The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-22

:, """ iui hioncu nnOeS 10 ever
It thing that came along, whereby an homes
s penny could be mado. Meanwhile
i daughter was born to him, who grow u
t In her mountain home like the pines tn,
k surrounded his dwelling, and was 0
graceful and beautiful as the wild flowe,
among which she played. Laura, fc
that is her name, obtained fair educt
G tlon at the district school, aided by he
/ mother, who was an accomplished graz
d uate from an eastern academy, and he
i. natural beauty and brightness was il
= creased by occasional visits to Pittsbur
and eastern cities, where, amid highe
l social scenes than those which surrounde
@ her birthplace, she rapidly acquired tn
r numerous little graccs and coquetries {
fashion, which go to make up "the girl {
y tho period" 1t 10 no wonder, then, tha
to the old man she was the apple of hi
a eye-.as bushel of apples in fact, Of tn
t old fashioned "none.such" kind,-an
that, as she attained womau's age an
. stature, the father looked with iealou
, eye upon tho native admirers who sur
t6C 6fSara hGT y0Ging yi 'clii ccultivaor Of buck
! wheat. who, by the slightest action, sough
to win her young hearts affections, am
transplant his wild flower to another sol
and home.
About this time the oil eycitemcn
which for several years previous had ragct
upon oil creek and its tributaries, brok,
out in the vicinity of Parker's; an inhu,
of stranders, operators and speculator
began, and shortly after portion Of Mr.
Howitt's farm was discovered to be OF
the belt, and leased for u round sum tt
wealthy operators. Though now com
paratively wealthy, he still followed hi.
trade, though with light heart, as he
thought of the bank account which woult
enable him to bring up and educate hi
family in superior style, and place hi'
daughter in position socially to which
her attractions and attainments entitled
her.
But at this juncture cloud appeared
upon the old blacksmith's horizon: at
first it was about the size of Il mans hand
but it speedily grew to the fIu size and
shape Of n man himself who proved tc
be workman upon well short dis.
tancc from the Ilowitt cottage, who fell
head over heels into that delicious pool
of affection, in which most of mankind
have padded blindly during their lives
AT first Laura resisted her suitor's ad.
vances but as weeks passed and there
was lack of society, which at other times
might have served as an antidote to the
growing admiration, she began to feel for
the young driller, who was comely, young
and strong, and possessed the not unpleas-
ant name Of Henry Richardson. She
gradually sought his society, (her father
had long siuce forbidden his COM
ing to the house, and hardly a day passed
but she was in the derrick, watching the
pulsation Of the walking beam and her
heart at the same time, and listening to
his stories of adventure by food and (oill
field She 0yea a. h% 0dS fer naF he oasaGss asngs' she
believed his yarns, and finally, one bright
day as he had just finished horrible re-
cital Of escape from death by a falling
sand pump pulley, she shrieked and said
she ''wished that Heaven had made her
such a man." when Henry abandoned tbc
temper-screw rope and caught the fair
Laura to his petroleum-stained bosom,
wiped the benzuc from his brow and lips.
kissed her, and said, "I am the man,
While enjoying the few moments sue
ceeding their betrothal--blisslul moments,
that only come twice in mans lifetime
once when he finds his mothers preserves
and the other as mentioned lovers
were startled by the sudden entrance OF
the blacksmith, who seized his daughter
and, without word to the dsconsolatc
Henry, carried Laura home and locked
her up.-Days passed without any com.
munication between the lovers, and while
Laura grew thin, Henry also experienced
bad luck; his tools got fast, the sand.
pump bursted and his heart promised soon
to follow suit. But just here n happy
thought struck him. Outside of the der.
rick was several hundred feet of gas-pipe !;
he could not lay telegraph wire, but he
might lay pipe line to his Laura's house,
through which, perchance. two hearts
could beat, ''beat as one" and hold com
muncation sweet, in spite of the defeated
free-pipe bill, No sooner suggested
than acted upon; that night he laid six
hundred and eighty y.ono feet of halfinch
gas-pipe under ground between his der
rick and the prison OF his betrothed Il
happy junction with the eave.spout was
effected during the next night, and, short.
y after, messages were sent and received
between the lovers-Laura having
brought the end of the water.pipe close
to her window, and Henry had his end
OF the line directly beneath his pillow
where, after he was "off tour" he would
whisper words of undying affection, that
only ended when he fell asleep and the
pipe slipped out Of his mouth.
But while Glove gigglcd at the lock
smith" the blacksmith was preparing to
snort right out at love for one day, while
Laura was at dinner, her father had
while looking around her room, discov-
cred the misplaced pipe, and, while gaz-
ing with critics eye at the strange spec
tacle, was more startled by soft words
coming apparently from tho cistcrn
Laura dear, is the old man round -
Mr.. Hewitt smelt mouse he did more
than that he inhaled the odor of gen.
uine wharf rat but saying nothing, he
merely descended the stairs and returned
with pint of oily-lookiug liquid, which
he handled with extreme care. Making
a cartridge of paper that would hold
nearly all OF the mixture, he inserted il
in the pipe several feet, and then placing
a long bar Of iron upon it, called oui
loudly enough to be heard through cart
ridge, pipe, and all, Henry, my dear
are you there?" Quickly came the faint
"Yes, Laura" "Pace your cal at the
hole, Henry" Here the parent raised Q
ulalna ba,.u,a. .,I ,.....t- a.