Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-02-01
MI sc ELL A N Y.
From the New York Weekly.
MR.. W0oDRIDGE's INVESTMENT,
ny HELEN roREsr GRAVES

her sunset was staining all the hills with IL
lurid glare-,he wind. murmuring restless.
iy among the dead leaves that lay hcaped
over the woodpa,h'. seemed TO mourn with
au almost human voice. but the autum'
nal melancholy without. only served "a
heighten the chcerfulness OF tho roaring
wood FIRE, whose ruddy glow danced and
quivered over tho rough rafters OF Farmer
Woodbridge spaeiou. old kitchen, spark
ling on the polished surfaces OF pla,.crs and
gllmmerins bris'cs, and s,niIns q long
stream OF radiance through the uncurtaincd
windows out upon the darkenins road.
"Yes.-as I was s'yin' afore." observed
the old farmer rubbing his toil.hardsned
hands together. and gazing thoughsfuily IN.
to the FIRE. Z" IT,. been capital harvest thi.
year. I wouldn't ask for no better. 80.
wife. you ji't pics out some O. them yaller
pippin apples, and pa, 'em into Jessie. ba''
ke, agin when she calls artsr it,"
wun't the little red 'un, do as well
I calculated u keep them pippin' for mar
ke.; Squire Benson ay- they're worth"
- dou', kcer wh,, they re WORTH" in
,errup,ci the farmer, as his helpmaie, a
spare angular woman with a face plough
ed with innumerabie little lines OF Gaze, fin.
ccrsd the yellow.cheekcd apples dubiously
=. tell you what /, i.. Kstury-folk. never
yet lost anything by doin' kind thing. !
never could make you believe that dnless
the pay came rlgh, in. in hard cash Now
here. Jessie Mpreton. as likely u gal s er'
or brcathci. tsachin' school day m and day
out. and her marin .-win' b. hum carnin'
a lisn' by the hir!,,,-bprn ladies'. both
on 'em. Don't you s'po.c these apples u
be- worth more to them, II YOU give 'cm With
q kind word. than they would DO % that
pe.ky tight listed agent, up TO llArisiehe
Hall. II be gave dollar bushel!'
Charity begin. 10 hum, said Kc,urah,
jerking out the supper table with an odd
,~i., of the face. Not hut wha, Jessie :
well enoush-bu, you'd pl,guy sight bet
ter scratch your pennies together to pay W
iha, mor,:agc. IL you don wan, the Hard
wichc asen, iorcclo'ins On you, And them
plpplns !. just a. good as 80 much money
There they he. anyhow, in the basket-one
Of your investments, I guess :"
One Of my inve',msnt. 'hcn, II you like
TO call Il, 80. Ke,ury." said the farmer with
good humorci laugh, vanishing the an'
noyei expression which had o'crprcad his
face when .be alluded 10 the mortgage
q" Come long in Jessie. my cal !"he adic'
chccrily, as q light touch sounded on The
door latch. +" Here's the basket, oil rish
and some o. them golden pippin' saeke.
IN tot. Maybe they'll tempt your moth
er' appetite"
Jessie More,on vas slender graceful
glrl of abou, seventeen, with satin-.mOott
hand. Of chestnut hair. parted above a Low
sunny forehead. largo liquid eyes, and
check. which Farmer wooibridsc always
declared =. sot him 10 thinkin' Of them vel
vet looking Jarsy peaches, that grew on
the tree down in the south mcdIcr :" Sh'
took up the little basket. with y grateful
smile. that went even to tho ainiy heart o
Mrs. Ke,urih.
80, Mr.. Woodbridge, how kind yon al
way. are to US! III were only rich-'f
could only make some return-
Don, you say a wori about that are,
said the farmer. rubbin: his nose very hard
" Jest you run home, ns i'-t rs ever You o"r
put. for h's gi,tin' most dark. and the No
,ember wind amt no ways healthy rs ev
er hecrd on. And I cay, Jessie, II 1t rsin'
tomorrow 80 you can't g., to school handy
jus, you stop here, and III give you lii
in my waggin.'
Dear old Mr. Woodbridge" solilOqui
,ed Jessie More,on To hersslf as her light
foo,s,ep pa,,ered along on the fallen leaves
:. how many. many times ] have had caus'
TO thank his generous heart. And to thlnI
that hc should be so di.,rc I'd about th'
mortgage by the agent a, Ila' iwichc Hail.
She paused fora moment to look up t.
where the stately roofs and gables OF th'
Hall rose dirkly outlined against the Grim
son that sull burned stormily IN the s.y
On q commanding height. and nearly hid
den in trees. many OF whom, still re,aine'
their brillian, autumn foliage, !, scenes
almost like au old bIronial castle.
There il stands. she mu-ei, shut uI
aud silent. year after year; its magnifcen
rooms unienanted the flowers blos.omini
in the consersatories. Since Mrs. Hard
wisho, d.ed-,weniy years since. mamm
.ays-,ss family have been away and nov
the only surviving heir Is travelling. no on
know, where. | wonder II he knows ho'
srasping and cruel his agent is' Oh dear,
she added -oiIly. 4" money doe, not alway
come where IL !, most needed. II ! wer
the mistress OF lIardwiche Hall :"
She started with . slight scream the neI
instant. asa tall figure ross up from mo-
~ border by the roadside, directly in Iron
Of her.
Z" Pardon me-" said voice that instant
ly rea-sured her, Tor II was too gentle
come from any but q gentleman "ou'
am not certain that I have no, lost my way
l. this the Eden road' Iwn waiting 10
some one to come and direct MS
&" This 1, Eden road. said Jessie, all uu
conscious that the last CLEANS Of the iadin