The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-02-27

cOmpanys ana suppose i must Wrlt0
report for the Governors benefit,
every month, in which I hope you'll
help me-"
He laughed as if there was joke
somewhere, but for my part I felt
rather put out. Here was a great baby
sent out for me to take in tow, and vet
all the time he was my boss" and
had to report on my management
was bit of an autocrat on my station,
and resented this.
Fairfax Clint seemed to guess what 1
was thinking. "Look here. Westcott."
he said, touching my horses back with
his whip. and speaking in a more man.
ter, "my fathers all wrong in this
business. What's the use of sending
me out to overlook his runs, when I
things; but that's no business of mine,
and still less of yours. Let US be friends
while we are together. Forget that my
and fancy me q new hand you've Just
picked up to clean your boots and sad
die your horse. ! can do both, / assure
you"
All the while he had been speaking
we had slowly climbed q steep hill,
clothed with white Towering, manuka
and fern. As he ceased we reached the
summit, and began to descend on the
point out the stock-yard in the valley at
our feet, fanked by q single storied
wooden house. ...r
There's Wyke Station. I've lived
here for six years. and am glad to well
come q son Of the firm to it.
"That's kindly said," he answered,
gravely, falling back in the narrow
path. "Pn follow you, and only trust
this brute is sure-footed."
We reached the stock-yard and tied
up our horses, the dogs rushing out to
welcome us, and Tom, the cook, open
ing the house door and showing q warm
glow of freight.
"Come in, Mr.. Clint" said, 81 and
be prepared to rough it. This is the
kitchen; here's the parlor, which is the
drawing-room. smoking-room and feed
ing-room in one; you see there is no
lack of dry wood here. so we have good
fires; here's my bedroom, and yonder
room shall be got ready for you by the
time supper's over. Meantime, make
yourself at home, and use mine," and
having, as thought, done the honors
handsomely, kicked the smoldering
logs into cracking blaze, and left him
in possession of my sanctum. When
came in from seeing to our horses I
found Clint in the kitchen, already at
home, chattering to Tom, as that old
rascal fried mutton-chop and potatoes.
"By Jove, I never thought of my
horse" he exclaimed in CONSERVATION,
as he caught sight of me coming in
from the yard with his and my saddle;
"why on earth didn't You tell me, West
cotte" $50 fes-
Ibid you think we kept a groom
here?' 1 retorted. "Never mind,
young 'un; you shall do both horses to-
morrow, promise you. Show a light,
Tom, while wash nay hands, and then
for supper, for I'm starving"
Before q week was over Fairfax Clint
was familiar with every corner of the
run. and had made himself popular
with all hands.
Never did I know o human being
with such . gift Of fascination, or such
an inexhaustible f1ow of spirits and
quaint humor.
Yet he was never noisy. very seldom
laughed, and about his face and voice
sometimes seemed to hang q melan-
cholly shadow. thought, afterward,
q foreshadow of what was coming.
But as say, never was there man
SO popular; even our rugged old Scotch
shepherd found q smile for Clint's
cheerful. "Well. old Thistles," while
| as for Tom, our cook and man of all
work, I verify believe the happiest mo-
ments Of his life were when Fairfax
took it into his head to assist in the
kitchen, making Tom fetch the ingre-
dients and wait on him, while he elab.
GRATED uneatable dishes for our evening
meal.
| Though at first I had hated the idea
of any one always following me about,
and had perhaps found Clint's ignor.
ance rather boring after the first amuse.
ment were of, still got quite to mis-:
the lad when ever he went of to Nelson
for day or two, and to feel lonely and
off my feed when 1 sat down without
his face at the other end of our table.
Among other of his fancies, wher
first he came, was one for q garden
Waste of time" growled; "tht
weeds will out run the flowers" Blu
he laughed at nae and set to work al
the same, and really he worked well
for though digging blistered his hands
and the sun scorched his face brick
color, he persevered until he had plo
Of ground fenced in and planted to hi
mind.
i Flowers are great humanizers," hi
would say; "only look at those chill
dren, my dear Ralph"
"The children were dirty, ragged
barefooted quartet from our secon,
shepherds hut; who hovered abou
wherever Clint was, and worshippe,
him as q wonderful being from a worl'
afar.
Poor little wretches! At one time
Il had made some efforts to improve them
and, thinking it best to strike at tn
root of the matter, began by urgin,
their miserable, reprobate mother +
. introduce something like order an
neatness into their hut. But l neve
made the attempt twice, being met by
torrent of half-tipsy abuse, and threat
ened with the loss of her husbands
invaluable station hand, and one
should really have been unwilling +
lose. 90 ~ ~ sa| -
The only step could take to mitigat
the nuisance was to remove the Who'll
family to an old hut, q mile furthe
; from the station, where Mrs. Mahaffy'
peculiarities were less obtrusive. ]
, would have seemed q wretched place
perhaps, to many an English cottageI
/ perched on q hillside, roughly built O
, planks half an inch apart. and thatche
, with towigrass. But. such as it was
: I've known people to live happily there
and make 1t look neat and pleasan,
} too. Pretty it could not fail to be i
| auch a aituafion. and IL alwava seeme