The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-08-24
The LandlalV Of The Golden ShGaf.

1t is just forty five years since my
education was finished at Mrs. Middle
toms seminary for young ladies, the
most genteel school in our part of
Hampshire. l was seventeen, and the
eldest of ten children. My fathers
farm was but small one, held on lease
from our rich neighbor Dickson, the
principal man in our parish after the
squire. He had two farms leased from
him besides my fathers and large one
whice he titled himself, kept a retinue
of men and maids, did the best plowing,
turned ont the finest cattle, and made
vast deal of money by his dairy.
His wife had died before I was born,
and bis house was kept in prime order
by the youngest of his aunts, Miss Mill
wood. He had Eeither son nor daugh-
ter but Master Harry, whom everybody
thought sensible and very handsome
young man, and not half so purse proud
as his father. Being our landlord and
next door ncighbor, Farmer Dickson
took great deal of interest in us. He
said the family was too large for my
father and mother to manage without
advice; that providing for them was his
chief difficulty, and hearing that a dis
tant relation of his, Mrs. Williams, land.
lady of the Golden Sheaf, wanted
well-brought-up gill, not as servant,
but to help i'll the housekeeping they
thought it might be a good situation
for me.
TO tell the whole truth, there was an
other reason for my going. Before ]
left school, Harry Dickson began to pay
me attention. Not that I encouraged
him much, but he would come after me,
aud it did not please his father. The
old man thought his son should lock
higher than a Door farmers daughter,
and my parents having good bit of
pride, were Just as angry when they
came to know it. My father said he
hoped no daughter of his would tempt
young man to disobey his father. My
mother said she hoped 1 had more spirit
than to wish to marry into family who
did not think us good enough for them.
or course my father and mother were
right. gave Harry back his ring, but
it was after a good deal of crying. He
swore he would never marry another,
though his father should disinherit him ;
and 20 let Farmer Dickson and the whole
country see that we were not set on trap
ping his son, it was Sc tied that should
go to Mrs. Williams.
My father went one day to consult
her, and, when all was agreeable, he
toos me and my trunk respectfully in
the Condor coach, which then passed
through Chatford, our village, and
stopped at the Golden Sheaf. For n
country inn, the house was large and
handsome. 1t had every convenience
of yard and stabling, good garden, a
fine orchard, and some hundred acres of
corn and meadow land. 1t was situated
on the highroad where Surry and Hamp-
shire meet. The ground was high; and
from the inns upper windows one could
see mauy mile along the road and
over the country. Stage coaches and
carriers wagons stopped there; so did
the country hunts and the travelling gen
try, corn and cattle dealers on their
way to London, farmers to and from the
market town; aud all who came or went
spoke well of the good housekeeping,
the fair dealing, and the general civility
Of Mrs. Williams.
She was tall, thin woman, upright,
active, and still handsome, bordering ON
sixty. Her black hair was but thinly
sprinkled with gray. She had good
deal of the gentlewomen in her manner;
always wore q black tabnet gown, q
tambourd apron, and a cap of Noting
ham lace, which was fine enough in
those times. But there was something
in her look so stern and rigid that made
one reful of ones doipgs before her.
Her story, which we had heard in pri-
vate from Farmer Dickson, was both
sad and singular. She had been
brought up in one of the most respect
able inns III the county of Cornwall,
and married rich farmer. He left her
early widow, with an only daughter
She managed the farm we'll, however,
and was n prosperous woman. Her
daughter grew up beautiful girl, and
the mothers heart was wrapped up in
her; but the son and heir of a neighbor-
ing squire induced her to elope with
him, and marriage into his high family
was not to be thought Of Mrs. Will
liams was a woman of high spirit, strict
and proud. 1t is said the poor girl
never dared let it be known where she
lived, for fear of her mother; she sold
her house and farm, left that part of the
country, bought the Golden Sheaf, and
set herself up where nobody knew of
her family or history she had been
doing well for many year.
Stern as she looked, Mrs. Williams
was kind to me, and did my best to
please her. There was a good deal of