Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-03-28
w hole Number 1864.
out. See-here is the draught..h
And with that he took it out Of his

NOW Ghe WIduer, JnOugn Sne Is as
proud as Lucifer, is no6ody's fool;
and she sees plain enough that there
was more than a common jack of
carpenter in her boy; for she could
draw and paint in water colors her
self, and was called a good hand at
it.
So the long and short of it was,
that she gave her consent to Rash
going into my shop to learn nv
trade, at the end of the school term.
And then she sent Rash up stairs
with his treasures, and went to bed.
And what a sick headache she had
the next day! Rash got his own
breakfast and come over after sister
Eliza to stay with his mother, and
that's how he told me all about the
talk. She had blind. sick, stupid
headache all that day. She got up
when the sun went down, and she
didn't really feel like herself for a
day or two. And 1 conceded her
hair was never so black and glossy
again, as 1t had been.
Eliza Playne, my sister, went over
and stayed with her day or two.
But how Rash did work! Never
sighted the least thing-faithful
early and late. / tell you, one don't
get such prentice work often! And
such work holds out forever, in more
senses than one.
When Rash was about eighteen
and pretty near out of his time, Squire
Porter came home. He'd been tray-
cling in Europe several years. and
buying worlds of pictures, books
and curious things, generally, and
the next thing was to fit up his
house. Ihad a job of course; but
in his library, he wanted extra work
-alcoves for his books, gothic cary
ing and what not; and of course it
needed an extra good hand.
give just the hand for fancy cary
ing like that" says l, "and if you'll
trust him with it, he'll go at it like
training day."
"WhO is it?'' says the Squire.
"Mind, | don't want it botched, and
l amt afraid of my money" s.s
"NOt bit of it." says I. Sits
young HOratio Hennings, son of the
widder Hennings-she who lives in
the cottage, by the big willow. p
''Dear, DEAR" says the Squire, 81
know her folks, and it must have
cost her struggle to content to have
her boy learn mechanics trade."5
So then l just sot down and told
the Squire the whole story-how the
boy wouldn't be kept back, though
he wasn't unmindful of his books;
but that he had such hankering af-
ter tools, that he'd have stolen his
chance, if he hadn't been allowed;
and what excellent work he turned
off and all about it. And the Squire
he listened and laughed, and saws he:
"Send him in. l don't know him
nor he me; but take care he don't
spoil it ALL"
'Just as I expected, the job was
just to Rash's mind. He got I'D
them alcoves III first rate style, and
threw in a lot of fancy carving.
There was an alcove for the "Eng-
lish classics" as the Squire called
'em, and Rash built it out of the
best oak, and carved wreath of oak
leaves and acorns over the arched
cornice. The one for Greek and Lat
in he ornamented with laurel leaves,
and the big ones for histories, had a
centre piece of armor, and banners,
and shields and what not. But the
one for American authors, be carved
the finest thing you ever saw. Over
the top was a. mass of water-lillies,
magnolias and golden rods, and
dropping down the sides were vines
of the trailing arbutus," he called
it, but for all the world our own
May-fower. Why, the library was
Just a picture before anything went
into it! It's years ago, and folks
haven't done wondering at it vet.
I'd not have done it for ten thousand
dollars. .gslE ID
When it was all done and the
chips all swept out, the Squire in
vited a party to see his Improvements.
Not a large party, but some choice
friends from Boston and New York,
and some acquaintance he'd made
in travelling, and an Englishmap,
who had written ten books himself,
who was stopping with him. And
the best of all was, he invited Rash
and his mother, too. He did now,
really.
Rash, he went to Boston and
bought her a new black silk, a good
one, and dress cap-widder's cap,
they call it-and a new suit Of
clothes for himself. He'd had good
wages for oYerwork a good while.l
1t was a wonderful bright moon
light night, and as l sat by my door
smoking, saw them pass. Mrs.
Hennings had on her new black silk,
open from the neck to the waist in
front, and some fine, old. yellow lace
in the neck, fastened with her little
black pin, and her earrings on, and
her widder's cap, and her net shawl,
and new lay-lock kid gloves on her
hands. Shapely hands, too, if she
did work; and in one of EN- a fine
old japanese fan, which her grand
father had brought home in some of
his voyages.
And Rash! He'd grown to be a
tall lad-almOst a young man, and
really out of his time now, with rosy
cheeks and black curly hair, and Just
a shade on his roper lip. And his
clothes fitted as well - IS If they We're
wet and clung to him. l tt>I yoq as
he stepped along with his mOlsHer'
Rash looked "goOd enough to eat" /"
So Eliza said.
The squire invited them to his
house and took 'em all into that won
derful library, to have coffee, or ices
or something. Whatever it was, it
was mere excuse to. get them there.
Then he began to show his aleoves
and explain them; and when they'd
seen all the taste and Judgment he'd
shown in picking out his flowers and
leaves and vines to match the kind
r L i l.