The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-07-02
THE OlD TREEs sECREITII.

THE OLD TREES SECRET.
owe viii take the house shall
we not, Charlie2' We hadgone III
over the roony old.fashionedhouse
my little wife and /, from the dus
W, cobwebbed garret to the neg
lected cellars, and we now stood
together at the back Of the garden,
critically surveying its appear.
ance.
1! was a low two,story house.
built in the shape of a 7, with q
cluster oftall chimneysin the mid.
die 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 be.
coming a street Of struggling cot.
tages and villas, extending TO the
high wall inclosing the grounds.
The lawn was shaded with old
trees, and the garden choked up
with thickets Of lilac and SNOWFALL.
The old lady, Mrs. Gage, who had
for forty years resided here lead.
ing 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.
"It looked dreadfully gloomy and
neglected" said Cecle, 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 a beautiful
old house, and | know that we Gun
make it bright and cheerful. And
then the garden-what a delightit
will be to the children and to our.
Too. We will take it, won't
we, charlie2".
There was no resisting her plead.
ing, Coaxing 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 entered upon the transforma,
tion ofour new abode. The emasses
ofivy 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 carpetsand India
mating made the house delightful
to behold.
This much accomplished, we
turned our attention to the garden.
1t was already June, and the seq,
son too advanced for much i'm.
provement; but we pulled down
the rotted arbors, thinned out the
thickets of roses and lilacs, and
caused q little round table and
some rustic garden 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-CeCio engaged with
some light stitching, aud l with
cigar, books and papers, reading tc
her, while our little ones ran will
up and down the garden walks.
"This is thoroughly delightful,
l remarked, one evening. "HoH
is it, Cecie, that we have managed
to live eight years Of housekeeping
life without a garden3"
EYES," she answered, radiantly
"it is delightful. Living so much
in the open air one seems to take {
new and fresh growth, like the
flowers. Only" and here sht
glanced uneasily around-"Only
Charlie, l think-I fancy-thal
this is not exactly the spot for oul
alfresco boudoir."
"Why notR 1t faces the walk, il
commands a view Of the house ant
the whole garden. And these
branches hanging so low and cloth
ed in ivy, make u nice canopy
above us. What is 1t that you Oh
ject !oH
~ scarcely know. But somehow
l have never liked this tree"
Twas a very old tree undel
which we sat, with a huge gnarled
trunk growing in a sloping po
sition near the garden wall, ant
covered with ivy. About eighI
feet from the ground the trunk
separated into three branches, ant
the ivy had matted itself in ar