The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-09-15

old mans heart like a sharp cutting
sword.
Whose that are child z he asked in a
low, gruff rOice, as if lie didn't dare trust
it to speak louder.
Wei, now, Farmer Pike says I, TO
hear you ask that question. II you can't
tell the color o them eyes, you must be
struck stone blind, and did you ever see
forehead that was never still but arays
kept slIakiu' and diddln' round like a
/ leaf on silver tree aud # 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 ;hats un
der grass Il long way from here now.'
The old man sat down on the stoop.
and saw 1t was because his great limbs
shook 50 he couldn't stand,
Il sat down too. 'Tis rather warm,
tarmer,' l went on, 'standin' in the sun
today, though there's n good breeze from
the west. Speaking about Weston, though
don't think he has hs fathers mouth
though J"seph's had way Of setlin'
down tight and grim, just like yorn, far
,ner, specially when his mind was made
up on ANY subject.
'Brt if you look you'll see that mouth
was Gu, just after the pattern o Msry's,
even to the dimpie in the left corner. |
declare, IL takes M right back to the time
when Mary and used to 90 to school
through the pasture. What merry,
tun loving creetur she was. used al
ways to think her laugh sounded good
deal more CHEEKY than the robins in the
bushes rs we wen: along.
Don't, Esther, don'tr said Farmer
Pike, and he put up lis hand ms though
II was more than he could bear, and his
face was white as the tomb stone. He
hadn't called me Esther though, for more
than twenty years.
i saw now was the time to strike, and
says "'Yes, s'pose it's tryin' to vour
teeIIn'. farmer, to talk about them times,
but it's comfortin' to think you've got
your wife and son. all made out like pic
ter there. Weston, your dear boy
| called out to him as he was huntin' but.
ierllies on The grass, and he came trottln'
nP to us, now 20 and say, 'grandpapa
won't you kiss me'
'Aad the little fellow went up and lift
ed his sweet, baby face 10 the old man,
and IiSped out SO pretty, Won't you tiss
me, Grandpaf /
! lhe old man reached out his arms,
and gathered up the child in such a
| quick, hungry sort Of way, that | was al
most scared, and then he groaned out,
'Oh Mary! oil Joseph = in a way that
made my heart stand still. and he hug.
! gef mp the hov so tight to his broad hos
ON, that ! knew he never would let him
go from it again
At this point in her story, Aunt Est
her paused and cried, and so did cousin
Alice, and !, though we laughed at each
other all the time.
"WelI, what happened next, Aunty"
asked, as soon as conld.
81 didn't stav another minute. child.
/ couldn't. just slipped round the cor
ner Of the house. and hurried off home.
Int heard deep sob as | opened the
gate softly, and krew it came up from
Il heart that hadn't shed tear for more
than forty years. But il comcor'ed me all
the way back to think rha. If Marv in hea-
ven knows what I've been doin' to-day,
she'l' thank me for It,
"But we shan't have Weston with us
arv more now. How shall we get along
without hml" I exclaimed, suddenly.
for all our hearts had grown to the sweet
child.
'Ye'. we shall have him." ans wered
Aunt Esther. quietly untyine the strinos
1T her leehorn bonnet Farmer Pike
said more than twenty years ago be
wouldn't trust any woman in the village
hut me to bring up child. and he sin't
goin' to think less OF me for this days
work"
Aunt Esther was right. just at eve
ming, farmer Pike cane round TO our
house. leading Weston hv the hand
Miss Lee he said, ! ain't got ANYBODY
AT home qni'e ike to trust him with,
Int IL you'll take the child. we won't saw
ANYTHING ahout the price, only I'll see
yon don't lose bv H.
And Aunt Esther took him.
But everv morning and evening Far.
mer Pike came up to see his little grand.
son, and was never tired Of bringing him
frniis and toys. until the little one learned
20 watch eagerly for his grandfather's
coming.
That little golden head somehow com
pletelv revolutionized the old man. The
hash lines around his face grew softer.
and he woud sit for hours and watch it
At its play, or devise with Aunt Esther
some new pleasure .or it. In short, the
farmers life seemed bound up 10 In,
graDdson's, for the angel had struck the
granite rock, and 10 the waters leaped
out.
AN EDnoR TIGHr-We believe Il is
rare that editors indulge IN drop. bu,
Z al. a II.