, won't YOU
! tell as all about it, Jennie and will sit down
on this big stool and / know by that look in un
/ Gle Charles ewes he wants to hear, too. Gene
/ Jennie let the flowers 60; and my vivacious
cousin established herself on the stool at the cid
/ lady's feet
| Grandma Deane slipped the yarn round hel
! little finger and commenced: Let me see. il
can't be more than forty-two OF three years thi:
summer since Justin Keep came up 10 Farmer
/ Reid's TO let himself cut for hired boy through
/ harvest
The Reds house stood little this side o.
Stony Creek. There's nothing left of ii now ex
cept the chimney. and it looks out gray and bold
from the green grass all about it, but fifty years
ago it was fine old place with the ilacs in front
and the hop vines running all around the back
1 - ! L.