The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-02-15
THE WILLOW SWITCH.

About forty years age large part Of
Central New York, that is now fast be-
coming garden, was almost new
country, and people talked of moving
West" when they emiglated from the
banks of the Hudson to those of the
Genesee. Still one of the cities on the
line of the Erie Canal was even then
town of some Importance, and boasted
much of what then amounted to wealth
and even aristocraey.
of this latter class had been the fam
ily of Judge Morton, but sundry un-
lucky speculations had made it impossi-
BILE for him to return to his accustomed
position among his old neighborH. and
he was about To seek new field in one
of the younger settlements.
Everything had long been prepared.
the wagons were laden, the adieus for
the MOST part of the csvalcade was fairly
under way. The heavier goods, indeed,
had been started two or three days be
fore. The ladies Of the party, as we'll
as the gentlemen, had decided to at
tempt the journey ON horseback, well
aware that the condition of the roads,
even though spring was now well ad-
vanced, could not safely be depended
upon.
Apart from the rest, mounted on s
stout and quiet looking pony, sat a
young lady of some eighteen summers,
in whose rosy cheeks and bright, black
eyes the excitement of the occasion
seemed almost TO have overcome its
soberer suggestions. Still, something
like shade WAS on her face, as she
leaned forward in her saddle and con
versed in low tones with a gentleman
whose arm was thrown earelessly over
the neck of her pony.
"Never mind me, Charlie; why 1t
isn't three days riding, at the very
worst, and that won't hurt NC
But me, Susie! l am ordered of
for long cruise, and cannot tell when
shall Sec you again
"But yeu will come baeki
''Yes-but whenl And will you"
eWill I what, CharlieI"
wait moment, Susie"
And the young man, who was in the
undress uniform of a naval officer,
sprang off to the side of the road, where
some willow trees We're growing in un-
trimmed Insurance Catching hold Of
one of the gracefully bending boughs,
he cut therefrom long and plant slim.
with which he returned, stripping uG
the leaves as he came.
There, Susie; that viii do for a
riding whip, but do not wear it out on
yonr pony, even if the reads are bad y
Why not, Charlielo
Because at the end of my cruise /
shall come back to claim it. Will you
keep it for met"
A very soft light stole into the black
eyes, but she said, in low voice: "Yes,
Charlie, L viii keep it. But are you
sure you will come back to claim it Z"
"If live, Susie
"Ah! then it is good bye, sure enough,
now, for father is calling me. Good
bye, Charlie.
There was most passionate earnest
ness in the young officers reply, and he
stood gazing after the pony and his mis-
tress long after they were hidden by y
turn of the road We cannot follow
him, however, by land or sea, for our
business is with the willow switch.
If SUsie'S pony suffered on the road,
it was not from any excessive application
of Charles queer memento; and on the
third day, about noon, Judge Morton
rode up to the side of his daughter, and
announced that they were close at their
journeys end
They were nearly at a fork of the
road, at the foot Of a gently sloping hill;
and just where the ;vo ways met a
little spring babbied mp and wandered
off into an adjacent meadow. There
were more signs of improvement than
Susie had expected; but enough of will
derness remained to add to the rural
beauty of the spot.
'EOur new home" said the Judge,
"will be on the top of this knoll when
it is built, and our present quarters,
such as they are, will be a little further
on"
A sudden thought seemed to have
entered the brain of Susie.
Father, won't willows grow from
slipsp
Eyes, my dear; that's the usual way
of setting them out"
"And they want water, don't they
Is this one fresh enough to growP
81 should say it was. y
"Well, then, may be we can have
something growing here to remind US Of
our old home"
In an instant Susan was down from
her pony, and the willow switch was
carefully planted, just above the little
spring. 1t would have all the water it
wanted, at-all events. And then Susie
and her father rode on to their new home
but there was warm 1utter at the
young girls heart, and blush on hel
cheek, as she wondered, "NNill it even
grOwtF