The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-09-18

ger curiosity. Of that the inquiries with
which my story commences, greeted her en-.
trance. She did not reply at once, she took
upa palm-lsaf fan that lay on the table,
seated herself in the arm chair, while her
features worked painfully. gs5aT< .
4 never had anything come across me so,'
she exclaimed ut last, more to herself than
US. And then the tears rolled over her
checks. After while she grew calmer, and
told her story to Cousin Alice and me, sit.
ing in her large rocking -chuir, tanning her.
self with her palm-leaf fan. saaa sa
I4on see Farmer Pike had just risen from
his afternoon nap, and was going out the
back door as got round by the meadow in
front OF the house. | spied him and hur.
we'll. Il. III s.- a'.s~ : =. d. - : s r; : :"
How dye do, Farmer Pike?' said, in
free, neighborly sort of way, as came
up to him, 'can't you let this child have
drink OF water, he's had a long walk, and
got pretty nigh tuckered out.' f&38&
sThe old man was completely tax en- aback,
icould see that by the way he looked at me,
and looked back at him as eool and inno-
cent as lamb. Then he glanced. at the
chud, aud | saw the muscles round bis tight
mouth culver II little, but he didn't say a
word; ne took up the tin cup that stood on
the spout and filled it from the bucket, and
held 1t out to me, but his great hand shook
SO the water spilled over the top but of
course didn't notice that, jest kept on
talking IN the most natural way you could
imagine, about the fine weather and the good
crops We were like to get. -.- - ..-
"'Now say, Thank you, grandpa | said
as Hung out the water after Weston had
done drinking. " .=1.s. s... r. ss,~f@
.''Thank you, grandpa came out the
soft, small tones of the little child, and /
knew they went away down in the stout old
mans heart like sharp cutting sword.
"'Well, now, Farmer Pike,' says 'to
hear you ask that question. If you can't tell
the color O. them eyes, you must be struck
stone blind, and did you ever see forehead
that was Just the shape % that one, and a
little round head that's never still but al'ays
kept shakin' and dddlin' round like leaf
on silver tree, and If you don't know that,
you can't forget that heap o. golden curls,
just the color o. ripe rye when the sun strikes
on it.. never see curls like them except on
one head, and that under the grass long
way from here new.' 'a
The old man sat down on the stoop, and
| saw 1t was because his great limbs shook
so he couldn't stald.
sat down too. ''Tis rather warm, far
mer, went on, 'standin' in the sun to day.
though there's good breeze from the west.
Speakins about Weston, though, don't
I think he has his fathers mouth. though
lJoseph's had away Of settin' down tight and
grim, like yourn, farmer, Especially when
his mind was made up on any subject.
''But IT you look'll you see that mouth
was cut Just after the pattern O. Mary's,
even to the dimp!e of the left corner.
declare, it takes me right back to the time
= when Mary and | used to 60 to school
through the pasture. What Il merry, fun
lovin' crectur she was. used always to
think Der laugh sounded good deal more
CHEEKY than the robins in the bushes as We
went along.
~''Don't, Esther, don't! said Farmer Pike,
and he put up his hand as though it was
more than he could bear, and his face WIS
white as the tombstone. He hadn't called
me Esther though, for more than twenty
years. ' 49, --' s
Il saw now was the time to strike, and
fsays l.: ''Ies, s'pose it's tryln' to your
fcelIn', farmer, to talk about them times,
but it's comiortin' to think you've got
your wife and son, all made out like pic
ter there. Weston, YOU dear bow called
out to him Us he was huntin' butterflies on
the grass, and he came trottin' up to us,
now go and say, grandpa won't you kiss
me!' -.r
And the little fellow went up and lifted
his sweet, baby's face to the old man, and
lisped out SO pretty, wont you tiss me,
grandpa?'
'fhe old man reached out his arms, and
gathered up the child in such quick, hun
CRY sort OF way, that WAS almost scared,
and then he groaned out sOh Mary! oh Jo-
seph = in u way that made my heart stand
still, and he hugged up the boy so tight 10
his broad bosom, that knew he would nev :
er let 90 from it again.
At this point in her story, Aunt Esther
paused and cried, and so did cousin Alice,
and l., though we laughed at each other all
the time.
'Well, what happened next, Aunty?' !
asked, as soon as | could.
Il didn't stay another minute. child.
couldn't. just slipped round the corner
of the house, and hurried off home, but |
heard deep sob as opened the gate softly,
and knew it came from Il heart that hadn't
5.
i, comforted me all the way back to think
'that if Mary in heaven knows what I've
been doin' to-day, she'll thank me for it,
'But We shan't have Weston with us any
more now. How shall we get along without
hm:' l exclaimed, suddenly, for all our
hearts had grown to the sweet child.
'Yes, we shall have him. answered Aunt
Esther, quietly untying the strings of her
leghorn bonnet. FARMER Pike said more
than twenty years ago he wouldn't trust
any woman IN the village but me to bring
up a child, and he amt goin' to think less
Of me for this days work.
Aunt Esther was right. just at evening
farmer Pike came round to our house, lead
ing Weston by the hand. Miss Lee,' he
said, Il amt got anybody at home quite
like to trust him with, but If you'll take the
child, we won't say anything about the price,
only III see you don't lose by it,
And Aunt Esther took him.
But every morning and evening Farmer
Pike came up to see his little grandson, and
was never tired of bringing him fruits and
toys, until the little one learned to watch
eagerly for his grandfather's coming.
That little golden head somehow COM
pletely revolutionized the old man. The
harsh lines around his face grew softer, and
he would sit for hours and watch it at its
play, or devise with Aunt Esther some new
pleasure for it. In short, the farmers life
seemed bound up in his grandson's, for the
angel had struck the granite rock, and 10 !!
the waters leaped out.
g Levi, D. Campbell says the demo-
Gratis in Congress offered to keep him in his
seat if he would not oppose Lecompton, and
afterwards to adopt and take care of him, if