The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-12-07
miscellaneous.
Behind the Chimney.

1t was Thanksgiving forenoon, and can it
be? Yes, it was thirty years ago! Lou
Hampstead and had visited tie pantry to
see the pies which had been baked the day
before in the big stone oven.
There's mince, apple, and pumpkin ="
said Lou, in voice full of relish"
"And two little turnoversw | exclaimed,
quite sure in my own mind who would eat
them.
Then we came back in time to watch
grandmother as she turned the turkey before
the fire. The fireplace was built of great
stones, and was SO deep and broad that many
a tine | had sat in one corner of it on little
stool watching the logs burn and crumble
into Goals. But this day the fire was too big
and hot, and the long crane held three or four
iron pots, all bubblng and steaming, ready
to cook the vegetables for dinner. There
was tin "baker" before the fire, and in that
lay the turkey in a pan, slowly browning,
and smelling so good, we little girls thought.
Father and mother had gone to meeting to
hear the Thanksgiving sermon, and Aunt
Ann was busy setting the table in the "keep-
ing.room." Lou and / stood by the fire till
our cheeks grew too red and hot to bear it
any longer, and then we ran off to play.
There was tall chest of drawers in the
keeping room, and in it was one little square
drawer which had lost its brass handle. This
had a fascination for us because it was hard
to open and because it held odds and ends
After several trials we got ii open, and rum.
mayed among the buttons and spools and
Things, till we came across wooden ball,
carved with jack-knife, and inside it Sec
ond ball partly done.
ooh, how pretty" lcried. "May have
it Aunt Amp
She looked at the ball and shook her head.
put it back, Maidie," she said. "Your
grandmother thinks all the world OF that.
Giles began it before he went to sea-"
/ could remember my Uncle Giles, tall,
strong boy of seventeen when he went to
sea. That was more than two years before,
and they had not heard from him for year.
knew grandmother felt anxious about him,
and that tears came into her eyes when he
was mentioned, but was a thoughtless
child, and had not taken it to heart myself
when he comes home he can make
another" said.
"Pd put it right back, Maidie," said Aunt
Ann, as she turned away to get out the best
spoons.
But thought would play with it little
while first, and k. pt it in my hand when
we shut the drawer. Then Lou and went
up garnet to find the kittens. There they
sunshine. We reused them up for frolic,
and made them beg and hold out their paws.
Then we wanted something they could roll
about and | put the little carved wooden
ball down on the floor, only meaning to leave
it there minute till Lou got spool out of
her pocket.
But the kittens were so full of play. they
sprang ut it as quick as flash, and rolled it
along the floor towards the board partition.
ran after them, and caught them both, but l
could not find the ball.
Its gone through that hole in the boards
said Lou, when we had searched behind
boxes aud barrels in vain
Lets go around and get it," replied
The board partition separated the great
dark space which was nearly oil occupied by
the chimney, built of huge rough stones,
whose foundation rested on the solid earth,
far below, but which, though lossening in
size towards the top, was still 80 large there
by the garnet stairs that it seemed like a
stone tower On either side, between the
chimney and the garnet partitions, was q
dark, narrow, cavernous space where the
projecting stones made a foothold, and where
broken chairs had been slowed away, max
ing sort of barricade. The darkness was
almost blackness as we looked in from the
top of the stairs.
Your aunt will scold if you lose that
ball" said Lou Hampstead
you don't know. She isn't your aunt
you're only third cousin" Irepled on the
defensive, but secretly uneasy.
peered into the dark opening until my
eyes became used to the gloom, and could
see, past the broken chairs two or three
pieces of board resting on the stones, and at
the very farthest part almost was something
that might be the ball.
81 see it Pm going in after it p exclaim
ed.
| "Don't you do it You'll get killed p said
Lou.
8"But pushed in by the chairs and reached
the first board safely. There stood. leaning
against the chimney, till could see better
and then peered along on the next board
Yes, that surely was the wooden carved bal
almost at the end, half under cobweb.
took step or two farther, aud set my foot
on the second board. Then | looked on an6
down into what seemed an abyss of darkness
but far below was a little CLEAN of light
For an instant l stood wondering what il
| could be- and then took another sten reach