The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-12-20
The Old Spring House.

a0d plct|c swept with Its lnVlgOratnG
freshness. lJ had once been d Dutcl
farmhouse, we We're told and there wa!
Sfll standing Ill the garden number 0
gnarled apple and half superannuated
pear trees which seemed to tell of the
thrifty Old Dutch proprietorship of the
spot.
Within sufficiently easy distance of the
city not to interfere with brother Johns
business habits, and vet allowing all the
freedom OF the country desired bv us
Younger ones, our new residence was sat
! lsfactory to Us ali. We had no neighbor,
near enough to overlook US, but there
was number Of pretty, comfortable,
looking cottages scattered along the line
OF beach and the road which ran not fan
from the house which latter. about a
mile distant, merged into the principal
street OF little suburban town.
The garden which / have mentioned
was my great delight. was scarcely
seventeen, a healthy, well grown girl,
devoted 10 anything rural, and, truth to
! tell, independent to a degree which had
| procured for me from brother John the
! not very complimentary title of "TOm-
/ boy, which ! was now, tIattered N.Y.
self outgroWing. Still, | loved, almost
''9 I'lI'l "2 'he ciiildie'l, game oi foiilpS'
| ~ -"l'" 7'eh' III 'll'' ,ioWll llloSe DON
~" "ri''t *4e}S, dhf' ainlu lne neglected
and tangled thichets Of lilac and snow
/ bail; and ii Was delicious in the warm
summer days to feClne on the grassy
bank beneath the low dropping boughs
| o1 the old apple trees, and there loose
| LI3 Hp" "eeP III lh' PefuSai "l some laScI-
i'd!,HS poem u l"iil'il'''
w d" ,"i''G Ad"ill was ''il oid summer
n"u9' vi o7IlIS -"oih' liie moss grown
i'ol ~ "iii'h ''ei,leu lhoi!lli'lS TO iall
'''t'"'H tHt "t'SIit "i roses ana money -
IG' NIFa i'II "Ilic,i IL was "Etrpur''e'led-
n"''' l'i tIl' 'hI'"ieii tSSiSldllce' cure
luii} lppPFu ""al some % llle Pf"tfIiolhg
~ ~ I'''H H0S, "l'" "etatu una cleared 'It
i iI'''' N'ih 'iift Ieo 10 II "i'a II WoUld
lI",' i:', ''.r"' III ny t>tS' d perfect -ALca
C'lali Ielfeal' pGl lor lhe Ugly o9Iy HUE
Sl'o' close ny l4e I1 ohiY olsagreeaoIe thing
"5l 1iI' l'l'''- W lid'' nech al ilFS' puz-
|,ei ,s - l'toUll' loI 'hiS NIUE mono" pelh9
away "e'' even III Ii'o oI\eSt weather;
anu WHY llit oi ROCKS ana tle remains
VI I" SI'"S wan Nloulu pe N'Slpie III Slch
Hl'oI' "Nt we soon learned 'iiat tlleTe
% q Hl''liE mere ana tldt Ule stone
i"O'l0''i"ii was 'ho remains o. Nllat mao
pttil % tt'iG' Il SlTlhS-noliSe' nc Fo"l ana
N"I'S l'''l Ialieli ILL., chokllig up the niue
SPIl1S ana "S n" one llao taken the
tIo"p'e !" 'tl'tlf H. OF even 70 cleaf away
tlIe IlpolSh' idilh grown OF sunny weeds
"n'i Pols"il1u9 l"oAt'l3 E.ialltS ll'd sprung
u up "ooul lne spot SP4'lhS 'hc LOOKS OF
'ilF 3"UoH, dIIo even iaheled' ailectlhg
Tug PuIItH oI the surrounding atmosphere
n"t9" 'l'e 9I5lit VI tii'S "lu Sl'rlliS-iiotSe'
| put 'heIe IL was, cIHSe 10 my loved re-
iFedl anH Jhefe, supposed, 1t must re-
MAIN
=, IL ilt lIace were our own SAD
rltliiia' JonA WE, ~ SlouId nave lhe
ruo"ISh ItIlloNtd' cteaf oHt the spring
ana hulId rustic pavilion or grotto
ABOVE il. Nhat an ornament 1t would
ne. tllu now pretty thlS garden could he
illdue WIN Il ItllP cuI'lFdtlon. AS IL Is,
Sile auled' looking around WITH ShIug'
1t Is out l"Wllhg wilderness, altef all
ana the picturesque slope OF your arbor-
looi' hatle' ScafcelN colnpenSatcs lof the
iihk ol pelllg crushed l" death beneath H."
She was gathering June roses where
with to adorn the parlor vases and pres
entity, having finished her task, We 8trolled
away down the centre walk to the little
green gate in the brick wall at the back
OF the garden. This opened into a grassy
and secluded lane. oyershadowed on each
side by trees; a pleasant walk in the
warm Summer evenings. Hearing the
voices of the children at some distance,
where the lane merged into the common,
We proceeded leisurely in that direction,
when we We're startled by the appear
ance Of a gentleman coming toward us
down the lane.
1t was not the first time had seen this
man Twice before | had encountered
him in this very place. and now, fortified
by EInmas presence, | looked at him
more attentively as he approached. a
man OF about tiye-and- thirty, dark and
pale, With finely cut features, black hair
and moustache and fine dark eyes. He
was we'll dressed, and his appearance WAS
Enthusiastically that OF gentleman.
On first seeing us, as he came suddenly
around the angle oil the garden wall, he
bad betrayed a momentaFA hesitation, as