The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-12-28

sight gave u: fresh courage, we gained
the gate, dashed up the drive, without
ceremony or warning opened the door,
and rushed into the hall.
From q parlor came sounds of pleas,
ant voices, and odors of viands hot and
cheering to the storm-beates travellers
Ny companion crossed the hall rapidly,
and in a moment, all snow-clad as she
was, was clasped in her mothers arms
Two boys, home from school apparently,
and two girls younger than their sister,
came forward to join in greetln
Polly" for that was the name by winch
one and all welcomed her. For a few
moments the delight of seeing her safe
among them again, and their surprise,
too-for through some misunderstand-
ing she was not expected till the NOR
row-prevented any reference to the
means by which her arrival had been
accomplished, or the nature or her es-
cort. The first greeting over, Polly re-
membered her guide, and motionins
toward the door; discovered me to the
assembled group standing awaiting
their recognitiOs.
saw that the lady Of the house was
at once surprised and not = little tickled
at my appearance. As she bowed on
Polly's introduction, l would fain have
responded, but as lifted my hand to
my hat it clutched band of snow, even
now thawing under the influence of
warmer mperature, and dreaded lest
should, by departing one degree from
the perpendicular, deposit portion on
the handsome carpet, From Polly'saP-
pearance, / knew my own must be re-
markable enough, and l saw that the
good manners of the whole party were
sorely tested by the strange figure cut
and the awkwardness of my position.
"Pray enter" the lady said, at the
same time herself stepping forward to
relieve lie of my snow-weighted hat, and
directing her eldest son to deposit my
cape in the hall Meantime Miss Polly
was seat on with her sisters to change
her wet garments, and as il to put me
ut ease, the lady proceeded to examine
me as to our adventure. When, as
briefly as could, told her of what had
befallen her child, l saw how hardly
she restrained her emotion. Then Polly
came in to be embraced once more, and,
in common with the rest of the compa-
ny, to fall to work with most unroman-
tic appetite on the hot cakes and at
tendant luxuries needed to restore ami
NAL vigor to our exhausted systems. So
long as i bid fair 10 be but passing
guest, the good lady troubled little
about my belongings, but when the
snow beating against the windows told
that it was likely to render my early
departure, however desirable, an impos-
sibility, the careful mother began skill
fully to investigate the character of
the stranger thus suddenly thrown upon
her hospitality for an indefinite period.
1t was not long before she had fair
knowledge of my family connections,
business, and general mode of life; and
then, apparently satisfied, she began to
talk on Indifferent subjects until bed
time. With many sage reflections on
the course of the days events, some
kindly thoughts of poor Bob passing
the night in charge of his train and its
troublesome company, and some by no
means unkindly ones of the bright-eyed,
brave-hearted cause of my detention at
Borton-green, fell asleep, to be awak-
ened at intervals by the fearful howl
ing of the wind and the beating of the
still falling snow. All the next day,
and the next, and the next, the roads
we're impassable.. and Borton-green was
no nearer to HcSton rUI s..y -safnl pur-
pose than it would have been if at the
Antipodes. Meantime | did my best to
be agreeable. The boys, confined to
the house, were delighted to have an
older boy than themselves to share In
snch amusements as could be enjoyed
in doors, while Polly, with frank sim-
piicity, admitted the pleasure she felt
at returning the obligation my services
had, rs she said, imposed upon her. At
length, however, the farmers of the
neighbOrhOOd, being seriously lnconve-
nienced for want of Communication with
their market town, set their laborers to
work to clear the Hrxton road, by
which means my captivity was termin-
ated, and / was able to depart. AS
looked back on the events of the past
few DAYS, and reflected on the strange
chances that had thus introduced me so
unexpectedly to new and pleasant asso-
Citations, l could not but help wonder
ing whether it was all to end here.
Was l to go away and be forgotten by
Polly, and her mother, and the boys,
and the cheerful group with whose pur-
suits and home life had been so close
ly, though briefly identificdf Of this,
at last, was sure, that my discreet hos.
tess would cry quits when | was once
fairly under weigh again, and that l
need look for no renewal of our friend
ship on her invitation. But it seemed
that to her good nature the debt for
services rendered was not yetfully paid.
Ny sister must accept vlcariously the
payment of the obligation to ms-she
must visit Borton Green in tho spring,
and allow them to show their gratitude
for my kindness to Polly. Need say
that as soon as l reached London
wrote to my sister full, true,
and particular account of the
whole affair, OF that Jenny en-
tered with girls love of romance in
to the spirit of the adyenture-that
she accepted the invitation, was charm
ed with Polly, with Pelly's mamma
and everybody at Borton Green; and,
shall say it, most artfully contrlyed
to be invited again at Christmas, when,
of course, after Polly's experience, an
escort was necessary, and what escort
so suitable as her brothers So the ice
once broken, the two families Were
placed on terms of friendship, and l
paid many visit to Borton Green, till
It's kind and hospitable mistress left
that part of the country; and then
"But who was the young lady, papa :
what was her namei what became of
her p asks my eldest girl, TO whom l
have been telling the story; where Is
she now, papa 7" ASK mamma, Polly"
Comparative vainc OF Hny, Corn and
Boots.
| wish briefly to draw the attention
of our farmers to the value of hay when
compared with other crops which are or
may be raised by them.
An acre of ground retained expressly
for hay yields on an average not more
than one and one-half tons of vegetable
food an equal space planted with car
rots or ruta bagas will yield from ten TO
twenty tons, say fifteen tons, which is
by no means a high average, and has
often been attained without any extra
ordinary cultivation. 1t has been AS
certained by careful experiment, that