Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-04-02

| uiutu run W WastC thae ociis DuSiic
had grown to cover a great proportion
of it. 1t was a Wild place and tn
swamp was a terror 81 the children ex
cept in very bright days when the sun
light could penetrate its dark recesses
1t had for years been practice witt
Vladimir when in his hateful moods t.
frighten little Claude into submission
by telling him about horrible monster
that lived in the swamp, whose specia
delight it was to come out and devoul
little boys and girls. Ruth Merival'
had never been frightened in this way
by her parents, but she had heart
Claude tell such stories about big giant:
and other monsters that she repeated
them with additions until she herself
believed them, and her young imagina.
tion was a menagerie of hob-goblin pic
lures, all having their real home in the
great swamp.
When seated under the great elm,
these stories became source of wOn-
der to them, and they would pass hours
in telling and listening.
The giant that Mr.. Vladimir told
Claude lived in the swamp, grew larger
by continued repetition, and as a giant
could not by any stretch of childish
Imagination be supposed to live there
from one years end to another without
performing some wonderous exploits,
they stretched their imaginations to
discover in what way he could occupy
himself.
One summer morning when Claude
and Ruth were six and eight years old,
they were permitted to go to the rear
of Vladimir place to gather berries.
"Now," said Mrs. Merivale to Ruth,
"be sure and not enter the woods, and
come home before night"
They promised to do so, and started
in high glee. Soon they came where
there was an abundance of berries, and
gathered of them as they rambled hith-
er and thither, until they reached the
edge of the swamp.
At little distance in the woods they
saw tall ash tree about which wild
grape vine twined until it was lost
sight of i'm the foliage.
"Look.'' cried Claude, "see that vine?
It'll bet that is where the giant climbs
up to his house in the skyr'
'The giant don't live in the sky, he
lives in the woods" answered Ruth.
"But he must have house," said
Claude, "and the vine goes up to his
house, like the story of the beanstalk
that little Jack planted"
"I tell you," said Ruth, athat giants
now don't live on beanstalks, they live
in the woods"
"Then, said Claude, eve won't 60 in
to the woods, for the big giant might
carry us off,"
So the children turned into the half
closed field that lay alongside of the
swamp, and followed the cow paths
that wound among the fallen timber
and the rocks, and now and then turned
aside to pluck the red raspberries that
grew in abundance and were jnst ripen-
ing.
The sun was at high noon.
"I'm hungry" said Claude.
''Then we will go home," said Ruth.
They turned and went in the
opposite direction, supposing that it
would lead them home.
They had gone but little distance
when Claude began to cry, and said,
'1'm so tired and hungry"
''We'll soon be home," said Ruth,
the boys hair, and wiping
his berry-stained face. They Travelled
on and on among the briers that COM
pletely hid them from sight. Directly
they came to hill. 1t looked so high
to the tired children. Before they
reached the top Claude gave out and
sank crying to the earth. "Don't cry,"
said Ruth, and she took him in her
arms and carried him.
''Now we're most home," said she as
she put him down. She had expected
this was the hill about a quarter of a
mile IN the rear of her fathers barn.
81 WONDER" said she, looking be-
and her eyes filling with
tears, "where papa's barn has gone to
and where's the house and the elm
tree
Then they sat down and cried, Claude
giving himself up completely to it, and
she trying vainly to control herself.
The sun was getting lower and low
er.
At length Ruth frightened up. I've
just thought" she cried, "that We must
do like the children in the wood and
eat berries when we are hungry. So
here are some nice ripe berries, and we
will eat them.
Claude seemed to like the idea OF be-
ing like the children in the wood, and
fell to eating the berries with great rel
ish.
''The children in the wood were good
weren't they 2" asked Claude,
eheerily.
ayes, they werc," answered Ruth.
"Then the big giant that lives in the
woods won't hurt us, will he?"
"Of course not" answered Ruth.
Thus treasured, they went on eating
berries until hunger was in measure
81 guess this is the way" said Ruth,
and taking Claude by the hand they de
scended the hill and picked their way
through the under growth.
How fast the sun goes dewn!'' said
Claude. "See, now, it is at the tops of
the trees!"
"We'll soon be home if we can find
the path :" said Ruth.
And so with feet torn and bleeding,
they tried to find the path.
Pretty soon they came to the creek
that crossed the two farms and ran
away through an almost impenetrable
forest to the mill three or four miles
below, thence to the great river.
"Oh, here's the creek and we'll soon
be homew cried Ruth, as they started
to follow its banks through the clear
ing, and towards the mill.
We now turn to the homes OF the two