The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-27
written for the Free Trader
LOCUST VALLEY;
OR,
MONEY Is POWER.
BY DIR. sTEINWAf.

To me il was superb, and was transported
10 the land of poetry, song and sen'lmehl-H'''
bnly. imagined Mr., Ward "a Nenltlan fora
nvlpc the gondola, and Julia fair Italian
princess. and myself the favored guest"
We arrived at home at half past ten, partooR
os q Urht lunch, retired at II, and | lay awake
two hours listening TO the sweet music from
parties OF young people, who ala not leave ''le
water until one O'Clock. | at length fell
a,leep and did not awake until seven O'Clock
next morning.
AT halt past ten We went to the OLD South
Common NJ. T. church and heard sermon
from the eloquent Irish evangelist, john New
land Malit from the text, What proiitelh it a
man if he gam the whole world and lose his
cwn soul?" He was wonderful man; we
heard Kim several evenings Of the next week,
and saw the penitents focklng to the alter by
the score,
We spent week with our friends in the
smoky city and then returned home.
CHANGES.
NV mother had been dead two years, my
,ttle sister one year, and we were all very lone
~. Ny father was counselcd to marry again
lie was in the prime of hie-God had made a
woman for him away of in the state OF Mary
land. Thither he directed him through friends,
aud he went and got her and brought her home
We all liked her, and now we appeared to live
pgain; sunshine bright and uninterrupted WIS.,
ped us-my life was once more happy
dream.
But my uncle, for whom was named, wish
ell me to come and stay with HIM, and he
would send me to school constantly. ! went
a. his Virginia home IN Loudon county, among
the grand old mountains AS spent almost
two years there, must give the reader some
description Of the spot that became much en-
deared 70 me. In a lovely valley, eight miles
west of the great Potomac, AMI in sight oil the
Blue Ridge, was nestled close by the mountain
side my uncle's lovely home,-a spacious
BRICK MANSION with many outbuildings and
numerous cleared fields and meadows, and a
fine old wood skirting the farm on the west
Large Lombardy poplar trees stood in the
yard, geese and ducks swan in the pond be
low the spring house, and guincas roasted in
the trees near the yard, and kept up their eter
nal "pot.track" until could have rung every
blst one of their necks, so tired did grow OF
thelr uncarthly racket which sounded dreary
in my loneliness, for had no companions
outdoors but large, magnificent brown New
loundland dog. He and had many a lively
romp together, both in summer and in the
deep snow OF the winter time. Ny uncle was
away all the day, and my aunt was sickly and
nervous, 80 that | was sad at times; yet had
my wagon and my sled. With the one gath
cred the mammoth walnuts of this favored re
glon in the fall and in the winter slid down
the long hillside, and Ponto and climbed the
hill together
But 81 school | had the most pleasant of
companions. The little girls were modest and
free and the boys, after my first "hazlng,"
were kind had to show my grit, and pound
one or two of the boys, and then my "charac-
Ter" was established, and all went pleasant as
were ever schooldays on this mundane sphere.
] had my swcethearls of course, and In after
years me, them, the happy wives Of proud
husbands glad to see me and
TUX over old times. But I must not iingcrI
too long over my CHILDHOOD days, as stirrngI
event, were 10 come.