The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-06-06

Please. lbis, mv BANJO ithut Baihiul
Booth. answered lhe chld. lfh Mary
Cgmru.
] was inst eighteen, sud, after having
taken my deEroei in The t.me-houored Uni
versiy 81 Pennsylvania, was making q
pedestrian tour through the eastern ooun.
ucsof my native State. For several hour
haa been iuyeuinga Wild wooded re-
giob that The inhabitants called the forests
and which stretches for nearly thirty
miles, from tbc northeast TO the SOUTH
west, back 10 DE Blue Ridge between
Whilby and Heidelberg
Suddenly there rose before me, over The
crest Of low hill The chimney and q roof
u time worn, stone farm house. The
fences were moss.grown; the woods
around were bushy and wild lush grass
grew in the meadows, aud the whole air
was fragrant " ith tle scent Of waaor ilow-
ers that bloomcd in the little brook near
By. Crossing the field between me and
the house, aud advancing IN my direction,
was q little girl. She wore an old sun
bonnet aud a loose sack, aud carried an
earlheu ware pitcher ia her hand; yet in
spite Of these comparatively coarse Access
sorics there was bright intelligent look
IN her eyes and an air almost Of refine
ment in her face, Observing stranger,
she stopped shyly with her finger IN her
mouth. II was then addressed her
We soon managed to get quite well ac-
quanted. Whilby, she told me, was Just
over the mountain, not more than an
hours walk. She lived with her mater
nal uncle, who owned the farm house,
which had been her grandtathers and
her great-graudfathcr's before. Papa was
minister, she said We lived in the city
tin be aud mamma died
was about to walk on, when she asked
me slyly, if ! wouldn't like drink of
milk. She was going to the spring house
she added assented most gladly, aud
she tripped gaiiy before me, hittipg along
like a free happy bird.
Have you ever, my dear reader, seen a
real old fashioned Pennsylvania spring
house? A one storied, one roomed stone
edifee, built over a natural spring, gem
orally shaded by a weeping willow, or
some ancient forest tree, and iloorcd with
brick and stonef Ny little hostess, knecl-
ing down, dipped some milk up from a
pan that noated in the ever running
stream which made the circuit Of the
spring house inside. Never, before or
since, have had draught so delicious.
Afterward | sat down on the low, turfy
bank outside and chatted with my little
/ friend.
DO you know, she said, earnestly, ! like
country better than town? You hear the
birds at dayhreak, you can hunt for wild
flowers. Oh! such yiolets, and blue bells
and quaker ladies as we have here.
And buttercups, too, hope.
Yes, yes, buttercups. Do you know
how to tell if you like butter? she asked,
1 gleefuly.
Don't / You hold the buttercup TO
your chin.
She clappcd her hands, and laughing,
said, How do you know that?
OH know more than you think, ! an
swered, cody, but feeling young mans
pride, nevertheless, in her admiration.
Can you tell me, for instance, what is
thisl
had been, as my habit was, poking
with my stick into the turf, and now !
had loosened heavy, rusty looking bit Of
stone, rolled at my feet
/ No, she said with some contempt. |
don't care for dirty rocks; ! care for
/ flowers aud trees.
But this dirty bit of rock, | answered
/ Is hnmatitic ore, quite willing to show of
my geological knowledge, and forgetting
that she would be wholly ignorant Of the
matter. If there's a vein Of it on your
unclc's farm ii viii make his fortune. |
shouldn't wonder II there was, | added,
This ore is always found in just such To-
calties, where the trapdykes and, |
waved my stick in the direction of the
ragged knife edged hill that rose in front,
break through the sandstones. Why, its
as good as a gold mine, my dear.
A gold minel Her eyes were bigger
1 than ever now,
/ Yesl az good as a gold mine. II the
farm was mine, I'd sink shafts at once.
Is your uncle at homer
No. He has gone to Whitby.
Well, then, mind you tell him when be
comes home tonight. II will do no harm,
at any rate As spoke rose TO 90.
She looked down and put her finger to
her mouth again. AZ last with a sly blush
she said
Would You mind writing it DOWN the
big word, mean
On the name Of the ore. Certainly not
| said, laughing. | tore a leaf from my
memorandum book as spoke and wrote
the word a. She requested
DO YOU often come this wayy she asked
bashfully, as ] offered my hand and said
good bye.
was never here before, little one, and
don't know that ! shall ever come again.
Her face fell.
Bot | should Ike g come. viii try
next summer, ! added.
She frightened up again.
Obi DO come, she cried. Do you know
like y0u--cyer 80 muchg
When reached tie turn Of the wood,
al ihe top q the bill above, ! stopped 70
lonk bAak lis Mtlle aeauaInianee slood