The Red Cloud chief., 1883-05-25
WAITING.


WAITING.
One day. near the end of last Sep
tcmhcr IT was the first bright day We
had had for "A week or more-i stroilcd
down the main street Of the seaport
town where j was spending my yaca-
tiun. intending To 90 out on the salt
marshes back Of the town. This main
street. although little more than "A mile
long. has a. evcntful acareer in its brief
course a. the road in the Pilgrims
Progress Chart We used to see. hung in
the sirting-room nf our grandfatbcr's
houses. Starting from the railroad. il
first passes the colony of lighthouses and
their rows Of frames covered with dry
ing cod: then il plungcs into the hurry
and hustle "f the town, running the
gauntlet between the two rival GROCER
les which stand insultingly face 10 face;
and passing the store in whose windows
are exhibited two lamp chimneys. a jar
of candy and a box Of pepper. while
overhead hangs the sign: ''B. Bcarse,
Com,nission-Merchant." Then il comes
10 the head of the wharycs. where are
congregatcd the men from the mackcrel
fleet in the harbor. talking in various
languages, or executing slow dances la
the tune of Home. Sweet Home
from icwsharps and a~ccordeons: and
then il comes out in the old village,
with the white church and the trim
houses and the flower-gardens full Of
peonicS and pansies and hollyhocks and
lark,pnr> in their season. and hemmcd
in by white pickct-fcncc>. each with its
green roll along the top.
I walked along here, catching n
glimpse through every cross street of
the harbor, until ! came out Ia where
the houses were more scattered. Thcn
the road goes up "A little hill, and from
the top YOU have In unbrokcn view Of
the harbor on n side. and On the other
the salt marshes. just beyond this hill
top and standing apart by itself, WAS
an old house which | had never noticed
much before. but which now attracted
my attention. and | stopped. II stood
back perhaps fifty feet from the road.
and was built in the common country
fashion, with one story and "a pitch roof
slanting toward the road. The blinds
were all closed. and their green had
faded To a tight blue. The white paint
of the house was much of it washed of,
anu Nl1t WIS flt WIS Iftltie
inw up. Through the crack between
the boards of the front doorstep was
growing Il row of vigorous pigwecd.
and the front ward was "A sea of Bounc-
ing-Bcts. There had been a grapc-ar-
bor At one side of the yard. but il had
gone To ruin. and the vine WAS trailing
among the weeds. You could tell where
the ilowcr-beds had been by the greater
luNuriance of growth. and along either
border Of the path. from the gate Ia the
doorway. could Ice seen the twinkle.
here and there through the weeds, of
seashcllS.
The house was surely unoccupicd.
But there WAS a certain air about
il which suggested something more
than this. Ii looked a if il were wait
ing for some onc-perhap> very far of
now 10 come and clear away the
weeds. and fill the flowcr-beds with
color. and throw open the doors and
windows and let in the sunshine.
A. | was wondering what the story of
the house might be. a white-haircd man.
who had evidently been a sailor, camc
truiging downt the road.
Who lived hcre?:" he said. in answer
to my question: why. this is old Cap'n
Pclcg's house. You can't nave been
here long if YOU haven't heard of old
Cap'n Pcleg. Would YOU like Ia look
inside? Well. I'll just 20 along here to
my house and get the KEY"
lie came hack a moment later. and
pushed open the gate. which moved
slowly on its rusty hinges. We made
our WAY through the tall weeds To the
door. and here: too. the lock and hinges
were rusty; hut nj last the door opened.
and We went into a little entry, and
from there into the parlor. Although
the room was dark-for the blinds were
closed and the curtains down-yet the
Itch, from the doorway showed that il
had q cheerful. home-like look. There
WAS a red carpet ON the floor. and TON
the walls We're hanging some bright
pictures OF schooners under full sail.
Here by the window stood a big rock
iny-chair. with a soft red cushion i'm il,
and there WAS another pulled up before
the fireplace. and on the andirons were
piled hrIlshwooI and sticks-all ready
for the match.
Its fifteen wears since that fire wa.
built said the old man. throwing
open the blinds. and then seating him
v IN tl' VI IA It'll aaao ANNNA
softly-"Yes. sir. eighteen hundred ant
siNty-threr. How time does tly.'
And is il waiting for the owner:?'
asked.
Well" said the old man, whose
name. by the way. ] found to be Nehe
miah. or Ne'miah. as he called il =
Cap'n Ne'miah Blossom-'.set down
and I'll begin the story and tell it righl
through. and then YOU can answer YOU
own question rs well as | can.
You see this house is quite old now
Cap'n Peleg's father lived here. and
then Cap'n Pelcg, and it's good now fol
three or four generation more. That
what the old man said when he built il
He was a Young man then. but he said
I'm building this house for my grand
son as well as myself So he pickle,
out this spot. Just sheltered by the hill
and yet soft YOU can look down acros
the harbor and see the vessels going il
and out, and he brought all the lumbe
from down South OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
pine-in his vessel. and had the beS
work put in. And sure enough, whel
he died Peieg brought his wife here
and counted on leaving it the same 4
his boy. Now, if l only had a daguer
reotype of Cap'n Peleg, that | raw
once. to show you. and one of his boy
you might guess the whole story, all b,
yourself. The old Cap'n had blacl
eyes and heavy eyebrows, and a heav,
jaw. and closest mouth, and Hi-tha
was the boys name-he gave promis
to take after his father.
But they got on together first-rate
Cap'n Peleg's wife died while Hi wa
only a boy, and so Cap'n Peleg and II
had to make much of each other. an
they were always together, and Cap
Peleg was forever making a willO,
whsle, or rigging q rabbit-trsp. or do
ing something else for Hi. He'd ma,