The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-05-31

soiuen uour ol tne tWenty-lour.
Sometimes she spent it in wander.
ing up and down the brook tha,
bounded the Gates farm, northeaster.
ly, till she knew every bend aud turn,
every clomp of alders and shining
pool, making friends with all the
fishes therein. Sometimes she spent
it in the belt Of woods on the oppo.
site side of the brook, learning, hall
unconsciously, wonderful wood-lore,
But as she grew older, the hour was
oftenest spent hidden in some soli,a.
ry nook, book in hand, lost to all
things else, till q sudden blast from
the tin horn her father kept at the
shop warned her that the hour had
come to its end. Not unfrequently
during the long, hot Summer days
the hour was passed in the water.
wheel, lying where the curve of the
wheel sloped upward, with one hand
under her cheek, cool and quiet, she
read uninterruptedly on and on. She
fell into this habit early one Sum.
mer, while yet the pond yielded
enough water to turn the wheel q
few hours in the morning. The gate
which shuts down over the entrance
of the trough being under water, and
not strictly water-tight, a small por.
tion would trickle through and run
down to the wheel, slowly filing two
or three of the topmost buckets, and
when they were quite full the wheel
suddenly turned halfway round
spilling the @ater out, and, swayine
slowly to and fro for a moment, the
huge wheel regained its former poise
and stood waiting till more buckets
filled, when the same operation was
repeated again and again. Dear al
ways knew by the tremulous, vibra'
tory motion, when the wheel was
losing its balance, and was ready tc
slide with it when the rush came
She liked that; it was better than
sliding down hill, for there was nc
sled todrag up. She called the wheel
her coach, and the buckets her
horses, but she very well knew that
her position would be dangerous
one, if, by any accident, sufficient
water should get into the trough to
turn the wheel continuously. Els.
cape between the revolving arms
would be almost impossible, and she
would soon become dizzy and ex.
hausted in continually sliding with
the turning wheel. For this reason
she was careful to know that the
wheel had stopped running for the
day, before venturing within. But
with all her caution she was one day
caught.
There had been a sharp shower the
previous afternoon, and the pond
had more than its usual supply for a
July day, and after running till noon
there was still sufficient water re-
naming 10 turn the wheel. The
gate, however, was closed; and, after
dinner, Dear saw her father drive off
with wagon load of bobbins for one
of the cotton-mills farther down the
valley. Dear's mother was very
busy, and Tiny, the new baby, was
fretful, and Dear agreed to take her
hour later in the day than usual.
1t was past four o'clock when Dear,
book in hand, stole down to the 81.
lent mill. How cool and still it was
there! How pleasant it was to hear
the drip, drip of water into the buck.
cts, which slowly filled, and at long
intervals suddenly turned the wheel
half round! 1t was pleasant to hear
the trickling of the stream as it
hastily scud away from under the
wheel, but pleasanter still TO lift her
eyes from the page, and see the noise
less nestle of the birds hidden in the
cool, green alders at the opposite side
Of the brook. But presently she
grew absorbed in her book, and lost
all consciousness Of. sight and sound;
feeling, without thinking, the tremor
of the wheel, and making ready for
the rush as the buckets filled and
went down from time to time.
Meanwhile the hour drew to its
close. Harvey Gates had returned,
and was stepping around in the mill
overhead. Dear did not hear him,