Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-09-11
A LIFE LESSON.

1ne Diooo-reuuSnlc OF sunSet WaSmlr-
rering itself in crimson splashes in the
turbid tide of the great Western river !;
the blackbird was sounding its sweet
whistle through the old primeval for
est; and Jonathan Beers, sitting by his
cabin door, smoked his solitary evening
pipe, and thought vaguely Of the
church bells that used to ring at eve
ming time in the far off Eastern village
where he had been born and brought
up, with the roar of the Penobscot Bay
in his ears. .lsfl fltT
"l'd like to hear them bells once
again afore de" unused old Jonathan.
"But it amt likely I'll ever go back
again.
Even while these disjointed medita-
tions passed through his mind there
was light step on the cabin threshold,
and the rustic of stiffy starehed pink
calico, and his niece Dorothy came to
the door,
Teas ready, uncle DEAR" said she,
''and I've baked a real New England
cornbread, and some ginger snaps, such
as'grandmama used to make. And see,
uncle, I've sliced up the little red peach
es from the tree you planted yourself
OH the south side of the hill. Israel
Esmayne said it wouldn't grow, but it |
has. mean to keep saucerful aud a
little cream for Isreal tonight, just to |
show him." s5ti',..s 81 I..l..i .a5
Old Jonathan laid down his knife and
fork. M g ~ IL tz-SEE \
"Do you mean that Israel Esmaynei
is coming here to-night?"
/" Yes, uncle, 2 said Dorothy, STOPPING |
to recovera teaspoon she had dropped
"A slim teaspoon with an antique silver
shell carved on its handle-and coming
up very rosy from the search. "Why
not ?"
Take care, Dotty. That's ALL"
"Unele, what do you mean ?''@ - - 7
81 mean, child, that I'd rather lay
you in your grave in the new burying
ground where there's only one mound
yet in the shadow of the church spire,
than to see you married TO man who
drinks! That's what mean, Dottyw
Dorothy's head dropped over her
plate. - =
"Uncle, that is hardly fair. Because
A man had a bad habit once -"
The soft eyes glittered into defiant
flash.
"You are mistaken, uncle, Israel Es-
mayne has not touched a drop of ar
dent spirits in year. He has promised
me never to touch it againl"-
81 hope he never will, my GIRL" said
Jonathan Beer, although his tone be-
trayed no very sanguine feeling. But
it ain'ta safe thing to do. It's madness
love of liquor is, and nothing short. It's
liable to break out at any time. Israel
a good fellow enough. i
hain't anything sgin him 1but 1t amt
Safei"
Dorothy was silent: Why was It, she
asked herself, that men were so severe
in judging one anothers Why did they
always look at the blackest and least
promising side Of everything? Israel
had promised her. She believed him.
And that was enough.
And while she tripped back and forth /
about her household duties, her mind
was full of the underlined future. She
could see herself shadowy and unde-
fined as in mirror, moving in bright
little home where flowers bloomed in
the easements, and birds sang, and a
clock ticked.1 aHe is coming! he is
coming,"
"One of these!" said Dorothy to her
self, as she put away the saucer Of
peaches and the little pitcher of thick
cream OH a whitley secured pantry
shelf-''one of these daysw
She was thinking of the future. And
old Jonathan, smoking his pipe, was
living in the past.
You've something to do with the