Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-05-09

ing over the walk and alighted on
currant bush Just beside the wagon
Fhe baby shouted with delight, an,
held out his hands to catch the daz
zling rover, when away it flew abov
my head and disappeared in the nea
orchard. The child set up scream
of vexation that might have beer
heard through the village, and scorn
ed all his sisters attempts to consol,
him. A device occurred to me. TIL,
minister's garden had only a few
pale flowers; but my aunt's was ga,
with various blooms. ran to the
beds and plucked nosegay of the
brightest roses, columbines, scarlet
geraniums and hurrying through the
gate and along the path, laid them
| down before the riotous boy. lie
looked up, laughed in spite of his
tears, and then gathering them in a
confused heap in his arms, and doubt
less thinking them SO many captured
wings, he was soon the image of
content.
'Thank you," said Bessie, from
under her bonnet.
"How loud he did scream" said /.
"'Twas The butterfly made him, :"
answered Bessie. And from that
moment we were friends.
The next Monday morning went
with Bessie to the village school
and found it so attractive that con-
tinued to accompany her all the
summer. The Marston children were
quite rough in their ways; but we
mad rare fun during the noon recess,
and there was really only one schol-
ar of whom we were afraid-Tom
Stevens, a rude, mischievous boy
from the tavern at the end of the
street, who delighted in tormenting
all weaker and younger than him
self. He knew Bessie was in mortal
terror of him, and so he was always
teasing her; but when John Farley
found out anything, Tom was sure
to get his deserts. John Farley was
the deacon's son, a tall, handsome,
athletic boy of thirteen, full of mirth
and daring and generosity. Since
the landing of the Mayfower there
could not havebeen found a man more
rigid and exacting in family disci-
pline than his worthy father. And
because John was restive under such
restraint, because he once ran away
to the next town to see travelling
circus to which he had been denied
admission; and because one summer
Sunday morning, in the middle OF
Mr.. Hyde's third sermon on the doc
trine of election, looking toward the
door, he saw his dog sitting solemn
ly in the vestibule, and before he
thought, snapped his fingers so that
FidO came bounding and barking up
the aisle-because of these and SINH
lar miSdemeanors people shook their
heads when they spoke of him, and
that he would come to
good end. He was often away from
school, busy with hoeing and haying
On his fathers farm; but when ne re-
turned his first care was to learn what |
had happened while he was absent. |
"Look here, Bessie" he would say, |
Oeckoning her aside, "what has Tom |
stevens been doing! Has he made
faces at you, or pulled your hair, or |
Dinched you, or hid your bonnet? If |
he has, I'll thrash him!"
"Meek, forgiving Bessie shrauk
rom making trouble; but through |
ler or some one else, John was sure,
1t length, to learn the truth and then
woe for Tom. Once he was com
} He'd to ask Bessie's pardon before
Is all; once to lift her safely over
he many pools of water heavy
hower had left standing in our
lOmeward road; once to bring her
wo sticks of cream candy; and the
md was that before the summer was
,ut John had "lhrashed" him into
quite a gentleman.
But this was one of John Farley's
accomplishments. His pockets werr
.lways full of young wintergreens,
II sasSafras bark, or spruce gum.
lie knew where the speckled trout
ay hid in the brooks, and what days
he pickerel would bite, and all
bout mud-turtles and musk-rats and
els. He had found the nest of the
and the whip-poor-
fill's eggs on the bed of moss in the
onely pasture, and would tell won
leful stories of woodchucks, hawks
nd owls. He could go straight to
he spot where the wild Strawberries
we're thickest, and the first running
'lackberries were ripe; and many
Ong ramble Bessie and | had with
i'm on Saturday afternoons, through
he woods and by the stream that
round its way among the green
meadows below the village; for the
and his wife had always
ind word for John, and assured the
Deacon that they believed he would
ct come out right. AS for Bessie,
Ohm was the hero of her narrow
7orld; the prince to whom, in her
ancy, all things ministered. Among
ny aunt's books was small '"Rob-
lson Crusoe, " which, when baby Will
i'd not demand attention, we read
ogether, sitting beneath the old elm
rec in the garden. 81 think" :" said
Jessie, as we finished it, al think
johnson was just like John. But,
h! | hope John will never run away
D sea. l should be so lonesome
'ithouL him.
The pleasant summer drew to an
nd. With tears and promises to
ome again, | parted from Bessie and
'ent back to my city home. That
inter we exchanged various child
'h letters, and | was secretly look
lg forward to a possible return i'll
he spring, when in March came the
ews of my aunt's sudden death,
nd i'll the May following an extern
ion of my fathers business involved
ur removal to distant part of the
ountry. Thenceforward Marston
nd Bessie belonged not to hope but
D memory-memory which always
rought them tenderly to mind, but
ainler and fainter as time wore on,
earng me to new and more absorb