The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-12-22
Dispeliing ILLUSIONS.

In the Toledo Blade, that well-known
humorIst, ID. X. Locke, writes with becom-
ing gravity on the above topic, in its appli-
cation TO . very common experience In our
fast American LIFE,
"what westtsn man Is there who, after
stay Ia the new Wee often or dozen years,
did not 20 hack TO his old home In Massa-
chusetts or New York with great anticipa-
tians OF plea.urca lie dreamed OF IL for
months before ssrting, a"d he made careful
preparations TO make the stay at 'the old
place. q long one. lie called to mind the
JI,ns aud Toms aud Susies an.i Mays Of his
boyhood, and .thoight how delightful IL
would be 10 meet tl,ein. lie remembered
Sloans pond, where he Gshed when boy,
the mill OH the creek FROM he pond Of which
he had pulled so many bull heads, the hill
which every winter Of his boy hood had been
his resort with his sled, the old red school.
house, every orchard aud watermelon patch
he had robbed came freshly before him. HIS
blood couned quicker as the train moved
into ths station Ut was q stage-ceach In bis
dsy), and he was In the seventh heaven OF
expected pleasure by the time be had got to
his mothers house.
disappointment Of most sickening kind
followed. One Jim was In Wisconsin, an
other vas lying In the graveyard. The viii
lage itself had changed so that he could not
recognize II. The old Eagle Tavern was
zone, and In Us place was the Union Hotel.
Peck's store, with the village doctor and JUS
tics Of the peace sitting IN front, was not
there, but In lie stead huge block Of brick
buildings. The railroad had given the viii
lags start, and II was about the same as the
enc hs had lsft In the West. The woods had
oil been cut of the hills and Sloan's pond In
consequence bad dried up, the mill had been
tern down long ago; and the very river had
shrunk. Possibly Ii was ~ large a ever,
but mems eyes were different from boys
eyes. Round hill wasn't exactly the shape
OF sugar loaf, as he had always had IL In
his mind, and tho laughing, romping, red
checked SusIes and Marys Of his boyhood he
found staid, sober, worn matrons, with other
eusies and Marys TO care for. And when
Tom came TO him By found him not rosy:
checked boy with his trowsers hanging by
enc suspender, but tall, bearded man, who
had but minute TO give him. Jim, the
NEST promising boy in the village school,
and the prize scholar In the Sabbath school,
who was Intended for the ministry, he found
blsar-syed lsafer, hanging about the gin
mills lin his day root beer was The only bev-
srsgs sold In the village), and Sam, the
stupidest boy In school, YES the principal
lawyer In the county, and was being talked
Of for Congress.
"And, TO add TO his trouble, the dishes
cooked By bile mother, Ct which he had been
% fond whsn boy, tasted entirely different,
and 70 be told the good old lady, md she re-
piled, With sigh: ,.yss
at cook II Just ~ used 70, but you must
rsnsnbsr there IL adifsrence between .
boy Of fourteen, who can relish anything,
snd man OF thirty. Youhsvs changed
/. not L.
aAnd 20 instead OF making long stay, he
found the place uncomfortable, and packed
his valIse and went home at the end Of the
third day."