The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-09-25
MISS RUTH'S EXPERIMENT.

al never thought to see Sam Sher-
burne going TO the bad, but he's on the
same road with the Brown boys, cutting
round nights, and no talkin' will keep
them at home. The Sherburnes are to
be pitied, for SANS the only one left. -
"The heart is deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked, returned
the old store-keeper, in a tone of fullest
conviction. Satan has an easy field
in the rising generation. 1t does seem
rs if the latter days were nigh at hand
Wickedness crops out in the last place
you'd expect to find it. 1t does beat all
to think how the Lowgate boys seem to
be going
Miss Ruth turned away with her pack
age and walked swiftly down the village
street; trim, dainty figure in her dark
cloth dress. The words rang in her
ears, 1T does beat all to think how the
Lowgate boys seem to be going" Her
path led over the Common to square
brick house, fianked by low wing on
either side and broad piazza which
held promise of summer cheer Great
elms and naples were set in lines up to
the mass of outbuildings. At the back
was an orchard, the gnarled aud twisted
apple-trees standing out dark against
the evening sky. Ruth shivered little
as she looked, then ran up the steps,
and, throwing off wrappings on the Ia
BILE in the broad hall entered a room
warmed, and just now lighted, by an old
fashioned Franklin stove, the shining
brass fender and andirons cleaning in
the flashing freight.
- So thee has come, Ruth" said a
placid voice, and Aunt Mercy Dysart
looked up from her knitting and smiled
at the girl, who drew a low chair to her
side and sat down with only an answer
ing smile. Now, with the light full up
on her face, one could see that she must
be considerably over 20. There were
grave lines about the mouth, and her
firm chin and broad forehead needed
all the sweetness in eye and smile to
contradict the impression of sternness.
Z" Proud rs Lucifer,n the village peo-
pie said, and Ruth, who wanted to be
friends with all, found it hard to work
against this impression. Her ways
seemed strange and unfamiliar to them,
and a flavor of the ancient feeling for
her house and name still tinctured pres
ent thought and made the old people
say,
+" She's Dysart, an what else do you
look for but high notions and plenty of
them?'
Ruth at length raised her head and
turned to Aunt Mercy, who had been
looking at her from time to time, know
ing she should soon hear what the girl
had to say. These two were closest
friends, and exchanged experiences and
opinions with as much freedom as if
forty years did not lie between them.
And Ruth spake now as if all that had
gone before were perfectly understood.
I've thought it all out, Aunt Mercy,
and you and l must do something. We
can't let them co.
"Well, child?n
g l really believe l should go to the
bad myself in the same place. Do You
know that with all my resources-with
a hundred things to think about that
mean nothing To them-I get so op-
pressed with the monotonv, with the in
tense and horrible dUilnesS, that want
a team to run away, or any thing to
happen that viii rouse us one moment.
Aunt Mercy, those boys will begin to
drink-or do any thing that will give n
new sensation and bring a sense of life /
and by and by there will by one or
two or three more reckless, swearing,
lounging creatures like the Carsons in
the other village. have begun to be- /.
heve villages like this are doomed to de- /
struction, and that New England win
turn into New Ireland unless something
is done to make them places where some F.,
real life can he found Aunt Mercy!"
Wen, child?m
Do You know, | took up an old (
county history to-day. Forty years ago I
there were 800 more people here than
now. Every man has gone West eX-
cept these old ones who are almost I
ready for the next world, and just a few /
who hold on because they were born