The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-04-18


rocking on slender sprays, or fittinO
from honey to dew. The distant
homes showed white against the liv
ing wall of green hill-sides-aWay
off beyond field, slope and river, tht
purple top of Wampum Mountain
blended with the faint, mist-like
lazure of the summer sky, across
which foated millions of drifting
snow-White clouds.
| Now and then a yellow haired
tchild made a pretty bit of color
against the dark opening of a hall or
room; sometimes q rustic maiden
stood among the flowers, smiling
bashfully as she recognized the pas
tor.
Nothing seems altered along this
sleepy old road,'' said Blanche soft
ly, and l could see that her thoughts
were busy with the past-aat least
nothing but the people. / suppose
that pretty young woman we Just
passed, in the bright-yellow dress,
was little thing in short frocks
whea went awsy-what lovely eyes
she hadr'
"Yes; that was TIlly Morton; she
was slip of girl, only nine, when
you left the village. She is nine
teen now, and wife,"
'How old it makes me feel~ mur-
INJURED Blanche.
"Yes, you look old" answered,
demurely. 81 should take you to
be almost twenty if 1 didn't know
you"
"Hush! l won't have any of your
f1attery, just as Pm beginning to
fancy myself improving, too; there's
Miss Hoxie's little red house by the
miii-stream, and the bit ofa wooden
bridge"
"Miss HOxie is dead respond
ed; cleft all her money to Bessie
Trowbridge. Bessie is older than
you, very rich, and people say" 1
whispered, "that she worships the
very shadow Of" I nodded toward
Uncla Dash.
was not prepared for the look
that came into the face of my friend.
She crimsoned, bit her lip, caught
nervovsly at the ribbon that confined
her hat, and 1 thought, as 1 turned
away, my confusion almost equal to
her own, that there were tears in
her eyes. We were silent after that,
and Uncle Dash pointed out the new
mill, the recently built steeple. and
the various improvements. When
we arrived at the parsonage, he
helped us out of the carriage, and
with the words, "Take her into the
.parlor, Anne" led the horse by a
side-path to the barn.
We stopped q moment in the
brown, old-fashioned porch, to praise
the roses hanging in great clusters
from trellis and pillar, then we went
into the wide, cool hall, filed with
the odor Of the honey suckle that
clung to the garden walls.
Nothing is changed, half laugh
ed, half-sighed Blanche, looking at
the solid furniture and all its somber
surroundings. "Oh, dear, how
things do need lightning up! Anne,
Daisy Lodge is paradise to this.
How I wish you would let me stay
there! It's COSY little rooms lust
suited me. Pm going back"
"eNot to-day, my dear; 50 try and
be contented," !" I said. "Make your
self as happy as possible while 1 go
up and see Aunt Hannah"
eyes, I'll read a cheerful chapter
in the Book of Martyrs she re-
Joined.
Aunt Hannah was very i'll. 1 saw
that at a glance. She scarcely lifted |
her languid eyes as I went toward |
her. She was little woman, and
the drapery Of the great easy-chair
almost hid her from sight After a
languid welcome, she said:
81 thought I heard another voice"
"Yes Aunt" 1 replied; "my friend |
Blanchard Heath was at my house
on a visit, so l brought her with |
me-"
"Good gracious, Anne! that hor
rid Heath girl" cried Aunt Hannah, |
her little yellow face puckering in a
hundred wrinkles, and the borders
Of her cap shaking with sudden in
81 did hope she'd never
come back. She amt a-going to
stay trust? You know I never
could bear her."
"She must stay as long as ! do,
Aunty," said quietly.
"Of course; you always do have
your way, but 1 tell you what I'll get |
in hurry. 1t don't suit my notions
to have her here, ayoung, wild thing |
and your uncle single man. Oh 1
it all-the designing
creature"
'Now don't you worry bit, Aunt
said l determined not TO
be annoyed. "Blanehe is quite sure
of being an old maid, and I don't
think Uncle Dash will ever trouble
himself to ask any woman to have
HIM. Besides, even now Blanche is
too young and too pretty to be
cooped up forever in this old-fash-
ioned place" j"
"Humph! yoh mean it's too good
for her, or you ought to. l don't
forget her tricks, or the trouble she
brought on folks, calling the Rector
names, riding wild norses, and dress
ing like circus woman, the hussy!
However, as 1 said afore, you will
have your way; only there'll be a
talk; you know what a place this is
for gossip" and back she sank, help
Iessly adding querously, "do make
me some cruel. I'm starving. and
l can't eat anything Grace cooks"
Poor old Grace! She had outliv-
ed her usefulness, and Uncle Dash
would not hear for a moment OF
her for 8 more competent
cook; but in this matter l was as
helpless as she, for cruel was some
thing I could not make. Custards,
and pies, and bread, and all sorts OF
cooking, 1 could manage, /
but not grCel; SO l hurried down
stairs to Blanche. She was an adept
in preparations of that kind, for she
had lived years with an invalid aunt;
20, at my request, she went into the
kitchen and donned one of Aunt
aprons, turned her sleeves