The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-12-07

Nuo niust " ueE questioning Wuetner ehe
would not have builded better and more
successfully II she could have laid her
own corner-stones-reared q structure Of
her own instead Of filling breaches In
the walls OF others. Those two little
faces stopped the train OF might have
Deems" and made her lnurmur, woman
that she was:
for anythingp
ut can be whitened, pressed into shape,
and made very presentable," broke In
Aunt Hester's voice.
"True," answered Jemima, slowly,
thinking other lie instead Of her bonnet,
"Yes, hope 1t will be made presentable
OF last, though 1t does not look so now"
"Why, it's the best Of braid" interpreted
Aunt Hester, with some severity. She
tancied the remark was O. light disparage.
ment Of daughter Susans taste-a thing
not to be tolerated.
That tone aroused Aunt Jemima from
her reverie at once. She discovered the
good qualities Of the braid Immediately,
and Aunt Hester, somewhat modified, took
her departure.
"Send It 10 q milliner's and have II
bleached and made over; advice very
easy to give, but not so easy to take, un-
der the circumstances" commented Jemi.
ma, left TO herself again. mo, most ex-
cellent bonnet, you will have 10 submit to
being sewed over by my own fingers, and
no Others, and such bleaching as I can
give you. Pity, considering your past
grandeur, but It can't be helped"
She was an energetic little woman, and
so In very short space OF time she had
arranged In the back yard a closely. cover.
cd barrel, with pan Of Goals sprinkled
with birthstone placed In the bottom Of
1t, and the Anticipated straw fastened near
the top, and left to whiten in the smoke.
Rob and Teddy were duly advised Of the
contents Of the barrel, and warned not to
modest I; and then Miss Jemima went
cheerily back to the house and her work
ofdarning small stockings and planning
Tor diminutiye jackets.
The out.ot.door world was very lovely
that spring morning, and she stole chances
at 1t now and then through the little win.
dow-delighting in the fresh green grass
and blossom laden trees Of the tiny yard
in front, and watching with kindly, hu-
man interest, the occasional passers BY on
the road beyond. These last were not
many, for It was only quiet village road;
but presently there passed team with an
unusual load-a large, heavy milestone.
The driver walked beside Il as 1t moved
slowly along, and following 1t a short dis.
lance behind was another person, whom
Jemima scanned more closely-a man
some thirty-three or four years Of age, me.
dunn sized, bronzed and bearded, and
dressed in plain suit of gray. There
was nothing very remarkable in his an.
pearance; nevertheless, he was parsonage
Of some interest to the villagers, as being
the new owner OF the mill over the hill.
The former owner had failed to make it
profitable, and for q year or two it had
stood idle. When, therefore, 1t was known
that 1t had been sold, and was to be re.
paired and put in running order, there
was o variety OF opinions and some shak.
ing OF heads among the sages OF the little
place. There were some who carried
their disinterested business 80 lar as to in.
form the new conner that ut wouldn't
pay" he would sink money" etc. To
all of which 6ade Barclay listened good
naturally, answering but little, except
with his frank, sunny smile, and then went
steadily on his way, apparently quite I'm.
disturbed by their predictions.
OF the merits OF the question or the
man, Jemima knew nothing; but there
was quiet, resolute air about him, GER
tain selt.reliance and determination be.
traying itself even in his firm, quick step,
as he passed, that gave her the impression
that he saw quite as clearly into his own
affairs as others could see for him, and
made her fancy that she could trust his
judgment as soon as that of the wisest OF
them all The road wound round the lit
tie house, and up over the hill at the back
OF the garden, so that the great wheel and
Its owner disappeared from her view at
the. front window, while she. was still
thinking Of them. So little that was new
came to disturb the serenity of the place
that 1t was marvellous that the people in
dulged in speculations concerning this en-.
terprise, or that Jemima ID her nook,
should feel some interest in it. Her medi.
tations were still tending in that direc-
ton, when suddenly there came rush
ing, rolling sound, crashing as ofbreak-
ing bushes, a scream from Rob and Teddy
that would have done credit to two In
dams. and then something struck the cor
ner OF the house so heavily as to make 1t
all jar and tremble, ...-s..
Jemima sprang to her feet, and was out
at the door In an instant. The boys were
| tRlN oh Nhnk NJ
glance; neither were they injured in lung
or limb, for the shouting and gesticulAting
were wild and furious.
"Aunt Jem Oh. Aunt Jem, look Just
lookp
Aunt Jem did look-at the broken back
fence, levelled currant bushes, hattend
flower. beds, last at the front yard, where
reposed the cause Of all the mischief-the
largo mill stone
ut coined tumbling the hill right down
, on to our back yard, and some of the
fence was there besides the currant
bushes, and Bob and me we yelled, you'd
better believe" lucidly explained the as
tonished Teddy.
ut Is o mercy that you were not kill.
ed" began Aunt Jem's trembling lips; but
Bob interrupted her with another vocller-
Gus "Oh, loOkW and pointed to a brisk
} bonfire that was springing up in front OF
them. Jcmima's bleaching apparatus
had been overturned, and the Goals
emptied out Of the pan had set the barrel
IN blaze. A bucket or two OF water
soon extinguished the fire; but alas, for
the bonnet! 1t was wolully blackened In.
stead Of whitencd, and burned beyond all
possibility Of making over. The group
gathered about the ruins in diSmny, for
the children were qnick to detect the look
I OF trouble in Aunt Jem's face, and even
they understood the case well enough to
know that articles destroyed were not al.
: ways easily replaced.
No One huft I hnnA ~ said n wire