Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-02
THE NEW BRIDGE.

The Chases were well-to-do In the world,
with farm clear of debt, and money in
the bank. The Lswsons had not prosper
ed, for the hill farm was poor, and life
seemed a trifle hard to them. For all that,
there was nelghborly friendliness be-
tween them, till one summer day young
Thomas Lawson crossed the Mlnnesauken,
and boldly asked the hand of Laura Cha.e.
Never was Fam Chase more SURPRISED.
Had his children really grown up to man
hood and womanhood. ready TIC ask and be
given in marriage?
lie could not consider it for moment
Laura wol Id have sumo little property y, and
it was pr per her husband should bring
something more than his two hands AMI
good IN entions. AS for any expectation
from the Lawson farm. the father and
mother and many children would need it
ali for long time to come.
When the young man crossed the stream
that afternoon, it had threatened rain
heavy thunder clouds were already in the
west. Tne stream Was low, a:id he had
leaped from stone to stone, and crossed dry
shod. The storm burst over the mountain
while he was in the house, and when he
started for home it WAS raining fast. Lau-
"a met him on the damp and drip. ing rl-
azz4, and saw from his free that things had
gone wrong. She urged him to stay till
The rain erased, but he would not The
river, AS was often its fashion, would rise;
suddenly, and he would not be able to
cross. She told him it made no difference
in her heart; and he on his part said he
would go away, win a fortune and come
back and claim her. She cried Il little over
it, and said she would wait-syears if she
must. So it was they parted, and he went
away in tie rain toward home.
lie was too late. The fltful river was in
! passion. The mountains had sent down
, sudden food, and it was impossible to
cross the old ford.
IA fridge is need. here. If ever I'm
CT, LII build one.''
''I'l build Il bridge over every obstacle
to each you. Laura" he said as he babe
her good bye.
She was greatly pleased, and said she
would wait for him ami the bridge. So it
was they parted, he going the next day /"
the city. she staying at home, patient,
hopeful aud confident. Between the fam.
lilies there was little commute alton. The
seasons seemed to lie always rainy, and he
titful Minnesauken Was rarely passable for
child or lover.
The summer grew to winter. and winter
Once month there came letter. Farm
-r Chase secretly admired the young man s
spirit in going off to learn a trade, and
'ernitted the ,rresppndenca on the con-
lition that no m,re than twelve let
fers came year. lie little knew the
ingenuity of lovers. Every letter csnt.i :
ed thirty pages. With the spring had
come hint of great changes. SURVEYORS
had ap Feared with rod and chain. They
',ad tr ,mped all up and down the rocky
yalley of the Minuesauken, and at last in
vailed tie Chase and Lawson farms. A
railroad weuld cross that country, and af
t several weeks Of investiga ion on the
part of the surveyors, AID rather fevprish
suspense on the part OF the flrming pen-
pie. it Was decided that the line would
strike the river on the two farms just
where the chill-overs had played
Farmer Chase had barely time to get an
early crop Of grass from his best field tie
fore it was destroyed by heaps of stone and
sravtl ed down from the hills. Tn
Lawson farm was on a much higher level,
and in place of building lofty via1uct on
his land, Farmer Laws IN saw it torn up
for ing. A rude wooden bridge was
made, ana part Of Che lawson boulders
and gravel was strewn over the Chase
meadows - queer irony of fate on the
two families. The river bank on the Chase
side was low and sandy, and here cams MI
sons, and stone-cuttsrs, with huge derricts
and great blocks of cut stone. A solid
wall of masonry forty feet high was cree
bank, hi4h on the bluff, was smaller
wall. the two being level at the top. Be
tween the ST. one abutm4nt on the Chase
meadows and the hill behind the barn
grew up a vast embankment, mountain
of gravel, directly in front of the house.
The snow fell before this was finished AID
then the work stopped for long time
People said the company had failed, that
the road would never be built, and so on.
However. every man had been paid for his
land. and then could not complain. The
delay was really eau sed by a tunnel that
had to I've cut through the mountains about
five miles to the west of the river.
Laura Chase received her twenty-sixth
letter, and seemed to grow in beauty and
good spirits day by d'y. The suddenly
appeared the track-lay .rs, and 1t was ru-
mored that the tunnel was nearly finished.
In less thar two weeks the first engine, a
rusty. battered affair, came up and halted
OF the top Of the great embankment. II
had brought UP long line of flat cars
loaded with heavy timbers. The neigh
bors said it was to build bridge. far the
Temporary bridge WAS long ago swept aWav