The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-06-23

/ prlSeQ the only cl1GlDle QatuSelS ITOm
which to choose within the township.
But the burning of the venison steak
he had laid upon the Goals recalled him
to. his cheerless surroundings, his pres
ent discomfort, and he repeated with
even more emphasis than before, al
must marry"
ii.
1t was a rude temple of learning,
that little log school-house set in a
niche of the woods among the hills that
rise from the Chagrin River, the oozing
sap at the ends of the logs showing
how little while before they had fur
nished home for free wild birds, in
stead of forming prison for restless
boys and girls. 1t was, in truth, not
only a new school-house, but the first
in the new township of Kirkland. It's
location had been a long-considered
| question; its erection an event of high
import, celebrated as general gala
day Well might the handful of settlers
view it with just pride. Little and low
though it was, with four-paned win
| dows, puncheon door and roof, and the
| rudest of benches, was it not sturdy
scion of the grand liberty-loving edu-
cational parent stem of New England,
set in good ground and destined to
bring forth fruit an hundred folda But
the reality, beyond which lay all the
future promises, consisted that first
term of only some dozen urchins, pre-
sided over by brown-eyed, girlish
teacher, who received for her services
the magnificent salary of seventy-five
cents a week and the privilege of
boarding around in district that COW
cred some four miles. TIE school
house having been delayed in building.
the term has extended till the close of
October But the last day has ended,
the children have disappeared in the
shadowy wood, and Joicy Sweet, the
young teacher, having hidden goodbye
to her little flock, turns down the
rudely-marked road that leads to
the, as yet, bridgeless river, which
having been swollen by autumn
rains, has prevented her from
sending word to her own home q mile
or more distant on the other side for
"brotber Ben and the oxen" to be in
readiness. The omission, however,
matters little. Philemon Reed, whose
house perches on the rivers edge, has
more than once ferried her over in his
"dug out" and will doubtless render
the same service again, while the little
hair trunk can wait more convenient
season. But the primitive craft is gone
from its moorings, and inquiry of Mrs.
Philemon eicits the discouraging in
formation that .he's gone down to the
mouth of the river and 1t amt no ways
likely will be back before mornin' "
Joicey turned away under a chill cloud
of disappointment. She was no house
J less wanderer; plenty of doors would
| H. &>b h.rf ohk traA nj
boarding around. She wanted to &C
} home; had planned to 60. The frustra
ton of her purpose vexed her out o.
all proportion to its importance, ant
walking down to where the slightly
, marked wagon tracks entered the water
she looked long and wistfully across
with the smoke of her own chimney
almost in sight. but yet so unattainable
Teams from the other side were not in
frequent, but now no creak of ladeI
} wagon or shout of driver gladden. hel
ear. Wearisome and fruitless in tn,
: waning afternoon her watch woulC
doubtless be, and with wistful sigl
she was about turning away, when he
eye, glancing little way above tn,
ford, where two tall trees, the growth
of opposite sides of the river and up
rooted in some forgotten tempest, had
in falling, caught and interlaced thei
tough and whitened branches, thu
r forming a natural bridge across tn,
/ stream over which she had often seel
squirrels darting, and which one or twt
adventurous hunters were reported {,
/ have dared The sight seemed t,
: bring new thought to Joicey, and TO
: several moments she stood lookin;
t from the rushing river, cleaning 81
l cold and pitiless in the clear sunshin
t to the slight and narrow causewa,
t spanning it, to brave which would, in
/ deed, require firm foot and stead,
: nerve, and where false movemen
( meant death. But Joicey Sweet car
ried under the straight folds of he
l linsey-woolsey gown the dauntless, ad
/ venturous spirit of true pioneer
i The sense of danger that would hav
I dismayed a weaker woman, onl
brought clearer light to her eye, an
5 a quicker beat to her pulse, young
I vigorous, supple, over-fiowing wit
+ health, and gaiety long restrained b
1 the decorum expected OF "teacher,
l the very audacity of the undertaking
: fascinated. She glanced around. TIL
Reeds windows were hidden by a spu
, of the hills, no one was in sight. "Py,
} a good mind to try it." she said aloud
, swinging herself lightly up onto tn
, PROSTATE trunk. The trees on the op
posite shore seemed to beckon her Z
: cross, the river below murmured sui
: len undertone as of defeat. She looke'
: down on her vanquished foe with
2 pleasurable sense of conquest.
! will do it!'' she exclaimed, fasteninl
4 her shawl more closely and advancing
! cautiously but swiftly. But the under
taking was destined not to end as IN
observed as it had begun. The distanc
was hardly half made, when she wa
startled bv the splashing of hoofs in tn
water, and steadying herself by one o
the dead branches through which sh