The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-08
MARK GOLDsMITH,s LESSON.

MdIh ''Iu>'hltll WIS Always Callcu an
odd sort Of Il man. by the people of oul
village. He lived in the old red house
that stands at the Four Corners, where
high branching clnS ovrrhang the roof
aud make the wide, open. green yard in
front OF it shady all the summer long.
Travellers u>cl to STOP their tired hor.
>eS at the Old Red, As it was then famil.
iarIy cullcd, and let them rest awhile, and
then drive them through the brook, inst
across the way, to drink Of its pure water,
which, with gentle murmur, ripplcd
down through Marks green mcadows.--
Yet few ever came to tarry long at the
'O.d Red, for though Mark bad Il large
farm, and spread a good table, he was 81
>ur' Y himself, aud his hou>ekerpcr was 81
precise, that no one felt at ease. Some
i"w Of The old nrighbors, who remember
I'll Mark in his earlier days, had charity
enough 10 say, All, the old Squire was
quite another ulan before his wife died
lint broke him down
But at the time Of which we write, the
aforesaid housckccpcr had Just found in
Jack Wallace. the butchcr,aa congcuial
spirit, aS she coniidrntially told the
Squlrc'n maiden sister. How that could
be, no body quite understood, for tNu
persons more unlike were not to he found
IN the whole county OF Berkshire. But
Nancy Tompkins was wcll.to.do in the
world, while Jack Wallacc'S affairs stood
at SKIES aud scveuS, 50 that nobody dared
to trust him. and when he found that
Nancy TDmpkius would, why he thought
they were cougcnial spirits, too, and SO
they were married.
Bat what was to become of Mark Gold
smith:
1t would be hard to tel, if it had not
been that cheerful, hazel-eyed daughter
was part Of Mark S household, and had,
under the training Of Nancy TompkinS,
grown up into one of the neatest, bright
est little houSckeepers that was ever seen
upon farm.
Now Mark loved his daughter more
than words could tell, but he always acted
As if he was afraid she would find it out.
So when she came to him with any new
plan, or to tell hlm Of some pleasant thing
that had occurred, he would send her
away with 'pshaw,' aud rough word
or two besides. Yet if lie found she was
really grieved, he would set his wits to
work to contrive something that would
make her happy again.
\ ride to the Shrctown on business
would be sure to come mp the next day,
and, of course, Mary must 60 to hold the
mare, when he got out to 90 into the bank
and the store.
Now Mary liked IA ride of this kind right
well, especially as it usually resulted in
the present of a new gown of French
cal!kcr, as Mark called it, or, what she
liked still better, book from Giles Coun-
ty Bookstore. 1t was an extra offence on
his part that got Mary this favor, for
though Mary liked books well enough, he
thought it was no use to lumber up the
house with EN- He took the Cuitiva-
tor, and sister Sally bad the Recorder,
and that was as much readin' as he could
get through with. For his part he had
no idee Of weakining his brains, taxin'
'em SO. Mary might if she would and
then Mark would give one Of his gruntS,
o''" sup tdinibE d'Out It,
But these occasional flashes Of affection
that broke out upon Mary could not make
amends for kind words now and then, at
the very time they were needed. >If he
wouldn't say pSh0w to me, she would say
to herself, : | could get along; but that is
such a hateful word, as though he didn't
care "a bit whether | was happy or not
Some two months before the time " hen
our story commences, good parson Hop.
kinS had died, and his vacant pulpit was
now filled by a young minister, to whom
the society more latterly gave call
1t was many weeks before Mark Gold
smith could be induced TO go and hear
'thc youngster, as he called him, preach.
But when he did, Mary felt almost sure
that for once her father would agree with
her in his opinion of the minister. Su
she broke the customary silence Of their
homeward ride. by saying:
Now, father, did you ever hear bet
tor >ermonY'
Pshaw = said Mark. One of Parson
Hopkins was worth forty of emf
Mary sank back in the chaise with a
sigh, saying mentally, It's of no use
my father is bent upon disliking every
thing and everybody
The young minister had never called at
the sold Red, but he had got as far oS
Aunt Sarah'S, which was only two houses
oft, and it so occurred that the very day
and-very hour that he was there, Mary
stepped in to see Aunt Sarah too. She
was 50 surprised on going into the parlor,
to find visitor there, that she stopped
in the doorway, with her sun bonnet in
her hand, and her cheeks blushing like
June roses.
MY niece, Mary Goldsmith, said Aunt
Sarah.
The minister rose and held out his