The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-05-31
THE OLD TREES SECRET
HN SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.

the roomy, old fashioned house, my
little wife and |. from the dusty, cob
; wcbbed garnet to the neglected cellars,
and we now stood together at the back
OF the garden, critically surveying its
appearance.
1t was 4 low, twostory stone house,
built in the shape of a I, 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 towards it,
until what had been a road was now
become 4 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 thichcts of lilac and
SNOWFALL. The old lady, Mrs. Gage,
who had fCr forty years resided here,
leading livery secluded and invalid life,
had taken no pains to keep the place
in order, al d she and the property had
deCaycd together, until recently she had
died, and the house was for sale.
1T looks dreadfully gloomy and neg
lccted,' said Cecie, gazing up at the
back window. 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 beau
tiful old house, and | know that we
can make il bright and cheerful And
then the garden-what a delight it will
be to the children, and to ourselves,
too We will take it, won't we, Char
lic?"
There was no resisting her pleading,
coaNing manner. So that very evening
| went to see the agent, and before a
week had elapsed the house was ours.
With what zeal and enjoyment we
entered upon the transformation of our
new abode The masses of ivy were
torn down from the gables or judi
ciously trimmed; every door and WIN
dow was thrown wide to the fresh air
and sunlight; and paint and paper,
muslin curtains, and brighs carpets and
India mating made the house delight
ful to behold.
This much accomplished, we turned
our attention to the ga-den. 1t was
already June, and the season too ad-
vanccd for much Improvement but we
pulled down the rotted arbors. thinned
out the thickcts of roses and liace, and
| caused 4 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 in the warm summer evenings,
we would st-Cccie engaged with some
light stitching, and | with cigar, books
and p1psrs, reading to her, while our
little ones ran wild up and down the
garden walks.
This is thoroughly delightful" l re-
marked, one evening. How is it,
Cccic, that We have managed to live
eight years Of housekeeping life without
4 gardcn?"
YES" she answered, radiantly, lit
IS delightful. Living so much in the
open air one seems to take 4 new and
fresh growth. like the flowers. Only"
and here she glanced uneasily around
-"only, Charlie, think fancy
that this is not exactly the spot for our
Al FRISCO boudoir."
"Why not? 1t faces the walk. it COM
mandS 4 view of the house and the
whole garden. And these branches
hanging So low and clothed in ivy,
make 4 nice canopy above us. What
is it that you object top
Il scarcely kno". But somehow |
have never liked this tree"
1t was a very old tree under which
We sat, with a huge gnarled trunk grow
ing in sloping position near the garden
wall, and covered with ivy About eight
feet from the ground the trunk sepa-
rated into three branches, and here the
ivy had matted itself in an impervious
mass, concealing the decayed branches
with the exception of the eNtremeties,
which here and there protruded from
the green mass, white and bare
They look like skeleton fingers"
said Cecie, glancing up: "and it gives
me the horrors. | think the tree ought
to be cut down. 1t always reminds me
of graveyard OF a haunted house."
did not at the time pay much at
tention TO her remarks. But some days
after she again suggested that our gar
den table and chairs should be removed
to some other spot.
Il don't know why it is, " she said,
uneasily, "but | always feel nervous
here. | fancy there is something pecu-
liar about the place-in the rustling of
the ivy and in the very atmosphere |
often find myself starting and looking
around with avague sense Of something
horrible. | hate the sight of that tree,
with its distorted shape and bare skele-
ton arms"
rallied her upon being fanciful, but
promised that the skeleton arms of
which she complained should be cut
off. She sat silent for moment, then
said, seriously:
"CharIic, did it ever occur to YOU
that certain objects in nature-trees.
for instanCc-may have IN individual
life of their own? | don't mean the
mere vegetable life, but a sort of mys