River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-06
LUCY WHEELER.
ELLA WHEELER.

Anu Nnen the stage swept AROUND INT
corner, l looked out eagerly, for, as tn,
driver had told me, about ten rods uI
the road stood the house of Philande
White. His wife was my mothers OWL
cousin, and 1 was just thirteen year
old when l went there to make my frs
visit. There had been some quarre
between the two families two or three
score years anterior to my visit: and
though my mother and Mrs. White
never participated in this, the feud OIL
their ancestors had doubtless involved
some GOODNESS between them.
But TO cut long story short, for the
pen and paper gossip may be more dig
nified, but not whit better than tea
table scandle, had been an invalid all
the previous winter.
When soft April days, to which my
mother looked forward 50 eagerly,
came, they brought no bloom to my
cheek, no vigor to my step. My con-
stitutIon seemed to have lost all its re-
Operative power; and the doctor said
"Send her into the country, Mrs.
May. Ii that don't help her, she's lost
to you.
Just before this Mrs. White had learn
ed through mutual friend of my i'll
ness, and the very day of the blunt
physicians ultimatum brought letter
to my mother.
g For the sake of my old love-" it
read, let all that may have come be-
tween you and me be lost in the pleas
ures Of better memories. The hills of
Meadow Brook are clothed again with
greenness, and now in this late May is
the time for Jennie to come To us.
There is a prophecy of health for her
in the soft wind that lifts the edge of
my paper as | write. We know she is
your all, and we will be very tender of
your darling. Will you not trust her
for a single summer.
And before another week was passed
my trunk was packed and marked
'Philander White, Meadow Brook"
| looked out, as have said, and there
sat pleasant white house, with green
window blinds, the shrubbely in front
and the cherry trees behind. My heart
went out to it, and at once; AID did a
moment later to the gentle-voiced wO-
man and tne fair, dark-haired girl
who rushed out on the front steps,
and. kissing my cheek, said:
cousin Jennie, you are very well
come"
But 1t is not to tell you of that sum-
mer, though, | looked across the gray
year to its picture in the Maryland of
my memory, that have taken up my
pen this morning.
Suffice 1t that the mountain breeze of
Meadow Brook did its work we'll; and
when in early autumn my mother came
for her child she could hardly identify
the rosy-cheeked girl who rushed in
with her curls dangling about her face
and held up her rosy lips for kiss.
think it must have been nearly two
months after my domestication at aunt
Mary's, for so | called my mothers
cousin, when uncle Charles Brace, her
husbands brother, visited her. He was
q minister, and Cora and | had antici-
pated the gentleman's advent with any
thing bat pleasant emotions.
Our conceived notion Of the clergy
mans elongated visage, and solemn,
puritanical manner, which we regarded
as necessary cOncomitants of the pro-
fession. soon vanished before the beau
tiful kindliDg of his smile and the win
ming gentleness of his manner. he was
uncle PniPs youngest brother, and not
more than twenty-eight at that time;
and his religion had deepened and har-
monized his fine poetic temperament
without checking the outflow of that
undercurrent of humOr which sparkled
through his character. Uncle Charles
was soon our companion in our rides
and rambles, and our confident in our
girlish plans.
"YOu don't really mean so, uncle
Charlie" and COras bright face was
lifted from the roses and geraniums we
were weaving into bouquet for the
mantel. "You don't really think what
you just said, that in every heart there
is fountain; some blossoms in the will
derness of the soul"
He put down his paper and came to-
ward us.
81 have not a doubt of it, my little
girl. The story | was Just reading, of
the hardened old man who cried be-
cause child gave him bunch of mari
Colds, corroborates my remark. The
light that is in us cannot quite become
darkness, the hearts that might bring
forth a hundred fold for harvests of
but some good seed will take root there
in"
81 don't believe it wo1ld, though, in
Farmer Keep. You don't know him so
well as | do, Uncle Charlie. He is one
of the richest men in all Meadow Brook /;
he's worth thousands and thousands.
He's bachelor, you know, and lives in
the great red house on the road to
Woodbury., you remember. Well, he
never goes to church, and he never
loved human being in his life. Now
don't think Farmer Keep-whY, Grand
ma Dean how do you do?"
"The lady whose entrance put this
sudden period to my cousins perora-
ton came slowly toward the rocking
chair. Cora drew it out for her. She
was the oldest lady in the village. The
hair under her cap, white as snow, had
imprisoned the sunshine Of fourscore
and ten summers, but she still retained
much of the physical stamina which
with her active temperament had made
her so vigorous Il woman for many
years.
whats that you're saying child,
about Farmer Keep said the old lady,
with pleasant smile, as she pinned her
knitting sheath to her waist.
"Why, | was telling Uncle Charlie
what a cold, hard man he is. You've
always known him, Grandma, Dean, and
now did he ever dc good thing or love
anybody in his life?'
"Yes, he loved girl once, think l
remember"
Farmer Keep loved a girl once?'
repeated Cora, with half cOntemptu-
Gus aud wholly skeptical curl of her
red lips.
shes forgotten" she added in an
undertone, to Uncie Charlie and me,
for Grandma Dean was slightly deaf.
mo, l haven't forgotten, neither, !"
she said, placing her hand on COra's
hair. II have held Lucy Reid on my
lap too often, and rocked her cradle
poor little motherless thing!-to0 many
times to have forgotten"
Cora's look of incruduhty was giving
way TO one of curiosity.
"Grandma Dean won't you tell us all
about il? Jennie and | will sit down
on the stool, and know by that look in
Uncle Charles eye, he wants to hear It
too. Come. let the flowers go, Jennie;
and my vivacious cousin established
herself at the old lady's feet.
Grandma Dean slipped the yarn
around her little finger and COM