Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-11
OLD AS THE HILLS.
BY KATE W. HAMILTON.

ONLY the story in general; Mrs. Martha
was not SO ancient neither was she very
Young, though she did remind one of a
fresh new barber-pol as she leaned from
the window, her head bound up in a green
veil to protect it from the imaginary dust
Of an utterly superfiuous sweeping, and
her straight form arrayed in the brightest
of striped prints. The hair under the
green veil was too faded for youth, and
over her face was a network of lines, the
footprints of COrntless worries, that spell
ed out her name of Martha as plainly as
letters could have done. The whole world
of human affairs was a great machine to
her. She fancied that her foot upon the
treadle was all that kept it running, and q
single false movement or slip of her toes
would send everything back to chaos.
Such responsibility of poking up, oil
inc. screwing, and experimenting was
enough to tattoo any face with care
marks.
The small kitchen of the cottage did
not look altogether like the center of the
universe, but that mattered nothing so
long as It was that to her; and the partic
ular peryerse little cog that seemed to be
out of order this morning was Master
Paul That young naturalist had, a half
hour before, been trying to perch on the
chicken ro0st as his lavOrite bantam did,
and had endangered his bones and dam
aged his brown linen suit by a fall, but
now he was engaged in some mysterious
AGRICULTURAL enterprise that quite baff1ed
Mrs. Martha's discernment There had
been a deal Of digging with her carefully
polished tire-shovel, which she had not
discovered in time to prevent; she had
only Witnessed the completion of the
planting-a great stamping down of earth
with pIul's small feet around a highiy-
coI3fcl, variegated. and altogether singu-
Iar-lookinr cluster Of foliage But the
final ceremony Of his appearing with
wateringpot, and plentitully shrinking
both his plant and himself, so far aroused
her anx0u, curiosity as to draw her to
tie scene of action.
tnecded no very near approach to as
onish and horrity her Her best feather
buster, kept sacredIy for parlor use, was
buried handle doWnwards, only a few
inches Of the soft, brilliant tips remaining
above ground, and they forlorn and drag
ged from the refreshing shower bestowed
upon them.
Paul Rivers what on earth have you
been about now"
dy hands thrust into his pockets, and sur
vayed his work with beaming satisfac-
ton.
Il Impose I'll raithe thome biidth of
paradithe" he explained
Birds Of destruction, and you're of
them yourself! I wish your father would
stop showing YOU pictures and telling YOU
stories OF every flying beast and creeping
f,yv1 that. z4-l,a do NTrc
Martha, wrathfully. Here's my best
dusfer Just ruined"
Don't YOU mind, Cousin Martha.
Inspect | can pick enough featherth from
my birdth to make you a thouthand
dlsthers,' urged Paul, consOlingly:
But Mrs. Martha would none of such
comfort She rooted up her brush with
indignant alacritv, and walked toward the
house with it, shaking out the sand and
>traightening the dropping feathers by
the Way. Paul followed her, remarking
rather despondently
i don't thee how nobody can raithe
anything if they can't have nothing for
heel"
What is the trouble now, Paul" ques-
TONED face from the vine-shaded piazza,
lnd face looked out from under the
sNaylng tendrils-a manly face, bearded
anu mustached, out with high brow and
4fep dark eyes so like the child's that the
FIaIon was apparent.
Trouble? It's nothing but trouble all
nay long with him." responded Mrs.
Aaflha, promptly entering upon a recital
u TINS last attiictiOn. But her listeners
"ogh vas by no means soothing-hOw
1ooid he appreciate the value Of a buster?
ana The exceeding gentleness of his rebuke
" NE little culprit and the obliging read
1ess with which he began to explain
.hlous processes of bird raising and tam
exhausted the good housewives last
ATOM Of patience.
for PHYS sake, don't fill his head
""" any more such stuff she burst IN
lt1N fauIS eager questioning. you'll
"a 1%'t hm trying TO build a nest in the tops
,"t trees next, or butting his head OH
, ns".1>l The fence to see if he can't be a
b;o1o-pecNer. It's all very fine to tell
-l Such nonsense and call it natural his
b,.{}, out It's another thing to have the
,I OF looking after him and keeping
,o -.'l from breaking his neck with it, l can
ao., / oo must be good boy, Paul. / sus-
fbs v o9 are a great trial to Cousin Mar
1aa9 aomonished Mr. Rivers, shaking his
ron ,S' a the child. But if she hadn't
>oma yIG would be equally distressed oFer
rnIo.'ili1 else. She couldn't be happy
aba,[+. S1e had something to be miserable
sra-. ne added to himself as he turned
lrrE;, anu assembled the stairs-a smile
he |ons IN his eyes and about his lips as
3grio lltIy wished he had witnessed the
n md. experiment., and could have
1s aShetch Of it.
Mrs. HtIIClous pair of themr' commented
Of snn rIaIIha, still aggravated by that look
w:G1ppFesSed amusement. "The father
Aearbon ii91'hlng but read old books with
Mamfa; 'Sa nam names, and paint pictures OF
laurr ,I"llls and rickety, halftumbled down
dien'nI- ana the child is as full OF II
Tlero.>f, Inventions as a patent-office.
brins !, 4 SAa5 scarlet tidy is dry I'd better
robi6 n y, III II he should conclude to be a
Jsan1os,AH'' ned tie it on for a red breast,
In tb ,,'i MS mouth full ofstraws"
into N a lLaIf library, the artist dropped
tQre On Easy t clair, and surveyed the pic
Walls ana n5's ;, easel the other pictures on the
s,ancc fb. me books in their cases, with a
Poor TN. i,tI. Slow y fading from his face
d'lt! this was not lust the sort