The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-09-14

is their poverty 30 the Scrptur tells
u.s."
"Yes?" said Ben, his eyes following
Rosy on her way from the milking-shed
with two foaming pals.
Ben could hardly have told why he
staid on in Little Bassett from day to
day, whether the neighborhood of such
oil as must have burned in Aladdin's
wonderful lamp or the subtle persua-
sions of Landlord Cramm kept him
spell-bound in the rustic village, with
its pretty river trickling to the sea, and
its background of spicy woods, where
the tinkle of cow-bells seemed like music
blown from fairy-land. AT least he did
not put the question to himself. He
had been making tour. of the different
oil wells ono afternoon, and, coming home
through the Bassett woods, he fell in
with Rosy. 0or11 900.
after flowers ?" asked Ben. "Isn't
it growing dark? Hadn't you better
turn back with meY"
81 must find Jetty first replied
Rosy. a7hsL l-.
"And who may Jetty be ?"
"Jetty is the COW she strays away
and gets lost in the woods. Last year
/ couldn't find her till after one night. "
"And you were here alone at that
hour?" .OLIosat
cit was bright moonlight"
"And supposing there had been no
moon?"
ct must have staid till I found her,
moon or no moon. Hank did L hear
her bell?" EFF
Perhaps we may find her sooner to-
gether. May 1 go with you?"
"Yes, 1 suppose you may" They
strolled on, the young moon casting
weird shadows and peopling the wood
with fantastic shapes; and sometimes
they forgot why they were there, and
sometimes a frightened bird brushed
the dew from the tangle, or the faint
melody of bell stirred the silence and
quickened their steps. 1t was after
, when they drove old Jetty home, and
Ben had been surprised more than once
by the speech that fell from Rosy's pref
ty lips. She knew the old poets, whom
young ladies of the period disdain to
cultivate. She was at home with Scott,
and familiar with the tenets of the elder
theologians.
"You told me that you had never
been to school, said Ben, "but some
body has taught you. There is no royal
road to knowledge"
eyes; Parson Psalter's wife taught
me to read and write, and she gave me
little presents for learning verses by
heart. She used to borrow me of Mrs.
Cramm to read to her when her dear old
eyes failed. Yes, and when she died
she left me all her books"
Ben was more than ever interested in
the subject of oil as the days went by.
He listened to the enthusiastic raptures
of Little Bassett, ard was persuaded
that this was the tide which leads on to
fortune. So he staid on and on, learn
ing the minutie of this method of coin
ing money, helping Rosy carry her brim-
ming pals to the dairy, or bring the
butter-for Mrs. Cramm was not one to
allow milk to sour on her hands, what
ever the prospect which the oil well af-
forded. Ben had inherited a certain
sum of money from a distant cousin,
who, with his child, had disappeared
from the sight of men years ago now
he informed Mr.. Cramm he wished to
invest it in oil.
"I'll tell you what I'll do byye," said
that disinterested soul. "Ive took a
mighty liking to you, and so has Miss
Cramm there's my we'll, I'm thun-
dering poor man, Mr.. Bates, and I'm
working it at disadvantage. I'm aw-
fully in debt, to tell the truth. I'm
mortgaged up to my chin, and 1 don't
hev no peace for fear of a keeper in the
house, and a-being brought to disgrace
afore my neighbors- these women
folks to look after. Now, mark my
word, somebody's got to make fortune
out of that ere well, and I'd rather it
d be you, Mr.. Bates, than anybody, as
it won't be Jim Cramm if you've got
the means you couldn't do better than to
take this ere elephant off my hands,"
4" Thanks" said Ben. ''Ill think
about it. Whereupon the merits of the
Cramm well were so adroitly celebrated
that Ben began not only to think, but
to talk about it. ltJ
One evening, week later, when Ben
went to his room, folded slip of paper
under his candlestick attracted his at
tention. Thinking it might be deli
cate fashion of Landlord Cramm to pre-
sent his bills in this way, he opened and
read, : stt
Mr. BATEs-Do not buy the " Cramm well. p"
You will be sorry if you do.
A KIND FRIEND.
Mr.. Bates smiled broadly. He would
show it to Mr.. Cramm at breakfast, and
have laugh over the device of some
rival striker; but morning brought
wiser counsel. Was it not a woman s
hand Perhaps Rosy's; and, if so,
might it not deserve attention? When
he went forth to smoke, after breakfast,
he encountered Rosy in the garden
patch, picking peas for dinner.
"Ah, here is my kind friend" he
hazarded, holding out his hand. Rosy
started and blushed. How came you
to send me that warning, Rosy 2" he pur-
sued. "What do you know about the
Cramm well?"
81 ?" she asked, with ill-feigned
surprise. What made you think 4
sent it?"
"Did you not ?"
Rosy hung her head, and tears filled
her eyes.
"Was it very wicked in ep" she
asked. CT could not bear you should
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