The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-03-24
TEE WILLOW SWITCH.

About forty years ago n large part
Of Central New York, that il now fast
becoming garden, was almost new
country, and people talked of "mpvin-
West whco,thcy cmigraied from thu
banks of the Hudson. or the Mohawk
to tho.c OF the Gcncsec. Sill. one o
the cities on the line of the Eric Ca
nal was even then n town Of some i'm
porianre. anl bDaStcd much of wha
in am,unIci to wealth AMI even ar
-tlcracy.
Or this latter class had been the
family of Judge Morton, but suniry
unIurky specu'ations had made it in.
pc. sible for him TO retain his accu,-
toned position anon. hs o'd neigh
b,rS. aud he was about 10 seek a new
field in one of the younger settlement,
a few days easy journey to the South
west.
The movement WIS me resardedsl
the steady folk Of that time about as
move t, Kansas would be now, anu
quite colony of symp,thizing and r"
gre;'ul friends ha ga'hered To bid
.ool-by TO the family who were :,
r,shly or alvenrurously bent upon
snndcring old ties and associations
Everything had lonc been prep,rcd
the wagons were lailrn, the a1icux fn'
the m st part had been sid again aud
again, AMI par: OF the cava!c,dc wa.
firly under way. The heavier goods
indeed, ha been started two or thrc'
lays before. The ladies' of the pa ty
as we'll as the gentlemen, hal decided
t. attempt the journey IN horseback
well aware # III" condition of the roads
even though spring was now well nd
vnnced, could not safely b. depcnd"r
upon. Our mothers and grandmpth'
ers were far more familiar with ih,
saddle and certainly with the pi2iio"
than are their living representatives
Apart from the rest, mounted on Il
stout and quie'-lookin: pony, sat d
young lady Of some eighteen summers
in whose rosy cheeks and bright black
ewes the excitement of :he occasion
seemed almost to have overcome IT,
s"hcr suggestions. Still, somethin.
like q shade was on he face, ~ she
lean, d forward in her saddle and con
vcr., d in low ton's with a grntIem u
whose arm was thrown careless'y over
the neck OF her pony
Never mind mo, Charley; why it
only tire" days riding. ut the very
wort, aud that won, hurt me-
"Blt me, Susie, ! am ordered of io
a long cruise, anl c,nnot tell whcI
| shall see you again
"Bu' you icW come hack p
"Ycs-out when? AMI viii you
"Will | what Charlie?'
"Wait a moment, Susie !"
And the young man, who was in ih'
undress unifarm of u naval officer
sprarg "ff to the side of the road, wher'
some willow trees were growing in IN
trimmed luxuriance. Catching hole
OF fone of the gracefully bending bonghs
ue Cuk thcT'luh phS o'a '"eh
slip. with which no quickly returned
stripping off the leaves ~ he came
There. Susie. lh,t will answer for ,
riiing-whip. but do not wear il out ~
your pony, even if the roads are bad,
"Why not. Charlie?'
"Becau.e, at the end o. my cruise
shall come back to claim il, Will yo'
keep it for mo p
a very sofi light stale into the blac|
eyes, but she sad, 10 a low voice:
ayes Charlie, l will keep IL. Bu
are you sure you will come to claim ity
III live, Susie.'
"Ah! then tits good-by sure enonyf
now, for father 10 calling mo Go'd
by. Charlie T.
There was o most passionate earncs'
ness ia thu young oiilcsr's rerly, an
he stood gazing AFTER tho pony aud h
mistres, long alter they were hidde
hy a turn OF the road. We canna fo
low him, however, by land or sea ID
our business is with the willow switcl
IL Sasie's pony sutf-red on III