The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-11-19
Select Storg.
THE NEW BRIDGE.

The Chases were well-to-do in the world,
with farm clear Of debt, and money in
the bank. The Lawsons had not prosper
ed, for the hill farm was poor, and life
seemed a trihe hard to them. For all that,
there was aneighborly friendliness between
them. till one summer day young Thomas
Lawson crossed the Minnesauken, and
boldly asked the hand Of Laura Chase.
Never was Farmer Chase more surprised.
Had the children really grown up TO man
hood aad womanhood, ready to ask and be
given in marriage
He could not consider it for a moment.
Laura would have some little property, and
it was proper her husband should bring
something more than his two hands and
good intentions. As for any expectations
from the Lawson farm, the father and
mother and many children would need 1t
all for long time to come.
When the young man crossed the stream
that afternoon, II had threatened rain;
heavy thunder clouds we're already in the
west The stream was low, and 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-
ra met him on the damp and dripping pi-
azza, and saw from his face that things had
gone wrong. She urged him to stay till
the rain ceased, but he would not The
river. as was often it, fashion, wonld 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 90 away, win fortune and come
back and claim her She cried little over
it, and said she would wait-years if she
must So it was they parted, and he went
away in the rain toward home.
He was too late The 6tful river was
in a passion. The mountains had sent
down sudden food, and it was impossible
to cross the old ford
"A bridge is needed here. If ever I'm
rich, I'll build one
'sI'll build bridge over every obstacle
to reach you, Laura, he said as he bade
her good bye.
She was greatly pleased, and said she
would wait for him and the bridge. So it
was they. parted, he going the next day to
the city, she staying at home, patient,
hopeful and confident Between the fami-
hes there was little communication. The
seasons seemed to be always rainy, and the
ftful Minnesauken was rarely passable for
child or lover
The summer grew to winter, and winter
changed through spring to summer again.
Once a month there came letter. Farm
er Chase secretly admired the young mans
spirit in going off to learn tEzde, and per-
mitted the correspondence ON be condition
that no more than twelve letters came
wear. He little knew the ingenuity Of
lovers. Every letter contained thirty pages
With the spring had come hint Of great
changes. Surveyors had appeared with
rod and chain. They had tramped all up
and down the rocky valley of the Mime
sauken, and at last invaded the Chase and
Lawson farms A railroad would cross
that country, and after several weeks of IN
vestigation on the part Of the surveyors,
and rather feverish suspense on the part OF
the farming people, it was decided that the
line would strike the river on the two farms
just where the child-lovers had played
Farmer Chase had barely time to get an
early crop of grass from his best field be
fore it was destroyed by heaps of stone and
gravel earted down from the hills. The
Lawson farm was on much higher level,
and in place of building lofty viaduct on
his land, Farmer Lawson saw it torn up for
cutting 4 rude wooden bridge was
made. and part of the Lawson boulders and
gravel was strewn over the Chase meadows
IA queer irony of fate on the two families.
The river bank on the Chase side was low
and sandy, and here came masons and stone
cutters, with huge derrieks and great blocks
of cut stone. a solid wall of masonry for
ty feet high was erected facing the river,
and on the opposite bank, high on the bluff,
was smaller wall, the two being level at
the top. Between the stone abutment on
the Chase meadows and the hill behind the
barn grew up vast embankment noun
tain Of gravel, directly in front of the
house. The snow fell before this was I'm
ished. and then the work stopped for along
time. People said the company had failed,