Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-11
! AXES LITTLE GIRL.

sandhar into the Great south hay. a point
about fifteen miles from New York OF a
pleasant Sunday la summer Il was pretty
lively resort. Uncle Jake made juvial
host, and people used Ia SAY that he uw ed
his good health in IA great measure to the
frequency with which he drank Ia il him
self Most Of the ti>hiu, parties from the
hlrbOrs along the hay stopped here for a
ClImhake and a cocktail. yachtsmen an
Chured near the inlet, and spOrt>mvn
would put up at the tavern for week or
two at time But in winter il was
drrary spot. The m"nntonous turmoil of
the surf was broken only now and then 10y
the shrill cry of IL gull or the shricking of
the wind as it whried aCrnSs the bar.
During the long storms only an occasional
wrvCkrr or IA patrol from the life saving
station visited the place. and AT any time
in winter IA party like ours WAS rarity.
4 real Bohemian freak had brought us
down to Uncle lakes that night. The
evening hrfurc Il dozen of lis artists had met
at a little reunion in the studio of one of
our number and one Of us seeing "A sketch
of Uncle .Iakr's tavern on the easel had
proposed paying him winters visit. We
all knew uCle Jake. and the idea OF
winter : visit To him was too much of IA
novelty to be- resisted 80 we set out for
the tavern the next day. and arrived there
before night time. UuCle Jake knew that
the trip across the bay lad been a rough
one. 80 he started "A roaring wood fire;
and when We had finished supper he put a
steaming bowl uf pu Ch on the table
But, despite his attcnt IN and the jollity
of our party. he wasn't i'll the best Of
spirits. Not that he didn't dip his glass
into the punch bowl pretty often, but he
seemed moody and didn't talk much
His low spirits seemed ALSO TO have had a
depressing effect on Samson, his big mas
tifr. who was about as well known along
the coast as Uncle Jake himself. Usually
he harked friendly welcome to everyone
who came To the house. But he had been
sullcn and silent all the evening and had
sat near Uncle Jake, resting his head On
his masters knee and now and then look
ing up wi>tfully at him.
| had known Uncle Jake and his big
dog longer than the Others had and no
ticed that something was wrong En-
Crpting the last two years. which | had
spent in Europe, had been to the tavern
off and un for about dozen summers |
had always liked the plaCe-it was 50 far
removed from everyday affairs. There
WAS usually "A fresh breeze coming over
the broad eNpanSe Of ocean, fine surf,
sending its euul spray over the beach, and
here and there a white sail outlined
against the blue sky. Beside, Uncle Jake
was always hale and jOvial with young
fellows and few of them ever paid visit
Ia the tavern without returning To il nj
some future day The old man seemed
glad enough tu see me again and made me
sit next Ia him. But felt that since |
had been there some change had come
over him and the dog and the old place,
and at times he looked as though he
would like Ia tell me something, but hest
tated on account Of the others.
remembered pretty bright eyed lass,
about | years old when last saw her,
who was al the tavern i'll former years.
and whom We used Ia call Uncle Jake's
little girl. She used 10 make herself
handy about the place and was 80 simple
and graceful in her bearing that she was
a favuritc with all who went there. The
sun had Drowned her hands and arms
and the wind had played with her fair
hair until it hung over her forehead like
tangled sunbeamS. She was tall and
lIthes0me, and rs strong as she was grace
full Often. when she was a nere girl Of
10 or II. had seen her pulling her skill
across the bay and hailing the old fisher
men aS they sCudded past in their SmaCkS.
Many a time they would lay to and take
her aboard and tow her 'skiff home; and
tnen she would take the helm from the
skipper, trim the sheet and shout with
glee as the spray came dashing over the
bow wondered what had he
come of her and asked Uncle Jake.
but he didn't seem to hear my
question, though the dog sprang 10
his feet and ruamed about the room un-
easily before he skunk back To his masters
feet. ! was about to ask the question
again when one of our party proposed a
song. While they gathered in Il group
around the old piano i'll the corner, the
old man stole quietly to the door of
another room and beckOned me TO follow
him. As / joined him he was STOPPING
over an old bureau fumbling among some
papers, while the dog, who had slipped in
after him. watched him intently until he
put his hand on a tin type, which he drew
out and showed me 1t was the picture |
Of a child. and in the features recng-
niZed "CnCle Jake's little girl" In the /.
next room some one WAS playing a jang
ling accompaniment and the rest were
shouting boisteruus song | thought /.
then would be a good time to ask him
what had become of the girl whose
childish features We were looking at, So |
inquired, by way of introduction. if he
had ever been married. 1t was To this he |
had replied: No, mister, | amt spllced, /
nor never was
''But yer see he continued, as though
he knew what was driving at, its un-
common lonesome here in winter, an
many a time when I've heard some young
one ashore yonder as wasn't cared for at
home I've got its folks to let me take it .
out here with me. The children kind n
cheered me up durin the long winter eve /
nin's an when summer came I'd ask to
have 'em stay bit longer. The little
ones would beg real hard, too, for made ,
a good deal of 'em, and they thought kind
q well o me for it. Some o them stayed
few years, but as they got big an could
be handy at home their folks fetched 'em .
away from me, an so at last they all 7
went; all but little Maggie, her "a they
used to call Uncle Jake's little girl 1t
was bad home I'd took her from, an
afore she'd been with me long her father /
wandered off an her mother died in the /
poOrhOuse. There wasn't no one 10 take
her from me then so she stayed here; All +.
right glad | was to keep her. She was a
smart likely little thing, an l thought as
I'd care for her an lay by bit o money 1.
for her. When she first came here she
was no more than >, and when
you saw her two summers ago she
was goin' ON IS. Yer know Maggie was
rs good-lOoking a girl as yer could find
hereabOuts. an many feller as has come
here with his boat in summer time has
been kind o took wi her. was kind q
proud to have EN- so, too, for I'd "A pre-
cious good opinion o Maggie, an | liked
tn see 'em back me up. 1t weren't every
one she'd take Ia, neither, for she'd make
her choice like any lady. would Maggie