Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-07-11
BAsHFuL BOOTS.

| iul Dool, dusWcTcu tuc Cuiiu IL l
Mary Comru."
l Twas just eighteen, and after having
taken my degree in the time-henoret
University of Pennsylvania, was ma
king pedestrian tour through the
eastern counties of my native State
For several hours I had been travers
ing a wild, wooden region that the in
habitants called "the forest" ant
which stretches from the northeast te
the southwest back to the Blue Ridgt
between Whitby and Heidelberg. II
was a primitive, picturesque district
with small farms scattered through the
valleys, while the hills on either side
were densely clothed with the original
forest trees. There were so many little
lateral valleys and so many crossroads
that at last began to fear that had
lost my way.
Suddenly there rose before me, over
the crest of low hill, the chimney and
roof of time-worn, stone farmhouse
The fences were emoss-grown; the woods
around were bushy and wild; lush
grasses grew in the meadows, and the
whole air was fragrant with the scent
of water flowers that bloomed in the
little brook near by. A scientific agri-
culturalist would have turned away in
disguest. But poet or painter would
have been charmed by it. The tangled,
luxuriant growth carried the imagina-
ton back for a century to the land
ssapes that Fielding described and
Ganesborough painted.
Crossing the field between me and the
house, and advancing in my direction
was little girl. She wore an old sun
bonnet and loose sank, and carried an
earthernware pitcher in her hand; yet
in spite of these comparatively coarse
accessories there was bright, intelli-
gent look in her eyes and an air of al
most refinement in her face. Observing
stranger she stopped shyly, with her
finger in her mouth. 1t was then ad-
dressed her. r4
We soon managed to get quite well
acquainted. Whitby, she told me, was
'just over the mountain, not more than
an hours walk" She lived with her
maternal uncle, who owned the farm
house, which had been her grandtather's
and her great-grandfather's before.
"Papa was minister" she said. eve
lived in the city till he and mamma
died."
was about to walk on, when she
asked me, slyly, if 1 wouldn't like a
drink of milk. She was going to the
spring house, she added. 1 assented
most gladly, and she tripped gaily be-
fore me, fitting along like free, hap
py bird.
Have you ever, my dear reader, seen
q real old fashioned Pennsylvania spring
house? A one storied, one roomed
stone edifice, built over natural spring
generally shaded by weeping willow,
OF some ancient forest tree, and fioored
with brick and stone? My little host
ess, kneeling down, dipped some milk
up from pan that floated in the ever
running stream, which made the circuit
of the spring house inside. Never, be-
fore 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 artlessly,
al like country better than town? You
hear the birds at day break, you can
hunt for wild flowers. Oh! such vi
olets, and blue bells, and quaker ladies
as we have here.
""And buttercups, too, hope"
eyes, yes, buttercups. Do you know
how to tell If you like butter?" she
asked, gleefully.
"Don't L! You hold the buttercup
to your chin"
"She clapped her hands, and laugh
ing said, "How do you know that?'
"Oh! know more than you think" !"
1 answered cOolly; but feeling young
mans pride, nevertheless, in her admi-
ration. "Can you tell me, for instance,
what is this?"
had been, as was nv habit, poking
with my stick into the turf, and now l
had loosened heavy, rusty-looking bit
of stone that rolled at my feet.
"No," she said with some contempt,
81 don't care for dirty rocks; care for
flowers and trees" &. q.
"But this dirty bit of rock" 1 ans
wered, sis hamattic ore," quite willing
to show off my geological knowledge,
and forgetting that she would be who'll
ly ignorant of the matter. 'If there's
a vein of it on your uncle's farm, it will
make his fortune. / shouldn't wonder
if there was," l added. "This ore is al
ways found in just such localities,
where-the trapdykes," and waved my
stick in the direction of the ragged,
knife-edged hills that rose in front,
"broke through the sand stones. Why
it's as good as gold mine, my dear"
"a gold mine" her eyes were bigger
than ever now.
eyes! as good as gold mind. If the
farm was mine, I'd sink shafts at once.
Is your uncle at home'"
"No. He has gone to Whitby."
"Well, then, mind you tell him when
he comes home tonight. 1t will do no
harm at any rate.
As spoke 1 rose to 60.
"Would you mind writing it down ?
the big word, l mean"
"Oh! the name of the ore. Certainly
not" l said, laughing. l tore leaf
from my memorandum book as spoke
and wrote the word as she requested.
"Do you often come this way?" she
asked, bashfully, as l offered my hand
and said goodbye.
II was never here before, little one
and don't think that l shall ever come
again."
Her face fell.
"But l should like to come. will
try next summer" added.
' She frightened up again.