Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-07-30
CHE Giorn Gcller.
OUR eRAMDM0THER's TALE.

am . very old lady. have very often
told my grandchildren the story of how
stopped the thief And now they beg me
to write il down. that they may read my
story themselves. When / am dead. they
mean. And so write it.
Whom was little girl. lived alone
IN an old country farm house with my
father. Your great grandmother died, AZ
you have heard, when was born, so
was my fathers only companion. Dear
ly | loved him, and tenllerly no talked to
me of all his labors and ell his pleasures.
AT tho time | write of was just eleven
years old: . merry. boisterous girl, with
big. fearless eyes. and q spirit Of achieve
ment that was always getting me into mis-
chief I coul,l fill pages with my adven-
lures. but | know you only now wish for
one.
must describe our house. II was built
in the days Of Dutch William by some
one who had learned TO love the houses OF
Holland Tho dwelling house itself was
nearly cube; q great cube Of dark red
brick. The front door opened into a pas
sage that pierced the block, and ended by
another door which lei into our farm yard
There were two tall. narrow windows on
either side OF the principal door. and five
tall. narrow windows on the first story
A heavy cornics hung over this row Of
windows. and from it rose the steep roof.
covered with curly red tiles. This roof
did not rise to point. 1t was surmount-
Cd by . kind Of summerhouse of wood. a.
bout seven or eight feet square. with win
dow in each Of its four sides. This little
chamber. hich we called our Lighthouse.
was itself surmounted by Q big shining
vanc. The interior Of the lighthouse was
reached through a small trapdoor. This
trap door was in the ceiling of the great
garrett formed by the whole roof of the
house. The garnet could only be entered
by one other trap door. which opened into
my fathers ROOM There was inst space
enough in the lighthouse for my father
writing table. There he kept his accounts.
notwithout some strainingof his brain. with
scrupulous sxactness There he wrote his
letters on thoss rare occasions when neces-
sity compelled him to do 50. There were
his samples Of corn. his rusty pistols, and
his dozen drawers of indescrbable odd.
and ends There he could see the half o
his lands and exercise . distant supervis
len over them.
-Four times . year my father paid the
rent Of his hired lan'ls. The house farm
- you know. was his own. On the da,
before the rent was to be taken TO the land
lords steward. the sum was always bro
l. n
. proceeding might not DO very wise. bul
it was hallowed BY its antiquity. Tn,
money was usually kept in a bag in m,
fathers own room. All these arrange
inents were kne wn to me. shut my eye
now. and | see my father in his clear
CATERS and the neat bow that tied his hair
see him ride off on his rosa hack to pa,
his tent. and know every crease in thu
litsle lsashern bag that carries the gold.
AL the tribe Of house servants and Ia
borers who lived on eur farm knew M
fathers ways as we'll ~ did. But b.
was unsuspicious to fsult.
One Friday evening my father had ri.l
den to the town and had come back will
his gold. All the maids AMI the men wer
sitting at their supper in our great kitch
en-, and stood by the noisy fire waiting
for my father to come down to them II
always came into their meal, said q heart
word to those who were nearest to him
and then retired with me TO bis parlor. hi
supper and his pipe of peace.
On this particular evening he walked in
to the room. swinging something in hi
hand. II WAS the lsa,hern bag that car
risd the money; but it was empty / kns'
that its place was in the bureau in IN
fathers room-not empty. but full.
Father" said. where's the money
Why hsvn't you locked it up in the bag
Everybody in the room heard my ones
tion. for there was always hush when ii
master came among bis men, and every
body In the room heard his answer:
where's the money. missile? Imouni
Oh the lighthouse when came in to get tf
keys left there in the morning. caugh
the bag in the corner of the table and tuu
bled al the cein into the drawer. Their
il may lie. It's safe enough"
La an hour moro / had been dismisse
with nv usual kiss, and WAS shut close
my own room. have said that / shout
describe the house. / have only partl
done 90. The great range Of stables IN
farmbuildings, ct the corner OF which Il
actual house Was built, were partly MAJ
out of the ruins Of an old manor hous
that had fallen into decay with falls
family. The only part of the building tn
still showed any signs of architectural bea'
~ was oSe gable end. where the stabl'
sbuttsd on the modern house. There sti
stood an cid room on third floor, VII
great mullionsd windows, each in CAB
Of Its own, tina. stood cut from the o
roof. Two Of these large windows look
sut to the west; and on the south sid
which adioined the modern house. was
smaller attic window. apparently insert
since the dismantlisg of tho building. I
instead Of mal;ions !: contained ROM
sash. The base Of this little window
vas some FIVE feet in height was on I
floor of the attic and nearly level with I
projecting cornics Of the house. Betwe
the cornics and the sill Of the window "
spscs of sbout . yard. The staircase
the old house led from what had been
hall (ncw filed with gardening tools q
accumuIations of outdoor rubbish) into
room on the 6rst floor and up into the Z
room with the three windows.
Al anna farmer time IL had been pI