Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-11
Lucy Wheeler.


Do you ever judge, reader, Of the
character of the inmates, from the ply
siognomy of their houses? l do. And
wherrt the stage swept round the corner,
looked out eagerly, for as the driver
had told me, about ten rods up the road
stood the house of Philander White.
His wife was my mothers own cousin,
and was just thirteen years old when
| went there TO make my Srss visit.
There had been some quarrel between
the two families, two or three score
years anterior to my visit; and though
ticipated in this, the feud of their an
cestors had doubtless involved some
coldness between them.
But to cut long story short, for the
pen and paper gossip may be more dig
nIfied, but not a whit better than tea
table scandal, had been an invalid all
the previous Winter.
When soft April days, to which my
lilOllltI lOOhCu lOl W 81
they brought no bloom to my cheek, no
vigor to my step. Ny constitution
seemed to have lost all its recuperative
power; and the doctor said:
.Send her into the country, Mrs.
May. If that don't help her, she is lost
TO you."
Just before this Mrs. White had
learned through mutual friend Of my
illness, and the very day of the blunt
physicians ultimarum brought letter
TO my mother.
''For the sake of my old love-" ii
read, "let all that may have come be-
tween you and me be lost in the plea
sure of better memories. The hills OF
Meadow brook are clothed again with
greenness, and now in this late May
is the time for Jennie to come to US.
There is prophecy of health for her
in the soft wind that lifts the edge OF
my paper as write. We know she is
your all, and we will be very tender OF
your darling, Will you not trust her
for single Summer"
And before another week was passed
my trunk was packed and marked,
'.Philander White, Meadow Brook"
looked ont, as have said, and there
sat the pleasant white house, with its
green window blinds, the shrubbery in
front, and the cherry trees behind. My
ir nd at onH
it did moment later, to the gentle
voiced woman, and the fair, dark haired
girl who rushed out on the broad front
steps, and kissing my cheek, said:
cousin Jennie, you are very well
come"
But it is not all to tell you Of that
Summer, though look across the gray
year to its picture in the Maryland OF
my memory, that have taken up my
pen this morning.
Suffice il that the mountain breezes
of Meadow Brook did their work well ;
and when in early Autumn my mother
came for her child, she could hardly
identify the rosy checked girl who
rushed in with her curls dangling
about her face, and held up her rosy
lips for kiss.
think it must have been nearly two
months after my domestication at Aunt
Mary's for SO | call my mothers cousin,
when Uncle Charles Brace, her hus-
bands brother, visited her. He was q
minister, and Cora and l had antici-
pated the gentleman's advent with any
thing but pleasant emotions.
Our conceived notions of the clergy
mans elongated visage, and solemn.
puritanieal manner, which we regarded
as necessary concomitarts of the pro-
fession, soon vanished before the beau
tiful kindling of his smile, and the
winning gentleness of his manner. He
was Uncle Phil's youngest brother, and
not more than twenty-eight at that
time; and his religion had deepened
and harmonized his fine poetic tenn
permanent, without checking the outflow
of that under-current of humor which
sparkled through his character. Uncle
Charles was soon our companion in our
rides and rambles, and our confidant In
Our girlish plans.
"You don't really mean so, Uncle
Charlie" and Cora's bright face was
lifted from the roses and geraniums We
were weaving into the bouquet for the
mantel. "You don't really think what
you just said, that in every heart there
is fountain; some blossom in the hui
man wilderness of every soul"
He put down his paper and came TO-
ward us.
81 have not a doubt of it, my little
girl. The story was just reading, OF
the hardened old man who cried De-
cause child gave him bunch of mari
Colds, corroborates my remark. The
light that is in us canaot quite become
darkness; the hearts that might bring
forth huHdred fold, for harvests OF
heaven, will never become such deserts
but some good seed will take root there
in"
81 don't believe it would, though, In
Farmer Keep. You dou't know him as
well as do, Uncle Charlie. He's one
of the richest men in all Meadow Brook
he's worth thousands and thousands.
He's bachelor, you know, and lives In
the great red house or the road to
woodbury., you remember. Well, he
never goes to church. he never loved Q
tuman being In his life. Now don't
think Farmer Keep-why, Grandma
Deane, how do you do?"
The lady whose entrance put this
sudden period to my cousins perora-
tion came slowly toward the rocking