The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-29
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LORD sTIRLING's C0URTSHIP.
BY LILLE DEvEREtx BLAKE.

BY, LILLE DEVEREUX BLAKE.
My grandfather, and my great-grand
Gather, and my great-great grandfather
all lived in Stratford, Connecticut. Tn,
old homestead stood on the main stree.
OF the village, opposite the church
which the first one of the race, The Rev
Samuel johnson, had helped to build
There were great elms shading th,
walk before the gate, and in the deer
yard mulberry and rse-chestnuttrees
Around the stone ''st0op'' fulrisheC
lilac and arcanthus bushes, and ther,
were clumps of mighty box beside che
walk
Back OF the house, on a side street
were the stables and farms, and on tht
other side stretched. O deep garden,
with a row of willow trees shading It al
the lever end.
One day, when I was a child, was
playing with some companions neaI
these willows, when we saw a qeeer.
looking bit of iron protridinr from the
ground, and digging sl,ont it, presently
unearthed a horseshoe, with which we
went, full of eager questioning, to my
kindly grandfather, Judge Johnson,
" How did it get there, grandpag''
we all queried in chorus.
"There once stood, lust where YOU
found this, little ones, blacksmith
shop, and L dare say if you were to search,
that you would find many queer bits of
iron in the ground"
"And where is the blacksmith now,
grand. pap" asked
. He is dead, my dear, but his only
daughter was one of the great ladies of
England; when you are older you shall
hear the story"
We ran away again to our play, and
for days afterward amused ourselves
by digging for iron ON the site of the
former blacksmith'S shop. We were
rewarded by finding many odd broker
bits, and long afterwards, when | was
old enough to understand the story, |
was told the romance of Lord Stirling's
courtship.
Rather less than a century ago, after
the close cf the Revolutionary war,
when prosperity had dawned on the
young Republic, there came to this quiet
village handsome stranger.
Of course, in so small place, the ar
rival OF any unknown person was an
event, and this young gentleman was
eagerly canyassed. He said but little
of himself, however; that his name was
Ashley, that be had no means of sup
port but his own exertions, that he was
a British subject-that WAS all that
could be learned about him.
TO obtain the modest sum that would
be needed for his support in those econ
omical days, young Ashley opened a
singing school, which the maidenS and
men of the village were urged to attend.
A few responded to the invitation,
and among them was Abby Folsom, the
handsome daughter OF the village black
smith. '--
The old smithy stood on the broad
street, and close by it, under the willow
trees, was the blacksmith's 'shumbleheme,
and here Ashley made his most fire.
quent visits. The village belle crew to
look with eager eyes for the coming of
the fair-haired stranger, and he found
a strong, deep attraction in the uncul-
tured country girl r--.sr. r-..
The old elnls of the village, that were
in their green prime then, doubtless
heard on some soft sumner evening
the whisper of the old story that is ever
new.
But love-making put no money into
the pockets of the wooer, and it became
clear that the blacksmith looked with
little favor on his suit.
One day the village was aroused and
entertained by new proposition from
the penniless stranger. He proposed TO
open a bleaching establishment, assur-
ing the good wives that if they would
give him their homespun cloth he would
whiten it by some new and most excel
lent process, which would make it
snowy of tint beyond any they had ever
seen.
In those days the thrifty farmers
wives wove,their own cloth, and it was
great convenience to them to have it
bleached so near home. Presently,
therefore, Ashley had quantity of
linen given him, which he deposited in
huge watts filled with some mysterious
compound.
For some tiGae be was at work over
the stuff, and then the cloth was taken
from its bath and hung up to dry, but
here a most horrible mishap occurred.
The fine homespun was all eaten into
holes by the process, and fell to pieces
at q touch.
One can fancy the loud and deep
Indignation of the village matrons
at this terrible calamity, how they
mathematical the unhappy young
man, and sought vainly for redress
where none could be obtained, since
the author of the mischief was in no
condition to repair It. And il was Just
at the midst of all this hubbub that
Ashley asked from honest John Folsom
the hand of his daughter in marriage.
Of course the request was absolutely
refused. ....-..
Then Ashley, in his despair and
modification, went to my great-grand-
father, as being the person in the vii
lage most likely to understand his story
aud to help him. ----..-..
81 would Ike TO see DR.. Johnson.n -
he said, as he stood in the DOORWAY of
the old house which was my great
grandfather's home. ~ -
He was shown into the presence of
the doctor, who had but recently re-
turned from an important mission TO
England, and alse, 1t should be- ex-
nIained, was DR.. Of Laws, and DR.. of
Medicine. The dignified elderly gen
tlenan received his visitor courteously,
and was soon listening to his story with
deep interest. -,
Al want to marry Abby Folsom" he
explained, land her father will not per-