Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-06-26
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
A COMFORTABLE HoMB.
"Looks sort of showcry like" said
John Parsons, coming into the sllanty
the day before The girls were to go to
Sacramento, and finding them and their
mother with eyes which gave evidence
of weeping, packing up their wardrobes
preparatory TO starring.
al believe shall cry myself If you
wimin folks don I stop lookin' so sick
like about the mouth. You don't want
to see an old man like me cry, do you,
nowpn
Come, mother, cheer up. You know
the girls II be in good hands, that I'll treat
em well and let us know if anything
happens 'em. Tain fer very long any
way; only few months, an was
gone from you all more than six years,
and If hadn't n left you we wouldn't
have had this ranch to-day, which will
soon be the finest in the whole country;
worth all the hard work and suGerin'
we've gone through.
"At least" he added, meditatively,
"as well worth it as anything that poor
folks gifts is worth what it costs 'cm.
"And here's Johnny, he's q houseful
OF himself, amt you, johnny? You
won't let mother and me git lonesome,
VIII you#
But the yog1 ester had caught the in
fcction of tears. and his fathers forced
at; empt at beiFg iocular could not re-
move the feeling of coming loneliness
that was casting its shadow before, and
he stood still and looked silently at the
preparations for the departure of his
sisters with an expression on his face OF
sadness and half of baby wisdom, as if
he halted between sorrow for the COM
ing loss of the girls and regrets that his
parents had no better Judgment than to
permit their going.
The morrow saw them depart. A few
months later, beautiful day in spring
saw them return, improved in mind and
appearance from the contact with those
whose thoughts and deeds had sought
or were seeking, different channel
than that to which their own had been
confined
If John Parsons had been proud of
his girls before, he was doubly SO now;
for he could not fail to see that assGci-
alton with people of education had CIV
en- an added grace to the body us well
as the mind. And, unwittingly per.
haps, the young people OF the neighbor-
hood showed them Il tritlc more defer.
ence than Was usually given to those oi
their own age and condition in lie.
This Difference was in no sense obse-
quiousness; it was but the natural en
press on of that respect which all, even
those least ambitious of excellence, feel
for others who are known to be striv-
, ing to make themselves wiser and bet
| ter.
Mrs. Parsons was not less pleased than
her husband. She also noticed the est
teen in which her girls were held by
young and old; and that while thcy
aided rs willingly and cheerfully in the
household work, or in that of the vino.
| done, they saw that the performance OF
| duty to themselves and to society, bu,
that the mind aud the heart were en-.
titled to cons deration as well as the
body.
AS for Erastus, ae felt little sh!
when he welcomed it,e girls on their re
turn. True, he kissed aoth Jennie and
her sister, but somehow it was not the
hearty kind of smack with which he
had biddrn them good bye, and he held
Lucy's hand while he kissed her, instead
of giving her hug as he had done the
morning they left
AS for Johnny, ne was in ecstac es
for had not the g rls brought him half
dozen things that he had been wanting
and expecting ON their returnp Be,
sides, he should have some one to help
hunt hens nests and look for ducks
eggs in the water of the creek, where
they persisted in laying them if they
We're not watched and shut up every
night.
A few days after the return of Jennie
and Lucy the carpenters came and be
gan work on the new house. All the
spring and summer they were busyi
and when they left, there stood in
front, and little above the old shanty,
which was henceforth to be used for
fruit-packlng and drying purposes, 81
two-story frame house with green blinds
and verandah on three sides; the
coolest, most comfortable, most hos
pitable-looking house You would see in
a months travel.
And no more hospitable family ever
lived than that which gathered about
the table of John and Martha Parsons,
and partook of the rich fruits and well.
cooked meats and vegetables with
which it was daily spread.
No struggling miner, weary will
travel and wanting rest and food, evel
left their gate without at least slen
wish that blessings might descend and
rest upon the household
To ramble about the broad porcl
and through the open rooms, or tc
gather around cheerful fire in tht
wide CRATE in the sitting-room, CAM
both the young and the old of tht
neighborhood.
The occasional traveller through the
country on business or pleasure heart
of the Parsons ranch; its splendidl,
titled acres; its luscious fruits and ID
hospitable owners, miles before h,
reached it, and Travelled an hour late
that he might knock Mt its gates ans
obtain permission to spend the nigh
beneath its broad roof.
To BE CoNTINUED.
Chickens, two minutes after the,