The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-01-25
Written for TIE TRIBUNE.
MY FIRST STORY.

Of A high picket fence ran all around
the front. and before this grew an i'm
mense locust, picturesque in itself End
making cool, shadowy quietnass about
the building, even IN the warmesr July
noon. The large irregular garden, too,
had preserved to wonderful degree the
expression of the old house, you felt
somehow that such garden could only
belong to such building The shrub
berry was thick and indfferently trimmed,
the many fruit trees stood with kind Of
picturesque manner, and flung out their
long limbs in bold manly sort of way.
But to ''cut long story, Il had been
an invalid all the previous winter.
When the soft April days, to which
my mother looked forward SO eagerly,
came they brought no bloom to my
cheek, 70 vigor to my step. My consti
tuition seemed to have lost all its recup-
eratiye over. and the doctor said
''Send her into the country Mrs New
ton. If that doesn't help her, she is lost
to you.
Just before this Mrs. Grey had heard
through a mutual friend, Of my illness,
and the very day Of the physicianFs blunt
altimatum, brought letter to lay moth
er
For the sake of our old love, Jennie"
it read, let all that may have come be-
L.,
grass is springinS green on the hills of
Woodfern. and now-in this late May
Is the time for Carrie to come TO u.s.
There is a rIopheey of health for her in
the soft wind that is lifting the edges o.
my paper as / write We know she is
your all. and we will be very tender of
your darling. VIII you not trust her
with US a single summer p
And before another week had past,
my trunk was packed for Fhilander
Grey's, E,q., WoodSern | looked out,
and there sat the pleasant house with its
green window blinds between the shrub
berry in front and the cherry trees be-
~ HCuG Out u II dL OUCG,
as it did moment afterwards to the
gentle-faced woman who rushed out on
the broad frons steps, and kissing my
check said:
My dear Carrie, you are very well
come
But it is not to tell you of that sum-
mer,-though look across the gray years
to Its green picture in the Maryland of
my memory, -that [ have taken up my
pen this morning Suffice it, the noun
tain bieezes of Woodfern did their work
well, and when in the early autumn my
mother came for her child, she could
hardly identify the rosy checked girl
that rushed in with her eurls tangling
about her face, and put up her rosy lips
for kiss. In few weeks my mother
and myself returned to our old home.
Ely father was not a rich man, do
not believe that during his life he owned
more than five thousand dollars But
his farm yielded an income sufficient FOR
OH 1hS SOinfOit - VI NV w Z hSpl OILY one
domestic, but our family was very small,
never comprising more than four or five
permanent members.
! was wild, romping, lghthearted
and balfspoiled school girl, just sixteen.
when Harry Brown came to our house to
help my father in harvest time. How
well ] remember the first supper he took
III the great old fashioned kitchen!
Harry was an orphan, three years my
senior. He was very bashcul and colored
like girl every time my father spoke to
him. or looking up, he caught my eyes,
as we sat directly opposite each other
He attended school during winter, and H.
the summer he assisted my father ON the
farm. who, | believe. loved him as dearly
rs IT he had been his own son. He came
expecting to- remain wiih us aboat two
months, instead of which, he STAYED five |
years. Harry Browns nature is not
an accessible one, you would know that
by the whole physiognomy of his face
the .cear searching eyes and the thin
strong, not handsome, but line cut fea
lures.
Lit was long time before we two grew
thoroughly acquainted, for he was very
shy, and |, who was accustomed TO bav-
lug everyone bend to my will. stood
strangely IN awe CT the boy, though
liked him from the first. But when the
evenings began TO grow long, and we
gathered about tho birch firo In the old
sitting room. our reserve somehow gradu-
ally disappeared. Then our studies form.
ed strong bond of sympathy between
US, for Harry had resolved to 90 to the
Academy In the adjoining village, and
shutting my eyes on all the splendor
around, my heart warns to the time when
piles of old school books were on the lit
tie pine table under the mirror. Before
the earth throbbed again with the pulses
OF spring, believe that Harry and loved
each other better than we did ANYTHING
on earth. Tie understood me, he sym
pathized Wiz me. and even then l felt
that did not understand that the chords
OF our nature were strong In harmony.
must hurry over the record of three
years, though their fragrant gales blow
softly over my memory now. The long
winters that we studied together, the
springs .hat We planted flowers, the sum-
ner twilighis, when We rode in the old
carriage around the meadows, and the