Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-05-02


That God is overhead,
And as life is to the living
San FrGnese0 CaH.
ROMANCE OF AN OLD CREAM JUG.
"OH, mother" said Ruth Wallis,
chow 1 should like to 60 out and get
few apple blossoms"
"Stuff and nonsense" said the Wild
ow Wallis, austerely: " haven't you got
work to do-milk to skim, butter to
work over, dishes to wash, and two
dozen shirts Just sent in from the laun-
dry to finish of before dinner timeP
Go about it at once, and don't let me
hear any more folly about apple bios
soms.n
For Mrs. Wallis belonged to the
working brigade of the world, and did
not believe in esthetics of any kind.
Buttercups, and red sunsets, and
many-tinted rainbows had always been
q standing problem to her, and she
could not understand how q man of
sense could possibly prefer golden hair
to red, OF daisy, pink complexion to
honest freckles.
And her two older daughters, Naomi
and Miranda Ann, agreed with her en-
tirely on this as on all other subjects.
But Ruth was different. Ruth treas
ured up half-open rosebuds in surrepti-
tious glasses of water, sowed flower
seed under the dairy window, read
poems in her own room, and cried when
the honeysuckle vine was razed from
before the porch-pillars.
"Rotting all the posts and harboring
earwigs and spiders" said the widow,
severely.
"But the flowers are SO pretty"
pleaded Ruth.
"Pretty," snorted the widow, as if
the term were synonym for all alb
surdity and Weak-mindedness. 81 do
think. Ruth, You are almost fool"
So upon this golden May morning,
when the ilacs were nodding their
purple plumes, and the apple blossoms
spread their sheets of billowy pink over
all the orchards, Ruth was con-
demned to milk skimming in the dairy,
and the finishing of the shirts In the
kitchen.
She was standing in front of the
milk-room window, busy with her shin
ing pans-after all there was q certain
poetry in the occupatiUn-When all of
sudden whiskered and mustached
face presented itself, al framed in the
easement.
'tGoOdness me'' cried Ruth, with a
violent start, which had nearly upset
one of the vessels, and then recovering
her presence of mind, she added:
"Whst do you want?'
al beg your pardon" said the ap-
partition -and Ruth began, to perceive
that it had rather fine eyes, and was no
longer a very young apparition-" l am
afraid I startled you"
eyes, you did, rather" admitted
Ruth. g But If you're tramp, please
90 on, for we never give to tramps.
And if you're sewing-machine agent
or anything of that sort. it's of no use.
And"
"You are mistaken" said the owner
of the dark eyes, with comical curl of
his lips. 81 am none of these-I am
in the china business 49,
'e0h," said Ruth, beginning to COM
prehend, ''vases, and little dogs and
parrots, for cast-off clothes. But we
wear all our things out, and mother
makes rag carpets of them afterward."
50 Very laudable of her, l am sure"
nodded the stranger. ''But, may ask
what will you take for that twisted
cream-pot on the shelf just over your
headP''
Ruth glanced up with startled eyes.
"It Wasm my Grandmother CrOcus',"
said she; 1" and it's so old-fsshioned we
never use It. Mamma keeps radish
=
/" Exactly" said the stranger. ait
is very old, and that's the reason Iwant
it."
Ruth thought of the men who had
been reported as trayersing the ooun-y
try in search of antiquities, old furni-
ture, and articles of vertu. Could this
be one of them7 .-l.
"Its mine," said she, coloring deep
ly. "My Grandfather Crocus left it to
me in his wiIl.'
Wouldn't you rather have ten dol
lars to buy yourself q new hatP" said
the stranger, coaxingly. a
"Oh, thousand times" :" cried Ruth,
eagerly. sa Fl
"Then it's bargain," said the gem
tleman, taking out pocket-book which
seemed to be perfectly apoplectic with
bank notes.
"No, it isn't,'' said Ruth. "I-I
eouldn't sell it, indeed"
"Ah,n said the stranger, perhaps
there are old family associations con
nected with itg'
"Oh, no. l never saw my Grand
mother Crocus," Ruth replied, rather
beWildered.
"say twenty" said the stranger,
coaxingly.
"Its no use," declared Ruth; "I
cannot sell it.n
"You are devoted to old china,
thenP'i
The face came nearer, the eyes
sparkled as if their owner was con-
Yinced that he had found a kindred
soul.
81 hate it." said Ruth.
The dark eyes recoiled pace or two.
"Then you'll let me have the old
cream pot for twenty dollaTsP" said
he, persuasiVely. ehs9 tt@
But Ruth would only reiterate with
downcast eyes and deepening bushes
al can't sell it." eFCszsH& 81
Mr.. Wynfeld Napier walked away,
pulling his long mustache, and ponder
ing over the piece of old English ware,
which had so attracted his attention.
"rn sit down formally before that
cream pot" said he. "Pll besiege it.
1t shall be mine, or I'll know the rea-
son why"
For Mr.. Napier was a connOisseur in
ceramics, and the moment his idle
glance, cast upward through Mrs. Wal
ISIS milk-room window, as he drank
glass of water at the well, had fallen
on the piece Of English china, his soul
had coveted it. 'ttt.I
i've just month to stay here be-
fore l must be back in my dingy old
law office again." meditated he. ga
man can do a great deal in a month"
And he sat himself regularly to work
to win the treasure which he yearned
for so deeply.
Day after day he strolled to the old
farmhouse, now with this excuse, now