The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-05-30
THE OLD TREES SECRET.

LIE OLD lnUEO DEOllEl :
eve will take the house-shall we not,
Charlie" We had gone al over the
roomy, old-fashioned house. my little
wife and |, from the dusty, cobwebbed
garnet to the neglected cellars, and We
now stood together at the back of the
garden, critically surveying its appear
anCe.
1t was low two-story house, built in
9he shape of T. with cluster of tall
chimneys in the middle and the three
gables hidden in ivy. 1t had once stood
quite out of the town, which had since
gradually crept toward it. until what had
been a road was now become street of
Struggling cottages and villas, extending
to the high wall inclosing the grounds.
The lawn was shaded with old trees. and
the garden choked up with thckets of
lilac and SNOWFALL. The old lady, Mrs
Gage, who had for forty years resided
here, leading a very secluded and invalid
life, had taken no pains to keep the place
IN order, and she and the property had
decayed together, until recently she had
died, and the house was for sale.
sit looks dreadfully gloomy and neg
lected," said Cecie, gazing up at the
back windows. "Mrs. Moss, next door,
says that for twenty years no one has
occupied those upper rooms; and see
how the ivy has bound together those
shutters on the left. But it is beauti-
full old house, and l know that we can
make it bright and cheerful. And then
the garden-what delight it will be TO
hn ia nd 70 al H.
will take it, won't We Charlie2"
There was no resisting her pleading,
coaXlng manner. So that very evening
| went to see the agent, and before the
week had elapsed the house was ours.
With what zeal and enjoyment we en-
tered upon the transformation of our
new abode. The masses of ivy were torn
down from the gables or judiciously
trimmed; every door and window was
thrown wide to the fresh air and sun
light; and paint and paper, muslin cur
tains, and bright carpets and India mat
ting made the house delightful to be-
hold.
This much accomplished, we turned
our attention to the garden. 1t was al
ready June, and the season too advanced
for much improvement; but we pulled
down the rotted arbors, thinned out the
thickets of roses and lilacs, and | caused
a little round table and some rustic gar
der seats to be placed under an old tree
at the further end of the central walk.
Here, on returning from my office on the
warm, sunny evenings, we would sit
Cecie engaged with some light stitching,
and with cigar, books and papers, read
ing to her, while our little ones ran wild
mp and down the garden walks.
This is thoroughly delightful" I
remarked, one evening. GLOW is it.,
Cecie, that we have managed to live
eight years of housekeeping life without
a gardcnl"
Yes" she answered, radiantly, ait
is delightful. Living so much in the
open air one seems TO take a new and
fresh growth, like the flowers. Only"
and here she glanced uncasily around
"Only, Charlie, think fancy-that
this is not exactly the spot for our al
fresco boudor."
"Why not9 1t faces the walk, it com
mands a view of the house and the
whole garden. And these branches
hanging so low and clothed in ivy, make
a nice canopy above us. What is it that
you object to-
Il scarcely know. But somehow |
have never liked this tree"
1t was very old tree under which we
sat, with "A huge gnarled trunk growing
in sloping position near the garden
wall, and covered with ivy. About eight
feet from the ground the trunk separated
into three branches, and here the ivy had
matted itself in an impervious mass con
Cealing the decayed branches with the
exception of the eXtremities, which here
and there protruded from the green mass,
white and bare.
"They look like skeleton fingers "
said Cecie, CHANGING up, land it gives
me the horrors. think the tree ought
to be cut down. 1t always reminds me
of graveyard or a haunted house"
did not at the time pay much atten-
ton to her remarks. But some DAYS
after She again suggested that our gar.
den table and chairs should be removed
to some other spot.
81 don't know why it is" she said,
uneasiy, but | always feel nervous
here. fancy there is something pecu-
culiar about the place in the rustling of
the ivy and in the very atmosphere; |
often find myself starting and looking
around with vague sense of something
horrible. | hate the sight of that tree,
with its distorted shape end bare skeleton
arms
rallied her upon being fanciful, but
promised that the skeleton arms" of
which she complained should be cut off.
She sat silent for a moment, then said,
seriously:
"Charlie, did it ever occur to you that
certain objects in nature---trees, for in
stance-may have an individual life of
their own! don't mean the mere yege
table life, but sort of mysterious spirit
ual existence. Now, | can't help fancy