The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-05-31
DEAR'S ADVENTURE Writ A
WATER-WHEEL.
BY JOSEPHINE R. BAKER.

where Harvey Gates passed his days
was a charmed spot to his little
daughter Dear. She loved to run
down the hill and spring in at the
open door to call her father to his
dinner. She loved to see the glitter
ing saw singing its way through the
hard wood, and to watch her father
as he stood at the turning-lathe with
a paper cap perched on his head, and
see the chip-like shayings fly from
his chisel and settle over and around
him, till he looked netJlite d snow
man, but like chip man, his brown
eyes looking steadily out under the
fringe Of the shazinGs l,iding his
eyebrows. But best all she loved to
stand at the open window over the
great water-wheel, and watch it 60
ing slowly and heavily round and
round. The pond'and tnill-dam lay
just above the shop, and the water
came down in a high wooden trough,
and then poured into the buckets set
thick around the outside of the wheel,
constantly coming up to be filled,
and constantly going down to pour
out thanklessly the water they had
so bountifully received, ever coming
and going ceaselessly round and
round. When the pond was full
more than enough water to fill the
buckets came down the trough, pour.
ing in a bright cascade over the
wheel; sending showers of spray in
all directions. 1t was great delight
to toss handfuls Of turning shavings
over this cascade; and see them glide
down and float away like fleets Of
ship on a turbulent stream. But in
June and July the fussy brook that
fed the pond grew shy and capricious,
giving barely sufficient water to turn
the wheel a few hours each morning;
and when August came, it hid away
in still, dark pools, overhung with
alders and interlacing grape-vines,
leaving long stretches Of its stony
bed white and bare in the blazing
sunshine. Then the great wheel
stood still for days and weeks togeth.
er. Then, if the children were very
good, Dear was permitted to take
Roundtop and Squaretop ndTiptop,
and play keep-house in the water
mheol. ~ p = Is =
This would seem to be aqueer place
to keep house in, but its. very charm
consisted in its being u queer place.
At such times the wheel was clean
and dry. With a ftttle assistance
from Dear, Roundtop and Squaretop
coAld Chamber in, Tiptop could be
lifted in, and, as there was then no
water under the wheel, if they tum.
bled out, the tumble wasof little con
sequence; indeed, it helped to diver
sify proceedings and to keep upa con-
slant refrain of warning on Dear's
part. Tie stout, square arms Of
wood that stretched hitherand thith-
er across the interior Of the wheel,
were planted around the rims, leav-
ing clear place tightly boarded
through the middle. Here Dear sat
her table and brought in bits Of
plank for seats, and fastened Tiptop
so that he couldn't get away; and as
the wheel was firmly poised, all the
running and jumping and climbing
failed to make it bulge an inch
Roundtop and Squaretop climbed
along the horizontal arms, and, with
bent pins fastened to strings, fshed
in the dry bed of the. stream-and
such trout and roach and SINNERS
as they caught One or the other
was continually getting"bites," and
and taking off imaginary fish and
putting them in imaginary baskets.
Then Dear cooked them over an i'm
aginary fire, and served them on i'm
aginary plates. But oh dear! how
hungry they were When their ihiag-
mary dinners were through! They
usually ended by a Stampede up to
the house for thick slices Of rye bread
and butter that were anything but
imaginary, and we're eaten with
great gusto out under the apple.
trees.
Directly after Dear's talk with her
father, when she told him how she
boI tr;oJ ~ ,IS' ral ba ,,on1a III; l.,