The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-06-28


and waited to see what would come of it
Had enough of it for tonight, at an,
rate, said be. I'm off to bed. There
nothing for it, that | see, bat to sell the ole
place its shingled with mortgages now
and Idon't see as I'll ever pay 'em off,
what will Lizette do then !? said grand
mother Beck.
'Lizette may pick blackberries for liv
ingl'
A merry laugh was heard outside, and a
little sunburned maiden sprung lightly up
on the door-sll. There she stood poised
an instant, looking within, like curious
bird that intends taking flight again. She
was graceful and gracious maiden, as
pleasant to look upon as an apple blossom
in spring. The fading light seemed to con-
centrate in her tiny figure, as she stood in
the doorway. Within, the house was dusl;
and solemn-this little girl seemed to bring
the freshness and life Of woods and mead
ows with her.
Indeed, uncle said she, I'd like no
better fun Grand! I'd be out in the
hills all day, instead of doing and pressing
over the school books, and again she
laughed that quick, fresh, gushing laugh
such frank, free laugh as, like other girl
ish things, women learn to put by in the
prosaic sadness of their later years. AS
farmer Hope strobe off to bed, he glanced
at this blithe little laugher, and his gloomy
eyes lit up for moment. For she was the
embodiment to him of all he knew that was
loving and beautiful, and his heart, though
| he did not acknowledge it, took in the glad
blessing Of her beauty and freshness Liz
cite was more to him than meadows or
crops, or the old farmhouse itself and
dumbly and heavy hearted man worshpped
all beauty through the shape of his little
Lizette, the child of his dead wife's sister
| But tonight he had no word even for
her so, taking himself to bed, he left the
old woman and her granddaughter to spec
| ulate upon what was the matter. But Liz
cite did not speculate long. She broke the
silence that followed her uncles departure,
as she set the lighted candle upon the ia
bic, and hunted up her basket Of patch
work s'h ~ b s- ea F.
4 really think / could do something
now,' she said, half to herself, mornings
and evenings when | amt at school My |!
Why, grandmother, I'll the girls in the fac
tory pay their own board and here ain t
any account all Don't pay for my salt
even. Wonder if blackberries-
But grandmother Beck burst into laugh
"a rare feat with Der.
La, child said she, set your poor little
heart at rest. Your uncles not SO bad off
as that. He's got to be unaccountably I'M
easy lately, your uncle has. But rubbing
ones temper betwixt sharp words wear out
the i'll humor, I've no doubt. Things hav-
emit worked exactly right along back, but if
the worst comes to the worst
'Blackberries will be all gone said Liz
cite, archly. WELL she added, after a
thoughtful pause, it isn't so foolish, neither
Old Mrs, Fleming is making up lots of
blackberries for the hospitals and I've heard
the girls say that some of 'em make lots of
money, just gathering EN-
Lizette was silent for the rest Ct the eve
ming, as grandmother Beck and herself pur-
sued their mutual industries interspersed
on the part of the old woman with occa-
sional profound obeisances to Morpheus,
and on the part of the young one with
thoughtful pauses, and absent dropping of
the busy hands, as if some profound prob
lem were being revolved in her mind.
The shadow was still upon farmer Hopes
face the next morning, as he went out to
his work-a painful and settled shadow
The only sunshine about this hard-work-
ing man, who had not word to day for
his workmen or his household, fingered in
his golden tinged hair, which yet retained
a certain youthful luster at variance with
the grim lines ON his face, and the morose
| detection of his eyes under their shaggy
eyebrows. He has grown grey in spirit,
working out there in the sunshine and the
sunny fields; and the fact that he was not
outwardly gray haired, only made his inner
gloom more palpable.
1t was hot, autumn day; the heat lay
down on pasture and meadow, like great
silent, solemn dream. Not bird chirped,
not leaf stirred. The men scattered, in
the shadow of the hedges, or grouped here
and there under some branching tree were
taking their noon day lunch some of them
lying lazily at full length.
Suddenly there rose to the heavens
fearful cry, which caused every man to
spring to his feet. Across the field, hatless,
coatless, needless of the MONDAY sun, the
reapers hurried, their rudy faces turned
only in one direction.
There, just beyond, over the rising
ground, white smoke rose heavily in the
summer air, curling away in sinister silence
towards the welkin. Every one knew what
that meant. Just over the slope then, in
sight from the rising ground, stood the old
farm house. On this silent summer day,
without a note of warning, it was smitten,
as if from the very heavens. The old place
was on fire!
The dear old place To every soul then
ocko L.
house that had looked over the brow of the
hill as long as any of them remembered,
took the aspect of dear old friend whose
: life was in the power of an enemy.
: Every mans face grew paler with pas
S sionate eagerness to reach and save it
D every nerve strained every foot forgot it
T heaviness.
f But one figure, stalwart and strong
strobe on in advance of them all. Hi
f stern features worked into a strange emo
2 ton under the rude straw hat shading hi
eyes. This fire-wreathed mass, over whicl
, whirled the passion white clouds of smoke
: through which every moment piercing
# tongue of flame clave its way to the heav
ens-this lonely mansion, struggling silent
r ly with destruction, taking its last glimpse
e OF the quiet, sunny fields, was not the thin
S he had hated last night, and almost curse
last night. 1t was the old homestead agair
: where his boyhood and youth had bee
e spent, and for which he had lived and Il
Y bored.
II think in that moment, as farmer HoI
J. advanced swiftly towards the scene of d
|, struction, he scarcely remembered h
Of property that was being sacrificed !; !
= scarcely thought of the inmates, who ha
ot fled, probably, from the flames, helpless al
h in terror he only thought of his old love-
u the old, old house.
lie But as he approached over the slope
g the cornfield that half surrounded in, a wi
IS figure arrested his steps, her grey hs
le streaming in the wind. her wrinkled han
g reckoning with imploring gestures. 1t W
e. grandmother Beck.
OF 'Lizette Lizette = she cried. s