The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-02-22
BREAD UPON THE WATERS

In an open SpfllS WaSoh ON
beautiful morning in June two
women were driving along lonely
road which wound by the sea. On'
was much younger than the other
with q gentle sweet face, and earn
est. brown ewes. There was about
her an air of refinement and culture
which her companion sadly lacked
She appeared absorbed in watching
the ever restless sea but as the
wagon turned sudden bend in the
road. her gaze vas attracted by an
Iold house which stood some distance
from the shore, and she uttered an
exclamat on Of delight.
"How beautiful r she said
"and vet how lonely and desolate
Does any one live there, Mrs
Blount?"
yes" was the answer. Mrs.
Granger lives there, but she's crazy.
Nobody visits her, and she visits no
BODY"
How sad = said the young wo-
man. ~0ne would imagine thatliy-
ing in such q spot at this, with no
sound save that of the breaking OF
waves to disturb the silence, the
mind might grow calm.
The house was built ofgray stone,
and showed the marks of many wild
storms which had beaten upon it.
Over the greater portion Of it crept
the heavy trailing ivy, in which
wild birds had built their nests.
The grand stone steps before the
door were covered with vines.
Several of the shutters, torn from
their hinges, lay where they had
fallen, and over them, too, was
creeping the heavy ivy, which
threatened to encon,p pass everything.
The chimneys were broken, cornice
and column were warped and split,
and the massive wood work about
doors and windows was old and
worm eaten. The grounds about it
were an intricate tangle OF brush
wood. Flowering shrubs, which
had been planted here and there,
had grown from lack of attention
and pruning, into wild and unshape-
iy trees. Rosebushes, blooming
luxuriously in red, white and yellow,
grew in every direction and wild
vines and unsightly weeds choked
up the paths. The gates and
fences were broken and dilapidated.
and about the whole place there was
a lock of such ruin and decay that
gentle little Mrs Arden's heart ach-
ed as she looked upon If. 1t seem
ed to her that this .onely, deserted
place had a story to tell a story
fall Of human love, heart break and
disappointment, and, with her face
full of interest, she asked Mrs.
Blount il she knew what had driven
Mrs. Granger .nad.
"Oh, | don't know thatshcs what
you ought 10 call downright mad,
was the answer "but she's ever
as,in' peculiar, that's sure. You
zee, ten years ago she came down
lere with her husband and two chill
lren 10 pass the summer. Her hus-
oand bought this house and fitted
{ up as fine as a fiddle, an they cal
,ulated on fine time. but they
hadn't been settled more'n two
weeks when the trouble came. Mr..
iranger and the two children went
,ut in boat and all was drowned.
The body OF the little girl was the
My one that came ashore. They
Ieyer found the others. Folks say
hat Mrs. Granger stood on the
each watching for them when
ONE men came up with the little
iris body. She carried it herself
D the house and shut herself up,
efusin' to see a soul. She's never
1T the house since, except to walk .
, the beach or to the chiid's grave. (
hey say she sits on that grave for
ours at time"
"And does no one 90 to see her T?
las no effort to comfort her been
lade ?" asked Mrs. Arden, whose
arm heart was deeply touched at
lis story of a sisters sorrow.
'Oh. folks did 90 at first" replied
Irs. Blount. Shed no lack of
,mp'ny. Bout everybody in the
iIlage called and tried to show her
lat her trouble was all for the best.
ld was meant to turn her triliin'
cart TO heaven, but she never said
othin' in answer. She sat like
IN, an if she heard she didn't let
!. After a time she wouldn't see
lybody. and of course people
opped goin' there. !!
Poor soul p murmured Mrs. Ar
n. 30, what should | be without
y dear husband and my cdild ?"
i'd she sprang out of The wagon as
stopped before a large, comforta-
G house in the village, and caught I
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