The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-01-31
Dawes OLD FRIENDS.

Mr.. David Durham came into
the village to hunt up his kith and
kin. He was Mr.. David Durham
now, with new suit OH and money
: in his pocket; whereas the thriftless,
barefoot youth who had tramped
cut Of town bv llisroad eight years
ago, wllistling, and with his hands
in his pockets, had been recognized
al through the'villagc as" Fave" !"
which cognomen expressed in brief
his social position and advantages.
Yet those who had krown the care
free smlbmcd lad might nave dis
covered traces Of him still in the
frank gray eye and easy bearing Of
tie stranger.
Ths was Main street up which
he was scattering. 1t was border
cd as Of old BY 4 hem of emerald
grass, nibbed close by an accasion-
al stray COW or wandering goat. It
was speckled breezily with SUM-
shine and shadow from the over
arching trees which sheltered tie
comfortable well.to-do mansions.
Dave, as l have said, had disap-
peared down that respectable street
years ago, with an old straw hat
on his bead and whistling a q atch
of a song. Tie came back, whist
ling still, with a new hat, and
few gray hairs streaking the black
locks b1peatl it and perhaps that
was all the difference. lie thought
80. How could lie be 20 siglally
changed wheneyerything here was
50 like that lie remembered?
Beyond this lie recollectcd, was
a trading street, q thrifty avenne,
with shops little and big, where
country wares, plows, brooms,
queen's-ware, ,ilk dresses, and rib
bons were sold from opposite coun-
ters, and trade was varied and
brisk ; there was the old c,flin shop,
and tie becr-l,ouse with the over
flowing glass rot yet empty on the
creaking sign before it. And after
q spell Of business the little street
meal .dered off III the direction Of
the sea-tlloe, aid forgot itscalling,
wandering along the pebbly leach
in sight Of far-uif' sails and smoky
distances. Down there under the
cliffs tie Old Scow used to swing in
the shallows-thc old cow in which
lie used to 60 padding about with
Hannah - Hannah who never
shierked work, aid always helped
him to bail out. lie wanted to see
her and "the girls" her prudent
elder sisters Who were wont to
alathematlze her when she came
home, barefoot and muddy, with
her blue apron full Of clans.
David had seen mary charges
since he lived mp IN that old reA
farmhouse with the old farmer and
his wife, the torment Of tie girls
and the comradc Of Ham all. lie
had winterel up III the pire-woods,
far up in tie solitudes of Maine,
floating down with tie mcn on
rats when the spring freslletscame.
lie knew the sap and freedom Of
primitive life and oi;ce lie had been
rcarly wrecked on TIE rapids; but
lie always remembered the Old wa
t,r-loggel craft aud the little girl
in the check apron--blsck-cycl, |
lock-n.arked, and agilc--who had
padded about III it with him. Did
such girls ever grow to be women?
he wondered. lie tried to make a
Sitlaticn in his mlnd that suited
lIan,ah, but she didn't suit the |
situation. Impossible to imagine
the quaint, wilItlll little thing settle
down ieto the Ordinary avocations
Of women. lie must wait-walt
till he got to the Old farmhouse.
The tide was coming in, and
there was a familiar smell Of salt
ar aAd shell-fi>h al about the
place as lie approached.
ijut the old rel louSe was shut
up; ~ sinoke issued from the CHM
ley, 10 sign Of lie was visible in
window or doorway. a lo,ely ash /
tree near Tie fcbce turned up its
claiigelitg leaves inovkingly az aof
o!d;a solitary bird, startled by his