The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-05-07

In many parts Of England one may find
pretty picturesque farms empowered In
trees like the Meadow Farm; but In every
farmhouse one cannot fluid genius
"born, not made" Nature had been law
fish in her gifts to this son Of the people.
| She had given him handsome face, with
a broad open brow, rounded Mt the tenn
pies, and large, frank, clear blue eyes,
with sweetness all their own. II was n
singular face, although handsome one
| The upper part-thc open brow, the clear
eloquent eyes-was the face Of II poet
The lower part-the firm well-closed lips,
| the determined chin betOkencd great APP
| titude for business. Nature had also CIV
| en- him musical voice, CHEEKY genial
laugh, manly wcl-knit figure, with broad
chest and broad shoulders. Yet these
were the least Of her gifts. lie had poets
soul, and quick, keen, loving apprecia-
tion Of all that was beautiful. Nanc
Fraser had ambition, which upheld his
genius, and made 1t OF use to him. lie
was out Of place ut the farm, where every
one worked from sunrise to sunset, where
ambition and enterprise were dead letters,
and the quality most valued was stOlid i'll
dustry.
The household ut the farm was limited.
| The father, stephen Fraser, was n simple
| honest man vino had not al idea outside
| his iarm-tO whom the rain and the sun.
shine, the frost and the warmth, made up
| the sum total of life. lie loved his wife
and his children Ia PLAN unaffected FASH
| ion. lie was u perfect type Of the Eng
| fish tenant-farmer-lcarnud in all matters
| that concerned the weather, the crops,
and cattle, but utterly ignorant OF liia or
the world outside the farm. His younger
son Vano he did not understand-indecd
s.s
boy who poured over books while every
one else slept, and yet did not care to put
his hand to the plow. But, when he found
that his son, by II simple Invention OF his
own, lessened to some extent the labor OF
| blowing, his contempt was absorbed Ia adj
| miration.
| "IIe is not like the rest Of u.s." he would
say, abiding TO Vane.
| With wondering eyes he followed the
| boys movements. Nune Invented fast
ening for the gates, which the farmer new
er wearied OF showing to his friends and
praising; in fact, the little farm was full
Of his inventions. There was not wall,
gate, door, or II window, that Nane
had not in some way improved, altered or
repaired. lie had made tue pretty path
of stones over the brOUA; hc had designed
u rough bridge that would save people
| u
good homely father, plodding along con-
tentedly ut his plOw, wondered now 1t
was that he had so clever II son, and
whence the boy got his talent.
The mistress Of the Meadow Farm,
Catherine Fraser, was superior to her hus-
band. She was woman Of great natural
talent, but OF little education; and IL was
from her that Vane inherited his genius
The farmer had great respect for his
wife. Her dairy was perfection, her house
famous for its neatnessi her butter was
the richest and the milk the sweetest, for
miles round. Had any one told tue farmer
that his wife had In her soul longings that
were never gratited, wishes that found no
utterance, thoughts that knew no words,
he would have refused 10 believe 1t or
thought the person who told him so, mad.
Catherine Fraser had one Idol on earth,
aud 1t was the gifted sou in whom her soul
found voice.
The third important member of the
household was bonnie bright Kate, the
only daughter, whom both parents wor-
shipped-the farmer, after stolid fashion
Of his own; the mother, with an unox-
pressed wish that the poetry and romance
which had SO completely failed in her own
life might brighten that Of her daughter.
Mrs. Fraser hoped great things from the
genius of her son Vane; but she hoped
still greater from the fresh bright beauty
of her daughter Kate. Kate was village
beauty, with creamy clear brown skin,
having the vivid hue Of damaSk rose, a
mouth like cloven rose, ripping black
hair and a strong, well-formcd, symmetri-
cal figure.
"Kate ought 10 do WE'LL" sighed tho
anxious mother. "She ought to marry one
OF the richest farmers In the neighborhood.
Even young squire might do worse than
to marry one OF the pretticst, brightest
girls In the county, and one who under.
stands dairy thoroughly we'll"
The remaining members Of the family
was the eldest son, DcsfOrl. lie was a
boy after his fathers own heart. lie
would plod patiently at tue pillow or the
harrow, content to run In the same groove
from years emu to years end, all the
beauty Of the green earth aud all the mys
teries OF life being sealed books to him.
1t was curious household, yet n com
mon one; and the day came when Sir Ray,
| Wharf gathered this little group around
him aud made a proposition to them.
.. None OF them ever forgot the scene oil
the hour. Behind the farmhouse stood 4
magnificent clump Of limr-trccs, the grea
green branches Of which formed u beauti
full shade; and one evening, when thu
| farmer was unusually pleasant he ordered
| supper to be brought out and eaton there
The evening air was fragrant with thu
2 new-mown hay which lay in the meadows
alt is so sweet" said the farmer, tina
1t seems pity to lose even one breath Of
it,"
SO the brown bread, the golden butter
and the foamIng jug Of cider were brough
| Ia
lance, thought he had never seen NOR
picturesque group-the honest, slmpl
' farmer, with his sunbuInt face and rugge'
: figure, the comoly bright-eyed wife, til
q beautiful young daughter, the gifted son
Q and the burly figure Of Dcsford. He wen
. up to them. The farmer ceased eating
2 and sat, glass In hand, mute with won
i der. 1t was SO seldom that the lodge
Joined their little circle.