The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-09-07
AN N A 10 T.
= village Lyric.
BY ARGIA.


In a very sequestered nook on th'
Bleaberry turnpike, Clarion County
Penna., now stands little cld-fashion
ed church, built of brick and rudely
plastered. The building more resembles
country school-house than church
1t is very small, is furnished with hal
a dozen little windows opening upon al
sides, and has two small porches of en-
trance upon the west and south sides
These windows and doors are always
closed. They have been SO for years
and are likely to remain SO until the
building is torn down. They have never
been opened since its builder and sole
proprietor died, some twenty years ago
The small surrounding field was appro.
priated as IA grave yard. 1t has only
two Occupants-the founder of the
church and his only child, daughter
Abram and Anna Lot.
My aunt has lived at Bleabcrry fOI
over seventy years. Consequently she
knows the private history, the secret
troubles Of every inhabitant. Bleaber.
ry, she tells me, was originally settled
by four families-the Patchels, the
Bleaberries, the Philsons and the Lots
The majority of the present inhabitants
are the offspring of intermarriages be.
| tween these four families. Consequent
| ly, more than ordinary interest at
tachcd to the names of Abram and Anna
Lot. that saw recorded on the tomb.
stone, and Immediately repaired to my
Aunt Patched for the mystery which |
was sure surrounded Bleaberry Church.
One morning, it was the first week OF
my stay i'll Bieaberry, we took our knit,
ting and walked up to the church yard
to sit under the willow trees, with
which it was full. We selected one by
the side of creek that margined the
meadow and within sight of the moss.
patched tombstone.
"Ah it takes me back to sad, sad
times" exclaimed Aunt Patched, eyeing
her knitting curously, as she always
did when she grew pcnsive in retro
spection, and rocking herself backwards
and forwards. Sad was the hour when
Abner Charel first set foot within Blea-
berry Hail."
"Who was Abner Charel'
"He was her lover, my DEAR" exclaim-
ed Aunt Patched, opening her eyes wide,
and looking confidently into mine. "He
was her lover, Anna Lots of course.
Her father was away at the time, in
Asia. He was a most similar man, was
Abram Lot. You'll think so, too, my
dear, perhaps, when you hear how he
behaved. A. little cracked l always
thought him until-weil, l won't ad-
vance matters. But he was rich-Oh,
very rich But eyer SINCE his wife died
he had been restless and unhappy. Ten
years before he settled down here he
had been broker in the city, and I've
heard people said he had great deal to
do with bulls and bears, though what a
broker should want to do with bulls
and bears, unless he wanted to set up a
private managerie, passes me. Pve
heard of people that had q mania for
things of that sort, but queer as Abram
Lot was, don't think he was quite as
queer as that. Well, he speculated and
he speculated-I dropped stitch then,
Tn taking SO fast-and he made a good
deal of money, and bought some land
here to add to tho fine property of Blea-
berry Hall, which was entailed upon
him. Then his wife died, and, as said,
he grew restless and unhappy, and
joined a private exploring expedition,
who were going to make some inquiries
into the fur trade at Kamschatka, and
were then going as far west as Persia.
He left Anna home here in charge of an
old hougekeeper in whom he placed
every confidence. 1t was then that she
got acquainted with Abner Charel."
"And how did thai happen p
"Just you wait and I'll tell you.
Abner, it appears, was II young lawyer
from Philadelphia, who had come here
to pass the summer months, simply be-
cause he heard it was much a quiet,
pleasant, healthy spot. My private
opinion is that Abner had never had
much practice, but that he had ruined
his health, which was naturally weak,
not exactly by dissipation, but by late
hours and irregular living, aud hard
study, perhaps. / wish more young
men would run themselves by hard
study" continued my aunt, pouncing
upon the opportunity of launching out
on one of her favorite topics. "Then
there would not be SO many deaths
from tobacco and whisky-congestion
of the brain, think they call it, Look
at those Simpson, boys, now! To be
sure, they don't belong to one Of our
first families, but they might be great
deal better than they are, and raise
themselves, instead of going around
with their mouths smeared with tobac-
CO juice, and their very clothes smell
ing of whisky. ] wish-I really do
wish sometimes that was President of
the United States. I'd pass veto on
every whisky distillery in the country,
and then see what they'd do"
/ listened demurely to this alarming
threat, and in another moment my aunt
continuedi -
"Well, my dear, and wi ere did leave
off I'll make spoon or spoil horn,
as the people say around here. Oh! |
rot to where Abner Charel came TO stay
few weeks at Bleaberry. He only had
slight acquaintance with one or two
people in the village, so of course he
put up at the Bleaberry Hotel-sounds
as if everything was Bleaberry around
here, don't it, my dearf Well, I'll let
YOU into little secret. We four-the
Patchels, the Bleaberries, the Philsons
and the Lots-were not little proud OF
being the first settlers, and now that
the Lots have gone, the three families
that are left are not any the more hum
BILE. We always regard newcomers
with great circumspection before we ad-
NIT them to intimacy, but when Abner
Charrel came among us we hadn't q
word to say. He just shut all our
mouths up, and we all agreed he was a
very nice young man. | wish you could
have seen him"
"Why, Aunt"
why, don't see, my DEAR answer
ed my aunt, pushing her head on one
side and cycling me with one eye. as
though she was balancing the pros
and cons, 81 don't see why you amt q
very nice young lady. ] don't indeed.
And 1 don't see why you shouldn't be
married to a very nice young man"