Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-03-10
TREASURE.

along its way, so little travelled that the
alder and blackberry bushes grew down
to the wagon. track, and the sun-bon-
neted women, who of summer mornings
might be, seen gathering the ripened
fruit. would start in surprise at the
sound of wheels. But while these homes
seemed isolated enough, their aspect
was cheerful, ;. conyivial even, bycontrast
With one that crowned low hill across
the fields. A dark. weather-stained
house. with its face turned obliquely
away from the road, and hidden in n
veil of somber pines, as though seeking
to hide itself from the memory of some
shame or the stain of some old sorrow
full crime. Even the lane, that wonted
thread of Communication between re-
tirement ;tnd the world, was wanting,
and thus Intensified its air of forlorn
solitude. Aloof, remote, apart, it stood
tenantless, it would seem, but for the
plume of smoke that crested 1t, and the
evening lights that shone from its win
dows.
The mystery, however, of its isolation,
Ike many another apparent mystery, is
easilysolved. = 1t had been built to front
a.roaa, now changed on abandoned so
long that al trace of its existence had
faded from the hills, and the occupants,
never having been able to acquire, by
purchase, the strip of land that inter-
vened betwixt them and the highway,
had contented themselves with right of
way through the field, whose slender
trace was hardly observable along the
edge of the stubble. Neither was the
remote homesteading so somber as it
appeared at distance. Nowhere
meadows waved greener than those
around it, or fruits ripened sweeter,
than in the wide outlying orchard, or sun
shine fingered later and more golden
than on the little westward-sloping, pine
shed Enclosure that had once been the
proudly cherished and tended "front
yard and that forsaken, neglected, and
doomed to decay, showed pathetic traces
Of its former state. The tall lilac
bushes still lifted on each side the
sunken gate, whose latch had grown
rusty with long disuse. Daffodils,
sweet Williams, larkspurs, and
columbines pushing sturdily through
thesE sward, showed where trim
borders had edged the walks long eff
faced 9by lush grasses, and clumps of
day lilacs flpnked the seldom trodden
steps, and flied the still air with faint,
sweet oder. Not that the spot was al
ways deserted. Often, rs on one sunny
August afternoon, it held two occu-
pants, a girl sitting on the lower step
knitting on long white stocking, and a
tan yeung fellow of eighteen, we'll
built, handsome boy, lounging on the
grass near by. A yellow haze brooded
over the wooded hills; not breath OF
air Twas stirring in the pines, only the
tinkle of a distant sheep-bell and the
buzzing of bee among the flowers
stirred the perfect quiet. "How still il
isr' said the girl, her eyes going ovel
the pleasant view. while her hands me.
chanically busted themselves with theil
task. s "Still!'' echoed her companion,
with an accent of scorn. II should
think twas; one might as well be dead
and buried. You don't know, Treas.
ure,ia@ his. tone growing more impetus
Gus. !" how iloathe it all; how sick the
thought makes me of being shutuphere
among these sitting little hills all my
life, never. seeing or knowing anything
more of the world than rs if were a
cabbagen ~ Yes, l Know said she
with wistful look in her eyes, pale
gray eyes. they were, in sallow, irreg
ular face, but clear and steady, Will,
heryoicc was, that excellent thing il
Women soft and low. Yes, you do, ,
heiassented bitterly, "and you are al
the one who knows or cares. Father
thinks ought to be eontentedto drudg,
my life away, us he has his, but can
ior won't Every man has a right to ;
Chance for life and why shouldn' /
Treasure, there is such a fever burning
here,, laying his hand with dramatic
gesture on his breast, :" urging me OF
and on, something within that tells m,
was born for Something higher ant
finer, than this treadmill around, an,
tbatsif l could only measure mysel
with other men, could make n plac,
for myself .',Of course you would
and Treasure smiled down into his eager
uplifted face. At that instant lout
call came sounding, around the house
'.fsrael! Israeli five o. clock; time to q
after the cows"
sdi'tThere it is,n exclaimed the lad, i'm
patiently! ats forever Israel d,
somethipg--plowing, or hoeing, or NOW
ing, OF hilhihg,, cohtihually, anu I'
.sronghc my npook OUT anu meant 10 u;
anu study nt,le; never mihu,
io ana y reasure roiied up her knlttlng a
shcl u sPokei my wolk - az aone' Wii
g9,Mperbl me COWS anu heip your iathe
mix to-nlght. iou can stay mere,
anu anlPly IsPa'a, py ms "ireasure yo'
atsa,treasure, she ran iiShtiy dowi
Ine pasture iane, whiie Isrisei, leit aiohe
aieer feaaing a iew pages, dropped III
ai, pook and 9rilted r away lnto most glo
[ious aay dream OF iame ana hohors
rom winch he only aroused when Treas
nre, alter bringing IN the foamlng pail
OF mix, called nm TO supper: ina
aiternoon incident was iair iliustra
tion OF me Two young hyes plossomini
IN tpe lonely iarp-houseTlsraei earle
the only child ana son OF their ola age
and treasure keid, The orphan, niece Q
Ezeklel carrie ana his wlie Eli1aoeth