The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-09-06
Sejfrf Story.
THE STORY OF A LONG FEUD.

| III was Christmas morning; a genuine
old fashioned Christmas, sharp and clear
and cold. The meadows we're covered
far and wide, with crisp white snow, and
the hedgerows sparkled with crystal
frost work. The rustic monuments in
the village churchyard assumed forms
OF quaint indefiniteness under their
fieecy covering, and the ancient yew
trees, dark and gloomy in summer when
all else was gay, seemed now like fairy
fountains, springing upward in the
winter sunshine. Within the church
was gathered well nigh the whole pop
ulation of our Cornish chapel, and with
tender eloquence, our good old vicar,
bowed with age and infirmity, but still
earnest, still eloquentonce more preach
ed the message of peace and good will.
Not an eye wandered among the earnest
upturned faces, not q sound broke the
quiet hush of wrapt attention as he
spoke his concluding words:
"And now, my brethern-nay, rather
my children, for my Journey has been
long, and most of those who started with
me have gone one by one TO their rest
for well nigh forty hears have 1 lsbored
among you, and the time is at hand
when |. too, shall rest, and when you
will hear my voice no more. 1t is but
a little while, and the silver cord must
be loosed and the golden bowl be broken,
God has been very good to me; yet one
gift more, one Only,would 1 ask of Him,
ere go to my long home, every soul in
this my little flock shall have blotted out
all memory of former feud or ancient
grievance, and shall, with love and fel-
lowship to all mankind, be able to join
in this Christian song of the angels. On
earth peace, good will among men,"
All knew for whom these last words
were especially intended, for the feud
between my uncle, Richard Polwhels,
and the only other large land owner in
the parish, Sir Philip Trefusis, was a
matter almost of country history. 1t had
originated many years back, when both
were young men fresh from Oxford. Al
school and college they had been bosom
friends, nay, almost brothers, but $50 the
story ran) both young men had been
fascinated by the wiles Of the same vii
lage beauty. Neither would yield II
the other. A violent quarrel arose an6
in moment of passionate excitement
on both sides Trefusis struck Polwhele
with his riding-whip across the face
Polwhele raised his hand to return th'
blow, but checked himself, or it would
have gone hard with Trefusis, for he wa
slight and undersizeG, while PolwheleI
I strength and daring were proverbia
/ throughout the countryside.
"If you value your life," he said, con
trolling himself by mighty effort, 'ge
out of my sight"
|. Trefusis read Alright the warning G
the white face and flashing eyes, AM
: already dreading the consequences
his rash act, fled away Richard Pol
whele spent the rest of that day alone il
the woods, and four -andtwenty hour
Iafterward was stricken with brain fevel
|, Ere he had completely recovered, hi
rival had left the country, and the cC
Z quettish cause of their quarrel had ma,
c ried a rustic swain whom she secretl
, much preferred to either of her sristC
|. cratic admirers. Thirty years have sine
g passed by, during the greater part {
. which Terfusis had remained abroad
visiting his native place only at rare il
tervals. Three years back, however, h
had finally returned, a widower with on
daughter, now aged nineteen, and ha
taken up his abode once more al th
family mansion, Trecarra Park. Ricl
ard Polwhele had also married, and W,
left a widower with five children
Howard, Mary, Alice, Percy, Dorothy,
ages, ranging downwards from twent,
two to seven. Uncle Dick would rsadil
have let bygones be bygones, but
waited for Trefusis to make the fir
advance, and the result was that 9Th
two Squires," as they were called, m,
and remained on terms of naughty eoo
ness. No communication took plao
between the two houses, though it W.
=, whispered that cousin Howard ar
IL pretty Edith Trefusis, who had M
of Of more than once on neutral groun
he were not disposed to keep up the fami
Ter feud for another generation.
z. Such being the state Of things, Il