Litchfield enquirer., 1860-10-04
Whole No. 1S44.

uP. Ane,e look, now, he said, when he come to the red spot didn't I tell vel
 1ou may eat lem all eff you want to- dom't' Not child dared put tooth into sr apple, for, sure's am alive, every single one had drop Of fresh blood in it, jest as Mike said.
 The young ones all went home and told the story but no person believed a word ont till they went and examined them for themselves. Then everybody, from the min ister down, said twas a special meracle. Maybe twas cause the hand that planted the tree was cut off by the blood thirsty innemy Mike said he knew suthin' uncom- mon was the matter when he saw the red 6loaos in the spring, for the 'arly tree' always DloSsomed white as snow afore
 Toward the last of October suthin' turn ed up that set all the town thinkin'-and talkin,' too, for the matter of that. A re- ward of forty pounds was posted up for any information of Rank karner-a young Ger man who left PhiladelpAy with an assort- ment of fancy goods the fall afore. The last time his friends heard from him, he was trav- cling with his trunks in Eastern Connecti. cut His person and dress was both de- scribed, and the above reward was to be paid for any news on him, dead or alive.
 Every body that read the notice said straight off, That was the forrln' peddler : but what had become of him was another thing Nobody liked to make stir about it, whatever they might think. But when Mike read the notice with the others, and say great many searching eyes upon him he said to himself, They'll hang me, now, Sure's fate, and git the forty pounds besides, which is heap O money. never should touched the feller, only thought he was a cussed FrenchmaD-one of the very same as knocked down the old man. Eff could only manage, now, to git that forty pounds for poor old mother, and then tie the knot in my own halter they might call Mike Rood half-witted as long as they have mind to-
 Revolving the matter in his own mind, Mike went home. That night as the winds blew and howled round the old house, and his mother sat pairing apples and stringng them upon string to dry, he cut a leaf out of his fathers account-book, got down the lead inkstand, and sot down himself to write-and the most cur'us writin' it was you ever did see, guess. It looked so the letters were every one copied off tea chest; and yet, as the widder Rood looked up from her work now and then, to watch her only child, she had 8 feelin' as though he was kinder smart Not bit of the managin' and schemin' part of Mikes nature did ho inherit from his mother, who was mild as May mornin,' and could be made to believe almost anything her friends wanted her to. Mike could lead her with 8 tow string though never to do wrong, if she knew it, for there want better meann' woman, or one with more friends in the whole town.
 Look here, mother, now You jest write your name down here,' Mike said, hold ing out the goose-quill with which he had been figuring for long time Eve almost forgot how it looks written, it's so long since I've seen it. Aud the woman sot down her dish of apples, right pleased to grant his request.
 ''l declare,' said Mike, exsminin' tho really fair hand-writin,' eff you ain't the best writer of your age in town, motherv
 The widder smiled upon him, pleased by his praise, and said, as she went again to her apples, That's what your father used to say, Mcba.'
 When he'd amused himself enough with his writing, he folded up the paper and put it in his pocket.
 ''Got any arrant up street 1? he then asked.
 'Not tonight his mother answered. What makes you go out, Micah, when 'tis so cold and windy? The air feels as though we was agoin' to git snow.'
 Left one of my cow-hides' at the shoe- makers this mornin,' mother, and he prom ised to have it done by eight o'clock
 'Then Micah went out, and set his face toward the town, talking to himself all the way as he went. Now said he, 'tis all fixed right, and mother'll git that forty pounds as sure as my name is Mike Rood tion on him dead or alire? And ain't she told them eff they'll come and dig under her arly apple tree-the fust on the right side O the house-and ask her no question they'll find what they're looking for-dead enough, I guess, too ! I'm awful sorry hurt the wrong feller but it can't be helped now, and there's no use in cryin' about it. Let me see. The post rider will get my letter to Philadelphy in about week, and by that time I'll get all mothers wood cut for tho winter, and be ready to step out afore they're here to sarch:,
 Poor Mike, like all boys, bad or good, foolish or witty, loved his mother and eff she'd only mistrusted what was in his mind all that week, as he went round doing every thing he could find to do for her, her tears would have dropped for sorrow instead of joy But the sorrow came soon enough to her poor, broken heart and the joy never came back at all after her boy was found dead on the arly apple tree-hung by his own hands-for that was the way Micah Rood died'
 The stranger thanked the widow for her story, and went away satisfied.
 NoTE.-The Rood apple is still great favorite in many parts of New England and the mysterious red drop which has given rise to many homely stories. In one of the small towns of New London county, Micah lived and died in the manner above described.
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