Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-03-28
RUNNING THE TOLL.

s'Just hint at running the toll and
grandma viii tell you a story" said
Lily Weatherbee, demure as a little
Quaker and sweet as a wild rose, looking
up from her Kensington stitch.
Grandma overheard her and answered
with y smile that made her piercing
black eyes sparkle ike diamonds.
Il don't think you Will ever run the
toll, Peace and Plenty" she said. That
was the name she lad given Lily when
she was baby.
''No, indeed; one in the family of that
sort is quite enough" laughed the girl;
''but here is Hattie waiting to be
amused, and you must tell her about
it,"
"Well, how shall begin, chatter
box?"
"Why, tell her about the old house
with the gray moss clinging to the raf-
ters. and the haunted window and the
great barn, first.
'Tbe haunting was easily enough ac-
counted for" SAID grandma, rolling up
the stockings she had been mending
and taking of her spectacles; "that was
the tapping of the old horse chestnut
when the wind blew, but il was long
time before / found out the meaning of
the three mysterious knocks-always
three-and when did, what fun / had
at the expense of Miss SIlena Cross, our
dress maker, who had taken infinite
pains to prove that j was favored with
spiritual yisltsl Poor Miss Silenai i
never saw a creature more disappointed.
As for the barn, ii had originally been
built for a Westinghouse, but never
having been finished on account of lack
of funds, my grandfather took it for
debt and turnedit to very good account.
That old barn was a great institution,
and was regularly farmed out during
winters for revival meetings, dances,
husk ng frolics and sundry other things.
One night We let tramp sleep there,
and the consequence was that by noon
next day there was nething left of the
barn but smoke and ashes. Poor fatherl
1t had been a source of income, and
nothing could take its place, Every
body mourned the destruction of Uncle
Hram's Da,n,' but nobody offered to
rebuilt it.
1--WE were poor, not that @e suffered
for the necessaries of life. The farm
kept our table, but my father worked
too hard for an old man, and his boys
were all girls. The fact of our poverty
never troubled me, however; L was too
happy. Only give me plenty OF fun,
plenty OF sunshine and nothing seemed
hard to me. My genius at lmprovislng
all sorts of amusements made me a
general fayorlte IN society. Nobody
looked down upon me because L wore
calico and worked from morning TIL
night. In fact, Jack was always IL
re0u,sition: II was Jack who took the
lead at our merry gatherings, who filled
the gap with some audacious gossip
when nobody knew what to say, who
was afraid OF nothing-who was, an
rather sorry to add careless OF conse
ouences. so that she had good time.
.'But was happy; nobody can eVel
take that consolation from me. neVel
sighed for what was unattaInable. ran
weather or foul, washing or baking,
home or at the country side parties
/ Was always at peace with the world
though my one best muslin gown ha'
done duty for several years.
"Ob. grandma, what would you hav'
thought then of pink satin Reception
dress. and everything to match, hK
the one l am having NADER exclalne'
Lily. -,
Shouldn't a heen bit happier, IN.
dear. couldn't a been," was the cain
response. Besides; young glriS ne,e
wore SATIN III those days. bless you
plain white null was considered dress.
snouol, with flowers, which, to m.
taste are prettier than jewels and day
And now am coming to how ran III
tou Ned Hamilton vas considered on
of the best young men III town. u
wonld ~ been handsome but his nos
was too thin and MS eyes were 700 cioS
together, though they were me eye
Ar all events, he was q great la'ori.e
and the girl who secured him ior
nortner considered herself fortunate
Nobody treated him Just exactly ~
did for would tell him to his iace 'n1
he was ccnceited, though secretly ~
fool hattered by hJs attention. SUI
nose tne great Eosedale farm had som'
th;no 10 do with it, and the two gray
and the handsome carryal. Perm pS
vas ambitious and didn't exactly kno
=. for To tell the truth, when L dld thin !
of him at all seriously 1t was the u
farm that loomed up, not my ihue y
hir, To be Mrs. Hamilton-the han
was a good one-to step Io and d
homely one-story house INTO any ~ y.
mansion, where the furniture nau o., os
for a hundred years-that was SON
thing for a poor mans child to achieS
was very proud and happy when
sbowad me any unusual attention. :,
J;S stir what vanity had to see u
taam at our cottage door, to pass o
saana;ntances seated beside him, 10
singIed out at parties-me IN my pi..
dress with perhaps only rose "' -
throot and another III my hair.
"Noy confess that you were N"
some. grandma, said LILY. 5eo
THAT'S not for nae to say, nls -o.h us'
,bonob l believe they did call me ra:,i
nrotty One day Ned Hamilton lnvi'
Pc to 90 with him to Silver oPray'
i.,t:fnI waterfall, six miles away.
was narticularly pleased with 'he ~
,a,;o1 m INST at that time, for matters
LONE ~ were complicated, and the a.lh' y
nm h ,ras not agreeable. Father u
been paying money Oh on . orsssNnot or,
that always made him :ssrabIe clgso 4
exactly, but very, very I'm miaT and the sou
sight OF his sorrowiul l"ce osnsed " us all
of his depressed voice ca'iseu
feel more or less wretched, T.. a ma
aTbat night there was 10 pS DE- p =,
at the house OF Judge Mils. .,la ,ccaslon ng n
gave one year. on on the Poor Nee
Meeny Mills birthday. ,;rsn. ro but
Judge was rich. and l,.sheos she sUss she n ne
latest fashions, so perhaps had b,
realized rasIi how plain she was. dss nAa TAX (,
basy over my only white sddss dsfsS si; Of eai
tuck out here and ADDING ender tina
there, wishing, for W0n'e'' '